We started back to work yesterday morning and it couldn't have gone better. I have to say, I had very little hope of getting anything accomplished, but Dino proved me wrong, and re-enforced the theory that horses do in fact have wonderful memories, by remembering his lessons from last year. For one, Dino walked when asked and did very little jigging. It wasn't until I made a conscious mental note he was walking that he started jigging (murphy...), but came back as soon as I asked him. So yay!
This was a very simple work/lesson, no need to over due it on the first day and risk injury. So we walked for 10 minutes in one direction, long and low, and then trotted for two minutes before changing direction and repeating. We ended on a high note when Dino halted when asked. Again, yay!
One might think: why are you so excited for something so trivial? Au contraire. Nothing is ever trivial when it comes to horses and their training, or this case reconditioning. Nothing is worse than a suspensory or tendon injury in a horse, I know...her name is Angel.
Shortly after I got Angel in April 1997, she suffered an injury to her superficial digital flexor tendon, that's the tendon below the skin and lies against the canon bone from the back of the knee to the fetlock. Angel's injury occurred just below the knee with the tendon fibres tearing. How this happened, I don't know. She could have overstretched the tendon while jumping, i.e., landing after a jumping forcing her fetlock down; she could have been overworked that day, when a horse is fatigued everything in them is fatigued and fatigued tendons loose their elasticity making them more susceptible to strain and injury; or she simply just was not in good enough condition for the workload and therefore her tendons and ligaments where not strong enough to handle the increased stress. In the end, Angel was injured and originally out a couple of months, which didn't work and she ended up being out of commission for 18 months.
So the lesson for the moment: 1)make sure your horse is properly protected from leg injuries, nothing beats a good polo wrap (IF you know how to apply them) if not good work boots that protect their legs. 2)if your horse is tired, what are you gaining by forcing them to continue working? NOTHING. So stop it! I am a big fan of walk breaks, frequent walk breaks. 3)gradually work up to a fitness level. Have a thought out plan on how you are going to get your horse and you back into shape, and have patience. It takes a lot of time to get a horse back into even a moderate workload after being off for the season or from an injury.
Of course I have a plan, I've been fretting over it for weeks now, just chopping at the bit to get back into the ring. Will the plan actually work? Well, that's a totally different question. But hopefully, weather permitting, he will be worked, no more, than 5 days a week and at least 3 days a week.
Week 1: work up to walking 20 minutes with two sets of 2 minute trots
Week 2: work up to walking 30 minutes with two sets of 5 minute trots
Week 3: same as above, add in large serpentines to prepare for flexion and suppleness
Week 4: walking 45 minutes with two sets of 15 minute trots, continue with serpentines adding in loops
Week 5: same as above, add in leg-yields
Week 6: same as above, increase trot time to two sets of 20 minute trots
Week 7: same as above, add two sets of 5 minute canters
Week 8: increase walking to 60 minutes, two sets of 20 minute trots, two sets of 10 minute canters
Week 9: walking 60 minutes, 30 minutes continuous trotting with direction change, two sets of 15 minute canters (if needed)
Week 10: same as above, start asking for impulsion
In the beginning it is not important to use my corners, I will instead work on an oval shape as Dino will be stiff. As the weeks go by and his fitness level increases, going into the corner and becoming supple will be asked. Working on downward transitions are important, especially coming off the canter.
GOAL: first horse show on June 18 and FDCTA camp, July 6-9. Between week 10 and the horse show four weeks later, will allow time to work on the test. I have not yet decided on what level we will show at, Intro or Training Level. Anyone who rides a horse should be able to show at Intro, it is only a walk and trot test with 9 - 13 'movements'. The idea is the horse should be ridden in a light and steady contact. Training Level is walk-trot-canter and has 13 - 16 'movements'. The goal here is show the horse is supple, moves freely, maintains a steady rhythm and accepts contact with the bit. I would feel better with Intro, but in all honesty, I should show at Training Level. We shall see.
After camp I hope to show Dino two more times, so it will make for three shows plus camp this year for us. I'd say that is very feasible, however, nothing is more important than having everything be a positive experience for Dino. At any time we can take several steps back and when we do, we will just regroup and try again!
Howdy!
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