Balanced Bodywork for Equines

"While an unpopular opinion among some, it’s better to be able to see a hint of a horse’s ribs than fat deposits."

I could not agree more.

This is just a short excerpt from the article "5 Common Feeding Mistakes" by Emily Dickson, MS. See link to full article below. Worth the read!

"Considering domestic horses evolved from wild predecessors who traveled 20 to 30 miles per day to meet their feed and water needs, it’s clear that most domestic horses are not getting as much exercise as they used to. Further, we tend to overestimate the amount of exercise they do get.

While an unpopular opinion among some, it’s better to be able to see a hint of a horse’s ribs than fat deposits.

“It is challenging to have horse owners feed their horse in a manner that encourages an appropriate body condition score, as people are used to seeing overweight horses and believe it looks good,” says Brian Nielsen, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, professor of equine nutrition and exercise physiology at Michigan State University. “There is an old saying that ‘fat hides a lot of sins.’ A large number of individuals in the horse industry believe they are knowledgeable but often mistake a horse that is fat for one with good muscling. That being said, it has been known for about 100 years that calorie restriction can lead to a longer life.

“As often happens with horses, dogs, and other pets, many people fall into the trap of ‘killing them with kindness’ by allowing their animals to become overweight,” he continues. “Many health problems could be avoided if horse owners were more diligent in regulating the body condition score of their animals.”

Nielsen is not advocating for skinny animals but, rather, bringing awareness to the fact that fat horses are at significantly higher risk for developing serious and painful health conditions than a slightly ribby horse."

https://thehorse.com/1106183/5-common-horse-feeding-mistakes/

Want a second set of eyes on your horse's diet? Sign up online for a free nutrition consultation at https://bit.ly/Equinenutritionconsults

Saddle fit discussion and idea sharing Saturday. Owner had concerns that as her horse ages and body changes he gets a sore area at the back bars on her saddle. As Rocky explained, saddle was a good fit for now, but maybe a different pad will help instead of a different saddle. We sent her home with one of our pads that fills in some bridging. Finished off with a little body work and a good stretch.

Thank you Rocky for explaining the saddle trees, bar angles, etc.

Do you have a horse that’s out of shape and/or overweight?

Conditioning a Horse for Work after a Layoff | Equimed - Horse Health Matters Gradual conditioning enables the horse's body to adapt and develop the ability to handle more work without pushing him too far at once.

The health dangers to an overweight horse!

Do your horse a favor and make sure he’s not packing on any extra “personality”. The health risks of an overweight horse are plenty – and may impact his day-to-day health as well as put him at risk for bigger issues.


Your veterinarian can help you determine your horse’s body score conditioning, which goes a long way to understanding his risk levels.

Some problems that the overweight horse has:
Joint strain and pain. When there’s more weight to carry, muscles and joints take the burden. It’s already amazing how much weight a horse carries on his tiny little hoof, why add more to the mix?


Soft tissue damage – This is sort of hand in hand with joint strain and pain. Lots of stress on joints also means lots of stress on tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues.


Sub-par performance. Sure, the overweight horse can get around a bit. But is he being held back by his weight? YES.


Cardio issues. This one goes together with underperformance. Your overweight horse’s heart and lungs have to work harder due to his excess weight. He might not be able to perform as well, or for as long, and recovery likely takes longer.


Heat intolerance. Your horse is going to get HOT and not in a good way. He won’t be able to cool off effectively, as that extra weight is literally insulation.
(Excerpt from ProEquinegrooms.com)

And risk of laminitis!!!!!

Does your horse have long toes ?

Are Long Toes and Low Heels in Horses Bad? Long toe – low heel’ syndrome and/or ‘underrun heels’ if left unaddressed can be a detriment to a horses musculoskeletal health.

It doesn't need to be this way.

We can curate an industry where the most ethical practices coincide with what is most rewarded in the competition ring.

We can make a clear and deliberate effort to make it disadvantageous to use methods that cause harm to the horses by mandating ethicality in regulations for those who won't be compelled to do the right thing on their own.

Stressed, tense faces with open mouths exposing grey tongues or blood in the mouth don't need to be a too common theme in competition.

The industry is capable of doing so much better.

