The school program discovered the Back On Track products late last year, and we have a couple of horses wrapped in the standing wraps, with varied results. These horses already had serious issues and I think needed other types of therapy (or didn't have issues in the lower leg that the wraps could treat) in addition to the wrapping. So I didn't think too much of them.
BUT (there's always a but with these things) I've started investigating Back On Track more lately. Stella is still not under saddle, mostly because the saddle fitter in this area has been M.I.A and no one can get ahold of her, so I've been happily long lining and lunging in side reins and doing in hand work to get her stronger, muscled up and more supple. She's got a bit of a long back and not the greatest loin coupling, so it's harder for her to get stronger in her hind end unless I really make sure she's working properly, and working properly is hard and taxing for her. The saddle I have needs to be reflocked, and it started to give her back pain before I realized this. I've been massaging her and working her long and low and she has started to gain more muscle, but it's slow going.
I'm looking to do things right this time around. I've constantly asked myself when I look at Ernie, "what if I had known about this/been more knowlegable/been more patient/had more money...would he still have had all his issues?" I'm trying to avoid that with Stella. I'm in a better place financially, I know way more than I did when Ernie was in training, and I have more knowledge to play with. I have the opportunity to be proactive with how I care for and train this mare and prevent things before they happen, vs. cleaning up years and problems like I did with Ernie.
I've already started a couple weeks ago. I took Stella off Rapid Flex, the joint supplement she was on, and placed her on a Smartpak regimen. The Rapid Flex was great for Ernie and the other old guys in the barn who had arthritic joints, but Stella needed more comprehensive joint support. Now she's on Smartpak's SmartFlex Repair. No, she's not injured, but it's a comprehensive tendon, ligament and soft tissue support supplement with higher levels of all the key ingredients plus a few extras for better support, which is exactly what she needs. She's also on Tri-Amino to help with the muscle development. I didn't want to bulk her out, just give her the boost she needs. All this is are the three essential amino acids for muscle building, no steroids or muscle enhancers. And of course, assuming she eats it (which she didn't appear to want to tonight when I fed, she looked at me like "seriously, the kitchen screwed this one up" when I dumped her grain...) she'll be on Succeed.
Knowing she'll have some muscle soreness and trouble in her back and hind end as I start to demand more from her, so I started looking at preventative measures. I found the Back On Track blanket line. I've heard nothing but rave reviews when it comes to Back On Track products, and while I haven't tried it yet, I think I'm going to order the mesh sheet. That way I can use it both when it's hot as well as as a liner when it gets cold. I've thought about the saddle pad as a starter, or the back pad, but I think the sheet is my best bet. I'd also like to try the hock boots, but one thing at a time, right?
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