Ali’s Equine Therapy and Realignment

30/12/2024

30/12/2024

How are everyone's horses adapting to the beautiful northern tropical climate? 🤔 Many of us have been giving our horses a break due to the heat, humidity, and intermittent rain. Considering these factors, could a therapy session be beneficial for them? Of course, it could. Why? The stress caused by the wet conditions, humidity, heat, and flies can create tension in both body and mind. Are they even sleeping well? Through myofascial release, massage, and the use of Surefoot pads, you can aid the body in relaxing, recovering, and repairing stressed tissue. We can also calm the nervous system, helping them feel their best in these extreme conditions.

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas to all

24/12/2024

May everyone have a wonderful Christmas
Soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere
Sing with joy, laugh and be merry

18/12/2024

Does your horse suffer from the 'itch'?
Did you know scarring from itch can effect muscle strength and joint mobility?
Last year, a horse I have seen semi regularly for many years, had changed in the shape of his gluteals, major hindquarter muscles.
I discovered he had a multitude of tiny new scars, from qld itch, on his hindquarter.
His owners have their own scars, from tearing their out trying to prevent the itch, they have tried so many things.
But anyway, under the skin, kind of velcroed to the skin, is a layer of fascia. Some refer to it as the body- stocking of the horse. Which is actually somewhat misleading as this layer of fascia is attached through fascial lines, to joints and organs, it is not simply a body- stocking.
So, these tiny round scars had stuck the skin and underlying fascia to the outer layer of muscle, preventing glide of the skin and full expansion and contraction of the gluteals.
I was shocked at the depth of attachment and the significance of their effect on his function.
When I released this scar tissue, using fascial release and AOE techniques, the horse was clearly more relaxed and there was an immediate change in the shape of his hindquarter.
I have also found significant restrictions in the neck and poll of many horses that suffer itch.
A tiny thread of scar tissue can have a powerful impact on your horse.
I teach scar assessment and release techniques in my first level of fascial release clinic.
Underneath this loss of mane and tail will be scarring which may, or may not be having a major impact.

16/12/2024

12/12/2024

I'm thrilled to be back in Townsville tonight and look forward to reconnecting with clients from Tuesday onwards. My time at sea was revitalizing, but I'm eager to reunite with my furry friends. Thank you to my clients for allowing me this break.

28/11/2024

26/11/2024

Off to Ayr

20/11/2024

"Perfection! Absolutely couldn’t be happier with these custom fenders on a Non sensation saddle! Excellent communication and super speedy shipping. From the time I ordered them I had them in a week! Best experience ever, hands down."- Christina

Looking to get your own custom fenders? Check out our fenders here: https://www.sensationride.com/search?q=fenders

™

20/11/2024

Not another postural feeding picture 😁 yes, BUT with a difference. No more beans, no more resting a hind leg! ❤️Doc has been resting one hind leg consistently while standing, for months and months. He will square up to eat then quickly start resting again. Either hind leg.
Last week his sheath swelled up, he had a sedation and sheath check/clean by Southern Cross Equine vet, Dr George. We love George.
George found 2 beans, moderately large but one was excruciatingly hard.
No more beans, much more comfortable Doc!
Doc has annual dental sedation but this is not enough for him to allow us to clean his sheath. Last clean out was approx 3 years ago and there was almost nothing to remove.
Personal care party will now be an annual date.
So relieved it is not arthritis or melanoma causing the problem.

12/11/2024

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

David Sanderson, Minka Ibanez, Jonathan Buckley, Possum Dougan, Katherine Royal

11/11/2024

Fascia is very clever and adaptive tissue. Not only can it form scar tissue, it can also thicken and stiffen to compensate from overloading, or incorrect loading.
For example: you buy a horse that has been ridden in an ill-fitting saddle, the visible damage does not seem too bad. You get your chiro or massage therapist out, a saddle fit done, you even address the poor hoof balance and dental work. Yet your horse struggles to go forward, your friends or trainer label them as lazy. Your horse might drag their hind feet, or knock down rails, or trip sometimes in front.
The puzzle piece that is missing is the fascia, the fascia in your horse's back, shoulders and pelvis has shortened and tightened up to protect the muscles, bones and joints from overloading and pain.
Now, fascia is tricky because it does not easily believe that it can let go and become loose again, it has shortened, got stickier, and thicker for a reason and it needs to hang on to that reasoning. In a way it is correct to hang on, because once it is freerer the horse's body must be re-trained to move in a better pattern, and muscles must lengthen and become strong again, to support the skeleton as they should.
The first step to is have the fascia actively released by a therapist, you can even learn to do this yourself at one of my clinics. Your therapist will need quite a few visits depending on the extent of the changes in the horse's body. We also need to release the fascia in stages so the body can cope. Kinesiology taping, correctly applied,can be of ongoing assistence both in releasing fascia and reminding the body how it should move. I also find SURE FOOT pads a huge help both as a therapist and for the owner to utilise.
The next step is for you to re-train your horse's movement patterns and to actively mobilise and strengthen their body. There are lots of exercises you can do, and information/clinics available for this.