The future could be so much more promising and beautiful if the horse industry collectively starts to participate in an organized effort to use modern research to better equine practices.

It would benefit all, but especially the horses.

In lowering the stress of horses and swaying away from painful training methods, humans will, in turn, become safer.

Stress and anxiety are what make horses engage in explosive and dangerous behaviour.

If we address the why behind it, we can massively improve horse welfare and overall human safety across the entire industry.

It just takes the belief that a better world is possible.

It just starts with having the courage to speak the reality you'd like it see into existence.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhorseandrider.com%2Fhorse-health-care%2F7-canons-conditioning%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0-J7ilTgm5z-TfRSPDonLBptt6ZVXsCywuh_i2PlW7d2-dn8rSosuDhjk_aem_AcXZp0FZd5lT-KDheIXw6dlOOo7EcdFS9xTXaHzKvmxt2RjrL-s1ZydXxiXL9ZwtDc5rgdWf2ZaYi5gl9v3azIFM&h=AT3O4jNpZ4_ToKEtRNB8gDsXM3jKrJHwYEiXn4oX3vNYjVm3pUXtQXcbw2O6Y_F89rchKsLxTgBvUADnvVdrWc4ZlphVerGpjTmSktk7KipcAAZ5BHWJFBfuyvwLaqMT9w&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT1m1oFUGTNBOINPwQJ8yWYZo5xZA0aeLIxXlQ0v8v8I9zbzaUZZ-rmf5ZGmvY1b2UOhgpiSgRWlVi-amOZJ_BoykFvrReukGqC8yeLlJO94tPquYc8d4qYGiz00KXukbqGtpXsCWuIsdaMQYVLRcBslfBo

My horses usually get time off during the holidays and winter weather.

What do you do to get your horses safely back in shape for competition and/or trail riding?

7 Canons of Conditioning Read our expert advice to safely condition your horse for many happy hours on the trail.

Lightbulb moment!
This is how important balance & co-ordination are to the horse.

In my own head, from learning Human Physiotherapy first, the Cerebellum is a small part behind & below the main part of Brain (cerebrum). It co-ordinates gait, balance, and posture control.

So to see in real life, that the horse’s cerebellum is almost as big as the rest of the brain itself, was a massive eye-opener!

We know that horses don’t have a large frontal cortex, the complex thought part, like humans. But, naively, I kinda thought the whole brain was just smaller. I never expected the ratios of parts to be so clearly different.

So is it any wonder then, that horses react when they feel unbalanced? They react when their co-ordination is messed with?

The size of the cerebellum means it is VITAL for horses to maintain balance, gait & posture co-ordination.

If you put your horse off balance when riding, because your own body is wonky or weak, they have to react. Biomechanically, they HAVE to stabilise the system. But it could be a behavioural reaction too.

If you mess with their gait & posture control because you have no idea about timing of aids, or suddenly pull them around, or block their spinal movement with your rigid seat… they will probably react. You’ll be met with resistance. They might even rear or buck you off.

It’s not just about pain. A rider that puts their horse off balance doesn’t necessarily hurt them, but it does impact these vital things that horses need to feel safe.

If your horse doesn’t like their feet being picked up… or they do silly behavioural things with the farrier… Please ask yourself if it’s because they find it difficult to balance, and therefore don’t feel safe!

A lot of people these days are looking for pain when there’s a behavioural problem, which is fantastic and right. But if your Vet doesn’t find anything, don’t just assume ‘it must be behavioural then’ and try to TRAIN them better.

Consider balance & muscle/posture control. Ask a Physiotherapist to assess and teach you exercises to help your horse.

Sort your body as a rider, to improve your own balance & symmetry, to avoid throwing your horse off balance.

Save this post to remind yourself again.

Once you use tools with plenty of leverage to control your horse, it is hard, or even impossible to go back. There are several forms this can take, including running gags, bits with long shanks and chambons; today we are looking at running gags.

In the words of former US Olympian Denny Emerson:
‘Leverage creates constriction and it can also create plenty of pain, and there is nothing that the horse can do about it except to submit.

If your idea of training involves creating pain and inescapable force, leverage is your go-to solution. If your idea of correct training involves creating calm, responsive reactions and responses from your horse, you will avoid leverage like the bubonic plague.

