EQCENTRIC

06/21/2024

This is what 28 yrs can look like …

04/02/2024

Often during my sessions, I am asked about saddle fit, farrier, nutrition, exercises, tools vs hands on, etc. I can name some resources, but my best advice I can offer is to self educate to at least a basic level. This will better position you to take accountability for advocating for your horse. With some good basic knowledge or better, you will have the power to ask appropriate questions, consider the responses, gauge whether the professional in front of you is whom you best resonate with, etc. There are so many good resources available if you research thoroughly. There are also some great courses that won’t break the bank and may cost similar to a service offering, but then you have the information you can apply to the session with the professional and not complain that you were lead astray. There are also some more in-depth courses that may be more involved if your interest is peaked and you become a nerd on a particular subject 😜

03/06/2024

Murdoch Minute No. 61 Determining the Correct Seat Size

Do you feel jammed into your saddle? Or do you feel like you are swimming in it? Does your lower leg flip back over every jump? Have you ever wondered how to determine the correct saddle size for you? The answer to determining the correct seat size for the rider may surprise you.
Read the FULL article Here:
https://murdochmethod.com/murdoch-minute-no-61-determining-the-correct-seat-size/

02/24/2024

BE MINDFUL OF THE IMPACT OF TURNOUT SURFACES HORSES LIVE ON...

The surface the horse LIVES ON impacts biomechanics, hoof morphology and posture...

Most surfaces currently in user in the UK for living conditions is turf, or mud, or mud tracks, which for the past several months for the vast majority of horses has been deep and almost unrelenting...

In recent weeks, in nearly all horses turned out in mud, I have seen through my documentation and objective mark up, and hands on/off assessment of these horses, the following...

* an increase in postural tension
* an exacerbation of pre-existing compensation in the posture
* an exacerbation of pre-existing unhealthy hoof morphology
* an increase in behaviour associated with tension, pain or 'un-safe'

The reasons for this are:

1. the unstable footing is creating bracing in the body and a change in biomechanics, posture and development
2. horses with long toes, and therefore unhealthy base proportions (the MOST common hoof morphology in the UK and affecting BOTH shod and barefoot horses) tend to sink deeper into he ground with the heel, thus creating even more strain on the flexor tendons
3. The damp mud wears the hooves, with a bias to an increase in wear in the caudal hoof, especially if combined with barefoot walking over any abrasive surface at any time
4. All of the above perpetuates compensatory posture, and pathological hoof morphology, and leads to discomfort and maybe even trauma. When was the last time you walked for hours a day in deep mud in wellies? Imagine doing that day after day...

The solutions?

* make different choices regarding your hoof and horse care to prioritise the provision of optimum extrinsic environmental stimulus for the individual intrinsic conditions of the horse. I don't know of any horse which has optimal posture, development and hoof morphology which was forced to live in mud month after month.
Tip: learn more about this in Yogi Sharp, The Equine Documentalists' webinar here: https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/modern-sport-horse

* Trim, and if required, shoe to help create and/or maintain ideal phalangeal alignment and hoof morphology for the individual limb and horse, AND for the environment the horse is forced to live AND work in.
Tip: I provide online and in-person consults to help you with your horse: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/book-a-service

* educate yourself on what healthy posture, development and hoof morphology LOOK like, and why this is important for optimising ideal biomechanics, soundness ad longevity and use HoofmApp to help assess and track changes regularly
Tip: visit https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/pro-active-hoof-mapping-for-lameness-prevention-in-horses for self study online programme on hoof morphology and posture mapping and https://www.yasminstuartequinephysio.com/fundamentals-of-horse-posture for understanding posture

Wear and tear is increased when horses are forced to live in sub optimal conditions, with sub optimal posture, development and hoof morphology. Injuries, lameness and pathologies can for the most part be avoided, but rarely are. Why is this?

You can chose anything you like of course, but there are always going to be consequence's as a result of the choices made. In considering mud, no only is there an increased risk of harmful consequences for horses, but harmful consequences are inevitable for the wider environment too.

www.holisticequine.co.uk - promoting compassionate equestrianism with respect to compassion for our environment too 🙏💚🐴

02/23/2024

Highly recommend this course to help your horse be/become healthier and more balanced. You will learn the skills to maintain your horse at a very good level, keeping the professionals at bay until you really need their assistance. The money you save in the professionals’ costs, will more than pay for this course. When the time for a professional’s skills comes, you will be able to have a better understanding of what they have to say and be able to contribute to the plan of health. You can do this … many have!

Our Equi-Bow Foundations: Online is NOW OPEN! 🎉

For those of you who have purchased this course - the wait is over! Your content is now live in your student dashboard, ready for you to dive in! 💻

If you’ve been on the fence about enrolling, now is the time to do so! This course is for the horse owner that would like to learn more about anatomy, posture vs conformation, and how to facilitate change at home using the Equi-Bow Equine Bodywork Technique’s Foundation Body Balance Protocols.

