New Horizons Equine Therapy

Your gentle reminder that our horses need to have their needs met in a species appropriate way 💙

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The problem with softening the horse too much in the bridle before stabilizing the hind end is not only a biomechanics problem but a safety problem.

I just got done riding a new horse for the first time. Based on the weak hind end and bulging in the neck in the wrong spots, I had a good feeling he would break behind the vertical quite frequently.

When the horse breaks behind the vertical, it drops the back and negates correct use of the hind end. Over time, the horse becomes weak and wobbly while simultaneously developing painful arthritis and fusions.

So, that's the basics of the biomechanics problem.

The safety aspect is that a horse that is too light in the bridle and breaks behind upon first contact does not have the correct relationship with the contact. I believe the reins should connect to the feet and aid in correct flexion and bend.

When the horse evades the bit, you've got nothing. Sorry pal- this ain't a safe place to be.

This is why often horses that are taught this require a lot of holding together by riders that are used to riding in such a way.

And if you want to improve the horses relationship with contact, then be prepared for a long haul of conditioning and riding with little rein.

It can be done, but it should be done with knowledgeable riding with no time constraints. It's a whole thang.

Edit to add:
This photo is NOT mine. I'm grateful it was created and my favorite part is the "ah thank you!" Because of how freely forward the horse is 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/anjakyart?igsh=MXNnN21uZm13cDRlYQ==

"New Home Syndrome"🤓

I am coining this term to bring recognition, respect, and understanding to what happens to horses when they move homes. This situation involves removing them from an environment and set of routines they have become familiar with, and placing them somewhere completely different with new people and different ways of doing things.

Why call it a syndrome?

Well, really it is! A syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that consistently occur together and can be tied to certain factors such as infections, genetic predispositions, conditions, or environmental influences. It is also used when the exact cause of the symptoms is not fully understood or when it is not connected with a well-defined disease. In this case, "New Home Syndrome" is connected to a horse being placed in a new home where its entire world changes, leading to psychological and physiological impacts. While it might be transient, the ramifications can be significant for both the horse and anyone handling or riding it.

Let me explain...

Think about how good it feels to get home after a busy day. How comfortable your favourite clothes are, how well you sleep in your own bed compared to a strange bed, and how you can really relax at home. This is because home is safe and familiar. At home, the part of you that keeps an eye out for potential danger turns down to a low setting. It does this because home is your safe place (and if it is not, this blog will also explain why a lack of a safe place is detrimental).

Therefore, the first symptom of horses experiencing "New Home Syndrome" is being unsettled, prone to anxiety, or difficult behaviour. If you have owned them before you moved them, you struggle to recognise your horse, feeling as if your horse has been replaced by a frustrating version. If the horse is new to you, you might wonder if you were conned, if the horse was drugged when you rode it, or if you were lied to about the horse's true nature.

A horse with "New Home Syndrome" will be a stressed version of itself, on high alert, with a drastically reduced ability to cope. Horses don't handle change like humans do. If you appreciate the comfort of your own home and how you can relax there, you should be able to understand what the horse is experiencing.

Respecting that horses interpret and process their environments differently from us helps in understanding why your horse is being frustrating and recognising that there is a good chance you were not lied to or that the horse was not drugged.

Horses have survived through evolution by being highly aware of their environments. Change is a significant challenge for them because they notice the slightest differences, not just visually but also through sound, smell, feel, and other senses. Humans generalise and categorise, making it easy for us to navigate familiar environments like shopping centres. Horses do not generalise in the same way; everything new is different to them, and they need proof of safety before they can habituate and feel secure. When their entire world changes, it is deeply stressful.

They struggle to sleep until they feel safe, leading to sleep deprivation and increased difficulty.

But there is more...

Not only do you find comfort in your home environment and your nervous system downregulates, but you also find comfort in routines. Routines are habits, and habits are easy. When a routine changes or something has to be navigated differently, things get difficult. For example, my local supermarket is undergoing renovations. After four years of shopping there, it is extremely frustrating to have to work out where everything is now. Every day it gets moved due to the store being refitted section by section. This annoyance is shared by other shoppers and even the staff.

