Struggling with rehabbing horse

[sjdress]

Horse had feet problems, remedial shoes, brought back into work over 3 months, then started napping and coming explosive. Went for another lameness work up, strained stifle ligament. Been medicated and now starting 4 weeks walking. She is still napping and a handful, I’m nervous riding her, feel I’ve overhorsed myself anyway but now stuck in this rehab cycle. How do people cope with rehabbing horses when they have knocked your confidence?

 

[sassandbells]

I’m sure others will have a lot more to add, but to answer your question I got a professional in to do it for me & then teach me as things progressed. There was no way I was going to be able to successfully rehab when I’d lost my nerve.

 

[Jambarissa]

Rehab livery is a lifesaver but obviously expensive.

Getting a knowledgeable instructor several times a week to support you might be cheaper.

Can she walk in hand or on longline or ponied from another rather than ridden?

You can sell rehab horses as projects, plenty of people willing to do this for a good horse on limited funds.

Hope you find a way.

 

[sjdress]

I was thinking about getting some help, just seems silly for when we are only at 30 mins walking but if I can’t get over the napping I won’t be able to progress with the rehab. I do wonder if she is still in pain though if the napping is continuing

 

[Timelyattraction]

Have you tried long reining her out as part of your rehab? Does she do the same?

 

[sjdress]

Have you tried long reining her out as part of your rehab? Does she do the same?

Not long reining as not experienced with it and she is a big girl but have lead in hand and she has napped in hand too

 

[Timelyattraction]

Not long reining as not experienced with it and she is a big girl but have lead in hand and she has napped in hand too

I would get someone more experienced and try long reining her and getting her going from behind and once Shes happy with that get back on her and try again and see if she does it.

Unfortunately mine started napping under saddle due to suspensory issues and after i had finished my initial course of rehab and had a rescan we had slight improvement so vet said i could do the rehab riding her and introduce trotnso after a few weeks of inhand trotting i tried getting on her and the napping started again. I started long reining her and she was great with this so after a couple weeks i tried riding again and still no good. I thini the extra weight on her just tipped her over and made her unhappy.

I took her to the vets and we rescanned and her suspensories had gone downhill again so she was still in pain which is why she was doing it

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Have you tried using some sedalin I personally won't ride a doped horse but will use it for in hand walking.

You could ask vet if she can go in a small field and use sedalin to keep her quiet it might just be enough to take the edge off when you need to walk her.

Pay someone to do it for you or find rehab livery if your really not wanting to try again.

 

[Timelyattraction]

Eta if she is on box rest and doing controlled exercise then she is probably just full of it if she’s doing it inhand

 

[Annagain]

Get help. I was in a similar position although I'd already 99% decided I was going to sell him before his diagnosis. I'd struggled with him for a while, then his behaviour escalated. I never really trusted him but I had a niggling feeling it wasn't 100% behavioural and I couldn't in all faith sell him knowing there could be something wrong so I got a work up. He was diagnosed with very mild kissing spine. He had the relevant bits medicated and the plan was to rehab and sell him - with full disclosure, of course. When the time came to get back on, I really didn't want to so I sent him away for rehab then sales livery. It cost a lot, I could have sold him from the field for half the price and still made less of a loss on him but I knew it was the way to get him the best possible home - something I'm now 100% sure of as I'm still in touch with his new owner and he's out eventing successfully at 90 and hunting in winter. I couldn't bring myself to jump more than 60 on him.

 

[Abacus]

Has she been on box rest or turned out? If the former then quite plausible that it is behavioural. Personally I am no fan of the usual vet protocols of walking inhand from the box and progressing to riding, while clinically it might be the best thing, it's impractical and dangerous unless the horse has remained well behaved. I'd take the risk of re-injury and turn out, restricted if possible, while starting work. Many including vets will disagree but to my mind your safety comes first followed by what's best for the horse.

Other options include getting help, sending to somewhere with a walker, and so on, but not always financially possible.

 

[Birker2020]

Lari was an opinionated nightmare during rehab mostly looking for an excuse to take off and have fun! He was being rehabbed to get him back into work with groundwork, wasn't that he couldn't do anything silly, it was just preferable he didn't. He wasn't on box rest, he was out in the paddock overnight for 14 hours, it was just that he was very reactive!

I longed reined him multiple times around the outside of the yard, probably 2 mins each time x 10- 15 times an evening 3 times a week with the rest polework in the school, all in hand. Then one day whilst long reining I slipped on some mud outside the school and sat on ky backside. The menage gate happened to be open and he rushed in to the arena and started galloping around like a maniac having a whale of a time. Another time he double backed whilst long reining coming towards me at a rate of knots, lucky i was able to hold onto him. The second time I felt it coming and he got short shift for his trouble!

4 months of groundwork took a lot out of me but at the same time we both enjoyed it and it was well worth persevering.

I'd just say wear a hat, gloves and tell someone what you're doing and when so they can keep an eye on the situation.

 

[Birker2020]

You can see how mad he was!

 

[sjdress]

She’s been on box rest but had a week out in the field overnight before I started riding but doesn’t seem to be any different. Tonight I got on and she leaped up in the air and buggered off down the track she doesn’t usually want to go down… so I just carried on and we did the whole ride with no naps but she felt tense the whole way round (so did I probably!) the start was horrid!

 

[HopOnTrot]

Water treadmill? I’m using it for my mare who is rehabbing from KS surgery and hock injections, once a week and she’s really building up fitness, I go to Hartpury and the staff are really knowledgeable.

If you could use something like that or swimming it may help?