Sacroiliac injury and lunging

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zoon

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I have a horse with an unknown history before she came to me. I have not had her long, and have had her teeth done, feet sorted and back looked at. Teeth and feet are sorted and will cause no further issues, but back is going to be a longer process! She was most definately sore and he thinks she may have had a sacroiliac injury in the past. Luckily, he also thinks that with a little more work from him on her back and a lot of work from me building up the right muscles, she'll be fine.

She is a very tense and stressy mare - it is hard to encourage her to stretch with ridden. She isn't great to hack at the moment - any grass and she is off. I'll fit in as much road work as possible, but it is difficult with the lack of light during the winter. Luckily I have a 65x35m school to work in. If left to her own devices she will told head up vertically, trail her rear end 30ft behind her and go along as fast as possible and motorbike around the corners. Certainly not doing her back any good, nor her hocks which she seems to have a little discomfort in probably due to sacroiliac issues. In side reins she works more acceptably - having a contact to work into steadies her up, hence she is able to balance herself and not be motorbike like! Her rear is still 30ft behind her though.

I have a pessoa that I'd like to use, but know some people hate them. I only wish to use it once or twice a week for a short amount of time, but will it effect her sacroiliac injury in any way? What would be the best thing to work her in, as lunging with no "gadgets" is causing more harm than good and side reins steady her, but she still doesn't work from behind. Obviously most of the time I'll be riding and hopefully getting her working more correctly soon, but a small amount of lunging seems to get rid of some of that tension she has and makes our ridden sessions more productive. I am jsut worried that lunging will make the injury worse?

So basically, in all that twaddle, what I need to know is - is it advisable to lunge her with the possibility of a past sacroiliac injury? And what gadget is best to use to stop the super speed motorbike impressions?
 
Any form of lunging if they have had injury should be done with care.

How do you know it's a sacroiliac injury, other than the 'back person' telling you it may be? To diagnose this type of injury is extremely difficult, even for specialists.

Perhaps your horse has pain in it's hocks or stifles which is causing secondary back pain? In which case you should perhaps have the vet look at your horse and do a full work up to find where the problem is actually coming from?

Leg pain such as hocks and stifles can cause them to be tense and lacking engagement. This may be why your horse lacks suppleness. Your mare will probably seem like she works better with side reins or a passoa because she is being forced/encouraged by the training aids (for want of a better word, I know you aren't forcing her) into a more correct way of going. Your horse should be relaxed and stretchy (head and neck low and forward) with and without the side reins and passoa/gadgets.

Any form of lunging will cause more wear and tear if they are on a circle if something like her stifle joints are affected in some way.

Perhaps you could work your horse over low poles (in walk at first) to encourage her to use herself from behind more and to build up her muscle behind. Do stretches with her from left to right while she is standing. I would certainly consider a vets advise though or a qualified physio before you go any futher?
:)
 
My horse had a SI injury and I was advised that although a little lunging would be ok certainly not to do too much, basic strengthening work walking and trotting on roads up hills etc more benefit as was in hand exercises such as tail pulls and carrot stretches
 
I have a horse recovering from a sore SI. I am working to build the area up. He is lunged 1-2 times a week in pessoa, and does raised poles, hacking, schooling.

The pessoa was on Liphook's advice, but specific advice for my horse.

I would consult you vet even if over the phone about using the pessoa.

Alternatively you could try a figure of eight elastic bandage / the Laura B lunging aid
 
I definitely wouldn't lunge until the vet/ back person okay's it. I also have experienced sacroilliac injury in 2 horses. In both cases it was a case of going back to basics hacking in straight lines with no tight turns and building up from 10 minutes a day to begin with in walk only and to make sure they are really walking forward into a gentle contact to encourage them to stretch over their back but stepping under themselves properly. Once you can walk out for an hour then you can think about introducing short spells of trot, again keeping it slow but making sure they use themselves properly. I was allowed to introduce school work only after a good few weeks of trotting in straight lines and even then no tight circles to begin with. I agree with the comment about hills and polework too as the vet advised that with both horses once they were allowed in the school.
 
Don't lunge. The motorbiking round corners is probably a reaction to pain. Be very sure you find out where the site of the pain is coming from, or originated, as it is very easy to get tunnel vision and treat the symptoms of the problem rather than the cause.
 
my horse got diagnosed by Sue Dyson at the animal health trust in Newmarket with chronic SI pain about 2 years ago, after she got injected with steroid, she told me to lunge her in a pessoa or Chambon

I lunge her once a week in the pessoa and try to make her stretch as much as possible at the beginning and end of schooling session, plus do carrot/leg stretches after riding

if it is really bad I would recommend the injection as she needs to build up muscle around the SI area to help but she will struggle to do that if she's in pain, and its a vicious circle

it is a really really slow and long recovery process and the vet told me it never really goes away but it can be managed and get better

from my personal experience I would definitely recommend lungeing (starts on very large circles, especially in the canter), and working long and low and round as much as possible
 
As with Mel1 my horse was diagnosed with chronic SI dysfunction. Interestingly I had my horse assessed and his sacrum manipulated by holistic vet and osteopath Donna Blinman - that made a great deal of difference!

I was recommended to use the pessoa and a physio. Only straight line work in hand at walk for weeks for my boy and using 2 ground poles to walk over. He has nerve and muscle stimulation via the physio to reawaken his hibernating nerves. Then trot work inhand. Ridden would be next but unsure whether my boy will get to that. He is currently turned away for the winter - a cathartic exercise for him mentally :)

I wouldn't be lunging in circles though and remember trot is the hardedst pace for a horse with SI problems. Good luck
 
one of my eventers has SI problems, we use the chiropracted very regularly every 3-4 months to keep him aligned so we are sure he is building up correctly, also have tack checked and i have my back done regularly to make sure i am straight aswell!
i also use a magnetic rug for a few hours each day and feed bluechip dynamic to help support joints and muscles. I also try to give maximum possible turnout so the horse is kept mobite although i would avoid using horse walker as much as possible!
work i avoid doing too much lunging and do lots of slow work up hills and walking over raised poles in hand, i use an elastic bungee to encourage horse to drop head and work over the back, build up work gradually so the horse has time to get stronger and fitter without putting itself under strain and with every thing you do put an emphasis on the horse being straight so it builds up evenly but ensure you maintain suppeness aswell so the horse doesent become rigidly straight!
Hope some of this helps
Good luck!
 
My old horse had a severe SI injury (diagnosed through nuclear scintigraphy) and I was effectively banned from lunging him (ever again) after that. I did a lot of work on long reins in straight lines with occasional large circles, sometimes raised poles, also long reins and a pessoa. I long-reined him at least twice a week. I know other people have mentioned it, but do be alert to further problems - after "fixing" the SI as best we could, he was still slightly lame and was diagnosed with bilateral proximial suspensory desmitis. The vets weren't sure which came first (kind-of chicken and egg scenario) but there is no doubting there is a significant link between those two ailments.
 
My mare has an SI injury and took two back people visits before it was diagnosed (she had tripped over a jump SJ). I was told it was quite a severe case so she was turned away for three months to rest and then i hacked her lightly walk and trot and lunged her- she had side reins on but had always worked nicely in them and continued to do so. The only potential concern with using lungeing aids is that if they are not familiar with them and they either tense up or go incorrectly they will tense (naturally in their back) and therefore can do more harm than lunging au naturel! :)
 
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