# Bringing a horse back into work after hock injections?



## floradora09 (25 November 2012)

Sorry to have to post in here, but I would like some sensible advice 

My 17yo has been out of work for about 6-7 weeks now, he's done a few bits but nothing consistent or very much. Part of this was planned holiday time, but it has dragged on quite a lot due to him becoming quite arthritic and stiff/lame behind. Finally had both hocks injected on saturday and now vet wants me to get him going again before being re-assessed in 2-3 weeks time. He has been pretty fit this summer and it's mostly an issue of getting him gently moving again as opposed to his fitness. He lives out 24/7, and it's physically impossible for me to hack him during the week due to light and school. How does this sound for a starting plan to get him going again?:

Week 1- 2x gentle school 15-20 mins walk and trot only, 2x hack 30mins mostly walk

Week 2- 2x gentle school 20-25 mins walk and trot only, 2x hack 40mins

Week 3- 2x gentle school 25mins inc. a little canter, 2x hack 50mins

Vet agreed it was better for him to be doing some schoolwork than no work at all (which is the alternative!) just so long as it's not too strenuous. I shall have a look at faithful old PC manual but it's not very practical for those of us who can't do ponies all day!  

Thank you SO much to anyone who can point me in the right direction!


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## Sarah_Jane (25 November 2012)

Sounds fine, go easy on trotting in the school certainly in week one, avoid any tight circles and keep your shapes large and flowing. May be able to do slightly longer when hacking. Good luck hope it works out


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## Uraeus (25 November 2012)

If you are able to, I'd really recommend taking him swimming. We had a horse pool at college and the amount of horses that came in to have therapy because of arthritis and Degenerative Hocks was huge. It's great for horses with joint disorders because the water takes the weight of them allowing them to move freely through the water. It also has more resistance though so builds up muscles. Obviously it's more pricey than schooling but SO beneficial in the long run.


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## undertheweather (26 November 2012)

I'd ask your vet.
When my boy had his hocks injected (after just over a month off work with another injury) he did 2 weeks of walking for 20 minutes every day, then 4 weeks of increased amount of walking and a little trotting, gradually increasing but only when there was a soft surface to trot on. After a total of 6 weeks we were able to canter again.

We had to do nothing more complicated than a long diagonal/20m circle at a push in the school. For all the trotwork I rode around the edge of our school as it was in the summer and the ground was too hard elsewhere.

Equally, my friend's horse had his hocks injected but he had been off for less than a week, and he had 2 days off, then walking for two days and then back to normal.


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## humblepie (26 November 2012)

Definitely ask the vet as it does seem to vary.  Mine had a couple of days off then into school work doing a lot of suppleness work and being lunged.  Vet wanted him worked for two x 30 minutes every day.   Horse has only had two days off since the start of August when he had his hocks done.  Vet still wants him worked 30 - 45 minutes every day including pessoa work.


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## floradora09 (26 November 2012)

Hi all, thanks for the advice and replies. I'll go with this for now and send my vet an email to check. She did specifically say don't make him use his hocks too much initially (which I interpreted as no tight circles, lunging etc). I think ideally he would do a little every day but I cannot maintain this consistently so rather than going through peaks and troughs of work levels I was trying to keep him at a steady level and just increase the amount he does if that makes sense?

Will keep the schoolwork easy and simple with only a little of trot for now, and also take a look into swimming but this might be more beneficial at a later date (and depends how costly, too!).


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