Fusion Equine

It’s that time of year again..

📌DOES YOUR MARE.
◾Struggle to cycle
◾Struggle to go in foal
◾Often get infections while cycling or in foal
◾Struggle to foal without assistance
◾Get very uncomfortable towards the end of pregnancy
◾Always have foals with contracted or wind swept tendons
◾Have foals that often get sick soon after birth

Body work may be able to help with all of these issues. Feel free to get in touch via DM if you would like to discuss your mare further

𝑨𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆. But… we are working towards a horse being able to stand comfortably and balanced on all four feet.

We are talking here about a mystical ‘ideal’ horse and a simplified list, to allow the information to be more easily understood. Nothing will ever be perfect due to a horse’s natural asymmetries and dominance patterns, however, it is important to be aware of.

What does this mean?
We are looking for an ideal horse to be ‘in balance’, with their body following their head and neck. Think of it like a pyramid. With the head, neck, shoulders, barrel, pelvis all in alignment.
🔺The head should be centered and sitting level, and the neck relaxed
🔺The scapulas are even and the chest is centered between the shoulders
🔺The spine should be straight and the ribs hanging evenly on both sides
🔺The pelvis is even and the tail hangs soft and centered between the hind legs
🔺The cannon bones of each leg are perpendicular to the ground
🔺The feet are centered to the limb

This is the ideal we are all (farriers, bodyworkers, dentists, trainers) working towards but many horses will never achieve this because of their natural asymmetry. When we have an understanding of our horse's weaknesses, we are able to help them with their compensations and individual asymmetries. We aren’t here to obsess about getting our horses perfect, but it helps us to understand our horses' challenges, be empathetic to their limitations and support them, where possible, to be the best that they can be.

Written with Kat from Firenza Park Equine Services with Kathryn Christieson

𝙄𝙩 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩

A few years ago Kathryn and I sat down at a picnic table to write some posts together. We are both passionate searchers for continual education. We value each other's expertise and experience and have finally finished a few collaborative posts on topics that cover both farrier and bodywork, that we are passionate about.

An ideal topic for us to start with is the relationships between equine professionals themselves and also with owners. We all just want the best for the horses that we work with but we are limited by our area of expertise and we can’t be experts at everything. It makes it easier to achieve real change when we are all on the same page. At the end of the day, if a combined effort means happy horses and happy owners, that results in job security for us.

Ego can be detrimental to horses and if ego is getting in the way of people working together at the detriment of the horse then maybe we need to reassess if they are the best fit. Everyone will have their preference of people to work with. If you already have someone working with your horse, with similar beliefs to your own, it might be worth asking their recommendations.

For professionals, it is really important to develop relationships with other professionals in areas outside of your expertise. When you attend continued professional development you make friendships and professional relationships with a large range of people from many different areas of expertise and locations around Australia and the world. This increases your understanding of what other professionals can offer. Continuing education also aids you in knowing when to refer because you better understand your own limitations and have a better general understanding of other professions.

Everything is connected and it is always a whole body problem. As Tami says ‘a horse isn’t lame in one foot, it is lame in all four’. Feet impact body and body impacts feet. Teeth impact EVERYTHING!! If you have underlying pathology, it will show up in more than one place. A truly holistic approach could involve a team of a veterinarian, a bodyworker, a hoofcare practitioner, a dentist, a nutritionist and a trainer.

Written with Kathryn from Firenza Park Equine Services with Kathryn Christieson

I am finally home and have time to reflect on the last few days in Canberra where I was lucky enough to attend Tami Elkayam’s level 1 course in Canberra.

I was on holiday in QLD when a last minute cancellation popped up and so before even thinking of logistics I grabbed it. What followed was total chaos as I got home, reorganised the animals, child, work etc and took off again to Canberra. Sometime you just have to grab these opportunities without thinking too hard- if it’s meant to be it will work out (hopefully- sometimes?).

