By Alexa Linton, Equine Sports Therapist

Recovery. A word charged with significance. More than likely, it carries a unique weight and meaning for you. Most of us, as horse people, have encountered “recovery” somewhere along our path — whether our own or our horses’. It usually signals that something has gone wrong: an emergency, an illness, an injury. Rarely is it a word associated with celebration.

I write this in the midst of both my own recovery from a serious health event and the recovery of my new gelding. In this article, I’ll do my best to approach this challenging and important topic with as much care, honesty, and perspective as I can.

First, let’s define the term recovery. In the simplest terms, it is a return to a normal state of well-being or strength. In our culture, it tends to be a rather rushed process, often resulting in reoccurrence or relapse. I recall coming out of my second abdominal surgery in less than six months with the belief that in six short weeks, I’d be “back in the saddle,” literally and figuratively. 

Fast forward three years and I am still in the tail end of my “recovery,” only now I am aware and accepting of the most important truth of this process: it takes as long as it takes. I now consider recovery as not necessarily returning to a previous normal, which may not have been healthy or sustainable (as was true for me), but as finding more solid and stable ground physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. This goes for our horses as well. 

During the recovery process, spend as much time as you can hanging out with your horse and strengthening the bond you share. Photo: iStock/Sitikka

Solid ground means a leveling out of the destabilizing peaks and valleys that so often define a health event; a renewed and consistent sense of vitality, strength, and well-being; a steady and well-regulated nervous system state most of the time; and an absence of relapse events. Ideally, recovery also means entering a more supported and sustainable state for the long-term. I’ll share a real-life example...

In September, we decided to buy the gelding I had loved for quite some time. He was already boarded with us and integrated into our herd, and we knew he had a history of chronic laminitis stemming from an initial toxic event many years ago. He also had a severe episode of winter laminitis with rotation two years ago — but was holding steady. We took him on with eyes wide open to a possible relapse, and within just a few months of signing his sales contract, it happened. Despite my best efforts to prevent this — and I’m just a wee bit obsessed with species-specific horsekeeping — his previous history and several unpredicted stressors tipped his delicate system over the edge. I also believe that his system had been “holding it together” for some time, and once he was fully in my care, the house of cards came toppling down, which I’ve experienced with several other horses. Whatever the cause, we needed to do everything possible to support his recovery so that he could thrive long-term. At 17 years of age, continuing down a path of painful relapses was no life for him.

Related: Recognizing Pain in Our Horse and When It's Time to Say Goodbye

Related: Help to Navigate Your Horse’s Final Transition

Anyone who has been a caregiver knows how exhausting and heart-wrenching this process can be. Those initial peaks and valleys of an acute health event are, quite literally, a roller coaster — an old, creaky wooden one that feels like it might fall apart at any moment. If you’re in this acute phase, my heart goes out to you. My constant motto during this time — for myself and my gelding — was “this too shall pass” to remind myself that tomorrow would be a new day, with new shifts and changes. My advice during this phase is simple: assemble a team you can trust (including a therapist); keep essential supplies well stocked (medications, supplements, first aid supplies, phone numbers); and adopt some form of breathing practice. Be aware that you will make mistakes and try not to let your possible guilt or shame around those mistakes limit you from asking for the help and support you need. Remember, this will not be forever, and hopefully on the other side of this tumultuous and challenging time — whether it lasts hours or months — is the road to recovery.

My gelding, although it took more than two months, is in recovery and I’m not sure how to express my relief. A few days ago he frolicked — galloping, playing, and leaping. What joy I felt! That joy is tempered by the part of me that remembers my own recovery process and the ebbs and flows of my energy levels and states of well-being. I know that, like my own health issues, things can shift quickly, but I remain deeply hopeful and optimistic that we are on the right track. 

Horses need their herd but consider the herd dynamics and whether they contribute to stress in your horse’s environment. Photo: AdobeStock/Zuzana Tillerova

A Positive Path to Recovery

Let’s explore how to navigate the road to recovery with your horse in a way that truly supports healing.

1. Titrate change — Whenever possible, make adjustments slowly and gradually. In the acute phase, significant and abrupt shifts may be necessary, but when you have a choice, take baby steps and do your best to reduce stress on the nervous system — yours and your horse’s.

During recovery, slower and steadier is almost always better. It allows a compromised system to return to homeostasis — its natural state of balance — more easily and conserves your horse’s energy so the body can focus on healing. It’s easy in this process to slip into catastrophizing or information overload (so many opinions!) and respond with sweeping, sudden changes. If that happens, pause. Take a breath. Settle yourself back into neutrality, then revisit your next step.

