Getting a horse fit after injury?

[emelia]

My 8yo SJ mare has been off for nearly 5 weeks with what turned out to be mild arthritis in the coffin joint. She's sound now and getting some (remedial) shoes on tomorrow. My problem is that at the first vet thought it was lami so she was on total box rest and starved basically for nearly 2 weeks! Now we know its actually arthritis she's been back on proper feed and turned out in day for the last 2 weeks now but obvioulsy lost a lot of condition and top line. she's a bit ribby and her neck muscles are quite poor now. I can't believe how quickly they lose condition. Anyway, my question is what regimes would you suggest to get her back to her previous jumping fitness esp now we losing the daylight. We are lucky enough to have a floodlit menage fortunately.....

 

[SillyMare]

Walking - lots of it! Difficult to do in a menage though.

Minimum 2 weeks walking out for an hour or so 2 days in every 3. Probably better if you aim for 3 or 4 weeks.

After that start with short trots, initially in a straight line on flat-ish ground but buliding up to some hills and longer trots.

Introduce circles and schooling once you have been trotting for a couple of weeks and then jumping a week or two on from that (obviously starting small with short sessions and building up).

 

[Petrie]

But she's only been off for 5 weeks and she doesn't need to be hunting/eventing fit, so if it were me, I would go for a mix of hacks and sessions in the school in walk to begin with for a week or two then introduce trot, then build up gradually from there.

With arthritis, it's best not to pound along the road to much as this jarrs the joints. I'd be inclined to do a lot of it in the school. I don't see a problem with doing circles in walk and later trot from the beginning as it's only been 5 weeks off.

Speak to your vet though, see what he/she says. It's a shame she had to be on box rest at first: with arthritis, it's best to keep them out and and moving around.

Good luck, hope it goes OK.

 

[emelia]

thanks both for you views. the vet said she would be better in regular and consistent work hence why Im keen to get her going. I totally agree with you Petrie that keeping her in was probably the worst thing that could have been prescribed by the first vet - thak god the senior horse vet did the x-rays. i think she prob just looks worse than she is as she's lost some top line. I guess I have to play it by ear with her. Thanks again xxx

 

[Petrie]

Yep, arthritis is a bit different, they need to work and keep moving. But she was only in for a couple of weeks, so it won't have affected her that much - don't worry!

Mine has also been on box rest and has lost some condition. He'll be off work for 6 weeks. He suffered a nasty kick from another horse in the field, unfortunately.

He's 10 and has been eventing every season since a 6 yr old, so he picks his fitness up again very quickly after a short break.

For a 6 week break, being turned out every day, I wouldn't expect him to have lost a huge amount of fitness, so I won't worry too much about weeks of walking on the road. I'll hack him for a week for about an hour at a time, mostly walking, some short trots, then in the 2nd week I'll take him in the school for some gentle bending and stretching, in walk and a bit of trotting, then build up from there. In 3 - 4 weeks I would be happy to take him out to some dressage, and in 5 - 6 weeks he'll be show jumping again.

Hope all goes well for you.