4J Equine - Nicole Johnson

01/14/2025

Joint mobilization! During an in-depth biomechanical assessment, I will check the range of motion of your horse through joint mobilization. By passively checking the range of motion of a horses joints, and then assessing them during active movement, it can help to show where your horse may have restricted movement.
We can passively mobilize the joints of the cervical and thoracic spine, shoulder joint, coffin joint, hip joint, sacroiliac joint, etc.

01/13/2025

Why might you need to listen to your horses gut sounds? A healthy horse should have lots of noises when you listen to their belly - if not, it can indicate a problem such as colic, or other stomach issues.
You can learn about how and when to check for intestinal sounds, and other vital signs, in a Basic Equine First Aid course!

01/12/2025

Resharing these pictures because Einstein was such a great patient yesterday! Are you curious as to what all of his bandages are for?
You can learn how to apply these for yourself by signing up for a Basic and/or Advanced equine first aid course. I am teaching a course January 17th and 18th at the Wainwright Equine Center!
Reach out to me to register!
☎️ 780 842 8464
💻 [email protected]

01/12/2025

01/12/2025

Why should you sign up for an Equine First Aid Course? 🩺🩹❤️‍🩹
Take a look at the list of things that you could be eligible for after completing an Equi-Health Canada First Aid Course!
On top of this list of things, by completing a first aid course you will be prepared to take action when your horses are injured. Completing a first aid course can give you the confidence and knowledge to know how to handle emergency situations with your horses. As horse owners, we should strive for continued education that benefits us and our horses as much as possible!
☎️ 780 842 8464
💻 [email protected]

01/11/2025

More of Buster!
These are pictures of Buster at the annual Manitou Lake Bible Camp Trail Ride Fundraiser in 2021. At the halfway point we got to stop and have a snack - I bit off chunks of my apple so that Buster could share in the snacks! My sister would ride Buster each year at the trail ride fundraiser.

01/10/2025

Finding a saddle that fits your horse, and you, is often a struggle! An ill-fitting saddle for a horse is like shoes that don't fit for us - it can be uncomfortable, and sometimes painful! If your horse is demonstrating some of these signs, a professional saddle fitter could be recommended. They know what specific measurements to take, in order to fit your horse to the best possible saddle option.

01/10/2025

More of Buster!
Two years ago my sister and I decided to try out the "ghost" trend on the horses! Buster was always so patient with us, and he stood still for all of his ghost pictures!
❤️🐴

01/09/2025

So excited to be an Equi-Health Canada Instructor!
Sign up for my Basic and/or Advanced Equine First Aid course coming up next weekend! Held at the Wainwright Equine Center, Wainwright, AB.
January 17th - Equine Emergency First Aid (Basic Course)
January 18th - Advanced Equine First Aid
Although this is short notice, sign up for both courses by Sunday evening (January 12th) and receive a $50 discount!
Full payment will be needed to reserve your spot for the course.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!
☎️ 780 842 8464
💻 [email protected]

01/09/2025

More of Buster!
Here are a few family pictures from the fall of 2011, where Buster got to be featured with us!
❤️🐴

01/08/2025

Fascia and the piezoelectric effect! Fascia is also a piezoelectric tissue - meaning that when it is stimulated, through various massage techniques, it can send information throughout the body.

01/08/2025

More of Buster!
This is a picture taken when he was about 8-10 years old. He was born brown, and then like all greys, he changed coat colours a couple times throughout his lifetime! Mom said she remembers the summer he changed from this grey to all white - it was the summer he reached over a fence, ate too many crab apples and coliced. Later in his life, when he was locked far away from the crab apple tree, we would occasionally go and pick him just a couple apples for treats.
❤️🐴

01/07/2025

We used to feed Buster spirulina powder! Buster was prone to colic, and we suspected he had metabolic syndrome.

Info and picture shared from Mad Barn

01/07/2025

I have already shared a couple photos with Buster, but I thought he needed a proper introduction!
In 2000 a guy who was renting our pasture bought two rescued mares, not knowing that one of them was pregnant. My mom and dad were given the foal (Buster) as "pasture rent payment", with no intentions of keeping him around for long. However, he soon became a part of the family and was with us for 24 years! He passed away last September, on the farm that he lived his whole life. Buster was a sweetheart, and he was loved by everyone in our family. 💛
❤️🐴

01/07/2025

This post corresponds to the post that I shared this morning about fascia being thixotropic tissue! Victory Equine Services is using a sponge to help visualize the difference between dehydrated and hydrated tissue (or fascia, in relation to my post), or unhealthy versus healthy tissue.
To quote what they wrote in their post - “This is the primary goal behind all bodywork. To take the tissue on the left and restore it to the tissue on the right, so that it has better functionality.”

01/06/2025

Fascia and the thixotropic effect! Certain massage techniques can hydrate fascia - which is a good thing! Fascia that is dehydrated can affect a horses biomechanics by impacting how the body moves, and how forces are transferred throughout their body.
Some signs of dehydrated fascia could include poor posture, poor range of motion, imbalances in the body and musculoskeletal system, etc.

01/06/2025

These are pictures from another cool hands on lab back in Old's! We got to see a real horse pelvis and sacrum to see how the joint was shaped and how it articulated.

01/05/2025

Have you ever felt like this!?



Picture shared from Marci Powell Gold Card Professional Barrel Racer