The course was really fantastic and as well as learning so many new ways to help the horse, and new ways to think when looking at the horse, it was also really nice to have a lot of the things I already do and see on a daily basis confirmed as having a scientific basis. Tami has a knack for condensing loads of information down to its most basic principles and then explaining it in a way that causes lots of lightbulb moments.

It was also great to catch up with old friends and make some new ones- these courses are always so good for networking and expanding your horizons. Can’t wait for level 2 next year.

Big thanks to Firenza Park Equine Services with Kathryn Christieson for putting me up and Dr Shelley Appleton Calm Willing Confident Horses for being organiser extraordinaire for the clinics.

When Kat and I get together we get opinions on things…

Another morning rant from the car with Isabelle from Fusion Equine. We got talking about a post we saw on Facebook, where someone was looking for advice without giving context. The answer to this post really required an actual professional consult in order to be answered properly. If you are taking your advice from a Facebook group full of amateurs, you are going to end up down s**t creek.

If you really think you can’t afford this, it is on you to go and learn enough to be able to sort through the information it will take a bit of a gamble to determine what is good information and what is not. You need to have a decent understanding of the topic before you blindly believe what you see on Facebook, even from an expert. And it’s still probably going to cost you more in the long run…

If you don’t know enough on a topic, you can’t effectively evaluate the potential outcomes. Critical thinking happens when you draw on existing knowledge and experience as well as problem solving skills.

I am currently down in Canberra attending Tami’s clinic and it has been fantastic. If you were one of the many who missed out, or you have been following her on fb, I highly recommend you get along to this talk. Tami has a way of condensing things down to the most important point- so there will no doubt be lots of great takeaways from this talk.

TAMI ELKAYAM PRESENTATION IN AUSTRALIA‼️📣

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE ‼️

I feel incredibly grateful to spend time with Tami Elkayam when she comes out to Australia in July-August 2024 to give 2 X Level 1 clinics of her modality - Equine Tensegrity Balancing Therapy.

The clinics booked out rapidly and I have a waiting list of over 60 people 😳 hoping that someone pulls out!

It shows the quality of insights and education you can gain from Tami's deep and layered understanding of the horse.

For those that missed out on attending the clinics, Tami will be presenting a talk and discussion with me whilst in Australia. The presentation is titled - "Tensegrity & Horse Training". Tami's insights have evolved my understanding and practices in my horse training. My understanding of soundness and how to prevent soundness issues. It is a worthy topic for discussion!

The presentation is being held on the 1 August 2024 at 6.30pm-8pm at the Camden Valley Inn (Function Room), 290 Remembrance Driveway, Cawdor, NSW.

Camden is my beautiful historic home town south-west of Sydney. It is an easy drive from Sydney. The Camden Valley Inn has accomodation and is a lovely restaurant as well as being a function centre.

Ticket prices $75.00

Here is the link to book tickets:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=24017282&appointmentType=63278851

*OUT OF OFFICE NOTICE*
Well I may be completely hopeless at actually posting on here (promise that will change soon) but I did think it was worthwhile just letting everyone know I will not only be out of office until the 17th of June- but I will actually be out of the country. I am off to Wales to ride horses over the mountains. I cannot wait!

I will still be available if you would like to book your horse in for when I get back but I might be having too much fun to check on here too often. Pretty sure I will manage to post some video of the ride though.

At Gundy Park Equine, we truly believe it takes a village to achieve greatness, and this is evident in the care we provided to Aethelflaed, a Group 1 performer who placed 2nd in the VRC Oaks.

Aethelflaed recently spent six weeks with us for rehabilitation following a tendon injury. We're thrilled to report her remarkable recovery and return to Matthew C Smith Racing Pty Ltd, thanks to our comprehensive Injury Rehabilitation program. This program includes daily sessions of cryotherapy, provided by InstantCryo Australia , essential for advanced tendon and ligament treatment, and hydrotherapy workouts on the ECB Cold Salt Water treadmill.

