Ruby

Ruby Report and Exercises 27/02/23 Ruby was seen to have reduced neck flexion to the left hand side, she had pain and tight bands of muscles in the right trapezius muscle, reduced muscle mass in the right thoracic region of longissimus muscle and spasming and tension bilaterally in her lumbar area. Slight swelling seen mid palmero-doral aspect on the left deep digital flexor tendon. Lateral right tarsal joint showed bony changes and thickening bilaterally over calcaneous with joint effusion. Reduced pelvic tilt and spinal flexion. Straight moving, right fore lateral landing pattern. Right hip showed less movement in initial gait assessment. Turning tight circles lost rhythm and foot balance. Goals: - Reduce muscle tension - Build muscle of the back symmetrically - Improve flexibility [The humble carrot stretch - what's the point?! - ENGAGE PHYSIOTHERAPY] 3x a week [Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with medium confidence] [Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with medium confidence] Other Changes - Move haynets to be in a variety of different situations, either side of the door, on the floor and up higher to encourage natural foraging postures and increase the use of the back muscles that are lacking in bulk on the right hand side. - Riding – do lots of transitions to engage the hindlimbs and use the lower back, if cantering on hacks, use both leads and swap trot diagonal - Saddle fit, the saddle currently is a good length and width, on the right hand side it fits well, on the left hand side it is tight over the right shoulder, and is bridging and subsequently falling to the left. - Ask farrier to watch Ruby walk/trot up at next appointment to see if the trimming can help her balance, her feet look good and she is balanced and straight moving, just were a little long and had squared toes when seen. Next appointment due in May