Have your horses been following hounds week in, week out since autumn hunting kicked off back in August or September of last year? As the end of the hunting season arrives, I’m taking a closer look at the benefits of giving horses a break after a period of intense training and exercise and the role physiotherapy plays in ensuring they come back sound and happy afterwards. I’ll also take a look at why physio is equally important when you’re ramping a horse’s workload back up ready for a new season of competition, summer of fun or hacking.
Turning horses away
Most horses and ponies adore their hunting, and the shot of adrenaline they get when you mount up is well-known to anyone who regularly follows hounds! But that same excitement can mask issues or make a horse push itself beyond what it’s physically safe to do. Or, they may have a small niggle that just needs a bit of treatment to ensure you’re both safe when you’re riding across country. I recommend regular visits from your physio throughout the season to help prevent injuries, boost recovery after a day’s hunting and maintain muscle tone. Using tools such as massage and INDIBA, I can ensure hunters can reach their maximum potential and the risk of injury is reduced compared to horses with stiff muscles or low-grade issues.
When the end of the season comes a holiday and the chance to let down completely is advisable for virtually all horses (there are some exceptions, for example horses with kissing spines that need to maintain a strong core and topline). But before you chuck a rug on and turn them away, a physio visit is the best way to kick off their holiday. It will identify any underlying issues, prevent stiffness and ensure that they have a pain free holiday. That also means they will graze, snooze and generally use themselves properly during their time at leisure, meaning when you come to bring them back in, they are in good shape and not carrying old injuries.
Increasing workload
When it comes to bringing horses back into work after a holiday, it’s always worth another check-over from a physio. Even if the horse was in perfect shape and without strains, niggles or injuries before they were turned away, you can never account for what they get up to while they are out!
We’ve all seen horses slip and fall while having a “hoon” around the field, be kicked by a companion or even hurt themselves just having an over-exuberant buck and play. A visit from your physio can give you the all-clear to start work again or identify any issues and treat them first. Once the horse is fitter and ready to start jumping or fast work, another check over will ensure they are developing muscle in the correct places and not compensating for any imbalance and weakness. Sounds like overkill? Here’s why it really isn’t!
A reminder of why regular physio visits are so important
My advice is always to take your time getting horses fit and never to cut corners as the potential pitfalls from rushing will only set you back even further. The same is true with physio – cutting corners and missing a physio session could simply land you with an injured horse and that means extra vet visits and fees as well as seeing your training programmes set back months.