Balance Equine

15/08/2024

These are always incredible changes to witness after one treatment!

11/08/2024

𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝?

EDIT: Please see additional information from Dr. Haussler in the comment section, in answer to your questions.

Every now and then, a Member of this community will ask Dr. Haussler a question - we like to share his answers with all of you.

"The funicular portion of the nuchal ligament passes over the C2 spinous process and is normally anchored by loose connective tissue to the bone below. As the horse’s head flexes and extends, that portion of the ligament must lengthen and shorten. It will normally stay in place along the midline (no “flipping” back and forth), also because there is a slight concavity on the top of the C2 spinous process.

However, with repetitive use, that soft tissue connection can break down. With atlantooccipital flexion, the nuchal ligament is stretched. With added lateral bending, that portion of the ligament is less anchored down and can displace off the spinous process and “pop” to one side or the other.

As with any displaced ligament or tendon, less tension and increased stabilization is required to help keep the structure in place. Otherwise, it displaces more often, and due to repeated local trauma, a bursa forms and fills with fluid, resulting in bursitis."

Image credit: Ivana Ruddock-Lange | Equine Anatomy in Layers

09/08/2024

04/08/2024

Some insight into the work that I do when I’m on your horse’s heads 🤓

03/08/2024

📣 Attention all current clients 📣

Please check your inboxes for an important email regarding rate changes effective September 1st. Your continued trust and support mean the world to us as we strive to provide the best care for your horses.

Thank you for being a part of our journey!

29/07/2024

Did you know?

𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐲: 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰?

Steel shoes on hooves can cause nerve and soft tissue damage through increased vibration on impact. These vibrations can destroy living tissue, and increased speed raises the vibration even higher, potentially causing more damage.

This statement is grounded in biomechanical studies that suggest the detrimental effects of vibrations caused by steel shoes. However, the exact impact can vary based on factors like the type of shoe, the surface the horse is moving on, and the individual horse's hoof structure.

For more detailed, scientific information, refer to the following sources:

* Bowker, R. M. (2003). Contrasting structural morphologies of “good” and “bad” footed horses. In Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 49, pp. 186-209).
* Van Heel, M. C., Barneveld, A., van Weeren, P. R., & Back, W. (2004). Dynamic pressure distribution measurements on the distal forelimb in horses when walking on a hard surface. The Veterinary Journal, 167(1), 54-62.
* Benoit, P., Barrey, E., Regnault, J. C., & Brochet, J. L. (1993). Comparison of the damping effect of different shoeing by the measurement of hoof acceleration. Acta Anatomica, 146(2-3), 109-113.
* Moore LV, Zsoldos RR, Licka TF. Trot Accelerations of Equine Front and Hind Hooves Shod with Polyurethane Composite Shoes and Steel Shoes on Asphalt. Animals. 2019; 9(12):1119. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9121119

29/07/2024

⬇️ SUCH an important topic for horse owners and trainers ⬇️

09/07/2024

It's essential to understand that continuing to ride a horse experiencing back pain can significantly hinder the rehabilitation and recovery process. Addressing the pain first is vital.

1. **Increased Risk of Further Injury**:
Riding a horse in pain can exacerbate the existing injury and potentially lead to new issues. According to Haussler (1999), musculoskeletal pain in horses often results in compensatory movements that can strain other parts of the body, increasing the risk of further injury or accidents.

2. **Impaired Healing**:
Pain and inflammation can slow down the healing process. Persistent mechanical stress on an injured area due to riding can prevent tissues from recovering properly. Research by Dyson and Murray (2003) shows that inflammation associated with continued activity can delay the healing of soft tissues, prolonging recovery.

Riding through back pain is not the answer.

Often we see horses, from subtle to severe signs of back pain, being trained through the dysfunction. There's a strange notion that "more work" will somehow make it better. I'm here to tell you this is irrational and not supported in human therapeutic science. If something in your own body is injured, painful, and dysfunctional, adding load or mechanical force is never indicated—so why is this consistently done to horses?

Consider a bruise, for example, a very small-scale injury of the superficial soft tissues. While tiny in nature, nobody enjoys when someone else pushes on their bruise. Why not? Simply put, it hurts. Now, apply this small example to larger, more robust structures such as the spine, spinal cord, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and even organs. Soft tissue injuries share similar physiological characteristics to a bruise but on a much larger scale. In a bruise, there are broken blood vessels, leakage of interstitial fluids, and pain. In a larger scale soft tissue injury, all these occur and more.

So, why are people riding horses through back pain? Receiving a clear X-ray for Kissing Spine does not equate to “clear” for all pathology. It means the horse does not have one pathology. There are in fact close to one hundred possible spinal pathologies that exist for humans ranging from structural to neurological to congenital, which can be further subdivided into a hefty list of soft tissue disorders.

Yet all too often we see a horse obtaining clearance from one singular examination and it's put back into work without addressing the actual reason for the back pain.

