How long off to 'metally' forget back pain

[Bluemoon1234]

My ponio is currently four weeks into what will be eight weeks off following a vets diagnosis of back pain from his poll all the way back along his spine. (But not Kissing Spine thankfully). He never went lame but didn't feel 'right'. He had one round of myotheraphy but didn't work.

He's now on turnout and loving it his live of lesiure .

I had a physio check him and she thinks he is well improved. He'll have at least another four weeks of turnout but is it enough? The physio mentioned that mentally the time out is important for him to 'forget' the pain association even if physically, he seems better. But is eight weeks enough - do you think it should be at least 12 weeks or even longer? (When he is back in work, vet has suggested myotheraphy (again) and maybe even an SI injection).

(I know every horse and situation is different. Vet couldn't identify precise issue and ponio will get a lovely new saddle when he's back in work. But I'm just wondering for those of you with competition animals, whether they did come back after long layoffs and back treatments? Mine is only 12). Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[be positive]

All horses vary, some will remember pain for ages and become tense which then creates another issue, others seem to work through fairly serious problems with no thought of complaining.

A break will do him good but will not make him forget only working without pain will allow him to do that so I would actually be doing some very low impact work as soon as possible rather than putting a time on it and expecting to get on and ride, some in hand work over poles, some basic long reining and lunging to encourage him to use himself in a correct relaxed manner alongside the exercises the physio has given you to do each day with him, should help prepare him to come back to ridden work.

I brought one back after SI injury, he had been ridden with it for 8 months under veterinary advice, long story but he was extremely stressed and I had turned him away as I knew it was not the right thing to do, new vet, treated, then restarted very slow rehab which included lots of regular physio, daily stretches and inhand work to rebuild his total lack of confidence and expectation of pain, it did take months but he is now a happy horse once again.

 

[Goldenstar]

Horses vary .
But it's my view the quicker after they are well you show them that it does not hurt the quicker they get over it .
Horses have long memories they don't forget pain they realise it does not hurt now and behave accordingly.
I would have regular physio input as the horse gets back to work to stay on top of things.
I would do pole work on the lunge and lead from another horse wearing the saddle to get the horse in good shape before you get on him .

 

[ycbm]

My ponio is currently four weeks into what will be eight weeks off following a vets diagnosis of back pain from his poll all the way back along his spine. (But not Kissing Spine thankfully). He never went lame but didn't feel 'right'. He had one round of myotheraphy but didn't work.

He's now on turnout and loving it his live of lesiure .

I had a physio check him and she thinks he is well improved. He'll have at least another four weeks of turnout but is it enough? The physio mentioned that mentally the time out is important for him to 'forget' the pain association even if physically, he seems better. But is eight weeks enough - do you think it should be at least 12 weeks or even longer? (When he is back in work, vet has suggested myotheraphy (again) and maybe even an SI injection).

(I know every horse and situation is different. Vet couldn't identify precise issue and ponio will get a lovely new saddle when he's back in work. But I'm just wondering for those of you with competition animals, whether they did come back after long layoffs and back treatments? Mine is only 12). Thanks in advance for any feedback.

The bold is your issue. When you bring him back into work you will not know if the issue that caused the spine stiffness from poll to tail is still there, and he is still in pain, or whether he is just remembering pain.

Did he have an MRI scan? If not, then as a competition animal then if he still feels at all wrong when you bring him into work I would get one done. Spine ligament damage, for example, is very difficult to detect. There was a thread only a couple of weeks ago where a horse had been competing a week before and was found to have spine ligament damage so severe from a pre-existing existing injury that she was put to sleep. In the past I've had people advise me to 'ride him through it' a horse I knew was in pain. It was only when he started to fit that they accepted the horse had problems.


It's unlikely yours will be that bad, but having had no cause found you won't be able to assume that any reaction to being ridden is only a memory of pain, I'm afraid.