Rehab in walk...

[HaloHoney]

Potted history:

Kick injury to Right front radius on 11.9.17. 6 weeks’ box rest. Finally showed up on x-ray 6 weeks post-injury. Vet advised to get him walking.

Now in rehab, walking only for 6 weeks. Starting at 10 minutes, increasing by 2 minutes a day each day up to an hour.

Today I got him up to 24 minutes, left rein he feels really great, relaxed, even had a bit of head carriage! Right rein, feels a bit tense, bit wobbly. Will work well only for a few minutes until he’s tired on that rein. Then he’s wobbly and not straight at all!

Do I:
A) work him equally on each rein?
B) work him more on left rein than right rein?
C) work him more on right rein than left?

He was tracking up nicely on left rein and I even had a bit of head carriage (!) from him at one point. It felt lovely! So nice to see him back- even just a little bit.

Thanks.

 

[carthorse]

For preference & if he's safe enough I'd be hacking out so he was moving in straight lines at this point, I'd only have him in a school if it was on vet orders. With the injury he's had I'd be ringing my vet and asking for advice on this because I wouldn't want to do the wrong thing & possibly make matters worse.

 

[HaloHoney]

For preference & if he's safe enough I'd be hacking out so he was moving in straight lines at this point, I'd only have him in a school if it was on vet orders. With the injury he's had I'd be ringing my vet and asking for advice on this because I wouldn't want to do the wrong thing & possibly make matters worse.

Vet said in school (it’s a 25 x 50m arena) for 2 weeks. Then he can be turned out with sedation for a few days, then turnout with no sedation.

 

[Jessey]

For preference & if he's safe enough I'd be hacking out so he was moving in straight lines at this point, I'd only have him in a school if it was on vet orders. With the injury he's had I'd be ringing my vet and asking for advice on this because I wouldn't want to do the wrong thing & possibly make matters worse.

I'd agree, My gut would be to stick to straight lines too but as the vet said school I would work on both reins equally but change the rein very frequently so he doesn't get to the point of tired on the bad rein.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I would be walking round the outside track of the school for equal amounts of time. So 12 mins one way then change the rein over the long diagnal and 12 mins the other way. Don't make him 'work' as such, don't worry about bending, being on the bit etc. This is all about getting him moving and bearing weight on his bad leg.

I wouldn't worry about the differences on the right/left rein at this stage. He has been on box rest for weeks and probably been standing with more weight on his good leg so he is bound to feel stiff. This should improve when he is turned out.

 

[carthorse]

Fair enough if the vet said walk in the school, maybe he thinks the softer surface is less likely to cause damage than roadwork would.

I would question the difference in how he feels on each rein to the vet. It may be something of nothing, the result of a period of box rest where he's favoured the injured leg, but I'd want to be sure it wasn't a sign of a problem because if it is carrying on could cause more serious problems that maybe temporarily backing off would prevent.

 

[Skib]

My experience, with my share, was as carthorse says. I hacked her in walk only, and without collection.
But she was a horse that was used to hacking and easy with it.
May be the vet suggests a soft school because, as I told my RI/owner, out hacking there is no guarantee she wont spook, spin and run for home. She had a habit of doing that when ridden by staff. The horse doesnt know that she is forbidden to trot or to turn or to canter.

The vet may not know the horse and the rider as well as my RI knew me. She knew I couldnt guarantee everything and she trusted me.
I am a day time rider and it is a yard where horses are trained out hacking for years before they get to canter in a school.

But if you are a rider needing lights to ride in the evening or without access to good soft hacking tracks - then a vet will perhaps recommend the school. It is weighing up the odds - And some riders hate hacking.

 

[HaloHoney]

Well today he bucked me off so definitely no hacking for the foreseeable, LOL.

He spooked, bucked (stayed on) spun, and I exited via the side door. Soft landing, no harm done. Pelting rain and a leaking indoor school roof that dripped on him at just the wrong time.

Got back on and he bucked again but I managed to sit it. And then made him work bloody hard in walk, in an outline for the rest of the session.

 

[carthorse]

I hope you're ok. Unfortunately this sort of thing isn't unusual when trying to bring back into work while on box rest

Does the walk work have to be under saddle or could it be done in hand? Would a ml or two of sedalin help keep him calm?

 

[HaloHoney]

I’m absolutely fine. I think a ml or two of sedalin might help. I don’t think it helps at all that there’s fireworks going on all weekend as the yard is at the edge of a residential area. So he was probably unsettled from the night before too, he’s ok to be turned out (with sedalin for first few days) as of Wednesday. So hopefully that will help with some of the fizziness.