Skylla Update

[HufflyPuffly]

Were you given other exercises apart from the equibands? She really is building up a decent bottom on her now 😊

Polework and hill work too, plus normal dressage schooling that encourages engagement, I think because her stance has been altered she looks to have built up very quickly!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Week 3

Saddle definitely off balance now, which is great as it shows her development not so great for my bank balance lol! Continuing to be stronger and more balanced, her canter is coming on a treat! However, contact issues have come back a little (shes a bit inconsistent, which could be age, strength, bit, me, training, etc, etc but she was loads better initially after treatment), so think I will get Angela to see her again and see what she thinks .

 

[ycbm]

Oh Alex! Give us a square photo 😭😂. !!

.

 

[Wheels]

Looking well but yes, I think a saddle check is required!!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Oh Alex! Give us a square photo 😭😂. !!

.

😂 you have no idea how difficult it is to get a picture of her at all, she is the most fidgety, none ears forward on demand, likes to look like a moose, horse ever! I will however try again at the weekend for you .

 

[BenvardenRach2]

😂 you have no idea how difficult it is to get a picture of her at all, she is the most fidgety, none ears forward on demand, likes to look like a moose, horse ever! I will however try again at the weekend for you .

Download the 'clicknow' app on your phone!!
It's 99p, you get all sorts of sounds to play to get your horses ears forward to take an ears forward photo!
My horse loves the sound of a bucket of feed shaking

no more flapping my arms and making stupid noises to get his attention haha
'Rosies owner' found it!!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Download the 'clicknow' app on your phone!!
It's 99p, you get all sorts of sounds to play to get your horses ears forward to take an ears forward photo!
My horse loves the sound of a bucket of feed shaking

no more flapping my arms and making stupid noises to get his attention haha
'Rosies owner' found it!!

OMG there's an app, that's hilarious 😂, will have a look!
It doesn't stop the fidgeting though, I get her to stand still, try and take a pic and she moves , being still is not her forté!

 

[BenvardenRach2]

OMG there's an app, that's hilarious 😂, will have a look!
It doesn't stop the fidgeting though, I get her to stand still, try and take a pic and she moves , being still is not her forté!

I know!! I was just as shocked when i found out!
Honestly it worked a treat.. after i realised he still had his acoustic ears on and was wondering why he didn't respond to any of the noises..
acoustic ears removed.. ta dah!!

Hmm maybe she will stand still if she hears the neighing sound.. my boy was fidgeting but as soon as he heard that he stood to attention hah

 

[Floxie]

after i realised he still had his acoustic ears on and was wondering why he didn't respond to any of the noises..
acoustic ears removed.. ta dah!!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I know!! I was just as shocked when i found out!
Honestly it worked a treat.. after i realised he still had his acoustic ears on and was wondering why he didn't respond to any of the noises..
acoustic ears removed.. ta dah!!

Hmm maybe she will stand still if she hears the neighing sound.. my boy was fidgeting but as soon as he heard that he stood to attention hah

I'm willing to give it a go for 99p! I shall report back .

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Hopefully this is a better picture, post hacking on Saturday. She no longer looks completely flat-backed!!! Saddle fitter has been booked, might need to be sans saddle for a week, looking at her though .

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Week 4:

Feeling like we've hit a bit of a plateau in physical appearance but still going from strength to strength in ridden work (managed to pad the saddle, and she she didn't lawn dart me so hoping it will do until Sunday!).

 

[ycbm]

Looking really good!

 

[Tiddlypom]

She look great! I too am scheduling a saddle fit check with, I think, the same saddle fitter! Angela was back out yesterday to treat Tammy post SI joint medication and is pleased with how she’s progressing (you can see the clipped area on her loins where the extremely long needles were inserted). She finally has pain free mobility in the SI region and consequently is already muscling up where she should do, which will affect saddle fit.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Looking really good!

Thank you, need to be more disciplined with the Equiband and polework as life got in the way a bit, but she feels like she's going in the right direction!

She look great! I too am scheduling a saddle fit check with, I think, the same saddle fitter! Angela was back out yesterday to treat Tammy post SI joint medication and is pleased with how she’s progressing (you can see the clipped area on her loins where the extremely long needles were inserted). She finally has pain free mobility in the SI region and consequently is already muscling up where she should do, which will affect saddle fit.

