Bringing Horse Back into Work

[lynn]

Advice please

Due to me losing one horse just over twelve months ago, and not really getting over it I didn't actually ride my remaining riding horse last year.

She is not ill, not had any health issues and has had all normal teeth, back checks done. I am now thinking about bringing her back into work and obviously I want to do this slowly and carefully.

My horse lives out 24/7 is unclipped, unshod and sound, she is 17 years old and obviously i need to increase her fitness, stamina and work load slowly - the terrain we live in is pretty hilly, any help gladly received.

Thanks

[Mellymoo]

Well I feel qualified to answer this - just been finding out how to bring my oldie back to fitness after the winter! You want to start with just walking out, increasing each time the distance you go. The book I just read says start with 30 mins, getting up to about 90 mins after a couple of weeks. The introduce short bursts of trot, gradually increasing them as well. Hill work makes fitness happen faster apparently, so it's good that you have hills round you.

Jos will be bored of just walking after a week though, so if he offers a trot then we'll go for it. I think canter is introduced after a month or so. This is all out a book though, so I am sure others on here will have better answers than me. I need to get myself fit, never mind Jos!!

[lynn]

Thank you for your reply - I had it in my head to be doing about 20-30 minutes at a walk, but at a proper working walk not the lazy walk she might have in mind.

I wouldn't really want to be introducing any trot into the regime until at least 4 weeks down the road, that is if i can get her out daily. Was also thinking that if I can't ride, maybe i would walk her out in hand over a slightly longer distance, what are the thoughts on this.

[Mellymoo]

Walking in hand is good - Jos likes to go out for a pootle about, and I get exercise too! You could long line her as well maybe?

[cookie]

I'm starting my boy back after 12 months off altho complicated further by injury...

How's your horses back muscle wise? I'm longlining at the moment to try and get him stretching over his back and building that up before riding. Equally leading over poles raised at one end would do the same. The difficult part with the walk work is keeping it varied, esp with dark evenings...

The main prob at the moment is the weather meaning doing anything to a plan is difficult...

How many sessions a week can you do? I'm stuck at 3 at the moment, with short walks out with others in between, so my walk work is going to take longer... I'd expect 6 weeks. But then my boy has youth on his side so really I'll be listening to him a lot too. interested in peoples input to your thread.

[lynn]

Hi Cookie

In theory I can do something everyday, as i am off work until the end of this month, then it would probably drop to weekends and the odd walk in hand a couple of nights for about 10 mins due to dark nights.

I hadn't thought about walking over raised poles, am sure i can put something in place in a part of the field to do that with.

[lynn]

i guess i want to vary what i do as much as possible, so that neither of us loose interest

[ticketyboo]

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for starting this thread, will be keeping a very close eye and getting tips myself as I am just about to start bringing my rising 11 12.2 sec B back into work after a year out so this is all great for me too

xxx

[annabelle h]

Interesting theory I heard recently - if the horse is field kept and has no history of lameness etc, then it is acceptable to trot or steady canter for a maximum of around 60 seconds straight away (on a soft surface). The logic is that if they have a hooley in the field they can easily gallop around for about a minute - less than their natural flight distance - so, for the right horses, especially those who struggle to stay in walk for a whole month, this could be helpful. (Might help with Jos, Mel!)

If there was any doubt about the horse's soundness or back muscle, or he's kept in a small field, or he has never been fully fit, I would go the traditional slow way.

As an example I brought a 17yo event horse back into work last summer after 3 years off. We walked for a month, then started trot and canter over the next 3-4 months then some jumping. Now the snow has gone he is working pretty hard in trot and canter each day (around fields)and has plenty of energy, believe me!

Lynn, sounds like your terrain is ideal, would definitely get on with walking in hand (or on long reins if safe - a horse got loose on long reins at our yard yesterday and caused some excitement). I would get your horse sufficiently responsive that she will trot easily in hand, doing just 2-3 steps of trot every so often will not do any harm and will help you maintain an active walk, and make it more interesting for her.

When she has enough back muscle to sit on, you will be fit enough to ride too, lol!

Poles and raised poles are great too, also in hand work if you know how to do it.

I think carrot stretches are a great support to fittening, they help the horse find their abdominal muscles and be more inclined to use them!

Annabelle

[Mellymoo]

That's really interesting Annabelle, thanks! On an aside, can anyone show/tell me how back muscles should look? As you may know, I am having issues with my pony's shape

[lynn]

Hi Annabelle

Thanks for your reply, she is out 24/7 in a 20 acre field, however, i wouldn't personally feel comfortable in asking her to trot or canter with me on board at the moment. But it is interesting the people think it could be possible.

I will definately get started on working with my little lady from this weekend, and I have spent the last 12 months walking up and down the hills myself, so i know i am a fitter stage than the horse as i managed to drop over 2 stone by doing so. I just want to ensure that I do everything correctly, as i would hate to overdo anything with her.

Thanks for all the replies, very much appreciated

Lynn

[annabelle h]

Yes Lynn, in your situation I would go the slow way too, as with my 17yo.

Mel, haven't found your shape thread - and not a physio but there needs to be some "flesh" under the saddle ie not a dip or shelf where the saddle panels will sit. A bit of muscle wastage on either side of the wither is OK, just pad it out with fybagee (and check saddle is wide enough), as you work the horse the muscle will come back.

If you look at the back of a well developed unbacked youngster, that has grown up running around a decent sized/hilly field, it looks evenly covered with flesh/muscle without any dips - that is the basic idea.

MTA - two stone Lynn - wow!! Congrats Looks like you will have no problems with the disciplineof bringing your girl slowly back into work.

[arabmania]

the more walk you can do to begin with , the better. especially after a considerable amount of time off.
field kept are fitter than those that are stable kept.
keep an eye on respiratory and heart rate as this will allow you to access how fit your horse is during and after exercise.
good luck ;D

[lynn]

Thanks everyone for the advice and pointers.

Will get working with the little lady this weekend, and try to keep things as varied as possible to keep her interest going and listen to her.

Good luck everyone with getting your horses fit.

[HolsBols]

My only bit of advice is listen to your horse. When bringing my lady back into work she was that excited that she'd just put herself into trot and bring herself back to walk. With her we built up the distance for each ride but let her pick the pace! Shes come on in leaps and bounds!!