How to Ride Horses After Colic Surgery

Severe colic is one of the most serious and life-threatening conditions for a horse. When it occurs, a horse needs immediate care and often intensive surgery. After surgery, it can take a long time before a horse is ready to be ridden, and even longer to recondition him.

Things You'll Need

  • Lunge line
  • Paddock
  • Riding ring
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Instructions

    • 1

      Allow the horse limited exercise for four weeks, once the surgical sutures are removed. This means hand-walking and other exercise that is more limited than setting a horse loose in the paddock.

    • 2

      Turn out the horse in a small paddock, after four weeks of limited exercise, for a limited number of hours per day. This lasts four to eight weeks.

    • 3

      Begin walk-trot lunging without a rider. This lasts for two weeks. Use a long lunge line and keep the circle wide. Start with 15-minute sessions and work up, until the sessions are 10 minutes or more in each direction.

    • 4

      Ride for 15 to 20 minutes each day, only walking and making wide turns. Increase the time each day by about five minutes, until the horse is walking for an hour.

    • 5

      Add trotting to your regimen and incorporate a greater number of figures, like tighter turns and large circles. As the horse reconditions, you can add more advanced work in increments.