So, consider the horse. Not only are they confronted with the challenge of figuring out whether they are safe in all aspects of their new home while being sleep deprived, but every single routine and encounter is different. Then, their owner or new owner starts getting critical and concerned because the horse suddenly seems untrained or difficult. The horse they thought they owned or bought is not meeting their expectations, leading to conflict, resistance, explosiveness, hypersensitivity, and frustration.

The horse acts as if it knows little because it is stressed and because the routines and habits it has learned have disappeared. If you are a new human for the horse, you feel, move, and communicate differently from what it is used to. The way you hold the reins, your body movements in the saddle, the position of your leg – every single routine of communication between horse and person is now different. I explain to people that when you get a new horse, you have to imprint yourself and your way of communicating onto the horse. You have to introduce yourself and take the time to spell out your cues so that they get to know you.

Therefore, when you move a horse to a new home or get a new horse, your horse will go through a phase called "New Home Syndrome," and it will be significant for them. Appreciating this helps them get through it because they are incredible and can succeed. The more you understand and help the horse learn it is safe in its new environment and navigate the new routines and habits you introduce, the faster "New Home Syndrome" will pass.
"New Home Syndrome" will be prevalent in a horse’s life until they have learned to trust the safety of the environment (and all that entails) and the humans they meet and interact with. With strategic and understanding approaches, this may take weeks, and their nervous systems will start downgrading their high alert status. However, for some horses, it can take a couple of years to fully feel at ease in their new home.

So, next time you move your horse or acquire a new horse and it starts behaving erratically or being difficult, it is not being "stupid", you might not have been lied to or the horse "drugged" - your horse is just experiencing an episode of understandable "New Home Syndrome." And you can help this.❤

I would be grateful if you could please share, this reality for horses needs to be better appreciated ❤
‼️When I say SHARE that does not mean plagiarise my work…it is seriously not cool to copy and paste these words and make out you have written it yourself‼️

Today marks 1 year that I took a leap of faith and became fully self-employed as an equine bodywork practitioner.

It goes without saying that this industry is anything but easy; throw a demanding degree into the mix and it makes for a crazy year! 🤪
I wouldn't be able to do it without the unwavering support of clients and friends/family.

Thank you for such a wonderful year, with hopefully many more to come!✨️🦄🩷

This photo was taken right after rescue horse Cobalts massage the other week, where he immediately laid down and started sun bathing, and afterwards joined his buddies in the field for the first time in a while. 🩷

He is an existing client that I've worked on many times prior, but as of late had been struggling with some anxiety about a changed herd dynamic that lead to him withdrawing himself to the shed and avoiding much interaction with the other horses/people while increasing stress behaviors (windsucking).

Here's what his mom had to say about his behavior pre and post massage:

"As you know, Cobalt had some trouble adjusting to two new horses joining the herd. He was spending most of his time in what we call his safety corner, and had stopped playing and mutual grooming behaviors. Your last massage had a huge impact on him, though. Since you worked on him, he’s been choosing to spend most of his time out in the wooded pasture with the other horses. He’s exploring and playing again; today he was enjoying picking things up with his mouth and throwing them, a favorite behavior of his. I can’t thank you enough for helping him!"

Loot went off into la-la land the other night and needed his crossties to hold him up! Such a sweet boy 🥰

‼️OPEN AVAILABILITY‼️
Tomorrow - Wednesday 6/12 I have open availability for up to 5 horses in the New Milford/Washington Depot area only.

Massage, myofascial release, craniosacral and redlight therapies available with a strong focus on functional movement and pain science principles.
Studying EDO at the Vluggen Institute.

NO TRAVEL FEE for this trip!
Multi-horse discounts for farms with 3 or more horses scheduled.

Please PM to book! 🦄

Got such a lovely update from Lunas mom the other day!💕🦄

Yes - trailering needs to be factored into your horses off property excursion, and their fitness should be considered!

While we are tucked away in an air-conditioned truck with comfy seats, our horses are bouncing and swaying in the back.

