fitness..how long to compete...

[xxmariexx]

hi my horse has been in work for 8 wks since laminitis, he was very fit before he went down with this and spent 6 months off, i strapped him every day so muscle wise he looked great! he had two weeks of light lunging and loose schooling b4 i started riding him he has p3 padding in his shoes and touch wood not gone backwards at all, his canter work has built up and we've just started to pop over the odd small x jump, he's coped with coming back to work very well and seemes like he was never off! what i was wondering was how soon would u start competing? im really wanting to pop round a few small hunter trials this year and there stating up mid september so about another 4 wks, i wouldnt do anything big or difficult and his owner is more than keen to get him out again (this pony lives to jump

)!) be honest pls as i dont want to break him again but am as keen for him to start up again, vet seems to think we cant do any damage by working him except if we turn him out loads (he only goes out 1.5 hours a day) thanks!

 

[Pep12]

Hi. If he is fighting fit and happily popping fences keep building on his canter work and you will be fine for 4 weeks time. Sounds like h is keen to go. Only caveat would be avoid jumping on really hard ground (not likely at this time of year), also not too much fast trotting on roads or fast work on hard ground either. You do not say what was the possible trigger for his lami, but concussion is something to guard against from now on as well as keeping him slim and off the fructans in the grass. Good luck and have fun and remmeber how lucky you are that he is able to run again.

 

[xxmariexx]

hi thanx for that, we assume his trigger was stress or frosty grass as it happend shortly after new year, and we have minimal turn out so no cance of lush grass, but on the other hand i was doing a lot of rd work back then ??? any way i only been taking him on short walk outs on the rd (no trotting)just to stop him being brain dead in the school! upped his canter work this evening (going a bit more forward but not galloping) and the bugger turned xc mode on me!! struggled to stop him! definately back to his usaul self!!! and definately wont go anywhere if the ground is hard!!