Mimi
Is the mental rehab for you or the horse? It sounds like your horse had a very painful experience and may be reluctant to exercise with you. If that is the case keep doing join up until you feel your horse is now confident that you are the leader and will protect her. I don't know how deep the wound was, but I can tell you from experience that after the wound closes completely it will be at least six months to a year before it is completely healed and is no longer a sensitive area. My stallion got pigeon fever and had an open wound the size of a dinner plate. It took 10 months to fully close and 18 months more before the area no longer caused problems. Patience will be your best friend in rehabbing your horse.
Show confidence and joy when you are around your horse and they will pickup on that really fast.

Cheers

Rehab Exercise Can Be Fun! All you have to do is look at your surroundings while thinking about what your horse needs to do. Then Make an Obstacle Course in your head using the things that are in front of you. Here I lead my horse through the trees. We weave in and out. This Little Game makes him pay attention to me and his surroundings. Plus it prepares him for the day when we finally get to go trail riding. Big Bonus it uses muscles that he doesn't use standing in his corral. Plus we are walking on soft ground so it is low impact on his sore feet.

Fun is right before your eyes. There could be something in your area that is safe to walk over. Causing him to step higher then normal and keeping his mind interested in where you are walking. Making Exercise make sense to him.

Backing up is a Great Way to Build Muscle. But a little goes a long ways in Re-hab. Back him through a few upside down empty cardboard boxes.

Have Fun! Your Horse is your Friend. Take him out to graze on a lead. Now is the time for you & your horse to understand the importance of relaxing and watching the world go by. You will both come out of this with a quieter more creative mind.

Bad News. My filly's movement has gone way down. She is reluctant to move, and is short stepping. She seems to have a "limp" on her front left leg. Do u have any ideas about some stretches or anything to help her out? sorry this is a little change of subject. Thanks for all your advice so far, Amberpony and Dennis.

-Mimi

Mimi
Your horse may be suffering from adhesions where the muscle scars up and prevents the muscle from stretching. If this is what is happening it is very hard to overcome. Standing in the from of your horse and lifting the leg that is effected and stretching it towards you slowly until she starts to relax the leg. Then stretch it a little more. Do this a number of times. Then walk her out as fast as she will go. Do not trot her. You need to have her walk as much as you can. Do not lunge her but if you have another horse and you can pony her that would also work. After she has walked for at least 1/2 hour take a hose and run a strong stream of water on her chest area were the wound is. The water will help massage the muscle and increase the blood circulation to the area.
The water treatment was used on my horse as recommended by the vet at UC Davis because the wound was not healing very fast. It was a mirecle on how fast the muscles healed.
Keep doing this treatment until she no longer faviors the wounded side of her body. I still use the water treatment on my horse after every ride. It must be a very strong stream to be effective. I would also ask you vet to check and make sure that she has not developed a secondary infection of the muscle area.

Cheers

Thanks! the vet came out and gave her some pain medication, and she is almost moving normally again. She loves the rehab exercises, and the wound is almost closed!

Oh, so the wounds is still open. Therefore it will be some time before you can apply the above recommendations. They are very good.
Keep walking her and do as was suggested about soft uneven ground, it will work the muscels around the injured area.
While you cannot massage directly on the wound you can hand massage around the wound to encourage blood flow which promotes healing, make sure your hands are very clean.
Water massage is a great idea for when the wound is compeletly closed and the scaring is almost gone, it goes into the lower tissue area and will promote healing.
There are many ointments on the market that also promote healing and heat (blood flow) to the wounded area, perhaps you could purchase some of that.
How is her nature? Will she allow you around the would easily?
Perhaps I could make a suggestion about pain meds, if used to often they can become immune to them and not be used when needed later, minimum is best.
For mental rehab:
Massage works great on a fractious horse. Start at the head area and work your way down her whole body, this will relax her and soften the muscels. I use my hands for this so I am able to feel their reactions, also, outside, no lead so they have the option to leave if they become uncomfortable, usually they come back because it feels so good.
Do this softly, use your whole hand not just your fingertips as this can aggravate.
You will also re-connect with her and she will come to you for comfort.
I hope all of this helps,
Ronda

Ronda
Believe it or not the vet recommended that the water stream be run directly on the wound. My horse has a wound that was the size of a dinner plate and was not closing. He was just producing proud flesh, which left unchecked would have prevented the wound from ever closing. Once the worst of the proud flesh was removed surgically we would direct a strong stream of water on the wound and surrounding area for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day.

With in a week the wound area was closing slowly and the wound was nice and pink indicating that there was good blood flow. When using water theropy make sure that the water stream is strong and not just flowing across the area. Putting your thumb on the end of the hose and increasing pressure that way works great.

Cheers

Mejestic- Shimmering Star, Shimmie, as i call her is a very steady easy going Morgan. She has a lot of confidence in people, and i can feel around the wound. The opening is smaller than a penny.
Thanks for your help.