Humour me... Paranoid horse owner alert!

B

Bounty

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Hey all,

For those of you that have managed to avoid hearing me harp on about Rage (lucky you!) here is a brief overview...

11yo TB, had Kissing Spine surgery last June, complicated/delayed rehab because of issues with wound healing. Then there was a question mark over right sided Sacroilliac Joint inflammation. Then, come early Jan, he was shod with a bar shoe on the left hind because of a problem with his pedal bone.
He has been back in proper ridden work since late Jan, building up very gradually to around 1.5-2hours roadwork in walk/some trot 4 times a week. He schools one or twice a week, over various arrangements of poles.
I'm pleased with his topline/condition.

So... my question is whether you lot think it is safe to start working on a little bit of jumping? And there is a 10 mile fun ride at the beginning of May, which we would do at mostly walk and trot (accompanying a client and her young horse).. do you think he will be fit enough to cope with that?

I'm just ultra paranoid about tweaking the SI injury, or triggering more changes in the pedal bone, or, or or.....
I'm just so pleased to have him sound and happy, I almost feel like I am pushing my luck to be asking more of him when maybe I should just be extremely grateful for what I have already?!

Help?
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I am not an expert by any means, but what's to lose trying him over a few crosspoles and see how he goes? Start small and then, if he is enjoying it and doing ok, then build it up from there. You, are after all doing everything very sensibly, making haste slowly, so yes I'd certainiy give it a go.
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As for the pleasure ride, YES definitely, if he is hacking 4 times a week for 2 hours then I am sure he'll cope with that easy peasy. Or at least he will if the tracks are nice and soft and grassy/barky - not stony or flinty sharp.
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Good luck, so good to hear of a success story when it was all looking so bleak..well done you for patience and resilience!!
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It sounds like he should be OK, as you are doing at least an hour and a half already and you dont start jumping huge fences lol.. Could you maybe give yr vet a call and ask his/her advice?? ... And if you do do the fun ride you can take it steady and Rage will prob enjoy a change from road riding.
 
Vets advice long term is to push him to see what level of work the pedal bone can cope with...
I just don't want to push him too hard, too soon, as I think it's only fair to give him as good a chance of coping as possible, which leads me to ask whether it is too soon?
 
Can you try a few jumps on the lunge or loose schooling, to see how he copes?

I think he wouldd be fine and fit enough for May.


My mare had the kissing spine operation, she made a total recovery only to loose her to a tragic accident.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Vets advice long term is to push him to see what level of work the pedal bone can cope with...
I just don't want to push him too hard, too soon, as I think it's only fair to give him as good a chance of coping as possible, which leads me to ask whether it is too soon?

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not convinced that jumping (on a decent surface) will do the pedal bone any more harm than bucking in the field or trotting in the road.
If he were mine, I'd do the pleasure ride, and do the jumps.
After all, you will feel if he goes a bit footy again, and will know to stop, so no harm will be done.
S
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Ronansmum - Am fairly exhausted over the whole caboodle really, as it took months to get him diagnosed, so I feel like we've been on hold for so, so long. Feeling him so soft and strong underneath me again has made it all worthwhile though!
I think part of my issue with the fun ride is that it will be his first 'outing' for 18months, and he is going to be such an idiot, LOL! I can just see him spending the first half of the ride like a coiled spring, which is exactly the opposite of his suggested rehab work
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I know at some point I need to take the kid gloves off, but I'm scared!

Kallie - Thankyou
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I think he will enjoy the change from road work just a little too much, LOL!
 
I second the others. A little jumping, starting low and on a good surface and it should be no worse than the trotting on the road.

As for the fun ride, I don't know the ned, but if you're going to want to get out and about again it may be a better choice than going to a show say. Are you able to ride out with more horses as a lead up to the fun ride?

Sounds like you're doing a good job with him. I know how scary it is to take the kid gloves off though! Part of you wants to, and part of you really doesn't
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. Is very confusing sometimes this horse lark
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MrsM - He is fine out in company and is generally very reliable, it's just that because he is SUCH a show off, with it being his first 'party' back I think he will be doing all his best moves!
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The lady I am going with lives opposite the venue so I am boxing to her, and then just popping over the road once he is calm and properly warmed up (desperate to avoid injury!). We are also going round last, as her horse won't cope with others flying past us. So all in all, it should be as calm as I can reasonably make it.

Shils - You are right, I have got to start putting stuff into perspective. I have done well so far I think, but the jumping/being back out and about thing just seems a much bigger step than what we have done before.

Lovegeegees - So sorry to hear about your mare
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He is banned from lunging while the pedal bone settles down unfortunately - yes, I know, rehabbing a KS horse without a circle!!!!
He is better off jumping under saddle anyway I think, as he will find it VERY exciting! He won't rush at them or get silly, but I am willing to bet that it takes a while for him to stop the 'God, I am GOOD' bucks that follow the fences!
 
I think it sounds like he is making great progress! Definately crack on and jump, and do the ride in May. Just always make sure that he is always balanced and between hand and leg, and perhaps do quite a few grids ( small) to start of with. When Owen first started jumping, he jumped huge and erraticly which did make him very sore, but as soon as we got him jumping softly and smoothly again, he was fine.
 
Thanks OB. I think, after having so long off jumping, he will be reverting to his old hurdler ways
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I was intending to start him off with just a couple of single fences so that I can work on the rhythm and holding it all together to start with. Gridwork really helps him, but my arena is only 20x40, so not much room for too many elements, and in his opinion the grids set him up nicely for the post and rail fence at the end of the arena
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so I might save the grids for a bigger, hired arena!
 
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