Equine Posturelate - Sophie Vandenberg

17/06/2025

Dr Raquel Butler: FREE Posture Behaviour Masterclass JUNE 24th - Is Your Horse Misbehaving - Or Trying To Tell You Something?
Sign up here: https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/pbmc

Welcome to Episode 38: Guest Vet Surgeon Dr Lily Wilson - Linking Equine Posture & Behaviour
https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/podcasts/the-equine-functional-posture-podcast/episodes/2149043194

Dr Lily runs an equine rehab facility on a track system in West Sussex and is known for her expertise in Equine-appropriate management, postural, and ethical behaviour modification.

In this episode, you can learn:
- How Lily’s diagnostic processes evolved to honour postural concepts leading to more sustainable outcomes
- Why posture isn’t just a buzzword — it’s about structural balance, good management, and sustainable movement
- Her No.1 piece of advice for changing your horse's body for better outcomes
- Her concept of healing through comfort to allow function to then change structure, and how to empower horses to participate in their own healing
- What to expect from positive postural changes- balanced eating postures, healthy herd dynamics, willingness to move, curiosity, and letting go of brace

To learn more about Dr Lily:
Website: nurturingnatureequine.co.uk/rehab
💉Her fantastic Equine Needle Shyness Course begins July 1st!💉
Sign up here: https://www.nurturingnatureequine.co.uk/needles

FREE Posture Behaviour Masterclass JUNE 24th - Is Your Horse Misbehaving - Or Trying To Tell You Something? Sign up here: https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/registrationpbmc If you enjoyed this episode we would love for you to follow and share the episode with your friends and would...

10/06/2025

⚡️I love all our discussions in the podcast but this one is a real 'secret ingredient' kind of episode for improving your horse's body and movement! ⚡️

Welcome to Episode 37: Reprogramming Movement Patterns 🏃‍♀️

Join Dr Raquel and Sophie as we dive into the art of reshaping how horses move — and why slow and controlled movement is one of the most impactful, yet underappreciated tools for longevity and soundness. We explore how to consciously reprogramme movement patterns.

You’ll learn how movement habits form, how new neural pathways are created, and why slow, mindful work after bodywork or when introducing new movements can yield dramatic changes - even with minimal time investment.

Key Points Discussed:

- Why reprogramming movement patterns matters

- The importance of overnight rest in solidifying neural pathways

- How to support horses post-bodywork for lasting change

- The power of slow, intentional movement

FREE Posture Behaviour Masterclass JUNE 24th- Sign up here: https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/registrationpbmc If you enjoyed this episode we would love for you to follow and share the episode with your friends and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating so we can continue to impact the...

10/06/2025

This is going to be absolutely fantastic 😍 The Postural Behaviour Masterclass is for absolutely everyone! Please come along and learn more about what horse behaviour means from a physical perspective!! 🐴

28/04/2025

Long and low—it's a widely recognized exercise, but what does it truly achieve? Some swear by it for relaxation and strengthening, while others dismiss it as detrimental. The reality? It all comes down to ex*****on and context.

In this episode, we dive deep into the biomechanics of long and low, exploring how it can be a powerful tool when done correctly—but also how it can create physical strain when applied without proper foundation.

Through personal experiences and multiple perspectives, we’ll discuss:
- The difference between telescoping the neck and hanging it down and forward from the body
- The key role of core stability in functional engagement
- Common pitfalls—why some horses struggle and how to recognize quality movement
- How to assess whether long and low is appropriate for your horse

Long and low isn’t a quick fix or a universal solution—it requires mindful application. Join us as we challenge misconceptions, offer practical takeaways, and help you refine your approach for a healthier, more balanced horse.

Welcome to the Equine Functional Posture Podcast Episode 31: Long and Low- Effects of Posture If you enjoyed this episode we would love for you to share with your friends and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating so we can continue to impact the world for the horse! Long and low—it's a widely.....

31/03/2025

This week on the podcast- Episode 27: Three Observations to Develop your Eye for posture in Motion.

Evaluating motion can feel like keeping track of so many moving parts (literally!) while aiming to improve over time. Overwhelm can lead to analysis paralysis and actually stunt your progress.

Having a metric of a few key indicators can be the key to monitoring progress in a way that doesn't take forever or require you to get the textbook out!

This week's posture podcast is a practical one that is so achievable - 3 observations you can make simply by watching your horse move away from and towards you in a straight line:

1-Head and neck position and motion
2-Pelvis motion
3-Limb alignment relative to each limb

Enjoy!!

Welcome to Episode 27: Three Observations to Develop your Eye for posture in Motion If you enjoyed this episode we would love for you to share the episode with your friends and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating so we can continue to impact the world for the horse!! In this episode, we dive...