Unlike many may think, horses don't actually sleep or rest in the trailer. Their body is constantly moving and making adjustments to stay upright - Just like we do when we are standing in the bus or train.

Researchers from Massey University in New Zealand sought to measure how much vertical and horizontal movement horses have when in a trailer. With two horses loaded up into a two-horse, they took a 58-minute trip and here is what they found:

📍In total, horse 1 moved over 228 ft and horse 2 moved over 320 ft vertically
📍Horizontally, Horse 1 moved 745 ft and Horse 2 moved 797 ft
📍Both horses swayed over 11 inches

Next time you load up for a show, clinic, lesson, etc., give your horse a break before jumping right on.
___________________

POSITIVE REFINEMENT, MUGGING FOR TREATS, & POLYVAGAL THEORY

Yesterday, while doing a virtual lesson, I was helping someone brainstorm about their horse, and one of the things we observed was some mild mugging behavior related to clicker training.

Of course, we were both familiar with building a solid default behavior for treat manners, and feeding for position, and stimulus control so the horse isn’t ‘throwing behaviors’ without us asking.

Using a lower-value reinforcer often helps as well, and some horses settle quite nicely, but for others, they really struggle with emotional over-arousal as they switch into SEEKING with clicker training, and it seems, no matter what we do, that dopamine drive goes into hyperdrive, and becomes dopamine frustration.

The dopamine system, which motivates by seeking reward, is meant to stay balanced with the actual receiving of a reward to satiate.
But for some horses, it’s like we can never satiate and balance their dopamine drive. This is really similar to addiction in humans. Sopolsky gives us some great insight, here.

Of course, there are a few tricks of the trade... we can use a high rate of reinforcement or larger rewards to satiate and balance the chemical load, but for those of us who mix, this may not be practical, and for some horses, it still may not offer any relief.

Sometimes, even if we build a really solid default behavior, the emotional over-arousal will still remain, and the horse will ‘pose’ obediently, but with a lot of tension.

In our lesson, we opted to rebuild a ‘neutral’ with this horse with some Focus Work, instead of approaching it through clicker training.

First thing we did was establish some distance from the handler.

For many horses, proximity can be a trigger for a lot of different types of over-arousal, which makes sense, because horses generally don’t crowd together unless they are in a state of Flight, or fighting over limited resources, or playing, etc.

Within a few minutes, the horse started to have huge releases and yawned over and over and really let down.

We often think of releases and let-down occurring when the horse switches from the Sympathetic Nervous System if they’ve experienced stress like Fight or Flight, but what we don’t realize is, the horse can also have a let-down when they switch from the SNS into a lower tone due to processes which we learn about in Polyvagal Theory.

Many of us positive reinforcement trainers get used to thinking of the horse through the lens of Panskepp’s affective neurostates, so SEEKING, RAGE, CARE, etc., and I’ve actually heard several trainers say there is no ‘neutral,’ but when we bring an understanding of Polyvagal Theory into the equation, this opens up our perspective.

You see, arousal of the mobilizing Sympathetic Nervous System, the gas pedal, isn’t just limited to Fight or Flight; it can also be any states in which the animal is emotionally aroused, so PLAY, SEEKING, etc.

With traditional methods, or Natural Horsemanship, we were often trying to ‘brake’ this Sympathetic gas pedal by throwing the animal into Learned Helplessness or a Freeze response, by means of the immobilizing Dorsal Brake (over-whelm and shut-down).

Spontaneous re-emergence from Freeze into Fight or Flight was a real and dangerous issue - that’s why forcibly laying a horse down, as an extreme example, for instance, while it does induce Tonic Immobility, doesn’t necessarily work to ‘reset’ them emotionally.

Obviously, most of us don’t like to go there anymore, but there is another brake: the Ventral Brake, the Social Engagement Brake.

This brake can help us co-regulate the horse, instead of just trying to manipulate behavior through force or positive reinforcement, without actually affecting an emotional change.

We often joke when we start doing clicker training, “Where’s the OFF button!?”, but maybe a better question would be, “Where’s the brake?”

