Rebuilding muscle in an older horse

Orchardbeck

Orchardbeck

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Can it be done? Especially targeting hollows behind the withers?

I have documented on here my previous saddle issues but have finally found something that is more suitable for my mare, which is with the saddler at the moment whilst they adjust the flocking etc.

In the meantime I have been gazing at her out of the window and looking at the muscle wastage she has behind the withers. Now she's 22, so not expecting miracles, but is there anything I can do to help build this up - are there any exercises that focus on this area?

I have in my tackroom a passoa type thing, a chambon, an elasticated training aid, a set of lunge/long reins, a roller, and a set of side reins. Are any of these of use? I have trotting poles too.

We haven't done masses on the lunge as I am worried about her joints, and as the ground (grass) is very slippy. Any help welcome! Thanks
 
My vet put my horse on Equitop Myoplast which has really helped (he's 17 and has muscle wastage behind the withers due to some leg issues). TBH the best thing for him though has actually been loads of hacking in a good, active walk. I don't lunge him any more, not good for his joints and he loathes it anyway. He's built up a lot now that he just hacks!! That said... I have a sharer (I rarely ride him, have a new pony) who hacks him 3x per week and schools him for most of the time she's hacking, ie he works properly all of the time.
 
Couldn't agree more with CC. Hacking all the way, schooling as you go but no forcing her into an outline as a pessoa or chambon would, that wouldn't be fair on her old body at all. Remember, she's an old horse and they all change and loose shape, just the same as humans do. You won't work miracles but it might strengthen her up a bit.
 
I have done it, my mare is 18 and had muscle wasteage on one side of her wither only. She is hacked 3-5 times a week (between 1 1/2 - 4 hours a time) and currently has a prolite riser to even her saddle out while the muscle is being worked on by a physio and with some excercises she has given me to do.

The difference after one physio visit was amazing, after 2 even better :D
 
i know a lot of people arnt fond of blue chip but i found it wonderful for my old tb who dropped weight very easily ,it would build him up behind the wither and top line was excellent, . my current horse 17yrold angloarab came to me a bit thin and lacking muscle but blue chip didnt suit him so ive got him on dodson and horrell barley rings ,alpha a with oil ,pony cubes and sugar beet. im very lucky he doesnt get fizzy ! hes looking marvellous now and has built some wonderful muscle and i just hack a couple of times a week but lots of hillwork and like the others have said dont slop along make them work properly.
 
This is all great advice, thanks! I think I need to look at her feed - she's out 24/7 at the mo which has really loosened her up - she gets stiff if she's inside, but is laminitic so has to wear a grass muzzle all the time. People often can't believe her age as she seems much younger, it's just her lack of muscle (all over) that gives her away!

She is fed Baileys lo-cal (2 mugs) and speedibeet (two handfuls when dry which is about a stubbs scoop wet), 2x a day, with Magox and sometimes a 30ml measure of Devils Claw if she seems stiff. I am loathe to up the calories unless it is oil based because of the laminitis risk, but could do with some more protein there I suppose - any sugggestions? She has dropped a shedload of weight which is really helping her - she was porky before.

I've really only hacked her anyway all her life, I have done a bit of schooling with her the last couple of months when I could use the paddock and I can now feel a difference in terms of her responsiveness to my leg, and ability to bend - I've been walking over poles, serpentines, circles etc - nothing strenuous, and mostly bareback as her saddle wasn't fitting. I've been taking her on short hacks bareback too, and walking her out on long reins occasionally.

When I get my new saddle back we will go hacking slightly further again which fits in with what you've all advised - it's just useful to know you are doing the right thing- I often feel as though I'm just playing about and not achieving anything!
 
Myoplast is helping my 19 year old hunter who has been in the box for 11 months. He kept his top until month 10 when we started his walking rehab, he suddenly dropped the lot and looked awful.

He is picking up with Myoplast, cup of linseed and really good hay. The only work he does is 30 minutes in walk and that has been very stop start due to umpteen other problems caused by the long lay off.

I really would not advise lunging a older weak horse in the training aids. If you can hack and gradually increase distance and add hills it would be far more pleasurable for the horse, but do be careful and monitor the work done and response from the horse carefully. I only offer this opinion based on what I am learning from my own horse at the moment.

My horse stepped up to 40 minutes at the weekend, still on flat lanes, he is, or should I say was, feeling very well and as such he had started spooking and messing about a little, his walk had gained strength and he was able to move properly within the pace with everything swinging. (He is a big moving horse with a good 10/12inch overtrack)

Fifteen minutes after returning on Sunday, he was hopping lame all round and reluctant to move, there is no way he could have tied up on what he is fed, the vets have seen him each day and it seems his whole muscle mass is sore. In an ideal world he would be better turned out after the walking, but his injury is preventing that at the moment.

It is difficult to describe how bad his stiffness/mobility is, he looks like a horse that has taken a massively heavy fall and been galloped over. His longterm outlook is guarded at the moment, but I have been to hell and highwater with this horse and am not giving up just yet.

We are going to re-think the exercise, possibly splitting the session into 2 halves. It would be very foolish to put my muscle wasted horse into a chambon etc, he needs to be responsible for carrying himself rather than being forced into a shape. His rehab, if it happens at all, is going to take many months and anyone trying build a muscle wasted horse up really needs to plan very carefully, it is so easy to think they look strong when in fact, they are as weak as a kitten, even though they are being daft to ride.

His rider this morning gave a very interesting description to the vet. " The horse went out OK and for the first 500 yards was full of beans, he then dropped off and was reluctant to do more than an amble, after another 500 yards the tank filled up again and he was off again." This scenerio happened throughout the 20 minute hack.

Good luck Op, take it steady and I hope you get some results.
 
My Arab is now 27 and with a good hacking routine up and down hills and feed she does look good.I give her vetaran vitality which is suitable for laminitics.You could try top spec veteran balancer but not sure about it's suitability for laminitics.Also give her fast fibre and calm and condition in winter,but at the moment we have plenty of grass for her to munch on which makes a huge difference.
 
Thanks again for the extra posts. I had a chat with Baileys feeds this afternoon, they recommended I switch to a higher protein balancer, like their Performance Balancer, and feed alongside speedi beet or a bit of alfalfa.

I do keep her muzzled 24/7, apart from the odd nibble after her breakfast and supper - I'm paranoid she'll get laminitis again as she went footy when I left it off for a good part of a day a few weeks ago. She can really make up for lost time with grass. She can definitely eat through the muzzle and has her head down most of the day- am I mistreating her by leaving it on so long?


I think the key is going to be hacking out little and as often as she is up for it - hopefully she'll be more comfy in her new saddle and remain as keen as she has been when we've been out bareback - its been like having a new horse!
 
I read this post with a new sense of hope! I got my horse whos 15 now who i have had for 8 years back 8 weeks ago after we was on loan for a year due to uni commiteements. I regret doing this as he lost a lot of condition and muscle however in the short time i have had him back he has just slipped back into his way of going. However i had the saddle fitter out today and after fitting a new saddle she said she would come out and check in a couple of months. I said great i hope to have his topline and muscle improved by then to which she replied i wouldnt hope too much he is getting older now. It totally made me feel even more guilty for the year he spent away as he was in such perfect condition before :-(
looks like hacking is the key from this post tho!
 
Pole work is also good for building top line. Raised trotting poles make the horse lift his legs and work the muscels at the withers area. Hill work, of course, when you are hacking. Muscle tone will improve if you can have him work long and low (not to be confused with on the forehand) and hill work will encourage this even in walk.
 
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