Hi,

The first problem started last summer when my horse was showing signs of lameness. The vet found nothing so a back specialist had a look and found a lot of stiffness in the back. I spent 2 months in the summer working her up on the lunge and sorting out the stiffness to a good point, where she was easily rideable and quite fit.

At the worse possible time when I started University (the plan was for the equine college to loan her during term time and I could use her when I return during holiday) she went badly lame about a week before I left! The onsight vet checked her for marks, cuts, bruises and swelling but found very little so they took her out of classes and rested her. After a few check-ups and lame testing they found inconsistant results. She looked lame on the right hind but flexed lame on the left hind. It looked like she was having a problem in both back legs.

We sent her twice to the big animal vets where they tested her using xrays and did a few more tests, but found no sign of damage. They thought the problem lied in the Tendon sheet so they injected Hyalouronic acid and steriods into it. After the operation she rested for a month and was then turned out more or less permanantly, allowed to stretch and to build up muscle again. After another month or so the vet told me there'd been improvement but she was still lame.

She is still slightly lame, but we're now not sure if that's just a problem with her back from not using it! So we may have gone back to the old problem! She has also always had a slightly wonky gait anyway.

I am at University nearly 4 hours away from home so I am only around during the holidays, so I made the decision to leave her turned out on rest until the Easter holidays when I can go back and get her working again.

I get home in a week and I have 6 weeks to work her and get her moving again (if the vet agrees it's doable).

I was wondering what advice anyone here could give me on how quickly to bring her to fitness again, maybe suggestions of a 6 week training schedule and if anyone could suggest a way of me founding out what's wrong without sending her off to the expensive vets again!

Many thanks!

(Sorry for the long ramble)