Bringing back into work!

[melincave]

:)Hello everyone

I am bringing my 15.1hh coloured cob mare back into work. She had a problem earlier this year, she had pulled a hamstring & had some very sore muscles in her back. I have had some professional help to get her sorted. I have had her back in light work earlier this year & I've been so busy I've not ridden her for 6 months. I've had her checked over & there isn't any sign of muscle issues. Also I have moved yards, we used to be on a slope so there wasn't any level ground & now we have totally flat grazing. And I'm not sure wether the level ground didnt help her back.

I have started long reining her to start building her topline up before we start riding again. (I have also had her saddle fit checked)

Can anybody advise me of anything I can do to help her please? Or anything to build her muscles up? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[orangetails]

My physio gave me some good groundwork exercises to help improve my cob's topline - she is in ridden work and fit and healthy, but due to being a broodie previously has quite a weak topline/dippy back that is taking a long time to build up. It is coming, even before the physio visit, and the physio is confident with the addition of her exercises alongside our usual schooling, there's no reason we can't lose the unflattering dippy back and baby belly look lol!

So I'd def consider speaking to a physio about exercises from the gound that will help her. Mine are all fairly simple - the usual carrot stretches etc as well as a couple specifically tailored to her weaker areas.

In the early days she did a lot of hacking just to get a bit of fitness and get used to carrying a rider again, before introducing schoolwork, and gradually starting to ask more of her in the school to develop her topline.

We also lunge once a fortnight or so, including over poles, which is really helping her learn how to balance and use herself correctly. I personally prefer not to canter on the lunge as it's too hard for them and too much strain particularly on the inside hind, but work in walk and trot has been extremely beneficial. My physio doesn't advocate a lot of lunging (I know some people prefer not to lunge at all) but we have found it useful with my cob I'm not a massive fan of pessoas etc on the lunge - I don't like how they catch the horse in the mouth from the breeching strap - my training aid of choice (if I use one at all) is a chambon to encourage the stretching over the topline and using their stomach muscles. Mostly tho I just lunge off a bridle and nothing else.

[TooManyColoureds]

plenty of gentle hacking to start off with and then increase the time and strength of the work. it does wonders for getting them fit and building muscle again and keeps them interested that's what I started off with with my boy after a year off from a fractured Vertebrata in his spine.

[Trot-on]

I would start with doing things 10-15 or 20 mins to start with and gradually built it up. That way you can monitor what she can deal with- aswell as ensure you can nip any potential problems (that may/may not) show themselves when she starts work. I would start with ground work and some gentle hacking and then work it up from there. Good luck with it- it will be worth it when she is in full work again.