Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder

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Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder Moderators: luluwhit, gotothewhip, cindyt, crossspur, ForumAdmin Jump to page :	Last activity 2015-03-11 3:24 PM 13 replies, 3853 views View previous thread :: View next thread
General Discussion -> Barrel Talk


Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-09 6:18 PM Subject: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	You may remember I had the horse that had the bad infection in his foot from a puncture wound last fall. He was three legged lame for quite a while and it took months for him to heal. He is about 95% sound right now. Still not 100% but I think that last of it is that he just needs to get out and reconditioned. I think most of his issue is now in his stifles from having so much time off and for over-compensating in the back end for so long. He always has touchy stifles that need to be kept conditioned but due to his injury that wasn't possible. Anyways, also because of all this over-compensating and not putting his weight on that leg for so long that shoulder has atrophied a bit (which I am sure is also playing a role in getting him to 100% sound). So what are some exercises I should look at doing to help rebuild that (right) shoulder? Just condition him as a normally would and as he gets conditioned it will fix itself or should I concentrate some exercises that force him to use that shoulder a little more? If the latter, which are some good exercises for that? Edited by Just Bring It 2015-03-09 6:22 PM
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cow pie Reg. Nov 2009	Posted 2015-03-10 9:14 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Sock eating dog owner Posts: 4553 Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah	I would straight line ride him long distance at a walk. Before saddling give a good massage using alcohol or absorbine along shoulders and stifles.You can mix with witch hazel so not to keep burning the skin.
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babiemox Reg. Dec 2004	Posted 2015-03-10 9:56 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Unknown Drip Posts: 5624 Location: Back in MT BABY!!!	I think if he is sore in his hind he is going to try and relieve that pain by traveling with the front...which will sore and will try and switch by compensating on the hind again. I would go with sore no more and PHT stifle wraps to help heal those up until he is able to get everything built back up. I would go with easy straight lines as mentioned above until you can see some of the pain issues are addressed otherwise that is going to be lingering for a long time. Once you feel the hind is okay I would do some round penning circles to build up the shoulder without any additional weight and then start riding doing circles. I don't know exercises specific for the shoulder but I would do circles and counter-arcs. Hope he comes back 100% for you.
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roanrider Reg. Apr 2004	Posted 2015-03-10 11:09 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Expert Posts: 1414	Put a rubber bell boot on the side that is atrophied and turn him out with it. I had a mare that had some atrophy (soundness issue before I bought her). Had chiro come out to work on her. I told him I was going to put the bell boot on her and he looked at me like I had two heads. About 3 weeks later he came back out to work on her again and he couldn't believe the results from simply leaving a rubber bell boot on her. On a different horse I did the same thing but I also put poles on the ground. Every day she took the same path to get into her stall so I setup 4-5 poles so she's have to step up and over them 25+ times a day.
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Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-10 1:21 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	Thanks guys! I have only been on him bareback so far and just mostly walking and going through trees so he has to pick up his feet going over logs, etc. I have done a tiny bit of long straight trotting but just to kind of feel him out to see if he is moving sound or has any limp. There is no limp in his movements he just seems a bit sore when turned out as he doesn't want to really stride out. So he just seems like he isn't feeling great enough to really want to cut loose out in the pasture. I have put him in the round pen to see him move out and he strides out nice in there at a trot but when left out in the pasture to choose how he wants to move he would rather stay a little shorter strided. But he has been sitting since September and many of those months he was very very lame and very sore. So I am sure it will take quite awhile for his body to come around and for his mind to understand that he isn't sore as well.
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Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-10 5:06 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	So today I decided to saddle him up. We started off on a nice trail ride at a walk then after awhile when we came upon a nice pasture road I asked him to trot. He trotted really nice for me...not super stretched but I didn't ask him to really reach yet but he definitely was not short striding. Just a real nice solid trot. Then all of a sudden he really wanted to run. He went into a powerful lope and when I pulled back a little to bring him back to a trot he collected up and pushed into it so since the point of today's ride was not for training I figured WTH and went with it. I wanted to see how he felt and he felt amazing. If I would have let him he would have taken off. He felt so strong. We only loped for maybe 75ft before we reached the end of the road which led into a muddy field so I took him over to the lake to just chill and have a snack for a bit before heading for home. Well when we got back on the road I gave him a little kiss just to get him into a trot again and he took off! This horse is usually very calm and easy going but since being injured since September it sure felt great to feel that power and excitement from him!! I got him down to a trot and trotted for maybe a quarter mile. It took everything I had to keep him at a trot! He felt so strong and really wanting to work! Let's just say I was pretty happy with today's ride!
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hammer_time Reg. Jul 2007	Posted 2015-03-10 11:19 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Money Eating Baggage Owner Posts: 9586 Location: Phoenix	Glad he's perking up! Why does the rubber bellboot help? Heavier?
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trickster j Reg. Nov 2007	Posted 2015-03-10 11:45 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Too busy outside! Posts: 5417	roanrider - 2015-03-10 10:09 AM Put a rubber bell boot on the side that is atrophied and turn him out with it. I had a mare that had some atrophy (soundness issue before I bought her). Had chiro come out to work on her. I told him I was going to put the bell boot on her and he looked at me like I had two heads. About 3 weeks later he came back out to work on her again and he couldn't believe the results from simply leaving a rubber bell boot on her. On a different horse I did the same thing but I also put poles on the ground. Every day she took the same path to get into her stall so I setup 4-5 poles so she's have to step up and over them 25+ times a day. That's a cool idea!!
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hoofs_in_motion Reg. Apr 2011	Posted 2015-03-11 8:19 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Undercover Amish Mafia Member Posts: 9991 Location: Kansas	following
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roanrider Reg. Apr 2004	Posted 2015-03-11 8:30 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Expert Posts: 1414	hammer_time - 2015-03-11 12:19 AM Glad he's perking up! Why does the rubber bellboot help? Heavier? Yup. I've used it on numerous horses and over time it really helps. Simple, cheap and effective.
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Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-11 11:04 AM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	I wonder if a PHT magnetic bell boot would be a good idea? It would be fairly heavy due to the magnet but yet would also be beneficial in helping circulation in that foot. The only problem with that idea is the velcro during spring time....lol. Everything is fairly wet, muddy, mucky around here. A rubber bell boot may be a better idea for now. But the way the weather is we might be fairly dry around here by next week. :)
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Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-11 1:18 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	I bought a used rubber bell boot on ebay for $3 shipped. lol
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jewishprincess Reg. May 2013	Posted 2015-03-11 3:09 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Veteran Posts: 227 Location: Heart of Texas	You may want to think about shimming your saddle too. Until he balances out. Just something to check.
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Just Bring It Reg. Oct 2003	Posted 2015-03-11 3:24 PM Subject: RE: Rebuilding an atrophied shoulder
Husband Spoiler Posts: 4151 Location: North Dakota	jewishprincess - 2015-03-11 3:09 PM You may want to think about shimming your saddle too. Until he balances out. Just something to check. Thanks for the advice! I will look more closely when I saddle him today to see how everything fits and feels.
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