Slowly bringing in to work (advice please!)

[Serianas]

Hi all! I am in the process of bringing my New Forest back into work after about 4 months off. Long story short, he has been lame, and all subsequent vet visits have suggested the cause was muscular due to someone trimming his hooves incorrectly. Anyway, moving onwards and upwards, I have been advised to take his rehab slowly to work him back up to fitness (we were competing at prelim dressage and hoping to move to novice this year (not going to happen now but there's always next year )

My question is how would you increase gradually?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Six weeks walking in straight lines (ie hacking), slowly building up the distance. Then slowly introduce trot if he has remained sound walking, slowly build up trotting. At 10 weeks I would introduce canter if still sound. Nothing in the school until 12 weeks into the programme at the least.

That's how we did the ex-racers I helped with years ago.

 

[ihatework]

Given we are talking muscular/lameness I would work pretty much every day, hacking on level surfaces.
Starting at 10 mins a day and every week adding 10 mins.

After 6 weeks when you are at an hours walking a day I’d add in short bursts of trot, at 8 weeks I’d add in some short school sessions.

Around the 8 week mark I’d get a vet check and then plan the next steps based on their feedback

 

[BOWS28]

Ideally i would do loaaaaads of walking on hard ground for about 5-6 weeks. Then gradually introduce trot and so on. Remember, there is no rush. Things will happen when you're both ready x

 

[be positive]

Given we are talking muscular/lameness I would work pretty much every day, hacking on level surfaces.
Starting at 10 mins a day and every week adding 10 mins.

After 6 weeks when you are at an hours walking a day I’d add in short bursts of trot, at 8 weeks I’d add in some short school sessions.

Around the 8 week mark I’d get a vet check and then plan the next steps based on their feedback

This would be my plan , I would probably involve my physio and have them out to check progress but if all goes well and you can do something most days there is no reason to think he will not be ready to compete this season, ponies are generally easier to get back to fitness than horses and NF's are often easier than many other types.