How much fitness would be lost?

[Jericho]

16 yr old pony has been consistently worked all winter doing a bit of everything including hunting and 2 weeks ago completed a ODE zooming round the 2 mile XC course just under the time limit without hardly breaking sweat. Pony twinged something in his right fire last Thursday. Vet wasn't sure what it was but probably just knocked himself or twisted something but he said box rest for a week and he gave me some bute to give him (I actually only gave him one days worth because it wasn't that bad and felt as he was in I would rather not mask anything) and then light work.

Pony however was sound by Monday , farrier also saw him then and confirmed no obvious problem to foot or lami and that he looked sound but stiff from being in. So since Monday he has been stabled overnight for 12hrs and then out on restricted grazing for 12 asaprecaution against lami and I am starting light work with him again today (probably just 10/15 mins on the lunge on a large circle to loosen him up - he is my daughters pony and too smal for me to ride).

He is due to compete in a 80cm ODE as part of a team at the end of May. Do you think he will still be fit enough if I keep him in light work this week ie no jumping, work on hard ground etc and then up his work again in the week before the comp? Essentially he has had a week off, half on box rest.

 

[be positive]

His fitness level will not drop off at all as he was very fit before the break and has had only a few days of box rest, if it was just a knock/ bruising then as he has recovered so quickly he will be fine to do the ODE, if it was a twist then you may find it shows up again once the work increases in which case I would stop immediately and get it fully investigated.

 

[utter-nutter]

sounds perfectly fine to me! when something similar happened to my pony i just turned him out for a week, (hates being in and does get stiff) he was sound within 2 days and continued riding after a week (realise everyones has different approaches to dealing with knocks)
also i was once told by a vet, a horse won't lose any fitness for up to two weeks on complete turnout, obviously your restricted by the lami worry