Back-To-Work

30-Day Protocol

Getting Back to Work

Horses are extremely athletic animals. However, like people, horses must improve their level of fitness to accommodate a heavier work load. Tissues (most notably bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons) remodel and strengthen as increased mechanical stress(es) are encountered by the body. Greater tissue strength translates to better fitness.

If the intensity of work surpasses or outpaces the ability of tissues to adequately conform, injury can occur. Accordingly, it is very important that we allow time for our horses to respond and adapt sufficiently to progressively increasing mechanical challenge, particularly following a prolonged period of rest.

We have prepared a schedule that is intended to gradually increase your horse’s level of fitness over a 30-day (4-week) period. Based on your horse’s current medical status, this protocol should allow ample time for appropriate tissue transformation. At the completion of the program, you can resume full training and pasture turnout.

Important Rules Governing This Protocol
** PLEASE READ **

This schedule is intended to provide general guidance as you resume work with your horse. In an attempt to encompass most equine disciplines, we’ve included a variety of activities (such as jumping) with which your horse may not be familiar. DO NOT perform any activities that are not part of your regular exercise routine. Use your best judgement (common sense) to amend the protocol as necessary to avoid introducing foreign or arduous drills into your horse’s program. Again, the schedule is conferred for general guidance.

Unsupervised turnout is considered MAXIMUM exercise and should be avoided until the back-to-work protocol has been completed. When not engaged in supervised exercise, your horse should be restricted to a stall throughout the duration of this program.

You can take longer than the specified time-frame to complete the protocol, but DO NOT try to expedite the schedule. Remember, we have to allow ample time for your horse’s tissue to remodel and adapt sufficiently. Otherwise, we risk injury.

The schedule highlights a recommended activity for each and every day. If you take extended time off (due to inclement weather, for instance), you SHOULD NOT pick-up where you left-off, because your horse’s tissue may encounter dramatic mechanical challenge from one day to the next in this scenario.

When taking days off, use this general rule of thumb to determine where to resume the protocol:

  1. Divide the number of consecutive days that you skip by two.
  2. Round the quotient (the answer to #1) down to the next whole number.
  3. Go backwards that many of days in the schedule and resume the protocol from there.

Some Examples:

  • If you miss one day: 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5. Round down to 0. You don’t have to repeat any previous days.
  • If you miss two consecutive days: 2 ÷ 2 = 1. Repeat one previous day (the last one you completed) and then continue with the protocol.
  • If you miss five consecutive days: 5 ÷ 2 = 2.5. Round down to 2. Repeat two previous days (the last two you completed) and then continue with the protocol.
30-Day Back-to-Work Schedule
DAY 0

Last day of rest.

DAYS 1-2

Tack walk (under saddle) on a flat surface (straight line, uncollected) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAY 3

Tack walk on a flat surface (straight line, collected) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAY 4

Tack walk (any surface, collected) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAYS 5-6

Long-line trot (no rider) for 10 minutes in each direction once daily.

DAY 7

Light trotting (under saddle) on a flat surface (uncollected, straight line) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAYS 8-9

Light trotting on a flat surface (mild collection, straight line) for 20 minutes once daily.

DAYS 10-11

Light trotting on a flat surface (mild collection, any direction) for 20 minutes once daily.

DAYS 12-15

Trot on a flat surface (collected, any direction) for 30 minutes once or twice daily.

DAYS 16-17

Canter lightly on a flat surface (uncollected, straight line) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAYS 18-19

Canter lightly on a flat surface (mild collection, straight line) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAY 20

Trot on any surface (collected, any direction) for 30 minutes once daily.

DAYS 21-22

Canter lightly on a flat surface (mild collection, any direction) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAYS 23-24

Canter on a flat surface (collected, any direction) for 30 minutes once daily.

DAYS 25-26

Canter on any surface (collected, any direction) for 20 minutes once daily.

DAYS 27-28

Light jumping (≤ 2′ 6”, if applicable) for 15 minutes once daily.

DAYS 29-30

Light jumping (≤ 2′ 6″, if applicable) for 30 minutes once daily.

DAY 31

Resume normal work regimen.

Be sure to carefully assess your horse’s level of comfort/ soundness each day prior to exercising. If any swelling, pain, and/or unsoundness is detected, place your horse in a stall and call your veterinarian directly.

Any activity performed on a previous day is permitted for the scheduled day. In other words, you can repeat days as many times as you like.

If you would like recommendations tailored specifically to your horse and/or its injury, please ask one of our staff. We’re very happy to assist you.

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