I did get Rusty's 15 minutes in today. I slid a like a 2x4 under each end of the cavaletti's to raise them just a bit. You think I'm pushing too much. I just don't see how that little bit of exercise every other day is going to do anything. He is doing it fine, no lock up's.
Becky
No, I don't think you're pushing it doing that. You need to do whatever will make him lift to step over them. If he's not over-reacting to just the poles any more, then raise them.
And, IMHO, I think the excercise routine she recommended is way over on the conservative side for him. If it was a painful condition or an injury he was recovering from, that much caution would be prudent, but she may have him starting at the very low end and I think you can use your judgment if you think he can do a little more. They can get sore from a lot more cavaletti work because it uses different muscling, but fifteen minutes every day of that (and I'd more correctly still call yours ground poles unless they are raised up a foot on crosses) and I can see value in a nice short trail walk also if you want, either before or after.
That's what I'd think.