It’s kind of like driving a car... learning to balancing our gas and brake so we can actually get somewhere, without getting out of control.

In our lesson, we continued, and experimented with some Endotapping, which led to further releases and let-down, and a deep state of relaxation.

As I observed this horse relax and settle into himself, it got me thinking about... what is the natural state of the horse?

Of course, it’s a fluid state, going from foraging, to play, to actively migrating, etc., but the horse’s most natural state of being is to just... BE.

They spend the majority of their days in low-tone grazing, and napping, and hanging out, just BEING with one another.

They can switch into some high-energy play and frolicking, and then immediately come back down and start grazing again.

Can we tap into that? No pun intended.

I think we can.

I think we see the true nature of the horse when we can join them in that state.

Clicker training is great for motivation when we’re asking for things, but can we balance it with WHO the horse is?

I think we owe it to the horse to recognize that not only does over-arousal into Fight or Flight not feel good, but over-arousal into any mobilizing Sympathetic state, including SEEKING, doesn’t feel good, either.

I think we owe it to them to co-regulate and help them self-regulate, and help them be ok with just BEING, again.

A question that came up during the lesson was, should I reinforce relaxation states with a supplementation of positive reinforcement?, and their intuitive thought was ‘No,’ and I agree with that.

A state of relaxation is reinforcing in and of itself, it’s just using different chemicals. So endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, etc., especially if we’re using somatic therapies like tapping or bodywork or grooming, etc.

I was pairing with positive reinforcement for a while to shape relaxation, but I’ve quit doing that. For instance, if I am shaping the lay down through relaxation, I notice that if I try to pop in and capture with positive reinforcement before the full lay down occurs, I can interrupt the emotional state and throw them into SEEKING.
So the lay down happens a lot earlier and easier for me if I allow relaxation to be the motivator.

If any of this interests you, I highly recommend digging in to Warwick Schiller’s Focus Work, and the great discussions he’s having with Sarah Schlote on Polyvagal Theory, as well as Charlotte Cannon’s work with tapping.

Got this awesome update from a client this week! Her mare, Brandy, is no spring chicken, so I'm pleased to hear she is starting the season running even better times than last year!

Recently, we started integrating new postural and proprioceptive exercises with this gal using a gym mat, in addition to other ground exercises (and bodywork).
Looks like we're already getting some great results! 🥰

Late to post this, but I got this lovely little update the other day that made my heart soar! Thanks Val! 🥰

Do’s and Don’ts.

I don’t establish dominance
I do establish rapport

I don’t fast track horses
I do develop them persistently yet patiently

I don’t offer therapy
I do offer coaching

I don’t create high control environments
I do encourage you to think for yourself

I don’t tell you what to do
I do help you build skill and find answers you own

I don’t want you to copy me
I do want you to interpret the techniques through the filter of your character

I don’t want horses to be totally obedient
I do try to earn the privilege of very collaborative horses

I don’t fixate a horse into specific positions and punish them for the rest
I do help them get unstuck and healthy in mind and body

I don’t prioritize physical fitness as step 1
I do work very hard to get to physical training with the horses consent as soon as they are ready

I don’t believe in alpha theory
I do believe horses have complex and fluid social lives

I don’t believe 1950’s behaviorism is the panacea, silver bullet we’ve been waiting for.
I do believe we must understand it, use it as a framework, and integrate it into more sophisticated learning phenomena

I don’t care about human costuming around horses
I do care about tool and tack function, use, fit and form

I don’t care to be your guru
I do care about you

I don’t wish to see horse sport cancelled
I do wish I could watch horse sport without wincing

I don’t want to be a public person
I do understand that this is my role in the world for now, and I am lucky to have it

I don’t trust dishonest or manipulative training or people
I will step up to bat for my friends who are kind, honest, forgiving and smart

I don’t believe most horses who are currently ridden are properly prepared or appropriate for riding
I do believe horse riding can be a beautiful art form that horses enjoy and seek out in us

I don’t believe we are entitled to anything from a horse
I do believe that having, training and knowing horses is a privilege we can earn

I don’t believe all of us are ready to hear the truth our horses bodies hold, myself included
I do believe that the more we believe horses, the better training becomes

I don’t believe we have enough training options on the market that understand the horse-human co-strengths and similarities
I do believe horses are smarter than us in many respects, but we must be their advocates and gatekeepers

What are some of your do’s and don’t’s?

