Building muscle
When nine-year-old mare Matilda is diagnosed with sacroiliac pain and muscle atrophy, vets warn that her prognosis is poor. Stephanie Bateman charts the part-appaloosa’s long journey to recovery
A diary that charts one horse’s journey of recovery from muscle atrophy
AFTER SIX YEARS of being horse-less, it’s time for me to get back in the saddle. I ring my aunt, Karen Williams, and she suggests Matilda, an eight-year-old Appaloosa/cob homebred mare.
Being a super all-rounder, Matilda has enjoyed an active life to date but is currently out of action as there isn’t a rider for her. Through not being in regular work, she’s lost muscle tone along her back. She isn’t lame but needs some groundwork before being ridden again.
I’m out of practice and need something nice natured that I can fit in around my full-time job and family, and so Matilda ticks a lot of boxes. I happily take her on.
Weak abdominal muscles
On 10 September, Matilda makes the long journey from Kent to Worcestershire and spends a few days settling in.
Matilda is seen by veterinary physiotherapist Hayley Marsh, who assesses her and finds she has muscle atrophy to her back and shoulders and very weak abdominals.
Hayley suggests that I build Matilda’s core and back strength by performing daily carrot stretches, backing up and turning, as well as long-reining and pole work six times a week (see box, 66).
Matilda is treated by Hayley fortnightly to check she is comfortable, and farrier Jack Climo is recruited every five weeks to improve her hoof balance.
Long-reining sessions start at 10 to 15 minutes in walk and gradually increase in length to 20 minutes with short trots.
I try to keep it varied with sessions both in the school and out hacking. Towards the end of the month, I also start using an Equiband (see box, 66) to help develop Matilda’s core strength and
“It’s hard staying motivated, but I religiously take photos every week. It’s not until you look back that you see how far you’ve come”
proprioception. She also wears a Catago FIR-TEC therapy rug for an hour each day to increase her circulation before and after exercise.
Bone scan and X-rays OCT 2020
Matilda continues to do well, and I increase the duration of the longreining sessions to 30 minutes. We are still working mostly in walk, but with some trotting.
On 16 October, I call out vet Helen Mancey as Matilda has been intermittently unsound for a few days. She is booked in for a lameness work-up and on 25 October, she is admitted for a bone scan and X-rays (see vet’s summary box, bottom right).
The scans show that Matilda has arthritic changes in her sacroiliac joint, which is injected with a steroid, and she comes home a few days later.
More long-reining NOV-DEC 2020
I pick up the work again slowly in early November, starting with 15 minutes walking and building up to 30 minutes with some trot.
I continue the daily stretches and begin using a TENS machine after exercise, as recommended by Hayley, to help stimulate the muscles along Matilda’s back and over her rump.
This gradually builds up to 20 minutes per session.
By the end of November, Matilda is looking stronger and happily doing half an hour of long-reining, with some pole work and daily stretches in between.
On 11 December, Helen the vet comes out to do a six-week assessment following the SIJ injections and is pleased with Matilda’s progress. She suggests continuing with the work, upping the trotting and starting to introduce canter in the arena on the long reins, as well as booking Matilda in for a block of two-weekly sessions for four weeks on the water treadmill at Hartpury Therapy Centre.
Water therapy JAN 2021
Matilda attends her first session on the water treadmill on 18 January.
The water treadmill acts in a similar way to raised poles and encourages back muscle and core development while being non-weight carrying.
Matilda has two sessions every week for a month while continuing with her long-reining and groundwork. It is hard staying motivated through the dark, cold winter months, but I religiously take photos of Matilda every week, and seeing the improvement we are making keeps me going. It’s not until you look back that you see how far you’ve come.
Getting on board FEB 2021
On 9 February, Helen comes out to reassess Matilda. The water treadmill has strengthened Matilda’s back enough to get the go-head for riding, so the next step is ensuring that her saddle is a good fit.
I call out qualified saddle fitter Nigel Bexon, who assesses Matilda’s saddle and, after a few adjustments, gives me the go-ahead to get on. It is suggested that I use a normal numnah with a correctional shim pad to support her back while she develops. I can’t believe that she is finally strong enough to be ridden!
I continue with our usual groundwork and long-reining routine, but add in two or three short rides a week, ensuring that I always give Matilda a day in between ridden sessions to let her back recover.
We start with 15 to 20 minutes in the saddle and slowly introduce short hacks of 20 to 30 minutes, building up each week until we are hacking for an hour, mostly in walk with short trots.
She is so pleased to be out of the arena and it is a novelty for me to be on top rather than behind her.
I continue the water treadmill sessions too, once a fortnight, to help keep her back strong and to add variety.
The power of hill work MARCH-APRIL 2021
Hayley continues to treat Matilda every four to five weeks and I start to increase the difficulty of pole work on the long reins.
I incorporate rows of three and five raised poles, as well as canter work on the long reins and increasing the