So what am I then looking for in each of these movements and what can the Locomotion Assessment tell me❓
Today I am going to focus on the Back-up
In the Back-up I am looking for:
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The Trot Up – why do we do it and what am I looking for❓
There are exceptions, however in most cases when I visit your horse I will ask to see them ‘Trotted up’
This is really a ‘slang’ term for a Locomotion Assessment.
Today I am going to focus on the Small Turns
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In majority of cases there is no obvious lameness requiring veterinary care, and I am actually assessing minor restrictions and asymmetries in a horse’s movement that will benefit from Equine Massage Therapy ✔️
So what am I then looking for in each of these movements and what can the Locomotion Assessment tell me❓
Today I am going to focus on the Trot
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The Trot Up – why do we do it and what am I looking for❓
There are exceptions, however in most cases when I visit your horse I will ask to see them ‘Trotted up’
This is really a ‘slang’ term for a Locomotion Assessment.
As I only get a relatively short time to spend assessing and treating your horse I will start with a basic Locomotion Assessment and I will ask to see the following, on a hard surface and in a straight line……..
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Today I wanted to share with you a little bit about how horses sleep 💤
They are very different to humans and other animal such as dogs and cats 🐕 🐈⬛
Most people know that horses can sleep standing up, thanks to a special combination of bones, tendons and ligaments in their body known as the ‘stay apparatus’
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One of my clients this week, who incidentally has been around horse for more than half a century, mentioned to me that for the first time when watching the horse racing, and thanks to the wonders of slow-mo, they had noticed that as the horses were galloping their fetlock joints were almost touching the floor 😳
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As horse owners and lovers I think one of the things that attracts us to them is their huge beautiful eyes 👀
People often refer to horses as having a ‘kind’ eye and most of us know that seeing the ‘whites’ of the eye means a horse may be frightened or scared.
But how much do you really know about your horse’s eyes❓
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Today I wanted to share a little about the horse’s skin and some of the reasons it is important to me as an Equine Massage Therapist.
The skin can tell me a lot about your horse. I will consider several factors when treating including:
▪️Look ▪️ Pliability ▪️ Texture ▪️ Temperature ▪️ Thickness ▪️ Hair Damage ▪️ Scar Tissue ▪️ Swelling
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As a soft tissue therapist that works mainly with my hands I am only able to work on the superficial structures.
▪️Scarring from any type of invasive surgical procedure is not only going to be superficial, there will inevitably be damage to deeper internal structures.
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Did you know…….. your horse has 7 Cervical Vertebrae just like we do as a humans❓
Dogs and cats also have Cervical Vertebrae and all of us have much shorter necks than the horse 🐶 🐱
Cervical Vertebrae are the bones that make up the length of the neck.
The horse has huge individual bones with thin fibrous discs in-between ⭕️
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My goal as an equine therapist is not only to assess your horse, detect soft tissue restrictions and treat them, but also to help YOU as an owner/rider/trainer by empowering you with the knowledge and some of the skills you need to help your horse be the best versions of themselves they can be.
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Here we have a case study of Sammy.
Sammy is a rising 3 year old Traditional Cob.
Earlier this year Sammy starting showing signs of a locking stifle in the left hind and a sticky stifle in the right hind.
Both of these terms are also known as Upward Fixation of the Patella.
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In the images you will see Paddy 🐎
Paddy is an ex-racehorse 🏇
He is 12 years old and raced up until the age of 10.
He had a long career despite not always finishing in the top 3 🏆
I have been treating him and assisting in his training both groundwork and ridden since his owner purchased him in summer 2019.
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Topline
You have most likely heard people talk about Topline and how your horse should probably have more of it?
❓But what is Topline?
❓Why is it important?
❓And how can we help our horses develop it?
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My Horse Is So Flexible In The Field.......Why Are They So Stiff When I Ride Them?
I was discussing with a client today (I am sure she won't mind me sharing) how her instructor was able to get so much more from her horse than she was.
I told her this was nothing to be ashamed of.
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One area of tension I commonly find on horses I am treating is the foreleg extensor muscles.
These are the ones at the top of the forelegs on the front of the leg (see image for the arrows pointing to them on my young horse Eric)
Clients are often surprised when I tell them that their horse has tight forelegs, as it’s not an area many consider.
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I have a few client’s horses that I am treating at the moment that have a distinct lack of muscle tone or muscle atrophy for various reasons ❗️
What can we do to help?
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Gorgeous Finn enjoying his monthly maintenance massage today ♥️
In this photo I am treating his hind legs.
Sometimes people are surprised when I start using massage and myofascial therapy to the legs but for me it is so important.
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I have been really lucky in the last few months to be invited to treat some beautiful retired and older horses ♥️
I love it when owners want to help keep their 'golden oldies' as comfortable and as mobile as possible in their retirement days, despite no longer being 'useful' as riding horses these guys have often given years of service to us and deserve the very best in their final years 🙏🏻
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There a many massage devices on the market nowadays that are accessible to horse owners 👍🏻
This is fantastic as it allows horse owners to treat their horses to the various types of Massage Therapy at any time, and I absolutely recommended treating your horse to regular use of any of these devices (bearing in mind contraindications to massage - you can learn more about these on my website or contact your therapist or vet for advice) 📞 💻
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