Orions Dream Equine- Bodywork, rehabilitation, and nutrition

03/09/2023

03/03/2023

This pile of beet pulp came out of a horses esophagus.

Dr. Paton, after having seen several beet pulp chokes in the last two days, felt a reminder is in order.

Beet pulp can be an excellent feed for horses. It is an energy-rich source of digestible fiber. However, it MUST be thoroughly soaked and wet when fed.

Dry beet pulp pellets can easily lodge in the esophagus , quickly swelling and causing choke. This is not like human choke , the airway is not blocked , the horse is able to breathe. Almost every case of choke that we see was caused by the pellets not being adequately soaked or horses breaking into the feed room and gaining access to the dry pellets.

Anatomical problems, such as poor dentition and abnormal esophagus anatomy, can also predispose a horse to choking.

Chokes can predispose horses to aspiration pneumonia, which is caused by feed material going down the trachea and into the lungs. This foreign material in the lungs can cause the horse to develop a secondary bacterial infection.

Finally, a common cause of choke is poor dentition leading to inadequate chewing; be sure to schedule a thorough dental exam following a choking episode.

Chokes are common equine emergencies with potentially serious consequences. Call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke.

01/02/2023

Happy New year everyone!

I have some exciting news! Due to popular demand I've decided to offer package deals for massages.

Regular price $75.00 per massage.

4 pack bundle- $280.00 ($70.00 per massage)
6 pack bundle- $390.00 ($65.00 per massage)
10 pack bundle- $575.00 ($57.50 per massage)

Thank you for your continued support!

11/05/2022

Hey everyone!

I wanted to say thank you to everyone for supporting me while I was off work from my shoulder injury! I'm officially back working my regular hours again.

This lovely mare gave me a very warm welcome back💕

I just wanted to update everyone on the services I offer:
-Equine bodywork $75 per session (group discounts available).
- Equi-taping and bodywork package $100 per session (Group discounts available).
- Equine nutrition consultation $150 per horse (group discounts available)
-Sheath cleaning $50 per horse (group discounts available).

I also have a wide range of knotless haynets available as well, please pm me for pricing.

Again thank you to everyone for supporting me while I take time to heal my body so I can continue to help your horses!

07/22/2022

Hay net repair kits are now available!

Each kit includes your choice of 0.5”, 1”, 1.5” patch and 5’ of repair rope. Photo of black netting is 1” and red netting is 1.5”, I currently do not have a photo of the 0.5” netting.
Repair kit- $8.00 each
Extra patch- $4.00 each
Extra rope- $4.00 per 5’

Custom patch sizes available, please message me for pricing!

07/10/2022

Sadly my pony Nova cut open his back. On the bright side it’s the perfect opportunity to show off Equi-Tapes versatility, it not only if good for training and rehabilitation but it’s AMAZING for wound care. The first photo is right when I put the bandage on and the second photo is 36 hours later after many naps and rolls.

I have rolls of Equi-tape for sale for $25 a roll. Add a roll to your first aid kit to give yourself piece of mind that your bandages won’t fall off over night!

06/28/2022

I went out to massage and equi-tape Marike last week. Sadly she is having another cellulitis flare up due to an autoimmune disorder, however it is always nice to work with this mare. She is so well behaved and very good at communicating where she needs work.

I did a circulation and lymphatic drainage taping on her leg to help reduce swelling. It was just an added bonus that the tape matched her fly mask.

Don’t forget to use my coupon code 5%-OFF-FROM-ERIN-BRUININK at www.madbarn.ca

05/28/2022

I have a few smaller sized hay nets in stock right now.

1. 1.5” trailer bag -$30.00
2. 1” Medium bag- $50.00
3. 1” Medium bag- SOLD

I’m able to make a more of these nets on request as well as other sizes.

05/26/2022

This is a friendly reminder to make sure your geldings and/or stallions are getting their sheaths cleaned regularly. It’s very important to make sure they get cleaned, beans can cause a lot of discomfort for them. This is a picture of a bean I removed from a clients horse a few days ago.

Signs your horse may need his sheath cleaned:
• Not dropping his p***s when trying to urinate.
• A swollen sheath.
• Dirty or flaky look to the outside of the p***s.
• Bucking during trot to canter transitions.
• Noticeable smell.

