Experiences and opinions on rehabilitation yards?

[loveshorses]

As above really , also how much would you expect to pay .... I guess its more than your normal livery ?
Would you leave your horse there to get back into ridden work as well ?
And are there anything in perticular you would look for in a rehab yard .... trying to decide what is best to do with a horse which did a leg last year, all looks good now but want to get off on the right leg - excuse the pun !
Thank you x

 

[gunnergundog]

Hi....can't help you on the cost as it's many many years since I've used a rehab yard. I've used them twice so far; once in the early 80's for a horse with a suspensory problem and then in the 90's for a sacroiliac issue.

For the suspensory horse, it was the lack of facilities available on my home yard that made me send him away - also, he was a grade A owned by someone else, so I was totally paranoid about him. The people who owned the yard are now sadly dead, but were great at rehabbing P2Pers and NH horses. Didn't do too bad a job on the 'Ginger Slob' either!

The second horse went to Jo Hodges when she was at Milton Keynes and yes, it was ridden there.

What to look for? Depends what the problem with the horse is and what they can offer over and above what you can. Qualifications/experience of the person running the yard/the physio/the riders.....are they 'rehab' riders with feel? Attention to detail is paramount with rehab.

The facilities: salt water spa? Treadmill? Pool? Good hacking? Good surfaces? Solarium? Good sized stables with cushioned flooring? Rectangular horsewalker? Stocks? The list goes on....what is important will depend on where you/the horse is in the rehab process.

Dunno if that helps, but maybe some more info from you....what has the horse done, how long ago, what's the vet saying, where are you thinking of sending said horse, what level of performance was the horse at pre-injury, how old is it, what is the prognosis from the vet etc etc?

 

[loveshorses]

Smallish hole in his tendon start of last year which has now totally healed, can crack on with walking him but I do not have a walker and hes fairly hot and I can see us doing more than walking and causing him self damage , a friend of mine has offered a space a hers with a walker but I think that would be sooo boring every day and that will not really settle him to be ridden so was wondering about a yard where he could prehaps swim or something as well. He events mainly at Nov but has done a few Inters, also bit of hunting and general fun.
Have no where in mind , will travel to where ever is best.
Thankyou