Bringing an 'older' horse back into work...

[NiftDisy]

Hi I'm wondering what people's opinions are on bringing a 17 year old horse back into moderate work after a few years off..

I recently bought a 16.2hh gelding and was assured by his last owners that he was in moderate work (light schooling and jumping) throughout the time they had him (5 years) but I bought him pretty undermuscled, weak and with no topline which leads me to believe he hadn't really been in proper work..

He was pretty reluctant to work in the school when I got him so its been a real journey trying to help him build fitness and muscle as he's very slow and behind the leg
He passed his vetting and has never shown any signs of lameness or illness with us so I can't find any physical reasons for him being so reluctant.

I'm wondering if anyone thinks that because of his age, considering he's been unfit for so many years, that it might be asking too much to get him fit enough for low level dressage and small jump courses?

I do quite a bit of hacking with him and he's quite forward and enthusiastic to hack most of the time.. I do some lunging and long reining but again he's pretty unenthusiastic and difficult to motivate in the school.

He's my first horse and I worry alot about him so I'm probably just being paranoid about him coping with coming back into work after so long off with all the tight patterns and such..

Would be grateful for any guidance!

 

[Flicker]

I brought a 20 year old back into work. He took me Elementary. To start with, we hacked. I did nothing but gentle hacking for weeks, building him back to fitness, before introducing short periods of trot work. Then gradually started a bit of work in the school, walk then trot.

If you are happy that your horse is sound, you may just need to stick with the hacking for a bit longer, introducing short periods of trot.

Also, when he is fit enough to go back into the school, maybe do shorter periods with him but make them a bit more interesting with poles.

At 17 he should not be too old. Having had to work to get and stay fit myself however, I can attest to it being a long process and one best not rushed.

 

[AmyMay]

Spend the summer hacking. Forget about the school or lunging. Longreining could be useful.

 

[Northern Hare]

If he's sound and enjoying his hacking, I'd personally concentrate on that, and do some schooling whilst out on your hack - or perhaps go for a hack and spend 5-10 mins in the school when you get back. He's maybe finding it harder work in the school at the moment, if he's lacking fitness and muscle. Good luck with him! ?

 

[JBM]

I’d stick with the hacking it really helps build muscle especially if the area is hilly. You can also do leg yielding in walk on your hacks to help keep them flexible it’s what I do with my 21 year old.
I bought my girl at 19 out of shape she was only doing hacks a few times a month and she could do a good dressage test now
I used to free lunge in the school as well as circles can be difficult when they don’t have much muscle on but free lunging still let her have a canter

 

[luckyoldme]

I bought a horse who was similar, he was a lot older than his dodgy passport said and I was naive and ripped off.
After a while building up to it I tried (a bit pathetically on my part) to get him jumping tiny jumps. He was reluctant and I spoke to a more knowledgeable owner. She told me that in her opinion my horse was old enough to make his own decisions on jumping .
I thought about it and thought it was a good approach.
I wasn't that ambitious anyways so the pair of us hacked out and enjoyed doing that .
I still had the time of my life with him and all the indications were that he had done his fair share as a younger horse.
Maybe as your horse builds muscle and gets fitter he might be keen to do more but if not personally I wouldnt push the issue

 

[MuddyMonster]

How long have you had him?

It's one of those things were you don't want to push him if he's uncomfortable but IMHO increasing suppleness and strength by schooling could be really helpful if done sympathetically. Of course, you can do it out hacking too if you have access to hills and introduce some bSic lateral work.

Has he been checked out by a vet & physiotherapist? As I think that would be my first port of call. If he gets the all clear I'd probably start with in-hand work, then introducing polework slowly in-hand and see how they go

I'd also try to find a trainer that can help work with the horse in a biomechanicqlly horse friendly way. I can't tell you the difference it's made to my teenage horse after some time off last year but I wouldn't try to push him before being cleared by vets first.

 

[dorsetladette]

I'd also keep hacking. You'd be amazed how much schooling you can do while out hacking. Ask for a bend round a corner, leg yield across quiet tracks, transitions etc etc. You kind of need to treat him like a baby pony - by this I mean not over doing it. Circles put a huge amount of stress on joints.