All relationships are built on reinforcement of some kind.

You don’t enjoy hanging out with the people who deplete your energy instead of replenishing it.

In order for it to “feel good” to be around people, there has to be something they offer your wellbeing and safety that makes you drawn to them.

When peoples’ presence is punishing, it doesn’t feel good to be around them.

With horses it’s much the same.

They will enjoy the people, horses and environments that they find the most reinforcing.

With humans, we may refer to some aspects of relational reinforcement as the “love languages.”

So, what would be the love languages of the horse?

Here are a few ideas, feel free to suggest your own in the comments:

- Safety

- Social Connection

- Freedom/ Autonomy

- Species Appropriate Care

- Clarity and Predictability in Training

I think the best way we can show our love for a flight animal is by helping them feel safe, comfortable and meeting their needs.

This involves trying to limit stress in daily life and in training sessions, recognizing that fear is a very uncomfortable feeling for any creature, but especially a flight animal, and coming from a place of consideration and understanding.

The love we show for the horses we have is not as potent if it isn’t rooted in offering what makes the horse feel safe, happy and healthy.

I’m ruined.

I feel and notice things I can’t ignore, now.

It’s Kerbrech’s fault.

His distillation of Baucher’s second manner.

I spend my days chasing balance.

I can’t even fathom the way I used to ride.

The imbalance I expected horses to work from is unfathomable.

The horses tell me, unequivocally, that the simple things I used to ask for in imbalance, were 10x harder than the advanced things they offer me now.

Residual emotional and behavioral resistances have dissipated.

I love that the old wisdom, like Baucher’s ‘resistance of force,’ and ‘resistance of weight,’ is being validated in our modern studies.

Tension in the poll/TMJ/hyoid junction is directly connected to the mind and the rest of the body.

A poll braced open, or braced closed, will block.

And the ability to rebalance to the midline, adduction back to verticality and equilibrium of weight of each corner, must take precedence.

Asking for haunches-in today, asking the outside hind for a singular step into a receiving poll, I felt and saw that energy begin to spill over the inside shoulder, the inside fore begin to abduct and fall in.

A little half halt on the neck, and the leg, midair, changed trajectory, adduction doing its job to change its flight path, the shoulder rebalanced back to that diagonal pillar.

I love this quote from Tami Elkayam Equine Bodywork. It perfectly aligns with some recent realizations I’ve been having…

“Abduction is important but…..for the body to move forward, movement needs to start with adduction. The body first needs to be stable and understand limb position in relativity to the midline and that depends on the adductors.

Remember if the body and nervous system don’t start from a place of balance and stability they will not find it mid stride, that's a fact.”

1st day back in class at the Vluggen Institute. Module 6 - Craniosacral.

This is a modality I've been wanting to learn for a very long time after experiencing the benefits firsthand, so I'm very excited for this week! 🥰🦄

It's always a pleasure seeing Daphne and Apollo. Love that little pretzel boy. ✨️🦄🥨💕

Bentley had a lot to say yesterday 🥰🦄✨️

This right here is a perfect example of why we need to be careful when blindly trusting marketing gimmicks for training aids or equipment.

"This bit will lift the shoulder."

"This aid will make your horse work correctly."

And other dogmatic phrases that have been held as truth to fast-track "correct" movement in our horses or fix a behavior.

These shanks are about as long as my forearm, and the entire purpose of them is to create significant amounts of leverage.

So please, before you reach for the next training aid, bridle, noseband, bit, etc. that promises all these miracles for your horse, take the time to understand the mechanics of both the tool you are using and how it affects your horses biomechanical processes.

Remember, these companies want to make a sale and don't necessarily have your horses best interests in mind.

