Bringing a horse back into work without a school.

[alfie95]

Hi. My horse hasn't been ridden for a year due to hock and back pain. He had steroid injections last July but due to covid and moving yards we haven't been able to move forward much. He took a long time to settle at the new place due to an encounter with a pig and it's only since December that I feel he is mentally ready to be brought back into work. We don't have a school and I'm at a loss as to how to begin bringing him back to work as we still don't know if the steroid injections have worked. Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Get the vet out to do a workup so you know exactly whether the injections have worked and if he gets the all clear and you are happy enough to take him out alone start by walking in hand in a bridle. If you have gentle hills even better. It’s how I restarted my Connie after coming back from a suspensory injury.

 

[alfie95]

The vet came back out in September and gave us the go ahead to start gentle work but unfortunately the pig incident happened and we couldn't continue. I'm now worried it might have been to long since the initial injections. The vet was going to come back after a couple of months to check how he was after being sat on which should have happened by now. Should I just start again or get the vet to check again.?

 

[ycbm]

A school and circling isn't the best place to start him anyway. I would just get him out walking and increase the length of the walk and the time you actually ride him instead of walking in hand. I don't see the point of asking the vet to come out again if he's not even walked off any stiffness from not working or built up any of the supporting muscles yet.

It doesn't sound like the kind of condition which is going to be made worse by starting work and seeing how things progress.


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[ester]

I might start walking/long reining in hand but I'd anticipating getting the vet to check again fairly shortly as it is likely the injections have worn off by now.

 

[alfie95]

I might start walking/long reining in hand but I'd anticipating getting the vet to check again fairly shortly as it is likely the injections have worn off by now.

 

[alfie95]

Yes this it what I'm worried about as there is no way to know how long the injections might last for. I think I'll start doing some long reining and hand walking and then get the vet back out before sitting on him. Thanks for the advice.

 

[HeyMich]

Yes, as folk have said above. Start with short, gentle hacks, either ridden or in hand, and build it up slowly. Get the vet out again, in say a month or two, once work is re-established, to check him over.

 

[ester]

6 months is usually good going for a steroid injection, 3-6 months is usual.