Sacroiliac rehab

[SEL]

The wonderful Tom Beech came out to see the Appy on Friday. She was very worked up on the yard with all her friends out in the field but when he came over to say hello she quite literally took a deep breath and relaxed. This mare is so fed up of vets trying to examine her back legs that she now lifts one in warning whenever they approach, but she was totally besotted with Tom and very happy to be pushed and pulled. I am kicking myself for taking so long to get him out, especially when I look back through 18 months of emails with my old vet practice. His assessment was chronic damage around the SI area - possibly an old injury or it could be just her conformation. She was likely coping until she tweaked her suspensory last year and then her back end just couldn't support being ridden any longer.

So - 3 months of no riding (she told me at Xmas she wasn't happy even being ridden at a walk, so she hasn't really been in work for a while now anyway) and then he'll come out and reassess. We discussed steroid injections but he'd like to see how she manages without first, although I suspect they will be needed. That's something I need to discuss with the local vets too.

Rehab is lots of in hand work and polework. I'm not massively confident about her prognosis if I'm honest because the vast majority of the rehab exercises are stuff she does anyway to help with PSSM muscle issues. The advantage now is she had some pretty huge adjustments from him (under sedation for some) so at least we're going into it with her as straight as she's ever going to be. He couldn't promise me she would be rideable again and - although its horrible to hear - at least I'm going into the next 3 months without any false promises.

Anyone got any interesting in-hand pole exercises they want to share with me? Or any other in-hand work to make life more interesting for both of us? I have a lot of the straightness training notes that I shall drag out but she's going to need it mixing up a bit because bored Appy = "entertain myself by escaping from field" Appy.

Life is not helping at the moment by the need to find a new livery yard as housing developers are moving onto ours. **sigh**

 

[be positive]

When I was rehabbing mine I used a variety of pole exercises, the more obvious ones raised, raised alternate ends, I found a 'staircase' effect worked well, first pole on the floor then each one slightly higher than the previous until the final one was a real effort, I think they were spaced out two strides initially then closed to one stride when he got it, he had to think and coordinate every foot to get through it and I only did it once or twice each day because it was challenging.
I also used various hazards around the yard, pole in entrance to school, walking up the step into the barns, over a hay bale or two carefully ensuring the strings were safe, I have a mound of old school surface which is very firm so that got used regularly.
I had a few interesting exercises to do with him, I held up his hind leg and asked him to stretch round me for a treat, he found it very hard to start with but once he got it he seemed really pleased with himself and will offer to do it now without being asked, it was to get him to really put weight on the opposite foot and may not be a normal exercise suggested by physios but was probably the most obviously successful.

I also used odd boots on his hind legs, changing from day to day what was used or not used just to try and make him more aware of them, no idea if it helped but it did no harm.

 

[SEL]

Thanks BP - a staircase sounds like a good idea. We've got some small unused paddocks right now where I could probably set up some permanent arrangements until we have to vacate. Did you literally ask him to step over a small hay bale?

Odd boots we can do. I've also had sausage rings with keys / bells suggested to again help pick up the legs.

Hind leg stretches we will have to work up to - she's had enough of flexion tests and is very tetchy around them. But you've reminded me to go and dig out the book I have with carrot stretches in it. Thank you!

 

[be positive]

Yes I used a few old bales, he is unshod so less risk of catching on the strings and I was very careful to watch he was picking up over them rather than dragging his feet, he is generally sensible so we were fine.

My physio gave me a chain for his leg but it was too light to make him sensitive to it so I messed about with boots and bandages instead, he looked a bit odd going hacking but I don't think he cared.

I did carrot stretches twice a day, the lifting leg one was well into the rehab when my physio was trying to get him to put more weight onto the foot in a purposeful way and he struggled to do it for a couple of weeks but once he could we knew we were making real progress, best of luck.

 

[emfen1305]

In terms of polework, I do the same as BP in terms of the "stair case" to help him think about his legs and it has worked very quickly actually. I also do flat poles that get gradually further apart to help him stretch over them but only in walk as he just jumps them in trot which defeats the object. I also the same with fan poles. I like to make a little grid with 3 poles then two poles running alongside them so I can circle over the poles (if circles are allowed). I practice stopping over a pole so that when he walks on he really picks up his legs because he doesn't know where the poles are.

