Walkers Saddlery Stockfeeds & Pet Supplies

11/11/2024

17/10/2024

We will be closed on Tuesday the 29th of October for a family funeral, we will be back open as normal on Wednesday the 30th. Sorry for any inconvenience.

30/09/2024

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 🎃

September has worked out to be the busiest month for Holistic, welcoming new clients and fully booked weeks 😱

Thankyou so much to all my clients for their ongoing support 🤍

October is filling up fast with the first two weeks fully booked, please send me a message and let me cater to your horse’s needs 🫶🏼

06/08/2024

Speedi-Beet Super Special
$49.95 a bag, save $10.
While stocks last.

14/07/2024

Brooke is wonderful artist and does many commissioned artworks in animal and human portraiture.

Hijinx - Detail.

Horses are social animals and have evolved to live in herds. They establish hierarchies, communication and form strong bonds through play. Horses learn how to use their bodies, build coordination and explore their environment as well as relieving stress and frustration from built up energy reserves. To an outsider it may look violent, but play is vital for a horses’ wellbeing.

12/05/2024

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 & 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 🫶🏼
𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘺 🦄

This is beautiful Benny that I saw yesterday for his second bodywork session with me.
How lovely is his liver chestnut coat! 🤎
Him and his owner have made leaps and bounds with their connection and exercises, and I am so happy to see his body slowly unwinding, and his personality shining 🌟
Benny will have another follow up session in 6 weeks time; meanwhile they have exercises and stretches to continue on with in that timeframe.

24/03/2024

03/03/2024

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 ✨

If you were considering booking a service with me, 𝗡𝗢𝗪 is the time! 👏🏻

For the month of March only, I am offering the following specials:

𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴:

Receive 20% off your first equine sports therapy bodywork treatment, valued at $90! This includes a 1-1.5hr full static and dynamic assessment, treatment, personalised stretches and exercises, and a full written report emailed to you after the session
𝗢𝗥
Receive 10% off your first lesson or training ride with your horse, valued at $70.

𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴:

Receive $10 off a service of your choice for a successful new client referral
𝗢𝗥
Receive $10 off a service of your choice when booking with a new horse I have not yet seen.

Travel is included within these offers, unless traveling outside of a 25km radius of McLaren Vale.

Only running for the length of March! 🫶🏼🦄

24/02/2024

𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲

Bodywork, lessons or training rides 🦄

Saturday’s especially, are quickly becoming booked with regular clients, but new clients are very much welcome with reoccurring spots available.
If you are considering having regular lessons, want your horse kept in consistent work by me, or want to incorporate a bodywork schedule for your horse, now is the time to get in contact with me ☺️

Please send a DM or text on 0432 428 690 ✨

08/02/2024

A thought provoking quote made by one of the most well known legends in the industry, Tom Dorrance.

“𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.”

This is the way I like to interpret this quote.

First, we must be able to match the horse with where it is at, and work with the horse you have on the day.
This may mean taking steps backwards in order to take giant leaps forward, or simply just being able to show up to your training session with no judgement or agenda.

This then allows the horse to start to connect with you, trust your decisions as a leader, and feel safety in following what you ask of the horse in the current moment. The horse is able to go with you, and begin to follow the feel that you offer them.

Finally, this creates a lasting bond and partnership; one that can be tested, challenged, enjoyed and appreciated. You match the energy of one another, and everything can be performed in a manner of softness, love and understanding.
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.” 🫶🏼

What is your interpretation of this quote? Comment 🦄 if you agree with mine ☺️

07/02/2024

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 💪🏼
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴

If you have ever had a lesson or bodywork session with myself, you probably would have heard me talk about this muscle!
The brachiocephalicus is a large muscle that originates at the poll, specifically the temporal bone with attachments to cervical vertebrae 1-4, and inserts onto the humerus, just below the distal end of the scapula.

It has two main functions:
* Lateral flexion of the head and neck (sideways movement) when the forelimb is on the ground.
* Protraction of the forelimb (forward striding) when the head and neck is fixed by other muscles.

This muscle is extremely important in protecting vital structures of the horse, including the cervical vertebrae and the jugular vein. It is not uncommon to see this muscle overdeveloped and sore in a lot of horses, and this can tell you a lot about their mental state, and how well they are utilizing and engaging their bodies.

As flight animals, horses can be in a constant state of protection, and may feel unsafe to completely let this muscle deactivate in fear of danger or vulnerability. However, it is in the best interest of the domesticated horse to learn how to deactivate this large under neck muscle at times, in order to activate muscles that will better facilitate healthy posture, movement and long term soundness.

Problems that can arise with incorrect development of this muscle include uneven gait in the forelimbs, lack of forwards movement, choppy and short strides, incorrect flexion through the poll, compression of vital cervical nerves, and undiagnosed forelimb lameness.

Who would be interested in learning more about the brachiocephalicus over the next month? I am happy to explore deeper into this muscle, in regards to healthy vs unhealthy development, and the way it can affect the mental and physical state of the horse through static posture and dynamic movement 🫶🏼🦄

04/02/2024

17/01/2024

Hello, 👋🏼
and welcome to The Holistic Horse SA! 🍀

My name is Alishia Walker, and I am a certified equine sports therapist, and the owner and sole operator of this new business venture. With over 20 years of horse riding, training and ownership experience, as well as a veterinary nursing background, I have lived and breathed horses from a young age 🐴

The Holistic Horse SA is a business that provides bodywork, training and coaching services to fellow equestrians and their horses. I aim to be there to support, educate and help those around me to achieve the connection and performance they are searching for with their equine partners. A “whole horse” and rider approach is an extremely important factor in developing and maintaining sound, happy and willing athletes from our horses. I am able to provide a full assessment of your horse and offer individual treatment and training plans 💪🏼

I believe that being your horse’s advocate is extremely important, and you can rest assured that I will consistently strive to provide the utmost care, and support to my clients and their horses. Whether it be the young horse needing education, the high quality performance horse requiring help to maintain peak performance, or the old faithful in the midst of their retirement, I am passionate in providing correct and balanced training for both body and mind ✨

Feel free to get in touch with any bookings, comments or queries; they are all welcome! Please follow and stay tuned as I continue to develop my website and ongoing educational resources, as well as how I found myself here in the first place! ☺️

Happy horsing! 🦄