What would you do?

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MyLuckyStar

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Seppie is 27 now and has been through the mill slighty over the last couple of years - we put her out on loan to a home just down the road (and to someone we knew) at the end of November 2011, that lasted a month as we brought her back after finding out she wasn't been looked after properly She was stabled for at least 22 hours a day with limited food. Since then she sometimes stresses when stabled.

She was then out of work from December 2011 until August 2012 when she was put on part loan at our yard. She was ridden approx 4 times a week and doing well, however over the last couple of months the weather has stopped her been ridden resulting in her loosing some muscle.

With winter she has also dropped a bit of weight and the nutritionist has said that she'd like her to put more weight on (shes 460kgs, condition score of 4) and we would to. She's suggested changing her diet to Spillers response slow release energy cubes and Spillers conditioning fibre which we are going to do gradually, shes currently fed Veteran Vitality and Hi fi original. She is 15.3hhs and an Anglo Arab

Would you exercise her gently (just walking either ridden or on long reins) to continue building her muscle or would you leave her be till she's put more weight on?

If you would exercise her, what type of exercise would you do and n what terrain? We don't have a menage but theres a local one that we can use at weekends/in the week when the nights get lighter
 
Ideally, I'd want more weight on then re-asses the situation. Micronised linseed is fab for weight gain, relatively cheap and could be added to feed as an extra. Then a min/vit supplement if not being fed reccomended amounts of cubes. Have you had teeth checked as she is 27? Readigrass is good if struggling with teeth. Maybe a physio to make sure everything is in order with muscles too. If she picks up again and is fit to ride, then I'd do some long reining and then hacking two or three times a week with some hill work and schooling at weekends with a pole session providing she can keep up with this, if not scrap the schooling and just lightly hack. If not it might be time for her to gracefully retire.
 
Honey08 said:
I would keep her home and retire her, let her build up and relax.
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She's been back with us since December 2011 and deffo won't be going anywhere again.

But we don't want to retire her as she loves been active, just wondered whether she'd be best kept in work whilst getting weight on her or whether she's best been rested while she gets the weight on, but bearing in mind last time she was out of work she lost the muscle in her back/tail resulting in her not lifting her tail to poo, she's got it ack now though due to been ridden
 
ellie11987 said:
Ideally, I'd want more weight on then re-asses the situation. Micronised linseed is fab for weight gain, relatively cheap and could be added to feed as an extra. Then a min/vit supplement if not being fed reccomended amounts of cubes. Have you had teeth checked as she is 27? Readigrass is good if struggling with teeth. Maybe a physio to make sure everything is in order with muscles too. If she picks up again and is fit to ride, then I'd do some long reining and then hacking two or three times a week with some hill work and schooling at weekends with a pole session providing she can keep up with this, if not scrap the schooling and just lightly hack. If not it might be time for her to gracefully retire.
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She has her teeth checked regularly, has no probs chewing at all and can manage cubes etc. They all also see the physio regularly and go swimming so she's all ok in that respect.


She's also fit and able to do the ridden work, in fact we have to slow her down! She loves jumping (previously did BSJA so hypes up when the poles/jumps come out!)

We can't (and won't unless its really affecting her) retire her as she hates been stuck in the field. My boyfriend has said the day she gets took out on a hack and just plods along/doesn't want to go will be the day she retires but currently she loves going out, is always at the front with her ears pricked and shows no signs of slowing down
 
MyLuckyStar said:
She has her teeth checked regularly, has no probs chewing at all and can manage cubes etc. They all also see the physio regularly and go swimming so she's all ok in that respect.


She's also fit and able to do the ridden work, in fact we have to slow her down! She loves jumping (previously did BSJA so hypes up when the poles/jumps come out!)

We can't (and won't unless its really affecting her) retire her as she hates been stuck in the field. My boyfriend has said the day she gets took out on a hack and just plods along/doesn't want to go will be the day she retires but currently she loves going out, is always at the front with her ears pricked and shows no signs of slowing down
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In that case, get the weight on whilst working her v.lightly then when your happy with that concentrate on muscle and start some hill work and pole work in schooling session, trotting poles, cavaletti that sort of thing. Canter work on hills is good for their back end too :) good luck
 
ellie11987 said:
In that case, get the weight on whilst working her v.lightly then when your happy with that concentrate on muscle and start some hill work and pole work in schooling session, trotting poles, cavaletti that sort of thing. Canter work on hills is good for their back end too :) good luck
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Thanks

What type of exercise would you suggest?? We are limited to weekends until it gets light enough to ride after work and have no on site menage
 
MyLuckyStar said:
Thanks

What type of exercise would you suggest?? We are limited to weekends until it gets light enough to ride after work and have no on site menage
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I'd make sure she is working correctly through her back and not pulling herself up hills with her shoulders on hacks. Short bursts of trot up hills, controlled canters up grass hills. In the school, again making sure working in good outline, working through back etc. Build up to mainly trot work with some cantering. I usually build up to around 5 or 6 trotting poles or cavalletti poles, raised on opposite sides. But generally, correct feeding + working correctly = muscle. I also do carrot streches and lunge in a pessoa 2 or 3 times a week. :)

Sorry just re-read post. These exercises should only be done when she has the weight on her, which should be in a month or so when it does get lighter. Until then, gentle hacking and hills so she doesn't loose any more muscle.
 
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