 

[cauda equina]

What's your school surface like?
My 18 year old with coffin joint arthritis hates any sort of deep going
If yours seems happier hacking as other have said I'd concentrate on that

 

[NiftDisy]

MuddyMonster
I’ve had him for 7 months now. When he first arrived he almost wouldn’t move at all either in hand or under saddle.. he was happy and mobile out in the field (he’s turned out 24/7 in a group).. he was just really shut down around people

He’s been seen by a vet but not a physio, vet thought he was pretty sound just switched off

He’s completely come out of his shell here and he’s now the biggest, friendliest puppy dog I’ve ever met. Always the first one to the gate and follows me everywhere
He’s more willing under saddle now too, still not 100% but he’s more willing to work with me in the school than he was before

 

[NiftDisy]

What's your school surface like?
My 18 year old with coffin joint arthritis hates any sort of deep going
If yours seems happier hacking as other have said I'd concentrate on that

the school surface isn’t great, it’s deep in a couple places and the outside track is worn down quite a lot

I try to keep up with it by raking it in but it doesn’t get maintained properly by the owner so I have to try stick to the inside track.. which isn’t great considering he’s bound to be pretty stiff

 

[NiftDisy]

I’d stick with the hacking it really helps build muscle especially if the area is hilly. You can also do leg yielding in walk on your hacks to help keep them flexible it’s what I do with my 21 year old.
I bought my girl at 19 out of shape she was only doing hacks a few times a month and she could do a good dressage test now
I used to free lunge in the school as well as circles can be difficult when they don’t have much muscle on but free lunging still let her have a canter

I do a bit of free lungeing with him to try keep things interesting as he switches off quite easily
He seems to really enjoy and loves to play and act the fool ?

I have to use him as my lead horse at work sometimes so he gets a good bit of hill work

 

[sbloom]

Switched off usually means the body isn't working as it should be. Not to the extent that the vet or even a physio would find particular issues, but that the postural stuff isn't right - horses' brains and bodies are almost as one, if his brain isn't right then, as a prey animal, he'd mask it as long as possible. So a switched off horse would be toast in the wild. We can override that by finding things the love, but that means that happy hormones are outweighing whatever's going on in the body.

The longer I saddle fit the more I look for solutions that fix the body via postural work from the ground, especially lifting the thoracic sling, especially in a horse that has been off work, is older, or has known compensatory issues ie is very crooked, has had injuries etc. Bodywork, not necessarily a physio, is a great idea and will be needed too.

Pole work should be reserved for horses that have started to lift in the thoracic sling and are straight, otherwise it's going to make them very tired very quickly, much faster than we usually realise, AND strengthen the existing asymmetry and compensatory movement patters.

A purist point of view!

 

[JBM]

If he’s stiff and you think he’s struggling in the arena a physio is a good shout. They give you exercises to do which help keep my girl lose and she also suggested me using hot water bottles on my girls back before riding! Judys been moving much better since. If he’s turnout 24/7 that’s the best! As standing still in a stable is the worst for making older horses stiff

 

[Reacher]

Agree an ACPAT physio would be a good idea as a starting point. They will need permission from your vet before they will see the horse. It might be the case that your horse was being ridden over low courses etc but using the wrong muscles eg due to a badly fitting saddle which is why he had no top line. Definitely concentrate on hacking and hills etc as strengthening work to develop the right muscles before you do schooling/ jumping and the physio will advise you.

 

[irishdraft]

I've spent the last 12 weeks bringing a 16 yo back into work after sitting in a very small field for over 2 years. After going in the school to establish what the horse was like under saddle as I didn't know him I have just been hacking him to get that base fitness. He's surprisingly got fit quite quickly and is loving his new life.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I've seen lots of older horses flourish with the right management, work and food, aligned with a good ACPAT physio. There is definitely hope.

 

[Tiddlypom]

In hand work over ground and raised poles in walk only can be very helpful, but less is more with them. Trot poles should be avoided - cause more issues than they solve.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm currently rehabbing my 18 year old after a pedal bone fracture his not been ridden since November, I've been doing lots of in hand ground work longs walks in hand and carrot stretches, we are under the physio and it's really helped we are currently starting some pole exercises now then I will start riding for short periods every other day mainly hacking.

 

[Lois Lame]

Do you enjoy hacking him and are you confident in doing so? If the answer is a definite yes, I think hacking is the answer. Forget lunging, forget schooling in an arena. Get him fit out hacking. Take it steady and be guided by his behaviour.

 

[LegOn]

Have a look at science supplements flexability plus - a friend who was bringing her older horses up a level found an incredible difference when she put him on it, he was fine and happy to work away but a little lack lustre so she had some physio treatments and nothing major showed up so she tried the supplement and he was a different horse! I think when bringing an older horse back to work, its like an older person - they might be capable of it but might get muscle sore quicker and need some support with tired feeling muscles, a supplement is a good way of giving them an extra bit of help to feel their best selves!

 

[tristar]

i would groom then carrot stretch then warm up on the lunge and let him just flop about if he wants and take it steady, then try lunging him over two lots of 8 inch high or so poles or so, three times one way then the other, give polos when done well, i do this with a horse a bit backwards thinking, he loves it, but i also lunge him properly after, trot to halt, walk to canter, but he is used to it

i try to make it fun, very un serious, but when i get on to ride, its fabulous because he `s thinking forwards by then

taking it slow trying things out over a week or two and experimenting to see what he enjoys for a few minutes and what turns up the volume forwards wise, doing loads of different things may spark his interest get him flexible build up to some longish canters out hacking and away you go