Bringing an older horse back into work

[Willow123!]

Hi all,

My new share pony has been out of regular work for around a year and is 17 years old. Prior to this she was fit as a fiddle and out competing regularly. She was sat back on this weekend by her owner and was good as gold. Since her owner sat on her at the weekend I’ve had a little sit on her and she felt great. My question is what would be a safe and sensible program to bring her back into full time work? I’ll have her on share 4 days per week (roughly) and her owner will only want to ride once a week realistically.

Apparently she’s great to hack out alone though this has never been something I’m totally comfortable with (especially on a pony I don’t know) but there are other people on the yard I could hack out with. The yard has an indoor, outdoor, horse walker, lunging pen, gallop and cross country jumps.

I just want to make sure I don’t take her eager nature and ease of her going back under the saddle and push her too far too quickly. I’d rather do it slowly and properly and make sure she’s brought back into fitness the right way

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shay]

It depends on how far out of work she is and whether she has gained or lost weight.

First check the saddle fit on her now. it will not hold for long but you need to know it fits her as she is. The saddle also needs to fit you and your weight / balance.

Then classically... week 1 - 20 mins walk. Week 2 - 30 to 40 mins walk. Week 3 up to 1 hour walk including hill work - this is per day incidentally, not once an week. Week 4 short bursts of trot. Week 5 start school work but only large circles. If you must lunge this is where it comes in and for no more than 20 mins. Week 6 - 8 this is where you introduce canter work in short bursts, poles, rasied poles and eventually small jumps.

In practice it involves a bit more "feel" depending on how out of work she is and how much fitness she has held. You will want to get her saddle checked probably around week 5 - 7 in the above programme. And possibly again once you reach weeks 9 - 12.

You could possibly start her on the horse walker to start the week 1 walk - but I have to say I would not personally as the strain on old joints of walking in continous circles when they are not used to it would be too much. If you can't hack in a straight line in walk then long line. By week 5 you should be able to use the walker. The gallops and XC jumps are not going to be a feature until very much later!

But if the current owner has been riding once a week then the classical fittening programme might shorten somewhat - but you have to be guided by her. To go from once a week if that to 4 times per week is quite a strain. If you don't bring her back in slowly the odds are she'll go lame I'm afraid.

 

[Willow123!]

It depends on how far out of work she is and whether she has gained or lost weight.

First check the saddle fit on her now. it will not hold for long but you need to know it fits her as she is. The saddle also needs to fit you and your weight / balance.

Then classically... week 1 - 20 mins walk. Week 2 - 30 to 40 mins walk. Week 3 up to 1 hour walk including hill work - this is per day incidentally, not once an week. Week 4 short bursts of trot. Week 5 start school work but only large circles. If you must lunge this is where it comes in and for no more than 20 mins. Week 6 - 8 this is where you introduce canter work in short bursts, poles, rasied poles and eventually small jumps.

In practice it involves a bit more "feel" depending on how out of work she is and how much fitness she has held. You will want to get her saddle checked probably around week 5 - 7 in the above programme. And possibly again once you reach weeks 9 - 12.

You could possibly start her on the horse walker to start the week 1 walk - but I have to say I would not personally as the strain on old joints of walking in continous circles when they are not used to it would be too much. If you can't hack in a straight line in walk then long line. By week 5 you should be able to use the walker. The gallops and XC jumps are not going to be a feature until very much later!

But if the current owner has been riding once a week then the classical fittening programme might shorten somewhat - but you have to be guided by her. To go from once a week if that to 4 times per week is quite a strain. If you don't bring her back in slowly the odds are she'll go lame I'm afraid.

Hi Shay,

Thank you for that, it’s very informative. I feel as though she’s maintained quite a high level of fitness as current owner felt she could have done more with her when she sat on her. She’s a bit rounder than she was but I’m assuming this will fall off as she comes back into work. Will speak to new owner re saddle check and with me as a rider.

Hacking will be a no go for now as she’s barefoot and has been a bit footy on the gravel when walking out of the yard onto the road so is having front shoes put back on this week I believe.

I think I’ll start with riding say once or twice per week following the above guidelines, I want to get to know her on the ground too so may as well use this time to bond!

For the walking at the start is it fine to be in an arena provided we stay large?

Thanks!

 

[Shay]

If she is already used to working in the arena then it is probably OK -but older horses can get athritic which makes turns, especially sharp turns, painful. Even in a large arena the corners are still 90 degrees! You might want to keep an eye out for difficult or challenging behaviour which might be pain related - and opposed to her just being annoyed at having to work more. The fittening programme I repeated is the classic for bringing a horse back into work from a long break, so you can probably shorten it if she has remained in work. With the best will in the world she will not have a high level of fitness - that would come from being in medium / hard work. At best it sounds like she might be in very light work at the moment?

As well as watching for saddle fit and pain related changes to behaviour - don't increase her hard feed right now. Once you've got a few weeks under your belt and if she looks to be dropping weight more than you need you can think about it then. But you don't need feed related fizzy behaviour muddling the picture just now!