Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
   
| If my horses have had a few months off and their condition had a chance to really decline I make sure I start back slow. The first few rides I do mostly walking and Bending and flexing. Then by the end of the week I add some trotting and loping for a few minutes. The second week I bump up my time trotting and loping and continued bending, flexing, backing, doing spirals, and serpentineals. Then keep building on that. Riding 3 to 5 times a week to get anywhere. The biggest thing I've added to my conditioning program is working long and low to strengthen the back. I do about a month or so of this at the walk and trot before I ask for even a few strides of collection at a trot or lope. People don't realize it but collection takes a long time to achieve. A horses back and abdomen muscles takes over 6 months to almost a year to develop to be able to correctly lift it, rock their weight off the forehand and drive from the hind. If you ask earlier then that chances are it'll be false collection and the horse will be bending more in the neck and still hollow in the back. That is a good way to predispose a horse to kissing spine... I also love my lunging system by equiami. I use it about 2 or 3 times a week for 20 minutes the first month or two as I lung over ground poles. That really encourages a horse to stretch the neck, lift the abdomen and step under themselves. I used it to rehab my good mare and honestly with out it I don't think I'd be looking at as good of a chance at a recovery for a her from a pelvis fracture and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. It wasn't looking good for awhile before I found out about that on here actually... Sooo thank you who ever mentioned it! Edited to add. I normally feel safe enough to make a run at a month and a half of riding 3 to 5 times a week. But obviously they won't be in good shape until the 3 month mark.
Edited by WetSaddleBlankets 2018-01-08 10:09 PM
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Getting back in shape