16/03/2025

This is something I agree with wholeheartedly - So passionately I even have an instagram to demonstrate that if you have a young horse or foal you are teaching to lead anyone can create a soft and secure leading response (and all the other leading and training components!) injury free - https://www.instagram.com/foaltrainingwithsophie/
Too frequently lately have I visited horses with poll discomfort, ear shyness and upper neck discomfort with an automatic 'pull back' reflex like response when asked to move forward. The space under the band that covers your horse's poll is vulnerable, There is bursa over C2 between the bone and the nuchal ligament, and the spinal cord is also only covered by muscle and ligaments not bone at the junction of the first and second cervical vertebrae - teaching your horse to lead forward with soft pressure the first time you introduce the command is really important as you want to avoid the 'pull back' pathway in the brain from ever solidifying in the first place. If your horse shows these behaviours or you know they have experienced a pullback osteopathic work will benefit them greatly. ✅

12/03/2025

These book are a great pair that allows you to think critically about the underlying motivators for horses when they express behaviours - understanding behaviour from evidence based perspectives is relevant for trainers but also bodyworkers; the ability to understand that horses are always communicating and that two way conversations allow you to build trust very quickly in the way you respond to the horse and allow boundaries while asking questions = faster and better results as the body adjusts to a new and improved balanced and integrates information better when in a relaxed/parasympathetic state 📚📑

23/02/2025

Episode 22- Be The Change You Want To See 💞

This one is close to my heart - I do not believe we can do diffferently simply because we know 'better'. Changes on an emotional and self love level must also happen to act differently 🧠🫀. I want to be someone who treats others with kindness and acceptance and while I am not perfect I want to model that I am growing and changing and learning and that's ok - I am not a bad person because I once did things I would not do anymore. 😊 I hope it resonates with others! ✨

This episode touches a different side of the horse world - our emotions and the ability to choose our response or to react based on our internal patterns. With a shift in the industry welfare and wellbeing of our horses is being considered deeply in equestrian circles - have you found yourself in a position where your emotion strings are tugged on? 🥹 Judgement, shame, fear ..or have you seen examples of inclusion, joy and community? 🌸 How do you want to show up and be in this changing world? What values and behaviours do you want to model?

Key points we cover:

➡️How our emotions are deeply intertwined with our perception of equine welfare and wellbeing.

➡️Understanding everyone is a person with feelings and how self-reflection can be a powerful tool.

➡️How to create meaningful change and why kindness and safe spaces are essential for this to happen.

Welcome to Episode 22: Be the change you want to see! If you enjoyed this episode we would love for you to share the episode with your friends and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating so we can continue to impact the world for the horse!! With a shift in the industry welfare and wellbeing of...

18/02/2025

Welcome to Episode 21 as we talk about In-Hand work with horses. This style of work has huge benefits for the horse including having an improved relationship through the way that confidence, communication and trust can be developed so specifically. We talk about what kind of feedback you can use to get the most out of in hand work, and where to start if you're interested in developing this skill. 🐴🐴

Podcast Episode · The Equine Functional Posture Podcast · 16/02/2025 · 53m

27/01/2025

Episode 18 - A conversation with Mel Fleming from Connecting with Horses & Riding with Synchronicity on the important of healthy posture in horses and how we can achieve it 💪.

"Mel Fleming has decades of experience of horse training- exploring biomechanics, heart centred horsemanship, saddle fit, and human-horse connections. In this guest episode Mel shares practical tips to help people connect with their horses. We speak about the role of relaxation, and how horses can enjoy movement and lean into the experience in finding power in their body when their biomechanics are optimised."

Podcast Episode · The Equine Functional Posture Podcast · 26/01/2025 · 59m

13/01/2025

This weeks episode: Creating Variation in Training!! Informative for every trainer, rider or anyone who wants to know if the work they are doing with their horse is appropriate for their goals. We get the chance to talk about why balance and posture are foundational, and how to use fitness and strength training using the theory of exercise physiology to maximise results and decrease the need for excessive work. Available on Spotify, Apple podcast and directly from the webpage:

Podcast Episode · The Equine Functional Posture Podcast · 12/01/2025 · 53m

05/01/2025

Amazing information on offer here- an important part of the horse that gets too little attention…. the equine hip is one of the most dynamic yet poorly understood parts of their body!! Make sure to register for this one. 🧠🤓

FREE WEBINAR - Wednesday 5th February 7pm AESDT
The Equine Hip Dynamics: Biomechanics, Pathologies & Rehabilitation

The Hip is a area of common biomechanical alterations yet it is rarely a place of lameness diagnosis due to the diagnostic challenges.
Perhaps it needs to be considered much more!

Join me for this free webinar to explore the dynamics of the hip joint and its anatomical connections!!

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Feb 5, 2025 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wckF8g6xQSuVrYt2jLIVQw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.