WEEK #1 - EASY DOES IT!
As most of you already know, Lola (Girl Squad member, My bestfriend & Nanny) has been dealing with a recent leg ouchie.
We celebrated her progress with one of our super duper stunning Girl Squad magazine cover worthy poses!...BOOM!
ANYWAY...today I thought I would share with you how Mommy goes about bringing a horse back into work after an injury or an extended period of time off.
We will focus on the first week of her rehab program.
It has been almost a month of yucky medication and tedious wound care, but today (finally) Mommy decided Lola can OFFICIALLY start to go back to work!
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| Lola, happy to back to work! |
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| FLAWLESS!...Lola looks good too! |
We will focus on the first week of her rehab program.
I have seen her do it before with many horses, one of whom is Papa Pollo.
The first seven days back under saddle are very important to us horsies' health, fitness and mindset.
If you rush it we can get re-injured or become "sour" to work because we feel overwhelmed.
Of course there are many different systems of rehabilitation out there, this is Mommy's, we are not claiming it is the best one, but it's the best one for us at this time.
One thing that should ALWAYS be considered no matter how extravagant or minimalistic your program might be is the specific goals and\or needs of each horse. Every horse is different, just like in humans.
So make sure your program is tailored to each individual horse's needs.
You should have at least a vague plan as to what you intend to do with your horse every day.
DAY #1 - 10-20 minutes of walking under saddle, loose rein on even ground (like in an arena).
DAY #2 - 5-10 minutes of walking, 1-2 minutes of long trotting, 1 minute walk break, change directions, repeat, 3 minutes of hand walking for cool down.
(a long trot is where you are on a loose rein and let your horse choose the speed of their trot, they can stretch their necks, and legs, ride with as little contact as possible)
DAY #3 - Repeat DAY #2, add in circles to your trot work but don't worry about asking for bed or flextion yet.
DAY #4 - Increase your trot sets to 3-5 minutes and your cool down to 5-15 minutes. Begin working on getting your horse to engage his hind end and really preform a more balanced trot.
DAY #5 - Repeat DAY #4, begin asking your horse to bend his body and neck during circles and serpentine exercises.
DAY #6 - Repeat DAY #5, add in 1-3 minutes of canter work in each direction, make large circles to encourage your horse to stay balanced.
DAY #7 - Let your horse rest, turn him out or take him for a walk.
The first seven days back under saddle are very important to us horsies' health, fitness and mindset.
If you rush it we can get re-injured or become "sour" to work because we feel overwhelmed.
Of course there are many different systems of rehabilitation out there, this is Mommy's, we are not claiming it is the best one, but it's the best one for us at this time.
One thing that should ALWAYS be considered no matter how extravagant or minimalistic your program might be is the specific goals and\or needs of each horse. Every horse is different, just like in humans.
So make sure your program is tailored to each individual horse's needs.
You should have at least a vague plan as to what you intend to do with your horse every day.
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