Rehab questions - next steps

[emfen1305]

Further my last couple of threads about my boy being diagnosed with hock arthritis and being medicated, we are now on week 4 of walking in straight lines. The vets were a bit vague on what I should do after getting to 30 mins of walk so I am here asking for some wisdom (I'm also waiting to hear back from my vet and physio too).

So far we have done 2 weeks of just turnout and bring in with no work (he has to be stabled at night, we don't have 24/7 turnout) and then we have done 4 weeks of the following (all a mix of long reining and hand walking):

1 week of 10 min walks
1 week of 15 min walks
1 week of 20 min walks
1 week of 30 min walks.

This has been every day where possible, I missed a couple of days due to weather. Due to working and the dark nights, the longer walks have mostly taken place in the arena long reining trying really hard just to keep him straight and walking actively. Otherwise we have been out on the roads and tracks! I have been on him once in this time for 10 mins just walking around the arena and at the end of this week we will have finished the 4 weeks of walk. He has had a couple of short bursts (a couple of strides of trot) when he's got a bit too enthusiastic but otherwise it has been walk, walk, walk!

My vet is coming out on the 24th to assess him but to be honest I don't know if he is any better or not as all we have done is walk. What sort of things can I be doing next? I was thinking of doing more of the same but getting on him and building up the riding and then start introducing some more trot at the end of the walking sessions. Does anyone else have any recommendations on what we can do for the next few weeks at least until the clocks go forward and we can start hacking again!

Thanks!

 

[Theocat]

I'd speak to your vet. I'm on week five after injections, but we started with 10 mins trotting every day from day three, then adding five minutes trot a week.

We're supposed to do straight-line road work - impossible in the dark, so we've been allowed in the school as a "better than nothing". By about week three the horse was very fed up of going round and round; I spoke to the vet and got permission to throw in some biggish school movements to keep her brain occupied- it was getting to the stage of that or no trot!

If I'd thought it through, I'd probably have delayed the injections for a few weeks so I could have a proper stab at the rehab. You live and learn.

Get the vet's advice, but presumably it will either be even more walking or short bursts of trot - odd that they didn't give you more instructions!

 

[emfen1305]

I'd speak to your vet. I'm on week five after injections, but we started with 10 mins trotting every day from day three, then adding five minutes trot a week.

We're supposed to do straight-line road work - impossible in the dark, so we've been allowed in the school as a "better than nothing". By about week three the horse was very fed up of going round and round; I spoke to the vet and got permission to throw in some biggish school movements to keep her brain occupied- it was getting to the stage of that or no trot!

If I'd thought it through, I'd probably have delayed the injections for a few weeks so I could have a proper stab at the rehab. You live and learn.

Get the vet's advice, but presumably it will either be even more walking or short bursts of trot - odd that they didn't give you more instructions!

Interesting! The vets a Leahurst said no trotting until I'm up to 30 mins of walk and then in the future he can do trot and canter work but only after warming up for 30 mins which is going to be quite difficult in the week as we can only really have the arena for 30 mins as its busy after work, might have to revisit that at a later stage!

Toby is coping well with the walk, luckily he is fairly chilled about work so he'll mooch around but I'm bored as anything long reining him round and round the arena haha hopefully when the vet visits he will see an improvement and we can start doing more!