We're grateful for the collaboration and trust of many. Special thanks to the horse's owners for their confidence in us; Dr. Nic Bimson of Scone Equine Hospital for expert advice and care; Isabel Chandler of Fusion Equine for ongoing support and treatments; Dr. Caroline Foote of Nourish Equine Nutrition for top-notch nutritional supplies and guidance; Jeremy and Mac Metcalf of Meteq Farrier Services for unparalleled podiatry services; and not least, my dedicated staff. Assistant Manager Chloe Ollerton and Rosie Lindgren your hard work and commitment are the pillars of our success.

Our team of skilled sports medicine professionals remains committed to excellence in equine care.

Lovely explanation of why OTTBs can really struggle with things we often take for granted in a horse that has had a ‘regular’ riding career (although this also relates to a lot of them as well).

When you also realise that more often than not a racehorse will have a significant anterior pelvic tilt and stiff joints in the hind end it becomes even more obvious why they can’t always do what we are asking in the dressage arena- they can’t physically get the hind end underneath themselves.

🤦‍♀️“I’ve been told that my ex racehorse needs to work more from behind”🤦‍♀️

In your ex racehorses first career, the leg is there as an aid ‘to go forward’ there is no: to lift, to engage, to push, to step under, or to move sideways/into. So why do we think that now, as a riding horse, because we have done all of the necessary groundwork, that when we apply a/the leg that we are going to be able to start creating ‘a connection; through their body and get the hindleg to step under and ‘work from behind. ‘

I would like to first point out that it is technically correct that all horses should work from behind-forward. I am not denying this fact, what I am trying to highlight is that in training some horses we have to take into account their previous history, their conformation and how by trying to ‘make the hindlegs work’ it can be detrimental to the development of them in the early stages.

By being told that your horse need to ‘work from behind into the contact’ (which by the way isnt wrong, its just for certain types of horses we have to think about ‘which way round’ to do things) Do you not feel like you could be potentially blocking them into a shape? We have the rein contact to ‘get the neck’ and then we apply the leg, because we have been told/have the knowledge that says ‘all horses must work from behind into the contact. If we were to put this into ‘human form’ would this potentially look like: grabbing and pulling them back by the ponytail whilst kicking them up the backside at the same time?

Some of the questions you need to ask yourself, when thinking, is my ex racehorse at a stage where I can start to ask for them to ‘push from behind’ are:

🐴Can you ex racehorse even lift their back?
🐴Do they have a ‘core’?
🐴Have you been able to create a language that your ex racehorse understands to be able to ‘lift and engage’ said core?
🐴Where are you, as a rider, positioned on them?
🐴Are they comfortable with you positioned there?
🐴Have you considered and understand their natural biomechanics?
🐴Are their hindlimbs strong enough to be able to; carry, support and push’?
�In the early stages of retraining we usually see horses running away from/being sharp to the leg, OR ones that are very behind the leg that cause their rider to turn beetroot colour whilst trying to do a lap of trot, usually accompanied with the phrase ‘you would never guess that he was a racehorse.’ In both of these scenarios there is ZERO chance of being able to create a language with your ex racehorse that your leg all of a sudden, now means ‘ to step under and push along into a contact’

Not only does their previous career lend to this, but also their conformation. First off, when stood up, their hindlegs are usually straight and set slightly behind/out behind the horses-so there is your first challenge. Any form of ‘hindleg stepping under’ is already ‘going against the grain’ and will require both time and patience as you’re asking the body to work in a different way. The domino effect of that, is that we need the WHOLE BODY to be in a place that allows for the hindlegs to step under and ‘carry weight’ without mentally and physically breaking these horses. This requires for your ex racehorse to be not only BE ABLE, but also STRONG enough to lift and engage their core/back and hold it for a duration of time. (This can add in the problem of fatigue) Adding to that, you then have tack and the position and placement of the rider to also consider and hope that that doesn’t impinge on the use of their back. PLUS then the natural flow of energy into the shoulders and the stiff like neck to help balance themselves all need to be in a good, balanced and able place before being able to even consider the back legs…….and this is all before we even have to think about creating an understanding with our ex racehorse as to what the leg ‘means’ (doesn’t seem quite so straight forward, huh?)

