Valkyr Equine Services

06/14/2024

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😳🤨🤔

Good point 😅
credits: Tumblr

06/13/2024

06/13/2024

This

There are so many pervasive beliefs in the equine industry
Stuff people made up years ago and enough people listened that it became gospel
Regardless of who you listen to or who you believe we are also capable of thinking for ourselves too !
Trust me when I tell you, most of the stuff you hear is NOT scientifically based and therefore still open for discussion!!
I encourage you to ask yourself
Does it make sense ?
Does it make sense that a HORSE’S limbs would grow at vastly different rates, so that the entire conformation is altered, when this doesn’t happen in any other species ?
Ya no
So what IS happening when the baby horse is so uneven
The rib cage is SUPPOSED to move between the scapulas. It is supposed to lift towards the sky as the baby horse pushes into the ground
But most baby horses are squished behind.
Their hips are not stable
They over load and collapse ( instead of push ) into their front end to stay upright
They squeeze their little rib cages between their front legs so their bodies don’t fall between their legs
It kinda sucks not having a collar bone
The squeeze hard enough they get stuck
They get butt high as the little rib cage stays in place by the squeeze
Eventually this starts to shift a bit as they get stronger and we wait and wait for the withers to ‘pop’
When we could stabilize the hind end just enough for the baby horse to relinquish the squeeze and up goes the rib cage

And we call that normal
Because it’s so common
But if you spend some time thinking about it, it doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t allow the horse to reach its full potential

03/26/2024

Love this!

THE proper way a horse collects and 'gets on the bit'.
No contraption, bit, or gimmick can teach this. It's about proper biomechanics and teaching the horse to balance themselves.

03/14/2024

It is a process, not a quick fix, not a 30 day agenda, not a forced training plan but a process of give and take and give way more!

Imagine if I used the same agenda on my kid that people use on their horses. The expectations, the forcing of her to be an experienced rider that can ride any horse! I mean she was 2 when she started!

There are a couple of videos in the comments of her at Christmas, riding by herself! She was never pushed and I always went with what she wanted to do. The confidence she now has is incredible.

03/13/2024

The process of helping your horse move better, feel more comfortable, and find peace in their bodies is a journey that requires collaboration and dedication from both you as the owner and me as the bodyworker. While I cannot "fix" your horse, I can provide guidance and support to help them on their path towards healing and optimal well-being.

My goal with each client is to empower you to see your horse in a different light, to observe their movement and physical development with a fresh perspective, and to recognize the positive changes that can occur through our work together. By understanding your horse's unique needs and responding to their individual challenges, we can work together to identify areas of improvement and implement strategies to enhance their overall quality of life.

It is important to acknowledge that the process of caring for your horse goes beyond our sessions together. As the primary advocate for your equine partner's health and wellness, you play a crucial role in their daily care and maintenance. While I may provide you with exercises and recommendations to support your horse's physical well-being, it is ultimately up to you to incorporate these practices into your routine and ensure consistency in your horse's care.

I understand that life can be unpredictable, and that there may be times when you are unable to fully commit to the recommended exercises or strategies. Please know that I will never judge you for any perceived shortcomings or lapses in your horse's care. Instead, I am here to support you, to offer guidance and encouragement, and to help you navigate the complexities of caring for your equine companion.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your horse's journey towards optimal health and healing. Each horse I work with teaches me something valuable, and I am continually inspired by the deep connections that can be forged between horses and their human companions. Together, let us continue to learn, grow, and strive towards creating a harmonious and fulfilling partnership between you and your beloved horse. Thank you for entrusting me with the care and well-being of your equine partner.

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

03/04/2024

Incredible transformation in the sweet guy! He's sensitive and nervous, but we took time to find yes answers for connection. Every minute worth it!!!

The top photo shows him bum high and a negative angled spine. The middle picture is post treatment #1 and he is engaging and using his sling better, his shoulder is smoother and he is way more relaxed. The bottom picture is post treatment #2 (4months apart). He and his partner understood the assignment!

He is extremely sensitive and not handled a lot. It takes time to connect and get yes answers from him. The time spent is so worth it as he goes from a 15ft bubble to following me around. It can also take quite a bit of time for him to even let me touch him and I am mostly only allowed to use hand. Even one hand on top of the other is hard for him and he braces. But the results from this approach and the techniques used speak for themselves!

Breath is the stabilizer, listening to the tiniest NO’s is essential for the trust to be built.

Lazaris Nerve Release for the win!!!

02/25/2024

This…………. Thank you Yasmin Stuart Equine Physio

You get what you are actually training, not what you THINK you are training.

If your horse practices more time moving in tension, you are training tension.

If your horse practices more time moving in relaxation, you are training relaxation.

If your horse spends more time feeling stressed in a training situation than they do feeling relaxed, you are teaching them that training is stressful.

