I'm sending my horse off to get him as fit as possible (because I'm to busy to do so myself.) I swam him last year but during one of the first swims he hit himself pretty hard. I'm thinking of pulling his shoes. Has anyone experience significant lower limb injury with a bare foot horse while they were swimming? Pistol will be in the aquatred 4 days a week and swam 2 days a week.
Posted 2015-06-27 11:36 AM Subject: RE: Swim & Tread
Expert
Posts: 4766 Location: Bandera, TX
I was going to pay him a visit every two weeks and work on him. If he gets extreme on the muscle spasms I will tell them to stay on the tred. The first week and a half I've asked them to stay in the aquatred. If he's moving strong then a lap (or maybe two of the pool.)
I agree with you on the topline, In part of the stress on the nuchal ligament and the Sacroiliac while they free swim. This horse is a really hard worker and I have to stay on top of his sacrosciatic and dorsal wings of his Sacroiliac.
Swimming really gets the air in one and the diaphram needs to be worked as far as I'm concerned.
I will take your advice to heart and remove him from the pool if I see him digress.
Posted 2015-06-27 11:53 AM Subject: RE: Swim & Tread
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
My vet likes the aquatred, saids they can hollow out their back while swimming which is why I guess they tie a rope on to the tail of new swimmers in case they start sinking. I used to swim mine when the girls were competing, the faciity was very careful to not bump them up a lap till they were sure they could handle it. The horses did get it great shape.
Swim & Tread