If you would like your horses sheath cleaned send me a message and we can arrange a date and time!

05/19/2022

Are Ground Poles Really Effective?? 💈🐎

STUDY DEMONSTRATES EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUND & RAISED POLES IN TRAINING & REHAB

Walking over poles is a commonly employed training and rehabilitation tool- but how effective are they really? Researchers set out to understand the effect of ground poles on equine locomotion, particularly joint range of motion.

A recent study assessed the effect of ground poles and raised poles on limb kinematics and poll, wither, and pelvic range of motion at the walk. Researchers hypothesized that walking over poles would increase joint range of motion but have no effect on poll, wither and pelvic range of motion compared to no poles.

41 horses were walked in-hand over no poles, ground poles and raised poles in a crossover design. Limb kinematics were determined via motion capture (240Hz). Poll, wither, and other aspects of range of motion range of motion were determined by inertial motion units.

The study determined that walking over both ground poles and raised poles increased limb-joint range of motion and increased poll range of motion, through increased swing flexion, compared to no poles.

In summary, walking poles appear to be effective at increasing joint range of motion via an increase in mid swing flexion, without vertical excursion of the trunk, compared to normal locomotion.

Given that this is a key early rehabilitation and training goal for many horses it supports the use of poles for these purposes.

Reference: V.A. Walker, C.A. Tranquillle, R. MacKechnie-Guire, J Spear, R. Newton, R.C. Murray,
Effect of ground and raised poles on kinematics of the walk,
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2022.

05/17/2022

Ms. Marike enjoying her massage! This lady is such a character and always lets you know when she likes something or dislikes something. She was definitely appreciating the massage!

Thank you Dominica Rak for having me out. Marike was a joy to work with!

05/12/2022

If you are wondering why I recommend working on long and low with your horse please read this!

04/28/2022

Mr. Kermit is a BIG warmblood who tends to carry a lot of tension in his jaw/ TMJ. After getting his massage and loosing up his jaw, I applied a muscle relaxation tape/ fascia release tape application. This application is really good for horses who have a lot of tension in their jaw or just had dental work done!

04/19/2022

I had the opportunity to work on a horse with shivers awhile ago! This one was such a cool case to work on. After his massage I did a nerve stimulation taping.

As an Equine Bodyworker I can not fix or completely stop the progression of Shivers, however I can help stimulate the muscles and nerves. This will help slow the progression of the disease, it will also help minimize symptoms.

Michigan State University definition of shivers:
“Shivers is a gradually progressive, chronic neuromuscular disease in horses that is characterized by gait abnormalities when backing up. Other typical signs include trembling of the tail while held erect, trembling of the thigh muscles and a flexed and trembling hind limb.”

04/10/2022

I’m officially a Certified Equi-Tape Practitioner!

I want to thank everyone who have supported me and my business so far! It means the world to me that I’m able to help your horses feel their best!

This is good opportunity to officially announce that in May I am starting my certification for Equine Nutrition! So keep an eye out for more updates in the coming months!

04/06/2022

Phaira was my first client! We have had a long journey together and I’m so happy with how far she has come!

When I first started working on her she was unbalanced, lazy, and she would offer to kick if you touched her in the wrong spot (never actually kicking). After having the winter off she is now back in work!

When I started working on her she had very minimal flexibility in her hips and was extremely sensitive. Over almost a year of working on her, Margaret and I are happy to say she is using her body correctly. She is more willing to move forward and allows her people to touch her everywhere.

She definitely looks forward to her “spa” time when I come out.

Phaira is one of my trickier cases but she is also one of the most rewarding cases. Being able to watch her develop and improve has been such a rewarding experience for me! I look forward to continuing to work with Phaira and seeing how far this talented lady goes!

04/04/2022

Looking for an easier way to feed your horses?

My 3 string bale bags are perfect for hanging from the hay loft for easy refills! This makes it even easier to make sure your horses always have hay in front of them.

Thank you Ammie Parker for sending this in! I absolutely love this idea!

03/19/2022

Hey everyone!