I have also spent the winter doing basic lateral work making sure it is slow and correct - I am not sure how much sideways stuff you can do/have already been doing but I've found that really helpful although I am not rehabbing anything specific (i am on the one on box rest!). Lots of transitions just in hand and backing up. I also found tummy stretches (I tickle his tummy with a hoof pick to get him to lift) really helps before I do any work. Plus the usual carrot stretches. I am not sure exactly what has helped but he is certainly more flexible and finds the exercises much easier the more we do.

Can you long rein or not allowed yet? Sometime's i'll do things on the long reins too just to mix it up as well.

 

[Alibear]

Another vote for in hand lateral work here, it really helps free up my mare and makes her start using her back end and brining it under her more which is what we want. So turn on the forehand make sure the steps in front and across with the nearest hind leg rather than just shuffling it up to the side of the other hind foot. Turn on the haunches, in hand pirouettes to ask her again to round her back and tuck under and take some weight behind. In hand shoulder in and travers etc I do need the bridle for those ones but still in hand. We're also working on her role backs in hand but she's western so perhaps not one for the English horses, but it is really helping. We keep the sessions short so 20-30 mins but often so some days she'll do two sessions which also seems to help.

 

[SEL]

In terms of polework, I do the same as BP in terms of the "stair case" to help him think about his legs and it has worked very quickly actually. I also do flat poles that get gradually further apart to help him stretch over them but only in walk as he just jumps them in trot which defeats the object. I also the same with fan poles. I like to make a little grid with 3 poles then two poles running alongside them so I can circle over the poles (if circles are allowed). I practice stopping over a pole so that when he walks on he really picks up his legs because he doesn't know where the poles are.

I have also spent the winter doing basic lateral work making sure it is slow and correct - I am not sure how much sideways stuff you can do/have already been doing but I've found that really helpful although I am not rehabbing anything specific (i am on the one on box rest!). Lots of transitions just in hand and backing up. I also found tummy stretches (I tickle his tummy with a hoof pick to get him to lift) really helps before I do any work. Plus the usual carrot stretches. I am not sure exactly what has helped but he is certainly more flexible and finds the exercises much easier the more we do.

Can you long rein or not allowed yet? Sometime's i'll do things on the long reins too just to mix it up as well.

Great ideas. Large circles are allowed - although we had "hissy fit on the lunge in the wind" circles yesterday We were supposed to be doing large laps of the school at walk not extended trot with tail held high and the odd bronc thrown in. Obviously 1/2 the yard now think both the vet and I have gone bonkers because she looked sounder than most of the horses there.

The straightness training type exercises have been recommended so I need to give myself a bit of a kick because I'm not the best at lateral work in-hand. When I'm on board and have the 'feel' I'm ok but my brain does not compute well with my feet on the ground. Might see if there's someone around who could give me a lesson (Ox / Bucks if anyone has ideas)

Good idea on the long reining. Been a while since she's done it, but that'll give her something else to think about. Sorry to hear you're on box rest btw - must have missed that. Are you fixing ok?

Another vote for in hand lateral work here, it really helps free up my mare and makes her start using her back end and brining it under her more which is what we want. So turn on the forehand make sure the steps in front and across with the nearest hind leg rather than just shuffling it up to the side of the other hind foot. Turn on the haunches, in hand pirouettes to ask her again to round her back and tuck under and take some weight behind. In hand shoulder in and travers etc I do need the bridle for those ones but still in hand. We're also working on her role backs in hand but she's western so perhaps not one for the English horses, but it is really helping. We keep the sessions short so 20-30 mins but often so some days she'll do two sessions which also seems to help.

Are roll backs just asking them to step backwards? Tom has asked me to start to introduce this in a week or so. I was wondering actually whether 2 short sessions might be better for mine. Weather this week looking atrocious, but we're here for the long haul I think!