“More leg’ doesn’t mean ‘more engagement’, it *usually* in our ex racehorses, means ‘more running onto the forehand.’ This is not our fault in our riding, and nor is it our ex racehorses fault, because their body tells them to naturally do that and since baby years, that’s all their understanding of the leg has been. Through correct training, TIME, an epic home team of; saddlers, vets, farriers and physios our ex racehorses are able to: sit, push, lift and have swing and cadence, but it doesn’t start from day one of ‘working from behind’

www.thoroughbreddressage.com

Retraining of Racehorses Equine Exceed HorseQuestGlaze & Gordon Dengie Horse Feeds

Some fantastic graphics to show the placement of the muscles around the cervical vertebrae.

So I may have snuck a new member on to the team in the last few weeks..

Harry and The Duke has definitely been around the block racing wise but I am amazed at how sound and happy he still is. We had our debut at the latest Anke Hawke Balanced Dressage clinic on the weekend (after only one ride at home) and he could not have been more perfect.
Big thanks to Jeremy Sylvester Racing for entrusting him to me and I can’t wait to see what he can do.

When a treatment gets you feeling all fresh and bouncy..

Well unfortunately it was not our day today- we had a total fail in the first showjumping round and knocked a bunch of rails. Dex rarely ever hits a rail. I decided to scratch from the second event as he just isn’t feeling 100%. Poor guy was a bit flat and stiff and just wasn’t flowing over the jumps at all. A combination of long, hot days and neither of us really being used to staying away caught up with us I think.

To say I am disappointed is an understatement as I really thought we had a good chance of a top 5 finish, but that is the nature of competition I guess. It has been a good experience though and there will definitely be things I will do differently next time we stay away. And there will always be a next time so we will just pick ourselves up and aim for the next comp now. But first a few well deserved rest days..

Thanks again to for the opportunity and hopefully we will be back for next years for another go.

And so it begins!
We arrived safely yesterday afternoon and got settled in. Today we have our two dressage tests and then Jumping is tomorrow. Again I just want to give a massive thanks to for this opportunity.
Who else is here competing this weekend?

Back to real life and to work today (because this page is supposed to be about more than just my own horse..).

I went up in to the Barringtons to meet some new clients and their stock horses. These horses work hard on the hills during the week and play hard at comps on the weekend. They are like any performance horse and regular treatments help to keep everything ticking over, or to highlight any crookedness so it can be worked on.

Aside from thoroughbreds I would say that stockhorses/quarter horses are my main type of client. From reining to cutters, campdrafters and even just show horses they have their own unique set of issues that the type of work they do, and their conformation/breeding, will make them susceptible to. Issues are often things like hamstring tears, tendon injuries, stiff shoulders, sore backs or one sidedness that makes roll backs or quick lead changes hard or sticky.

If this sounds like something your horse might be struggling with get in touch and we can have a look and see what is going on.

So we had our last lead in comp to Equimillion today at The RugRack Singleton Horse Show. Unfortunately a tactical error in the 90cm had us finishing 5th (but still with a double clear) and catching the last rail of the jump off round put us in 2nd in the 1m class. All in all though it was a good day out and has definitely sharpened us up for next weekend. Now we just have to practice these dressage tests for the week and we will be good to go!🐎

Newgate Farm

⭐ Another quality Thoroughbred headed up to Matthew Dunn Racing this week.

This lovely TB came to us with an extremely sore back, muscle wastage, not tracking up behind and weighing 513 KG on arrival. Topping the scales at 546 KG on departure.