2. Remember the wholeness — During a health crisis, it can be easy to fixate on what’s going wrong rather than on what’s working. The work of trusting in the healing nature of our bodies is challenging but important. Each day, challenge yourself to find something that is working, something that’s a win, even if it’s very small.

3. Focus on the connection — I take as much time as I can to connect with my gelding and get to know him better — scratches, snuggles, learning new tricks, playing together, observing his habits, hanging out with no agenda. One thing the recovery process can surely do is build a deep bond, and that’s a gift. 

Related: Simple Ways to Enrich Your Horse’s Life Through Curiosity, Connection, and Choice

Related: How to Support Your Horse Through Change

4. Uncover the bigger causes — Sometimes we overlook the bigger picture behind a health crisis, and as a result, a condition becomes chronic without ever having the chance to fully heal. Make a point of zooming out. Consider your horse’s history, current herd dynamics and environment (and whether it may be contributing stress), the health of your relationship, previous injuries or stressors, and any other illnesses or past traumas.

Ask your veterinarian about a more comprehensive blood panel or additional imaging. Seek a second opinion if needed. Ask plenty of questions. The more clearly you understand the whole picture, the better equipped you are to truly support your horse.

5. Take care of you — Caregiver fatigue and burnout is real and common, especially in cases of chronic illness and injury. Do your best to release catastrophic thinking and impulsive fear-based decision making. Find support to disentangle yourself from what is going on for your horse, whether from a therapist or from good horse friends who can help you find perspective. Isolation is a real struggle and one of my biggest challenges, so find a friend, family member, or community that you feel safe sharing this journey with.

6. Prioritize rest for yourself and your horse — Recovery often takes far longer than we expect, and doing too much too soon can lead to setbacks. For healing to be lasting and sustainable, rest is essential — particularly the kind that supports the nervous system. That means reducing stressors wherever possible, maximizing safe nap zones and opportunities for deeper, more restorative rest, and limiting major changes or transitions during recovery.

In my experience, vitality is one of the last things to return after a significant health event, so additional rest is often necessary — even when a horse appears to be “back to normal.” Remember to go slow to go fast, staying in pace with what the system is truly capable of, even when there’s a strong pull to do more.

Ensure your horse has plenty of safe nap zones and places for deep, recuperative rest. Photo: iStock/Prescott Patterson

7. Map the small changes — Recovery can sometimes feel like watching paint dry. Learn to notice the subtle daily shifts in your horse. Small observations — the softness or hardness of the eye, heart rate, temperature, soundness, and signs of vitality such as how much they’re moving, lying down, or eating — can offer valuable insight into their healing process.

8. Movement and play as medicine — Don’t underestimate the healing power of play. If you’ve read my previous articles, you know I believe movement is medicine. In many cases, freedom of movement supports recovery by stimulating lymphatic flow, promoting circulation, and enhancing overall healing and vitality.

With my gelding, I chose to keep him with his herd on the track system 24/7 and then adjust for his comfort needs — hoof boots, pain medication, and other supports as necessary. He made it clear that separation caused him significant stress. He needed his herd. He needed the play, touch, and enrichment that only being part of a group could provide, and that connection became an essential part of his healing.

9. Take it day by day — We can only do so much to support this process, and if we’re not careful, it can become all-consuming. Information overload and compassion fatigue are real risks. Do what you can each day. Observe your horse. Notice the shifts. Learn from their process. Trust their resilience and love them exactly as they are.

Sometimes love means doing less — taking a break or simply being fully present with their challenges without needing to fix them. If you’re in it for the long haul, as my gelding and I are, pace yourself. Stay grounded in the present. Celebrate the small wins.

Recovery is a ride. If you’re in it — with your horse, within yourself, or alongside someone you love — know that you are not alone, and that it isn’t meant to be navigated in isolation. Reach out to those you trust. Seek perspective. And, as much as you can, release the idea of how you think it should look.

Recovery is unique for every being. It can be a landscape of learning, growth, and deepened connection — if you allow it to unfold that way. I am wishing you steadiness and strength on this journey, and envisioning a full recovery and more — for my gelding and me, too.

Related: When Horses and Riders Hurt Themselves

Related: How to Build a Successful Rehab Program for Horses with Undiagnosed Pain

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Main Photo: Shutterstock/Sabine Hagedorn