Happy Hacks Equine Massage Therapies 0403305997

07/09/2025

Who would have guessed 🤔

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/175ijS9wcn/

A new study shows that Thoroughbred foals given more outdoor turnout time and weaned later are more likely to succeed as racehorses, with increased starts and higher prize money during their young careers.

The research followed 129 foals from birth to age four, collecting detailed management data and tracking later racing outcomes.

Results consistently linked more time outside and later weaning to positive results, regardless of veterinary care, bloodlines, or farm differences.

Researchers propose that early activity encourages musculoskeletal adaptation, making horses more robust and possibly better at movement and sensory processing.

Ultimately, while industry focus remains on performance and profit, the evidence suggests that practices aligning with horse welfare—like turnout and gradual weaning—benefit both horses AND the business of racing.

Full study: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70084?utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack

05/09/2025

This is Darren Weir in action. Never again!!!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-05/vrt-releases-video-of-darren-weir-using-jigger-on-horse/105739520?fbclid=IwdGRzaAMnhJhjbGNrAyeCaWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEe-ShkYNsR518_KRKXGBmFtlZLmdqvj05i9elK4oI-erd13UkmFD_9uN4Rpao_aem_g-ZefD0JCxomndfCqi9ubA&sfnsn=mo

The newly released footage from 2018 shows now-barred trainer Darren Weir applying the "jigger" to a horse on a treadmill.

02/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DFgNGHckW/

This is what baby oil can do you to your horses sheath..!

These aren’t beans and this isn’t the waxy residue from inside the sheath.

When your horse drops his p***s and it looks flaky or crusty, this is what you can see in the image. What has happened is the owner was told by a friend that in order to maintain a healthy sheath, it should be cleaned regularly and that baby oil would do the trick.

So everytime pony had a bath, out came the baby oil, squirted into the sheath and that’s it.

The baby oil is just left in the sheath and overtime it slowly ruins the balance of the sheath and in the meantime that crusty residue is getting thicker and sharper and encasing the entire p***s, exacerbated by the regular squirts of baby oil.

Removing all of this residue was not at all comfortable for the horse - it had practically dehydrated his p***s but he was a trooper and knew we were trying to help. We did get an update afterwards though that pony was much, much happier in himself and we aren’t surprised.

We say it all the time but there is just so much misinformation out there about sheath cleaning - so even though your friend means well - take advice from those that do this for a living. The wrong advice can cause more pain and damage than you realise 🫶🏻

30/08/2025

I always say a horse is built like a bridge....you can see so clearly the way the back functions in this little video.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CUdVsFDZB/

27/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JRBFTRPwx/

Rethinking Retired Racehorse Rehoming 🏇

For years, the equestrian world has clung to the same bedtime story about retired racehorses (and honestly, this applies to horses in general):
➡️ Send them to a re-trainer.
➡️ Give them a polish.
➡️ Hand them over to a new home where they’ll live happily ever after.

It’s not just the racing industry that sells this fairytale - it’s the whole horse world. The industry, horse owners, feed-store philosophers, Facebook experts, and your well-meaning neighbour who once “had a Thoroughbred” all nod along like it’s totally how it works.🫣

And yes, it sounds reassuring. But let’s be honest - it’s a fairy tale. And not even a good one. Because in reality? A retired racehorse isn’t a robot you install a program into and send off, never needing an update. 🤖🚫

The Reality of Change 🔄

Horses aren’t wired for constant change. They don’t wake up thinking, “New home, new me!” They crave consistency, routine, and proof they’re safe.

Even moving to the kindest home can throw them into physiological and psychological chaos. Change triggers stress: guts flare, sleep falls apart, nervous systems buzz like they’ve had six espressos. ☕⚡ What humans call “bad behaviour” is often just stress made visible - separation anxiety, spooking, reactivity, aggression, or that unnerving sense your horse has suddenly swapped personalities.

And here’s the kicker: every new environment brings new routines, diets, and handling styles. The horse that looked chilled with the re-trainer suddenly feels unpredictable to its new owner.
This is what I call New Home Syndrome - the compounded physical, mental, and emotional stress of transition that can have serious long-term consequences.

Why Good People Struggle 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

Re-trainers are professionals. They’re used to Thoroughbred quirks and the buzz of a horse trained to go. They ride through spooks without blinking, laugh off leaps, and handle drama like it’s Tuesday.

But the everyday equestrian? Lovely, well-intentioned, passionate - but often blindsided. To them, that sideways leap isn’t “quirky.” It’s terrifying. Trust wobbles. Confidence cracks. Soon the horse is branded “unsafe” or “misrepresented,” when really it’s just… unsettled and trying to make sense of change after being very well trained at its previous job.

Yes, sometimes rehoming succeeds beautifully. But let’s be honest - that’s usually luck: the right horse, the right human, the right resources, all colliding at the right moment. And luck is a strategy best reserved for lotto tickets, not horses. 🎲🐴

The System Is the Problem 🛑

This is where systems thinking matters. It sounds academic (and it is), but it’s simple: we need to look at the whole picture and where it falls down.