View attachment 33886

I use Freedom Saddlery, Steph is amazing . Super news for Tammy, fingers crossed she continues to improve!

 

[Tiddlypom]

The same! She’s not seen T before, though I’ve used her previously for my younger horse. As T is so ‘special’, aka wonky, the chiro vet suggested that it will be helpful if she is present at the fitting, to work with the saddle fitter to get the best outcome for us. So a three way appointment has been set up .

 

[HufflyPuffly]

The same! She’s not seen T before, though I’ve used her previously for my younger horse. As T is so ‘special’, aka wonky, the chiro vet suggested that it will be helpful if she is present at the fitting, to work with the saddle fitter to get the best outcome for us. So a three way appointment has been set up .

Poor Tammy won't know what's hit her lol, but I wish it was more the norm to have all the relevant professionals in the same place at the same time, I really think it makes a difference .

 

[Michen]

AH can you give some info around exactly what you do with the equiband? I bought one but its been sat unused! My plan is to initially just long rein with it, I'm not a massive fan of lunging... do you do much trot work with it on?

 

[HufflyPuffly]

AH can you give some info around exactly what you do with the equiband? I bought one but its been sat unused! My plan is to initially just long rein with it, I'm not a massive fan of lunging... do you do much trot work with it on?

Ok so my approach was:
Day 1: Attach belly strap only, fitted so not flappy but not too tight at this point. I long-lined in walk to get her used to it.
Day 2: Attached the back strap as well as the belly strap, long-lined in walk only again.

I decided Skylla would react more to the band behind the back legs, so started with the belly strap, however with another horse I might do it the other way round or even just bob them both on loose for the first day, if the horse is pretty sensible about life. Equally if the horse very reactive I might have taken longer at this stage, but Skylla has done quite a bit of desensitization so she was pretty accepting.

Day 3- Day 7: Increasingly tightened the bands to just looser than the recommended tightness. Increased the amount of time I long-lined still in walk here, (and added in poles), to about 10-15mins and also introduced raised poles and different pole sequences by the end of the first week. I would also use the long-lining as her warm up, then take the bands off and then ride as normal (maybe shorter schooling sessions though).

Week 2: Same amount of time 10-15 mins of walk over poles, but added in a touch of trotting and canter on the lines (big circles for canter as I cannot run that fast!) to see how she would react. Once I could see she wasn't going to go loopy, I started riding in the bands before taking them off and continuing the schooling session, though the time in the bands still only really totaled 15mins.

Week 3 onwards: Pretty much the same as week two, so now if she's having an easy day she just does the walking over poles on the lines. Hacking day I try and either add in the long-lining still before hacking or if I know we're going on a very hilly route then I don't use them. Schooling days, I put them on for the first 15mins and then take off and continue as normal.

I've had to periodically shorten the bands as she's brought her hind end under more, but otherwise this is pretty much our routine now. Angela had said to me that she didn't want her over worked in the Equiband as she would get tired, the effect would lesson once she got used to the feeling and Skylla did need to learn to use her core without it too lol. Angela is coming back out in a week, so I shall report back what she thinks to our approach and whether we should be increasing the work or not.

 

[Michen]

Ok so my approach was:
Day 1: Attach belly strap only, fitted so not flappy but not too tight at this point. I long-lined in walk to get her used to it.
Day 2: Attached the back strap as well as the belly strap, long-lined in walk only again.

I decided Skylla would react more to the band behind the back legs, so started with the belly strap, however with another horse I might do it the other way round or even just bob them both on loose for the first day, if the horse is pretty sensible about life. Equally if the horse very reactive I might have taken longer at this stage, but Skylla has done quite a bit of desensitization so she was pretty accepting.

Day 3- Day 7: Increasingly tightened the bands to just looser than the recommended tightness. Increased the amount of time I long-lined still in walk here, (and added in poles), to about 10-15mins and also introduced raised poles and different pole sequences by the end of the first week. I would also use the long-lining as her warm up, then take the bands off and then ride as normal (maybe shorter schooling sessions though).