I have exciting news! I’ve started selling hay nets! They are super high quality hay nets made from a machine washable fabric, and are a flat knit knotless netting! This means no need to worry about if your horse drags it through the mud, and no need to worry about the fabric hurting their gums or teeth.

The sizes I have available are:

1” day bag (5-8 flakes) for $65
1.5” day bag (5-8 flakes) for $55
1” bale bag (large 3 string bale with extra room) for $110
1.5” bale bag (large 3 string bale with extra room) for $95
1.5” 6x6 round bale for $290
2” 6x6 round bale for $260

I’m working on getting trailer bags as well!

Send me a pm if you’d like to order one!

03/15/2022

Thank you Linda for letting me work on your special boy, Esprit. He has been struggling with a right drift for sometime, as well as asymmetry of the face which caused headaches.

After his massage he going a sacroiliac support taping, a top line support taping and a fetlock support/ proprioception taping. These all are going to help him be more aware of his body and enhance the effectiveness of the massage. To avoid overstimulating him we did some work on his jaw, but didn’t work too much around his poll and forehead. I did a special taping on his head to help relieve his headaches. He was much more balanced overall after the massage and taping.

03/01/2022

I went out to Chilliwack a couple weeks back and forgot to post this picture!

This is Bravo he has anxiety with meeting new equine professionals. So before I started my bodywork session I did a muscle relaxation and anti anxiety taping on his back. This helps relax his top line before I begin my massage, it will also help build trust with him. Right after I did the application he was licking and chewing. He was very relaxed and calm for the massage!

Thank you Elysha Marie Peterse for having me out to work on your boys!

02/19/2022

Sadly Ms. Marike is having a cellulitis flare up again, but she’s gotten a new diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder. Hopefully now with the new diagnosis her owner will be able to keep her condition under control!

I did a circulation/ lymphatic drainage taping as well as a lymphatic drainage massage. These both will help with bringing the swelling down and help increase nutrients in the area. I will post an update in the next couple days with updated pictures of her leg!

02/16/2022

Thank you Priority 1 Equestrian for having me out to work on Cohen! He was a gentleman like always!

Cohen has been having some tenderness on his spine, specifically in the lumbar area. He got a massage that work mainly on relaxing his top line and releasing the tight muscles around his lumbar spine. After the massage I applied a combination tape application. The yellow tape along his spine is helping support his slight sway back, the black tape along the length of his back are relaxing his top line. The black and yellow pieces over top of his lumbar spine are supporting his spine as well as helping increase circulation. Increased circulation will help his muscle heal.

02/09/2022

Mr. Chase has been off a bit on his front left for a few days. So his amazing mom asked me tape his front legs last night.

The tape around his fetlock and canon bone is a support tape technique. This will help relieve any additional stress to the joint and tendons. The tape around his coronet band is for circulation and lymphatic drainage. This will encourage healing and allow any cellular waste products to be drained.

I taped both front legs to prevent any compensation injury.

02/02/2022

I had a very busy day yesterday. I went out to massage the amazing Sage (bay with the big blaze) and applied some “focus” tape. This application helps them focus more and be more aware of their bodies rather than being distracted by their surroundings.

Then I went out to Priority 1 Equestrian and taped a few of their horses. The first 3 pictures of are of Sarah and she’s currently in foal with her first baby!! Cassandra thought Sarah would benefit from a support taping. The application I did is specifically for pregnant mares, it helps support the belly and support her back while her body gets ready to have the baby.

I also taped Jazz the 4th photo. This application helps drain the sinuses and tear ducts, it’s get for horses with watery eyes or horses that is recovering from a cold.

01/27/2022

Missy is definitely enjoying her massage. She’s such a good girl to work on and is always very appreciative!

01/16/2022

Missy sure was enjoying her massage yesterday! She was tight in hips but we got them to release and as you can tell she was very appreciative!

Thank you Skye for having me out to work on her as always Missy was amazing to work with.

01/12/2022

Sebastian enjoying his massage today. He got cast in his paddock so his amazing mom asked me to come out and help him with some general muscle stiffness he’d been having. He was such a lovable guy and very appreciative of the massage!

12/09/2021

Willow enjoying her muscle relaxation tape on her neck!