Rehabbing/strengthening horses hind legs and backs.

JCbruce

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So 1.6 years ago (just as he turned 3) my horse had a bad time he had a cut to his point of hock then ended up with a bad pressure sore and bone damage from the pressure sore which was operated on. Has it all scanned all was fine.
I backed him in the spring he spent the spring summer hacking and long reining out mostly in walk. I was going to turn him away for the winter but 6 weeks in he started trying to commit suicide because hes on the livery yard routine so wasn’t properly “roughed out”.

So he is back in work just walk hacking 4 times a week but we are about to run out of light. I have never particularly been told to rehab him by the vets just told to crack on but he spent 5 months in a stable on three legs and hes a big boy (17hh) so I of course worry about everything. Looking for ideas to get him stronger. I am also working closely with the physio.
So as well as hills I will be adding in walk poles, raised walk poles and leg yield and backing up. Its also a little tricky because I have been tyring to back him and rehab/make him stronger at the same time. I don’t lunge him and he isn’t cantering yet. I am very lucky as although he is a very well bred SJ warmblood, he identifies as a Blackpool donkey. Any other exercises or plans you have used in the past would be really helpful thank you 😊
 

expanding_horizon

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Is he completely sound now or not? Does he move straight? Is he evenly muscled. It wouldn't be surprising if he is still compensating, just trying to understand what you are left with now. Are you riding or working in hand. Is there a reason you arent trotting? I am cautious of doing too much ridden work in walk as it harder for horse to lift back and carry weight in walk than trot where there is some momentum.

A series of sessions on a water treadmill might help with strength and straightness, but you do need to be sure the person doing it is well trained and able to get them to move straight.

Jec Ballou's 55 corrective exercises has lots of good suggestions for rehab exercises and building a rehab programme.
 

9tails

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You sound like you're on the right track. You're right that you need to go really slow with the larger horses. I've seen but not used anything like it myself, a large rubber band that goes around the horse's haunches for a horse with KS surgery and sacro problems. Not sure if something like that would help in this situation.
 

JCbruce

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Is he completely sound now or not? Does he move straight? Is he evenly muscled. It wouldn't be surprising if he is still compensating, just trying to understand what you are left with now. Are you riding or working in hand. Is there a reason you arent trotting? I am cautious of doing too much ridden work in walk as it harder for horse to lift back and carry weight in walk than trot where there is some momentum.

A series of sessions on a water treadmill might help with strength and straightness, but you do need to be sure the person doing it is well trained and able to get them to move straight.

Jec Ballou's 55 corrective exercises has lots of good suggestions for rehab exercises and building a rehab programme.
He’s sounds just we can’t put out finger on it some thing not quite right and looks better once loosened up. He was doing trot work but he’s only back in work from his holiday.

I am riding now but I started with two weeks of in hand work before bringing him back into work and before I backed him I did 6 weeks of in hand work prior. He slightly twists his other hind leg (one he didn’t injure) however, I found a video of him before and 95% sure he did this before we are also working with the farrier on foot balance.

The local water treadmill place closed last year I have been looking for somewhere else he might be able to go.
 

JCbruce

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You sound like you're on the right track. You're right that you need to go really slow with the larger horses. I've seen but not used anything like it myself, a large rubber band that goes around the horse's haunches for a horse with KS surgery and sacro problems. Not sure if something like that would help in this situation.
I did think of this but I have never used one my self
 

SEL

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I'd just keep doing a mix of hacking, low-level schooling and the poles that you're doing. If you can concentrate on making sure he's forward, straight and able to reach into a contact then the strength will come with time. He's a big lad so don't rush it and hopefully your physio will notice if he's building up any compensatory muscle patterns. Hoof balance is also something to watch if you're worried he's still not 100% on that injured leg - he may well have some dodgy muscle development after taking the weight off it but that usually shows in how the hoof grows.

My 5yo cob went through a really wobbly, wonky stage earlier in the year. I had a saddle fitter / instructor look at him today and she said he'd completely changed and was looking loads better and straighter. I hadn't really appreciated the difference because I see him daily but all we've done is a similar mix to what you've been doing.
 

sbloom

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Are you working with a good bodyworker who REALLY looks at movement and posture? I would still be doing as much groundwork as possible until I could really see postural changes, and riding a little less. It's about straightening the horse and helping them push up in front to develop the ability to carry the rider without compromise.

HOW exercises are done are at least if not more important than the actual exercise - are they swinging the belly evenly to each side? Are they bracing at all in the underneck? Can they maintain a slow tempo without struggling (slow tempos always better for building stretngth and posture). We see polework etc given out willy nilly but sadly very little about what to look and feel for in this work. I'd be wary of a band, we don't want to load certain areas until we're absolutely sure they're moving without compromise, though a slightly looser tail bandage (look up TTeam bodywrapping) can be helpful for proprioception.

Yasmin Stuart has a good course on posture and visits many areas (vey physio) and Equitopiacenter.com has some great info for a super cheap price (and on a rolling monthly membership basis so easy to do short term).
 

Melandmary

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Your horse seems to have similar issues to mine though hers are through confirmation faults which lead to injury .She kinda broke during a lesson doing some pole work. Vet out- diagnosed SI injury and probably suspensory, advised to rest then physio and start rehab….long story short she then went lame on the front and I didn’t know what to do so I got Tom beech to come and have a look at her. Her problems generated from an upright hock which was making her hollow and sore in the lumber region, tight at the poll and one front knee and other front fetlock which is why she was just ” wrong”. His advice was to start groundwork but to learn how to do it correctly as sbloom said above otherwise you are aimlessly walking around going over poles. He recommended someone in my area who would teach me. As my overgrown pony needs to use her core I asked about the balance bands as I had been using them prior but he advised against them. He said she needs to be doing horse Pilates where she is using herself correctly going forwards, backwards and over poles before starting to ride with the emphasis on correctly. Maybe there is someone in your area that specialises in it that can give you some tips. I know my mare got very bored and was definitely just moping about the school when I started doing it after her physio session so I definitely need some help there!
 
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