Re building muscle

[cheekycharly]

My cob Charly unfortunately suffered with severe laminitis last year and had to be stabled for 7 months. She is now doing very well and being ridden again but has lost a lot of muscle. We are taking it very slowly and doing some light hacking. I wondered if anyone had any good ideas for how to re build her muscle again. We have a small field to school in but at present the ground is rock hard.
Any ideas greatly welcomed
Thanks
Claire

[Peanut]

You can incorporate muscle building into your hacking by doing some hill work. Start off gently walking up inclines and gradually build up to trotting. It's great for building up the hind quarters.

[showjumper-zoe]

Yes hill work lots of walking up hills but no trotting or cantering up thats cheating lol. Also working him in a proper outline and through his back whilst schooling he will develop muscle and in the right places.

[cheekycharly]

Thanks for the advice

[Blair Witch]

Hill work and some lunging should be beneficial. Just make sure to take it slow.

[michelle c]

hacking and hill work, if you can find hills, it work wonders for muscle development!!! also asking the horse to go long and low helps improve the top line while he is unfit and lacking in muckle, oh and another thing, :D do lots of school movements to keep him supple aswell!!!!

[cheekycharly]

I am a novice rider and learnt to ride in the good old days many year ago!
What do you mean by long and low? Sorry, if that sounds really ignorant.

[Shadowlark]

http://animalscience.tamu.edu/sub/academics/equine/hrg001_scentificracehorses.pdf

Very sound scientific article on conditioning the performance horse. The same principals and ideas apply well to what you are aiming for.

Good luck!