 

[Alibear]

Hi we started with 2 longer sessions a week and she was getting sore , so we switched to 3 short sessions and saw a good improvement and we're building up on that so she's up to 4 or 5 a week now. We do make sure she gets a solid day off after 3 days of work just to give things a chance to settle. Backing up in hand is useful they key is to try and keep them straight as they do it , which is not easy! A handy wall helps with one side and then slight move the head to the opposite side if haunches start to swing in or out. Sorry I misspelt rollback which would confuse things. A rollback, is where they basically lift front end up off the ground entirely and pivot round 180 on the hind legs in one quick movement to change direction. We've only brought that back in over the last week, basically as she was being very sassy one day and threw some in as an evasion so we figured she could handle it now. Also note I can't claim credit for any of this, thankfully I have a very talented yard owner who is teaching me how to do it all and working Daisy for me 3 times a week to, plus coming up with the plans.

 

[emfen1305]

Great ideas. Large circles are allowed - although we had "hissy fit on the lunge in the wind" circles yesterday We were supposed to be doing large laps of the school at walk not extended trot with tail held high and the odd bronc thrown in. Obviously 1/2 the yard now think both the vet and I have gone bonkers because she looked sounder than most of the horses there.

The straightness training type exercises have been recommended so I need to give myself a bit of a kick because I'm not the best at lateral work in-hand. When I'm on board and have the 'feel' I'm ok but my brain does not compute well with my feet on the ground. Might see if there's someone around who could give me a lesson (Ox / Bucks if anyone has ideas)

Good idea on the long reining. Been a while since she's done it, but that'll give her something else to think about. Sorry to hear you're on box rest btw - must have missed that. Are you fixing ok?

Haha yes they are very good at looking sound when other people are around, usually inviting unhelpful comments about it "all being in your head, stop being so paranoid" - bloody sods! Mmm no I never used to really enjoy it because I wasn't very good and I was very impatient but I think doing it most days has helped, I don't think it matters whether you do it properly as long as the horse understands what you want and does their bit correctly then that's all that matters, I've been combing ST, Cobs Can and some Richard Maxwell stuff because he prefers certain ways over another, might not look particularly correct but he's doing his bit! I've just had to learn to be very consistent and very quick with stopping and rewarding but I like to think I am getting there now haha!

Ah yes, an ongoing hip problem which I suspect is causing my woes with the saddle fitting as it is making me very wonky so taking some time off to try and right myself, winter seemed the best time to do it! Itching to get back on though but slowly slowly, hoping if I can straighten him up in the meantime he might not pull my hip as much as we are both weak on the same side!

 

[sbloom]

Tom works with a chap I highly recommend, could you get up to Dan Wain Equestrian near Stratford on Avon for a couple of days or even one session, he would be able to devise a programme for you?

 

[SEL]

Tom works with a chap I highly recommend, could you get up to Dan Wain Equestrian near Stratford on Avon for a couple of days or even one session, he would be able to devise a programme for you?

I saw they do clinics together. I can get myself up to Stratford but not the horse - she ties up travelling. I always assumed that was her PSSM but if there's an old injury then no doubt that makes travelling uncomfortable. Need to have a look around to see if anyone can come to the yard.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I didnt have the other issues your horse has, but i have very sucessfully rehabed a horse who was off for 8 months with an undiagnosed SI issue, so clearly by that point chronic.

The improvement with having it injected was enormous, and we did our rehab work on long lines up and down hills, progressing to raised poles.

For the cost of the injections (£180 plus call out for mine), I might be tempted to do them now since the rehab is the same, especially if you think that you will need them anyway. My vet was happy to do them without needing the very pricey mri's/xrays etc. 4 years down the line and mine has never needed them again.

Wishing you the best of luck, I know not all horses are as lucky as mine.

 

[SEL]

I didnt have the other issues your horse has, but i have very sucessfully rehabed a horse who was off for 8 months with an undiagnosed SI issue, so clearly by that point chronic.

The improvement with having it injected was enormous, and we did our rehab work on long lines up and down hills, progressing to raised poles.

For the cost of the injections (£180 plus call out for mine), I might be tempted to do them now since the rehab is the same, especially if you think that you will need them anyway. My vet was happy to do them without needing the very pricey mri's/xrays etc. 4 years down the line and mine has never needed them again.

Wishing you the best of luck, I know not all horses are as lucky as mine.

Thanks THO. I would actually quite like to just get the steroid injection and crack on, but haven't really got the vets there just yet..... Despite the fact that the view from 3 different vets now is that her changes of returning to ridden work is "guarded". Which in my non-professional view probably equals f*****