I currently have a 26 year old POA that hasn’t been ridden in 4 years. I first put her in retirement with no intention of riding her again. Recently, the riding bug has hit me and I’d like to put her in light work. Walking only.
Can anyone share what would be the easiest way to get her back on track? Should I hand walk her while she is saddled up? Any suggestions? Thank you.
I really love hand walking for that early fitting up. You don’t even need to have her wear tack. Just start small. It’s amazing how much walking can do.
I have a 23yo that has had a couple soundness challenges in the last year. When I put her back to work, I put her on the lunge line and walk with her to minimize circles. I have some foot issues (have to walk slowly over uneven ground) plus our stable is a really weird slice of property and I feel like I can get more done in the arena than just hand walking. Marching walk. No dilly-dally. Start with 15 minutes and start working up your time. My mare is now tack walking at 30-40 minutes per session and doing well (we started the tack walking last month). Just this week I have added some straight line trotting. I think she is glad she has something to do.
Thank you. At what point do you determine when it is safe to take a small ride?
I judge it by how much muscle they’ve built along their topline, how chill they are with our walks, and how easy they’re finding the question in hand.
Some horses really maintain well turned out and aren’t going to need much to go on a little walk about under saddle, but others are going to need a bit of work to be okay carrying a rider around.
How sound is she without a rider? Some older horses do just fine with ridden work. How’s her weight and muscle condition? I would probably just get on and ride. Start with 5-10 minutes and gradually increase.
Agree, because you can mix it up for the initial 10 minutes. 2 steps of leg yield each way, two steps of shoulder in and shoulder out, haunches in, side pass, you get the gist.
Its not just the fitness but the mobility and flexibility that get lost when theyre parked in a pasture.
Thank you. Unfortunately, she is in a very small stall and a small turnout and is quite stiff when she is first let out in the morning, So, she doesn’t get much, if any, exercise. I am moving her to a new stable on Oct. 1st, which will give her a large stall and turnout. And much more land to hand walk her.
I have a message into my Vet to have her come out and check my mare to deem if she is okay to start exercising and eventually to ride again.
She did have laminitis last year, but she is back on track again. She is stiff when first leaving her stall in the morning. (I just ordered Cosequin for that) I’m looking for an appointment to have my Vet come out and let her determine if my mare is up for being ridden or just hand walked. I agree with you. I’d like to just saddle her up and walk for a few minutes at a time until she gets her muscle condition up.
Exactly. My mare is like yours. She likes a job and looks thoroughly bored just standing in a small paddock all day. Before I retired her, she used to love to trail ride.
The best thing (imo) you can do for the oldies is provide as much access to suitable turnout as you can. Just getting that pony out and moving will do wonders for her topline. Some grass if she can have it, some MSM might help with the aches if she’s not on joint supplements, and start small with the riding ask. I think a 15m hack at the walk is feasible for most reasonably sound horses.
It sounds like you’re headed in the right direction with the move and the vet.
Author Jec Ballou has some really good books on this topic. I recommend this one:
Don’t let the pictures scare you, she starts from the very bottom of fitness levels. 
Love Jec Ballou. Get a copy of her Horse Fitness Schedule to go with the book linked above. It walks you through a whole program to get a horse back in shape.
Thank you. She is on a senior pellet from Smarkpak. It is supposed to help with joints, but, not really seeing much of a difference in the way she walks out in the morning. So, I just ordered Cosequin the other day. I’m just getting a lot of negativity on my end. Some people are doubting that she’ll ever be ridable again. But, I know my mare and know she can do it. After reading all the responses, it gives me hope.
Thank you. I just ordered it from Amazon. It is just what I am looking for.
Once you go through this book, check out her other books. She has great ones with different exercises for different things.
Totally agree. My favorite is the 55 Corrective Exercises one.
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