Bringing horse out of retirement.

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myheartinahoofbeat

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Looking for some advice please, I have a 13 year old ex racer who has been retired for 3 years in a herd at retirement home. Change of circumstances mean we now have land and I have brought him home with my other horses. he was retired because of a DDT injury and SI issues. A vet and physio have now declared him sound after all that time off and I'm thinking about getting on him again just to do a bit of hacking, nothing more. How should I start him? I'm a bit reluctant to just jump straight on so thought a little bit of lunging work first. What would you do to get back on a horse that has been off for 3 years? Obviously if there's any sign of old injuries recurring I will stop.
 
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myheartinahoofbeat

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Snowfilly said:
Some walking out in hand if you’re worried about getting straight on, otherwise I’d saddle up and go.

I wouldn’t lunge. That’s a lot of stress on joints to start with.
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Yes, I agree, Im not sure lunging is ideal for something thats had leg troubles and he has not gone in a circle for years
 
The Xmas Furry

The Xmas Furry

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Tack him up and lead him out for a 10 minute march every day for 4 or 5 days. You will then know what there is along the route that might catch his attention.
If all going well, then get on and exactly do the same route, riding at walk. After 5 days increase by 5 minutes, then increasing by 5 minutes every 5 days more.
Once you have got to 45 mins, then introduce trot.
Will take you longer to tack up and untack to start with than actually riding, but you'll get there.
All the above will help condition/harden the legs again. Good luck and enjoy x
 
Carrottom

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If he has been living out with a herd I would first establish a daily routine. Eg. Bring in, pick out feet, leave with a hay net for an hour, groom etc. Then as FF says, walk out with tack on for a few days.
 
RachelFerd

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Get some tack on him and work him in hand before entertaining any thoughts of getting on!

While I'm not saying 'lunge him into the ground', I would work them on the end of a long rope, with tack on, moving sideways from pressure, doing a couple of circles each way in walk and trot and making sure they're not girthy and are comfortable with the added tack and weight before thinking about hopping on board. I'd probably do a couple of sessions like this before getting on.

My 19 y/o ex racer would face plant me within 10 seconds if I didn't do some appropriate work to remind him what saddle/girth felt like - and that was with just a week or two off!
 
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laura_nash

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RachelFerd said:
Get some tack on him and work him in hand before entertaining any thoughts of getting on!

While I'm not saying 'lunge him into the ground', I would work them on the end of a long rope, with tack on, moving sideways from pressure, doing a couple of circles each way in walk and trot and making sure they're not girthy and are comfortable with the added tack and weight before thinking about hopping on board. I'd probably do a couple of sessions like this before getting on.

My 19 y/o ex racer would face plant me within 10 seconds if I didn't do some appropriate work to remind him what saddle/girth felt like - and that was with just a week or two off!
Click to expand...

That would depend on the horse though. Mine has every winter off and has also had gaps of up to 3 years. Each time I've just got back on no bother.
 
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