Even if your intention is relaxation -

If they spend 40 minutes moving in tension, for you to achieve 2 minutes of relaxation at the end of that session...

You have been training your horse to move in tension.

If your horse spends 5 minutes moving in relaxation, to then fall out of that relaxation, for you spend 15 minutes in tension trying to get back to relaxation...

You have been training your horse to move in tension.

You have to set your horse up for success - both emotionally and physically.

And relaxation or compliance, which occurs after your horse has fatigued from spending sustained time in tension, will unlikely be teaching your horse anything meaningful.

Despite what your ego might want, you do not have to end a session on a good note.

Because after all, you get what you train ❤️

-

The Fundamentals of Horse Posture:

https://www.yasminstuartequinephysio.com/fundamentals-of-horse-posture

The Fundamentals of Exercise Programming:

https://www.yasminstuartequinephysio.com/fundamentals-of-exercise-programming

02/24/2024

The Horse I Have Today…..

I went out to ride yesterday! I brought all the gear out! Saddle, bridle, grooming, helmet, halter, lead rope, BEMER, sure foot pads, Equi-tape,all the gear!

I went to halter my first horse, it took him a minute and he let me halter him. We walked a bit and this guy is a walker. He gets nervous and walks I follow. However this day he stopped, planted his feet and firmly said NO! So I readjusted so that I could work towards a yes! Here is where I started…….

What did we do? A lot of breathing, a lot of asking and creating consent, eventually I was able to groom and tape a few spots!

I worked with the horse I had yesterday not the agenda I wanted.

Then comes the fun part after of analyzing the day. We have been able to to get much further than that in the past couple months (it has been 3 so far). But that is what he or I needed so that was the day!

Can’t wait for this guy to unwind, he is lovely and actually held his head still for me to tape his pole. WIN!!

02/21/2024

March 1-3 in Grandforks and Rock Creek!

There are a few remaining spots!

I have my husband on a healing trajectory and am able to travel again! Thank you all for your patience and I will see all the familiar faces and look forward to all the new ones!

Pm to book!
Some of the things I work on;

* Chronic Compensatory patterns and postures

* Thoracic sling collapse

* Nerve pain

* Roached back

* Bucking, rearing, head shaking

* Muscle development

* Finding connection to overcome trauma

I use various modalities including the Lazaris Nerve Release Technique and Trigger Point Myo-Fascial Release. BEMER, laser, taping, essential oils also available.

01/08/2024

What a fun weekend! Thanks everyone and will see you all soon!

PM to book

Now booking for February!!

Send a message to learn more

01/08/2024

Is posture a fundamental factor in the clinical relevance of kissing spine?

This image is powerful! We can clearly see the effects of spinal posture on the proximity of the spinal processes!

But what we might not be aware of is just how much horses live in a “hollow back” posture!

This spinal posture is created by biomechanics, the functional link between the entire topline from the position of the head and neck to the position of the pelvic region.

But also this posture is perpetuated by horses living in a constant sympathetic state and many other factors of domestication, feeding, confinement, hoof balance and human interference on major proprioception centres!

Join Dr Neidhart and myself as we delve into understanding kissing spines

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/kissing-spines

Thanks to Tuskey Dressage for the image 🙌

01/08/2024

The most important question I ask when I encounter a newly injured performance horse is:
Why did this happen?
Regardless of the story that is given, I’m looking for the back story, whats been going on the last few months. If I don’t know the horse, the first thing I’m trying to figure out is whether this is an acute injury OR an acute representation of a chronic problem. Most of the time with performance horses it’s the latter. They have been compensating until they have become injured.
Sometimes there is a back story of folks complicit on keeping a horse in the ring putting out little fires to keep the horse sound enough to keep going. Other times the lack of attention or knowledge allows compensation to be looked at as normal ‘that horse always struggles with his changes …’ Sometimes it’s sheer cruelty that has allowed a horse to compensate to its breaking point.
Most of the time hindsight will show you there was a previous struggle if you find your newly injured horse a ‘surprise’
Maybe he was recently diagnosed with ulcers and this was a sign that he was dealing with some new pain in his body
Maybe at the last show she refused when you put her in a bad spot which was way out of character
Maybe they flexed poorly behind at the last vet check and you elected to just inject the hocks when it was really the suspensory that was sore and now you masked the problem and it’s so much worse
Maybe you felt something was off but you were told it was fine
Maybe someone told you your horse looked weird so you rested a few days and then everything seemed okay but it never got checked

Staying on top of horses can be so hard.
Horses are meant to heal in motion which is why they are so good at compensating making it harder.

Remember just because you can, doesn’t mean you should !!!!
Normal horses stand square and have good topline musculature, they are calm and willing.

I ALWAYS look at rehab as a chance to treat the horse underneath the injury so they come back better and more resilient. If your horse is injured don’t forget about the the rest of their body!!!

Holistic means we look at the whole horse because that’s how you build resilience and prevent re injury.