Bringing a horse back into work

I'm bringing mine back after 4 years (don't ask!).

I did 2 weeks groundwork - mostly long reining as she's old and stiff. Then sat on her in the school to re-establish the basics of stop/go/left/right, then started hacking. My plan was to hack twice a week (weekends) and school twice a week (dark weeknights).

However, my horse has other ideas and thinks school work is much more fun than hacking. We'll persevere though! Our yard is on top of a hill, and as she's quite old, I was planning on taking it very slowly. I wish she'd realise her age though, and take it easy. So far, we've rediscovered half pass, piaffe, passage, canter pierouettes, collected canter, and canter on the spot *sigh*

Good luck
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Ideally you need to do quite a bit of walk work (I think they say one week of walk for every month off, although that can't be right if the horse has had 2 year off!!), but to start off you need to do whatever is necessary to make sure you are safe.

I would try lunging in a school, enclosed space and if all seemed OK, try long-reining down the lanes. If all seemed OK, I would ride in the school for 2-3 times just to make sure she still remembers everything and then start walk hacks, ideally in company.

It really depends on the horse though, some sensible horses simply continue to be sensible with no problems!
 
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10 year old. I figured start with lunging for short periods of time, build that up and then work from there but really not sure!

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ideally you would like to be long reining first with tack and start to build up the fitness, then progress onto lungeing and then hacking .

Time frames .... well its anyones guess, It really depends on the fitness level of said horse .

Are we getting a new horsie ??
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Walk work is the main thing to remember so I would be doing 6 weeks of walking (but proper walking out and working) before moving on to anything else as this will help in the long run
 
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Walk work is the main thing to remember so I would be doing 6 weeks of walking (but proper walking out and working) before moving on to anything else as this will help in the long run

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Ditto this. Also agree with the above re the old thing of one week walk hacking for every month off (but not 2 years worth).
 
Lots of walking is how I start too. I prefer to keep lungeing until they are a little fitter as it can be more strenuous on joints etc.

I have just started mine off at the walk, in field / school just to ensure brakes and steering, then out on roads as they are sensible to harden up legs.

Have started slowly with 20 mins a time building up as they have been prone to girth galls in the past and are barefoot at the moment.

All depends on the horse, but the best thing to remember is not to rush it. Its far better for the horse to fitten over a longer period. Have seen several horses who's owners haven't taken enough time and wonder why injuries occur.

Good luck, have fun!!!!
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Problem is our school is very deep, hence not wanting to lunge for too long a period of time. Good hacking area though, with both road work and hill work.

I've never long reined before
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From what I hear, she is a sensible horse can be lazy and tries your patience (but what horse doesn't
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Col - possible new share horse
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Long reining is easy
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I'd only done it a couple of times before I started bringing my mare back into work 6 weeks ago. Do you have someone there who could show you what to do first, then you can start off in the arena and progress to long reining on the roads? I found mine was really chilled when I did get on, and I think it was down to the long reining.

If your arena is deep, I probably wouldn't lunge. Or lunge on large circles only (preferably the whole of the arena if your legs can keep up
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) Definitely worth doing some sort of groundwork before you get on though - just to get her mind into the whole idea of working again, and to build up a few muscles. Long reining is especially good for this, as it is easier to work them correctly, so they build the right muscles
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I have a friend who will probably help with me with bringing her back into work as well as seeing what way her owner wants to go about it
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I'm excited but very nervous!
 
Have to say I'd be starting withvery short hacks rather than lungeing, as it puts so much more strain on the horse.
 
I don't think anyone suggested spending hours and days on the lunge, but if I read this right this is a horse you do not know, that has been out of work for a couple of years. For safety's sake you want to try her out in an enclosed area on the lunge or long rein just to see what happens. 10mins in walk on the lunge for 2-3 days are not going to hurt her.
 
I'd do the same as Booboos. Lungeing for a few days then riding in an enclosed area just to check that the controls are there then I'd start with 15-20 mins walking out under saddle with a quiet companion and build up from there.

I was always told a week of walking for each month off, up to 12 weeks in total if they've had over a year off.
 
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Lots of walking is how I start too. I prefer to keep lungeing until they are a little fitter as it can be more strenuous on joints etc.

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By this I meant not lungeing until fitter ie keep it til later. So sorry, didn't choose the right words to make myself clear
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Bit brain dead at the moment!!
 
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