thebestoftiffany
New User
My mare is a lovely 16hh Thoroughbred X who had been out jumping BN/Disc/1.05's around 2 months ago. She had been going very well and we'd qualified for our BN Regional Finals. We went down to the Blue Chip Winter Championships where we did four 1m classes over 5 days. When we came home, maybe a week or so after the competition, she started to look quite hangy and dull, not at all like she usually does. She got very grumpy and hated you touching her belly/flank. She stood up at the back of her stable, constantly unhappy and grumping at everyone, biting the bars of her stable and just restless. We got the vet out and they gave her some Danilon. When this had no effect and her condition got worse, they took blood tests and everything, but we still didn't know what was wrong. She was extremely ill and was near death. She looked so thin, had lost all of her muscle and was so weak. It made me extremely upset to see her like that 
Turned out that she had peritonitis. We nursed her along, gave her about a month or so off work, TRIED to put her out as much as we could and took her out in hand for grass. She began to get better and I was allowed to start riding her again about 2/3 weeks ago 
At first we could only hack for about a week, but then we were allowed to do a bit of trot work. We're still trotting about now. She has to go in for more scans on Wednesday to check that everything is okay, and we might be able to start cantering again!!! But, Beatrix (my mare) and I are going absolutely demented with only trot work. I know that it's essential not to move her on too quickly when she's still weak and lacking in muscle, and that it'll all be worth it in the end, but we're still bored. Does anyone have any exercises I could do to help build up more muscle, or anything exciting we can do while we wait to see if we can canter again?? Thank you, both Beatrix and myself will greatly appreciate it!! xxx
Turned out that she had peritonitis. We nursed her along, gave her about a month or so off work, TRIED to put her out as much as we could and took her out in hand for grass. She began to get better and I was allowed to start riding her again about 2/3 weeks ago At first we could only hack for about a week, but then we were allowed to do a bit of trot work. We're still trotting about now. She has to go in for more scans on Wednesday to check that everything is okay, and we might be able to start cantering again!!! But, Beatrix (my mare) and I are going absolutely demented with only trot work. I know that it's essential not to move her on too quickly when she's still weak and lacking in muscle, and that it'll all be worth it in the end, but we're still bored. Does anyone have any exercises I could do to help build up more muscle, or anything exciting we can do while we wait to see if we can canter again?? Thank you, both Beatrix and myself will greatly appreciate it!! xxx