This program is delivered online at your own pace, and includes:
🔹An interactive student manual
🔹13 in-depth online modules
🔹Demonstrations of our Foundation Body Balance Protocols - split into 17 videos for easy watching & referencing back
🔹Lifetime access to our Equi-Bow Horse Owner Student Community
And more!

This program is designed to give you the tools you need to support your horse at home in-between visits with professionals, and is a pre-requisite to our EB Foundations: In-Person Course.

What are you waiting for? Enrol now at the link in our bio 🔗

01/04/2024

An excerpt from a long, personal and raw post by Emma Loftus… someone I look up to. I chose this piece of the post bc I was trying to teach a friend about inviting movement by being and remaining connected … so important.. ( to see the full post … 📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4CLFiaAfUs1Ta9GG/?mibextid=WiMSqg )

“As Amy has beautifully put in this post, the delicate connection, the invitation via a lead rope to have a non-verbal and energetic conversation can be powerful.

Sometimes we may be too quick, too abrupt, we may walk off and forget the subtle moment when our horse needs to see something, hear something, not quite ready….. and that is OK – we can miss all of these little things, then maybe next time, we catch ourselves wanting to stride off leading our horses, so we stop, and we look with our horse, a moment of knowing.. there .. now we walk together .. except there are no words, just movement.

And there it is, that moment of no-mind, just feel, when walking with a horse.. the lead rope may be a silvery energetic thread and the feeling of togetherness, is…well there are no words really, it is powerful.

And that each time I approach the horse, and place a halter on, pick up a lead rope…..that it be done as if for the first time, beginning again, yet at the same time with more awareness than before….”

12/09/2023

Just in time for Xmas ... Contact Dr. Rafuse ....

08/31/2023

For anyone who has been asking…

Eastern friends! I am making a trip to the ottawa area Sept 8/9/10th! I have a few spots left if anyone is interested! I have tried to find everyone who has been asking in my messages, so my apologies if I missed anyone! Please PM me for more information. I also have one spot available Thursday the 7th in the Belleville area.

Inital assessments include pillar work (BTMM) and nerve release body work as needed.

08/13/2023

To all those clients whose horses have done this in one way or another while/after I have worked on them … 😜🤔

08/06/2023

05/26/2023

So very proud to be included in this group of amazing horsewomen of 2023 Graduates of "Saddle Assessment for Bodyworkers/Professionals" This creation of Holly Barnett enables us to look at the horse in a unique manner of posture, both static and dynamic, expression/behaviour and movement and the reason we may be noticing what your horse is revealing to us, as it relates to the fit of the saddle.

05/10/2023

So very cool! The brain fascinates me more and more ….

05/09/2023

Very interesting, as I am a believer in a lot of in hand work prior to mounted … a lot! Never considered adding weight gradually … I know there are some riders that move around this much in the saddle, but hopefully most don’t, so I would like to be able to stabilize that part in a different manner 🤗 a friend of mine says that she fills old pants with sand for this reason. Love creativity!

Last summer Spy Coast Farm’s sports medicine veterinarian, Dr. Julie Vargas, DVM, was brainstorming ways to help the horses with neurological deficits who come through their Lexington, Kentucky, rehabilitation facility when she came up with an idea: What if they had a dummy rider to help horses wh...

05/08/2023

Best way to help you help your horse ... yourself ;)

04/03/2023

Another awesome learning journey ... How can an ill fitting saddle negatively affect your horse's behaviour, posture, function, movement and overall health/longevity? We are learning how to recognize the signs and why ... and what a correct saddle characteristics should consist of. We can explain and demonstrate this to a horse owner so they too can understand. Thank-you to all involved ... especially August Equine

03/30/2023

"Excuse me, but can I be alone while I process after my bodywork session? I am not moving unless I absolutely have to" 🤣 -Bow

03/23/2023

A really great explanation to get an important point across !!! Makes sense!

03/21/2023

It’s baby time!!! My client has provided me the privilege of helping these babes adjust after the birthing process. Yes, it is such a miracle, but also is a traumatic event … in a beautiful kind of way. Even at just a few days of age, you can see how much integration can occur and so many great releases ♥️🤗🐴

03/02/2023

I really like this video as shared by a colleague of mine. The points of discussion are very relative to my experiences/thoughts/considerations, based on my limited knowledge of PEMF. I love that this is being addressed by an expert, as a few years ago, I attempted to compile something similar to help the average horse owner better understand the different modalities available and why they might opt for one over or prior to or after another. In most cases, it takes a team to work together. I wasn't successful at gathering all the required data, as not enough of the sources responded in order for me to compile a good amount of data ... so I am glad that Kelly Brubacher shared this and I saw it. It's slightly long, but listen to it in digestible bites.... Enjoy!
https://drassalequinebodywork.com/blog/pemf-christina-kupper-interview?fbclid=IwAR0lGiCYrvwSJVf-MCSdZNF3JKFtp0OJaSe3ak2v5zhNlQZVdB65p_2JPdQ #:~:text=With%20Magna%20Wave%2C%20it's%20actually,All%20three%20are%20beneficial

Brooke Drassal speaks with Christina Kupper of Equine Kneads about how and when to use magnetic therapy (PEMF) on horses. You'll learn what other therapies are complementary to PEMF and what to look for in a practitioner.