Leverage certainly works, have no doubt about that. Leverage works so well that horses learn to do anything to avoid the pain, and it becomes very difficult to get a leverage trained horse to ever have calm and normal responses.

The best trainers almost never use mechanical leverage. The worst trainers use it daily. You have a choice.’

Denny Emerson writes a Facebook column called Tamarack Hill Farm.

Our own patron Andrew McLean of Equitation Science International - ESI has done a webinar on 'Kind Solutions for Strong horses'
https://youtu.be/1CF5N3deW7E .

See more about bits and leverage on p54 of the National Gear Rules.
https://ponyclubaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/National-Gear-Rules-JANUARY-2024-marked.pdf

Spring has sprung! Which means…vaccination season is upon us as well!

If you are wondering what vaccinations your horse should receive, the answer is — There are no “one size fits all” vaccine recommendations. A veterinarian who knows your horse and your management system is your best resource to recommend what vaccines your equine friend should receive and with what frequency!

While vaccination does not prevent disease in all circumstances, a good immunization protocol minimizes the risk of infection and remains an essential component of responsible horse ownership. A vaccination appointment is also the perfect opportunity for a yearly check-up of your equine friend and a great way to catch any health concerns early.

If you have yet to contact your veterinarian about scheduling your horse's vaccinations, we encourage you to do it soon!

Beet pulp for horses | ehorses Magazine Beet pulp benefits horses' health and eating habits. In the ehorses magazine, you may learn correct way to feed it & its benefits

How To Assess Rider Size for Horse Welfare and Performance Research on how rider size affects horses is limited. Here’s what we do know.

Should I Feed My Horse Beet Pulp and/or Rice Bran? Equine nutritionist Dr. Clair Thunes shares information about two popular horse feed choices, beet pulp and rice bran.

Case study……. 20 + yo Morgan mare. Trips over poles often, prefers to side step rather than cross over in front while side passing along with restricted abduction , has difficulty with lateral neck flexion and
appears to brace neck during transitions.

Narrowed chest, high neck position, under developed muscling on shoulders and pectorals. Prefers to stand ‘camped’ out behind.

Will be doing multiple modalities to include collapsed thoracic sling, myofascial and nerve releases along with reeducation of movement to release brachiocephalicus while engaging pectorals and iliopsoas to start with….

Improve horse's body awareness, coordination, posture, relaxation, and the horse-human bond with bodywork and massage.

Good movement is healthy
movement…..

Healthy movement leads
to a good topline…..

A well muscled topline appears round and smooth. It reflects correct and healthy use of the muscles which is based upon correct movement patterns of the body…

Other benefits:

Improve mobility and range of motion.

Reduce pain and stiffness.

Helps reduce stress and encourages relaxation.

Increase circulation.

Did you know?

Although protein is normally listed as a nutrient, horses actually have a requirement for amino acids, the building blocks of protein, rather than for protein itself. Protein is the least efficient energy source for your horse, so high protein does not automatically equal high energy. Carbohydrates, fats, and fiber are more readily digestible energy sources, so chances are a horse with too much energy is being fed more calories than the animal truly needs.

As always, remember that all horses have different nutritional needs based age, stage of development, metabolism and workload. Be sure to work with your veterinarian to determine the correct protein and energy requirements for your equine friend based on your horse’s individual situation!
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

DID YOU KNOW?

Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical emergencies, due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

If your veterinarian advises, carefully remove the nail to prevent the horse from stepping on it and driving it deeper into the hoof cavity. As you remove it, be sure to mark the exact point and depth of entry with tape and/or a marker so the veterinarian can assess the extent of damage. Apply antiseptic to the wound, and wrap to prevent additional contamination while you wait for your appointment.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare. As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

Basic Self Carriage For Owners Compassionate Training for Today's Sport Horse - online course - horse riders - horse owners - equine professionals - videos - horse trainer

10 horses scheduled for dentals today…… I will host another dental clinic in March or April….. Date to be determined in the next week.

Message me if you would like to get your horse/horses on the schedule with Bo Felix, DVM.

Great visual……. And reminder to check headstalls and halters for correct fit…….. 👍

Calculator: How much weight can my horse carry? - Good Horse Use this calculator to work out your horse's weight carrying ability. User friendly, easy to understand and backed up by the latest research.