Corticosteroid injections to spine & recovery

[TwiggyL]

Hello

My 19 yr old welsh c gelding has just been treated for inflammation of the ligament in the central area of his spine with some cortisone injections. (We think possibly due to constant trauma from ill fitting tack, prior to me having him)

I have been given a 4 week rehab plan to get him back on track.

He hates being lunged in a Pessoa so I have bought a lunging aid which I think he will prefer.

Any other fun things we can do to get him stretching nicely?

He gets bored easily so a good variety of things to do would be great.

Also, anyone else had this in an older pony, any success stories??

TIA

 

[Alibear]

Poles, lots of poles, just in walk to start with and have them on the floor to start with, then over time add in some raised ones and then add in some trot ones too, walk is where its at though.
If you think about is 5 poles done 10 times (5 in each direction) is 50 poles so it all adds up quite quickly. If you can do more shorter sessions that is better to as you want to stop work before they get sore.
Once that's under way you can add in some in hand work with lateral flexions, turns on haunches, on forehand, side pass/leg yield etc all to get him gently flexing through his back. Again keep any sessions short and sweet but you can do more than 1 session a day if you can fit it in.
If he's well behaved just walking out in hand/ in hand hacks helps too.

 

[TwiggyL]

Poles, lots of poles, just in walk to start with and have them on the floor to start with, then over time add in some raised ones and then add in some trot ones too, walk is where its at though.
If you think about is 5 poles done 10 times (5 in each direction) is 50 poles so it all adds up quite quickly. If you can do more shorter sessions that is better to as you want to stop work before they get sore.
Once that's under way you can add in some in hand work with lateral flexions, turns on haunches, on forehand, side pass/leg yield etc all to get him gently flexing through his back. Again keep any sessions short and sweet but you can do more than 1 session a day if you can fit it in.
If he's well behaved just walking out in hand/ in hand hacks helps too.

My 4 week plan says he has to be walked and cantered only for the first two weeks and in hand only so I can walk him over lots of poles? I can ride him at the end of week 4.

 

[Alibear]

Yep in hand walking over poles is a great start.

 

[SEL]

My 4 week plan says he has to be walked and cantered only for the first two weeks and in hand only so I can walk him over lots of poles? I can ride him at the end of week 4.

Short sessions - better to do it well than poorly and muscles start to flag if an exercise is repeated too often. Then you get the muscles learning the 'wrong' behaviour. I do 3 times over poles then she has a break and we go and do some other exercises, then come back and do again.

If you can do more than one session a day that's great.

Have you got stretching exercises to do as well? Amazing how far my wonky mare can stretch for a carrot

 

[piglet2001]

A previous horse of mine had it done. 3 days off post injection then back to normal exercise. Lots of physio (every week for 1 month, then every fortnight for two months), carrot stretches and raised poles twice a week. 2 weeks post injection my girl was competing at the national championships. My horse was younger at the time of injury but I hope this gives you hope.