We diagnosed mild Kissing Spine and treated him with various intensive rehab procedures over a six week program, including Cryotherapy, Hydrotherapy, Various strengthening exercises to target specific muscle groups, EMRT, tailored eiet to increase muscle development and corrective shoeing under radiograph guidance to have correct angles in his feet.

As always, this is a team effort with no one particular ingredient more important than the other. Thank you to our team for the ongoing support and hard work. InstantCryo Australia , Sam Morley of Scone Equine Group, Travis Croser (Farrier) Isabell Chandler from Fusion Equine and Charlie Johnson - assistant Manager at GPE and Dr Caroline Foote of Nourish Equine Nutrition

So what’s happening here?
This guy has just had some pretty impressive corrective showing done to help with heel pain. You can see in the first photo how he has the right foreleg thrown out to the side and the neck is curled away so balance is off.

Even though corrective shoeing may be necessary to relive pain, it will change the biomechanics of how the horse moves and the shoes are often much bigger/higher than regular shoes and can be different for each foot.

This can create more imbalance if there isn’t also some body work to help realign the shoulders and let the horse ‘settle’ in to the shoes. Often just one tx will help them to rebalance and become much more comfortable, therefore allowing the shoes to do what they were originally intended to do and support the hoof and leg better. As shown here in the second photo the balance has shifted back under the body, allowing him to also straighten the neck and stand square.

Its the horses birthday today 🥳🦄

That means these little guys are now officially yearlings (so I suppose that means my yearling season has officially started 😵‍💫). Looking at any yearlings you aren’t happy with now means that if there are problems we can get on top of them early. Then when they come in for prep it’s pretty straightforward and not a race against time to get them ready.

What do you think? Are you a fan of getting your youngsters treated- TBs or otherwise?

It’s lovely when owners are committed to giving their horses time for a full rehab- and always a pleasure to be part of the journey.

⭐ Dotti on Time - This lovely 4 yr old headed into Singleton Racing
this week after spending the last nine months Rehabilitating from a career ending Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (SDFT) tendon Injury.. Twice!

The owners were keen to give her a chance to rehabilitate back to her best form, be it for breeding or racing again and see where we get to. She has now been in full pre training up to pace work at GPE on a carefully designed program utilising the GG Engineering Highspeed Treadmill, ECB Equine Spa & Aqua Treadmill , ECB InstantCryo , and of course expert treatment and advice from our wonderful vets Dr James Dawson of Hunter Equine Centre and Dr Sam Morley of Group. Scone Equine Group

Weekly EMRT from Isabell Chandler of Fusion Equine , The best of equine nutrition from Nourish Equine Nutrition Dr Caroline Foot and a very big help from Travis Croser our Farrier who has done an incredible job bringing her feet back to full health.

It’s always about the team work at GPE, and creating a specific program that’s consistently monitored and tweaked.

Thank you to owners for your amazing support and patience, We wish you the very best of luck 🍀

Dex being his legend self last weekend and trying his heart out ❤️

🏆 Cisco Bay delivers once again! What an enormous run for the veteran galloper of Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou Racing! With an incredible display coming from last out of the barriers, Cisco Bay stormed from the back of the pack to conquer a fiercely competitive field.

Following a commendable second-place finish in the Big Dance final, Cisco Bay took a well-deserved respite at Gundy Park Equine. After an intensive six-week conditioning and pre-training program, Cisco Bay made a triumphant return to the racing scene. We are so proud of Cisco Bay's achievements, with his prize money now exceeding $700,000 since his first Hydrotherapy and Cryotherapy session.

Our entire team has invested tremendous effort over the past year, working tirelessly to ensure Cisco Bay's success. This remarkable victory showcases the culmination of our collective dedication and expertise.