Because the truth is, the current system is flawed.

Right now, everything leans on re-trainers. They prep the horse, present the horse, pass the horse along. But once that handover happens, the scaffolding vanishes. Stress spikes, issues pile up, and the horse - once labelled “quiet” - suddenly looks like a liability.😬

But it isn’t the horse failing. It isn’t the re-trainer failing. It’s the system failing to understand the problem.

Why Retired Racehorses Can Thrive

Believe it or not: retired racehorses can actually flourish - once their new owners are supported.

Yes, they sometimes come with physical issues. But so do Warmbloods (dodgy stifles), Stock Horses (back pain), Quarter Horses (navicular, anyone?). In my experience, retired racehorses aren’t necessarily more broken - they’re just more predictable in where they may be vulnerable. And predictability is a gift.

As Isabelle Chandler puts it: “They may be cheap to buy, but they’re not cheap to take on. You need to check, invest, and support their transition off the track - and that’s where their true cost needs to be considered.”

Most of their real challenges boil down to five key areas:
✅ Gut health & nutrition
✅ Hoof care & support
✅ Joint/tendon & back potential issues
✅ Posture remodelling
✅ Fitness

Neglect those, and things unravel fast - weakness, secondary pain, behaviour blow-ups. But get them right, and Thoroughbreds can rebuild quickly. Their posture strengthens, their behaviour softens, and their athleticism shines.

This is why the saying “you don’t ride the x-ray” matters. What counts isn’t the diagnosis on paper - it’s whether what is seen on the x-ray is supported by the integrity and functionality of the horse's body. But owners need the skills, knowledge, and resources to make that happen.

One brutal truth: ex-racehorses do not do well as sedentary paddock ornaments (and yes, that applies to all horses - but that’s another post). Their bodies that have to remodel after racing and that needs work for this to happen. When we provide the right approach - they can thrive. 💪🐎

A Smarter Approach 💡

This is why Isabelle Chandler and I built our program: to flip the script. Instead of placing the burden solely on re-trainers, we focus on equipping the new owners - the people who will actually live with these horses day in and day out.

We provide:
➡️Knowledge – where racehorses come from and what to expect physically, mentally, and emotionally.
➡️Skills – how to un-train racing habits, re-train for new roles, and create a consistent handling “signature” unique to the owner (yes, you do need to “update the program”).
➡️Insight – self-awareness, so owners understand their own impact on these horses - and can build trust more effectively.

This isn’t fluffy philosophy. It’s practical. Teachable. Achievable. And it works. ✅

The Real Solution 🎯

Instead of criticising the racing industry, we prefer to open dialogue and show what we’ve worked out in practice. You don’t despair that there are too few capable homes - you create and support them!

The fairytale has to be thrown out and replaced with reality, understanding, and skill.

What protects these horses after racing is their education and experience. While re-trainers can assess potential and suitability, then kickstart their transition - it’s the new owners who nurture that potential and carry it forward. That’s what keeps them from becoming paddock ornaments, labelled unsuitable simply because no one taught the human how to consolidate the horse’s foundations.

The solution is a smarter system - one that creates skilled, capable, confident homes. Homes where these animals aren’t seen as liabilities but as what they truly are: brave, adaptable, fast-learning partners. And in this system, the role of re-trainers, vets, and other professionals is re-envisioned as vital: assessing soundness, behaviour, and potential for rehoming.

Because when we stop relying on luck and start designing systems, something extraordinary happens. Retired racehorses don’t just survive. They can flourish. ❤

And let’s be honest - that also massively improves safety and risk management for everyone involved.

📣 Want to learn more?
Join us for our webinar on Monday 25 August 2025 at 7pm AEST (link to register in comments). Together, we are focused on creating a system that works - for horses and the people who love them. ❤️🐴

IMAGE📸: Meet the mighty Bondi Beach aka "Bondi", born in Ireland and completed in the 2015, 2016 & 2017 Melbourne Cups. He is an extra special OTTB as he even has his own page on Wikipedia! Here he is in his new role as very friendly, well loved horse that enjoys his new jobs and home ❤

👉 Please SHARE if you believe the path forward isn’t more blame—it’s solutions. This isn’t just racing; the whole horse world faces the same issues. By fixing systems and showing what works, we create good trouble—the kind horses deserve. 🌟🐴

24/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ATp7vLFWT/

21/08/2025

Posting this because a little while back I was asked by an agistee at a clients agistment to have a "quick look' at her very sore stiff horse. Unfortunately having seen tetanus before I immediately recognised the early signs. The horse was not vaccinated. Unfortunately by the time she sought veterinary help it was too late. Vaccination for tetanus is simple, you can do it yourself and keep a short acting one on hand if you can.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14JAseVWVih/

17/08/2025

Longines.... can you see the strides? What a great ride.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/173pD5akNF/