03/01/2023

Maybe a good series for those in or thinking about being in the business if working with animals. It’s free..

Abundant Animal Allies Summit

02/20/2023

By now, you have likely heard of Wendy Murdoch and her creation, SURE FOOT Equine Stability Pads. Many of my clients have experienced me incorporating them into a session or two. This is something that all horse owners can do on their own, quite successfully at that. I know there is a theme developing here of empowering the horse owner to take charge of the health of their horse. And while I am not exiting the business any time soon, why is this important to me?
There are a lot of equine body workers out there, BUT there are far more horses than the body workers can reach, than horse owners can afford to hire on a regular basis, etc.…. And with me already into my ‘eh hem’ … 6ties, I want to share knowledge and position horse owners by empowering them to maintain and manage most on their own … with guidance from the professionals. Professionals can help offer ways to think out of the box when incorporating the stability pads to best help their horse and leave the exercises with you to leverage in your maintenance/rehab routines. They can also help guide you on how to best overcome any issues that may arise with your individual horse or program, offer an educated eye and offer tips for improvement and innovation.
I am sharing this Sure Foot FB group and website, to empower those who are interested in helping themselves and their horses …

https://www.facebook.com/groups/338470610073519/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

https://www.facebook.com/SUREFOOTEquineStabilityPads?mibextid=LQQJ4d

02/13/2023

I have been following, practicing, vetting and learning from -Leilani Lazaris aka The Travelling Horse Witch for a while now. Those who know me, know that I like to investigate any modality/method before I would ever recommend it. The Balance Through Movement Method (BTMM) is a fabulous creation of Celeste’s. It’s a lovely marriage of bodywork and in hand work with a Leilani-Lazaris twist. Some may say they practice this type of work already, myself included, but after spending time with Celeste, I can say that she has a great knowledge of biomechanics, anatomy/physiology, functional movement, and experience, keen eye and feel …. along with some lovely nuances with main focus of releasing compressed/impinged/compromised nerves. This method boasts many success stories, but the best part that I love, is that BTMM is something that all horse owners can practice, quite successfully on their own.
Why is this important?
There are a lot of equine body workers out there, BUT there are far more horses than the body workers can reach, than horse owners can afford to hire on a regular basis, etc.…. And with me entering into my eh hem … smixties, I want to share and position horse owners by empowering them to maintain and manage most on their own … with guidance from the professionals.
I am sharing this BTMM Masterclass FB group and website, to empower those who are interested in helping themselves and their horses …

Balance Through Movement Method is centered around treating nerve and spinal compression and solving undiagnosed lameness. Specializing in equine performance development, equine rehabilitation, equine thoracic sling development, kissing spines, EPM.

02/03/2023

ECVM … have you heard this term? Raising awareness of this disheartening trend found in many of our horses that can cause such distress on both the horse and the owner. It is a physical complex malformation of the cervicothoracic junction, affecting the base of the neck and the thoracic/1st 2 ribs. If you want to learn about this, there are several papers and webinars available. I have been fortunate to have participated in a dissection on one of these poor horses with Sharon May-Davis, as hosted by -Soma Osteology and Anatomy Learning Center, Aiken,SC … witnessing this first hand. Also, attending a couple of webinars by the same as well as this one most recently. (below) … I am so disturbed that this is so prevalent in the equine population.

“Dr. Katharina Ros is a well known veterinarian who does a lot of research on ECVM affected horses. She works as a practical vet and focus on equine rideability, performance and occlusal rehabilitation. She teaches internationally about stomatognatic system, ECVM and craniomandibular dysfunction in horses to veterinarians and other animal therapists.

At this live online seminar she will give you insights on her up to date research of ECVM.”
You can still prefer and watch this by going to Elopage.com

01/18/2023

A study on Head Shaking in the horse ...
https://equimanagement.com/articles/research-medical/ct-scans-of-headshaking-horses/?fbclid=IwAR0ESfbkJqnvfmyM-gD5v0SVfZISaCHDXctV-KdZRDtnVU3zByceAZRsgjY

This retrospective study evaluated CT findings and targeted treatment of those pathological findings in 103 cases of headshaking horses.

01/04/2023

What can be achieved in a couple of weeks of a good balanced solution? .... a young ottb with new owner of a couple of weeks:

1st photo before any work
2nd photo 1 hr later
3rd photo 1 week later after 2nd session and owner doing their assigned homework

11/21/2022

It's that time of year again ... please be aware and take care...