Week 2: Same amount of time 10-15 mins of walk over poles, but added in a touch of trotting and canter on the lines (big circles for canter as I cannot run that fast!) to see how she would react. Once I could see she wasn't going to go loopy, I started riding in the bands before taking them off and continuing the schooling session, though the time in the bands still only really totaled 15mins.

Week 3 onwards: Pretty much the same as week two, so now if she's having an easy day she just does the walking over poles on the lines. Hacking day I try and either add in the long-lining still before hacking or if I know we're going on a very hilly route then I don't use them. Schooling days, I put them on for the first 15mins and then take off and continue as normal.

I've had to periodically shorten the bands as she's brought her hind end under more, but otherwise this is pretty much our routine now. Angela had said to me that she didn't want her over worked in the Equiband as she would get tired, the effect would lesson once she got used to the feeling and Skylla did need to learn to use her core without it too lol. Angela is coming back out in a week, so I shall report back what she thinks to our approach and whether we should be increasing the work or not.

Thanks that’s really helpful. Do you walk/trot/canter when you ride in them? Can you feel the difference?

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Thanks that’s really helpful. Do you walk/trot/canter when you ride in them? Can you feel the difference?

Yes once I'd built her up to it in hand then I'd just warm up in all three paces as normal and then take them off. It makes them engage their bum and core so you can feel that, but if you can get your horse to do that anyway it might not feel that different.

They've made a massive difference to Skylla as she was not engaging properly before despite my best efforts and needed the bands to hold her into a posture that was correct once Angela adjusted her. I use them with Topaz in the same way and for her it just keeps that core going even if she's just being long-lined or lunged that day .

 

[Tiddlypom]

I was surprised at how much tension there is in the bands even at only 70% of actual length , which is all we’re at. The aim is to work down to 50%, which would be rather demanding. I was told to do only short periods in the bands, too.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I was surprised at how much tension there is in the bands even at only 70% of actual length , which is all we’re at. The aim is to work down to 50%, which would be rather demanding. I was told to do only short periods in the bands, too.

Yeah I'm not sure I'll ever get to 50%!! I just go with tight enough to get her engaging and leave it there to be honest...

 

[Michen]

Yeah I'm not sure I'll ever get to 50%!! I just go with tight enough to get her engaging and leave it there to be honest...

First session did NOT go well this eve!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’ll butt in as I wasn’t sure either, , but the shorter ones are for the tum, the longer ones are for the bum .

 

[Michen]

I’ll butt in as I wasn’t sure either, , but the shorter ones are for the tum, the longer ones are for the bum .

Thanks, figured that out when I looked at website, so edited post to save you the trouble but too late 😂

Boggle is far from impressed by the whole thing

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh dear. I’m sure that you had them fairly loose? I just used the bum strap first, then added the tum strap a couple of days later.

Tammy hasn’t batted an eyelid at them, which is surprising as she has had tight hamstrings in the past, and also has PSSM.

 

[Michen]

Oh dear. I’m sure that you had them fairly loose? I just used the bum strap first, then added the tum strap a couple of days later.

Tammy hasn’t batted an eyelid at them, which is surprising as she has had tight hamstrings in the past, and also has PSSM.

Yep. He was totally fine with them, then saw something in the distance and absolutely let rip. I’m not sure it was related to the bands or more just a general Boggle failure to keep a lid on it. Much squealing occurred and it was not the gentle in hand walk in the round pen I had in mind!

 

[Michen]

@Tiddlypom @AlexHyde help! I did it loose today as hadn’t watched the video. On the website it shows them using a tape measure to get the tension correct, but the video doesn’t... am still confused by what they mean by “50% of the stretch”. So that the bands end up being half the length of you just held them in air, to their full length?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Have the saddle pad in place on the horse. Measure the full distance (there’s a paper measuring tape in the pack) around the horse (bum or tum depending) from buckle to buckle, that is 100%. The elastic band would be under no tension if it was fitted at 100%, so the band needs to be shortened. The most you would ever shorten it to in a horse that is well used to it and well along the rehab path would be 50% of the buckle to buckle length.
In the pics Tammy is at 70%, which feels tight enough to me. I started her a bit looser than than, maybe 80%?

ETA This is why I was very pleased when Angela showed me how to fit it!