At Gundy Park Equine, we are privileged to receive the daily support of Australia's foremost specialists in the field. James Dawson of Hunter Equine Centre . Isabelle Chandler of Fusion Equine , Dr Caroline Foote of Nourish Equine Nutrition and Travis Croser Farrier

It is through our collaboration with leading veterinarians, farriers, equine nutritionists, and equine therapists that we can consistently achieve outstanding results. Our meticulous approach incorporates meticulously crafted programs, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment sourced globally, including the ECB Equine Spa & Aqua Treadmill , ECB InstantCryo and the GG Engineering Highspeed Treadmill
Cisco Bay's triumph is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our team and the unwavering pursuit of excellence. We remain devoted to providing the highest standard of care and training, ensuring the continued success of our esteemed equine athletes.

📷Bradley_Photos

I have said it before and I will say it again- I really love this little horse. He is middle aged, gone in the wind and so very fussy but he never stops trying (even when he is clearly exhausted if the look of him in this photo is anything to go by).
We had the Scone Jump Club comp today and we won the Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association 90cm class and also came 5th in the 1m class (despite a few interesting tactical errors). We also had our first go at 1.05m and only had two rails so definitely think we are ready to give it a decent shot next time.

Big thanks to Scone Jump Club for putting on a fantastic event and Barastoc Horse as major sponsor. Also shout out to Fixine For Equine Australia, as of course Dex couldn’t do without it.

Ollie ran a blinder in his first start yesterday and was only beaten a nose. The most important thing we have given this horse is time- and it is certainly paying off.

and I bred him ourselves and then he was sold through the weanling sales. We then found him for sale online as a 3 yr old with knee issues. We bought him back for only $800 with the idea that we would give him time and see how things went- but either way at least he had come home.

He had a big spell and then a few small preps as he was quite immature and uneducated still. It wasn’t until this prep that the pressure finally went on and as a 4.5yr old he had his first race. It was worth the wait and definitely a lot more fun to be had with him in the future..

20% off sale!!
I have a few bags of Fixine left from the last shipment that need to go to make way for new stock. If you have been thinking about trying it hit me up to take advantage of this offer.

I have found some of the things it can help with are weight gain, increase in top line, coat shine, improved mood, loose stools- and that’s just the start.

Fixine for Equine is a blend of 6 live probiotics including a yeast combined with a naturally occurring toxin binder formulated to promote the gut health of your horse.

The ingredients of Fixine for Equine are as follows:
Lactobacillus Casei
Lactobacillus Plantarum
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Bacillus Subtilis
Enterococcus Faecium
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast
Naturally occurring New Zealand zeolite

Ollie wins his first trial! It took a few jump outs for him to figure out why he was here but he did everything right so now it’s off to the races.

He did of course get a post trial tx to make sure he recovers quickly and settles after all the excitement (he also has Fixine For Equine in his feed so we have both the body and the gut covered).

Big thanks to Cassandra Stummer Racing & Pre-trainingfor all the work you put in to him.

Fixine is awesome for putting on condition and top line. Make sure to ask me about it next time I am out or I also carry stock so you can purchase it direct and save on postage.

CAN Animal Care CAN Animal Care is committed to providing a better, natural way to maintain the health of animals through innovation and natural probiotic supplements for horses such as Fixine for Equine.

So this morning I got up, rode my horse early (cause it’s hot) went to parkrun, had a swim (cause it’s hot), treated some horses, stood in the sun treating horses- then gave up cause it was really too hot.
This is a total but now I get why organised people are so smug with their routines and their ‘getting s@ done’ attitude. If it wasn’t so hot that I had to give up (or that I got distracted by a cheese platter) I would probably have been prime minister by the end of today I was getting so much done..
Anyone else not achieving their dreams purely because of the heat (or cheese) today?

Mangoola wins fresh up!

My old friend Poley (you all remember him) has been getting treatments throughout his spell and into this prep. I went to see him for a little post win tx and he is the best he has ever been. Maturity and time have been his friend but making sure he didn’t end up all twisted again means he can grow and mature without putting extra stress on his body (and it seems to be working for him).