We never truly know what's under the surface

This is a 52kg tumour we pulled out of a young TB(7)

He had a relatively fresh set of shoes on, let that sink in……
They are not built to show pain, they soldier on. His stomach was full but his kidneys appeared to be in renal failure and full of pus, his heart was scarred on the internal lining yet he died chewing hay as he was euthanised. The internal necrosis was horrifying, dying from the inside out and he kept eating hay.

We had a woman attending the dissection who weighed 52kgs. This was only the main mass, the tumors were everywhere. It was wonderful to have academics on this dissection and the first one to add to the conversations. I’m glad this horse didn’t take his secrets to the grave but moving forward a collaborative effort is needed to improve welfare for horses.

To watch the video

https://www.patreon.com/posts/52kg-tumour-from-102668261?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Therese from Equi-ed, your a hero for getting this underway in Ireland. Your awesome team of supportive people around you made this week run smoothly.

Collaboration not competition.

I think it's safe to say that Dunny The Shark has accepted me into his inner circle.

You've come so far, my special boy 🥹💕🦈

Thank you for the kind words, Brenna! 💕

A Look at Lungs
A Classic Example of Visceral Somatic Dominance Why Organ Treatment is Crucial

Lungs are a very common cause of lameness and overall vitality. Deep lung dysfunctions often do not heal by themselves and remain for years unless dealt with.
If a lung is in dysfunction, it will be inflamed and in spasmodic torsion. The greater the torsion or metabolic distress, the greater the inflammation and affect on associated tissues. This is true for all organs.
Even minor lung issues will cause significant forehand/thoracic spasms that control muscle and bone function and create lameness. This a supreme example of “Visceral Somatic Dominance” where organs dominate soft tissues and bone. Hence, I love moving bone, but bone doesn’t move itself, so one should release torsions on the bone and then they’re easy to reset.

When I’ve taught dissection classes it always amazes me how spongy lung tissues are, yet how POWERFULLY they create massive, intense spasms over a large area- deep to the surface, and numerous core muscles. Lung patterns will usually create lameness in the forehand, lower cervicals , the liver and diaphragm. They will often cause cranial/brain/CNS spasms by occluding blood draining through the jugular vein.

Lung torsions are usually found one per lung lobe. There are 2 left lobes and three right lobes in the horse, and it is common to see multiple torsions typically on one side.
Dramatic traumas, slow-motion traumas (such as being cast), infections all create lasting lung issues. But the most extreme lung torsions are caused by unresolved emotions!
Deep seated sorrow and grief tend to settle in lung tissue as a general pattern that has roots going back millennia.
When one goes in deeply to the core space of a lung emotional cyst, it will cause it to mobilize, surface and come out of “The Shadow Self”, it is then a horse (person, canine) can fully face it and let it go.
I’ve had numerous experiences treating a strong lung issue when suddenly a powerful emotion of grief/sorrow exudes the space, so much so that all people watching are overcome by it and there is not a dry eye to be found. Usually, it is the human owner’s grief being mirrored by their horse, and they always offer a story of a loved one dying. The healing here is for the human and their horse simultaneously. It is experiences such as these that miraculous healing can happen, and all doubts removed. “Proof is in the Puddin.
I’ve come to understand that all traumas are not random, they’re path issues- everything has a purpose to illuminate that which we restrict deeply within ourselves.

A common human example of the intensity of lung issues is a moderate to severe car accident where the seat belt held but the force of the accident centered around the lung, thoracic area. There will be some ‘Whiplash’ neck issues that may resolve with good physical therapy, but months later there will remain a deep, heavy hold in that side of the chest with significant core and shoulder motion/strength difficulties, and oxygen vitality dysfunction. If this person can be treated (generally) by an Osteopathic or good Craniosacral Practitioner, the lung spasm will completely let go and instantaneous massive releases will occur.

Watch for subsequent posts that will elaborate on Lung issues, how to generally assess them and begin to treat them.
Also a look at common Racing Thoroughbred, Mustang, Polo and Barrel horse torsion patterns involving lung issues.