No human is ever advised to load and compress an acute injury. Let that one sink in.

This is the backward thinking in the horse industry that I cannot wrap my head around.

If there is pain, there is a reason, likely damage to one of the many structures beneath the saddle.

Please never ride a horse that has back pain. Stop, consider the welfare of this animal and do better. Your horse is depending on you.

01/07/2024

Very excited to listen in on this topic with Veterinary Compendium, Dressage Naturally with Karen Rohlf-Training, Clinics, Educational Material, and EQ Therapeutics 🤩

23/05/2024

Dissections have quickly become my favourite form of learning!

Day 1 Completed and we already have much educational content to share. Primary takeaways, stress in the body is real. Just because you cannot see it from the outside or decide to ignore the behavioral signs, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Over the coming weeks we will share some of the ways excess cortisol can negatively affect the body of the horse, but for today, we are in need of some decompression as we prepare for Day 2

10/05/2024

⬇️ My #1 recommendation with all of my clients ⬇️

09/05/2024

I’m thrilled to unveil a brand new logo for Balance Equine, lovingly crafted by my dear friend, 🎨✨

I believe in the power of balance in all aspects of life – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. My balanced holistic and science-based approach reflects my commitment to supporting the well-being, happiness, and harmony of both horses and their humans.

This new logo, beautifully crafted to embody the essence of Balance Equine, serves as a reminder of the importance of harmony and balance in our relationships with horses and in our own lives.

Thank you, Sarah, for bringing my vision to life with such grace and beauty. I am beyond grateful for your talent and dedication!

Thank you to everyone for your continued support on this journey! I am excited to continue serving the equestrian community with passion, integrity, and a deep reverence for the balance that connects us all.

07/05/2024

Track systems all the way! We need to see more of these set up for our BC horses.

29/04/2024

Have a gelding? Be sure to check out the full blog post!

27/04/2024

⬇️ This needs to be talked about more! Give it a read. Go see the full blog post!! ⬇️

20/03/2024

❤️ There’s so much more to a healthy relationship with your horse than just riding. There’s a strong connection that cannot be built from the horses back.

You don't have to ride your horse. It's ok if you don't ride your horse. It is not a requirement of horse ownership that you RIDE your horse.

I often hear people talk -
"(name) NEVER rides his/her horse! I don't know why (name) bothers having a horse, why does (name) spend all that money on board, and farrier, and veterinarian, and vaccinations and NEVER ride their horse? What a waste of money!"

First of all, it's none of their business what (name) does with his/her horse and his/her money. None.

Secondly, so what? Who care's?? If the horse is happy and well taken care of, then it's all good. I promise you that the horse is not standing in it's stable saying to itself "Oh I wish (name) would come ride me!". or "Oh goody, here comes (name) to take me for a gallop". Horses don't function like that. Horses look for and require food, water, shelter and companionship. Being ridden is not on their list of daily requirements for survival.

To be honest, I have a lot of respect for people who don't ride their horses, but are still willing to spend the necessary money, time and effort it takes to be a conscientious horse owner.

Maybe (name) has good reason not to ride, perhaps they have physical limitations, or too many demands on their time, or perhaps they just don't want to ride. Perhaps they struggle with their confidence and prefer groundwork, perhaps they don't like to ride or work with their horse when no one else is around. Perhaps they really just like to own a horse and derive as much enjoyment just being a horse owner, providing a good life for a horse they love and want to support, for as long as they can.

Perhaps we should not judge what people do with their horses, (or don't do), as long as those horses are well taken care of.

So next time someone says to you that they own a horse, but they don't ride, don't give them that stare of disbelief, don't put them down or make snide remarks. Instead, praise them for being a dedicated horse owner, for being willing to do what is necessary for a horse to have a good life, for being a good person, regardless of what they do, or don't do, with their horse.

Horses need good people, not all good horse people ride.

05/02/2024

There’s nothing like a good barn dog 💕

For February, I have very limited availability left on week days for Burnaby clients only. Weekend spaces have all been claimed.

To get on the waitlist please send me a DM.

Thank you all for your continued support!

02/01/2024

An absolute game changer for your practice

18/12/2023

This program is a game changer for your bodywork practice 🙌🏼

08/12/2023

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Do you ever wonder why back pain persists when the original injury has long since healed?

One of the reasons may be due to spinal facilitation.

This is a highly prevalent presentation in both human and equine populations but very poorly understood by most.

Since I am currently writing a paper on this topic, I thought I might share an excerpt here to help educate on the “why” behind some of the chronic back pain experienced by horses and humans alike.

From my paper:

Spinal facilitation can be caused by sensitization of neural tissues. Sensitization occurs due to “altered inputs from a source of irritation or impingement on the spinal cord” (Korr, 1947, pg.191-198). This abnormal input can keep the interneurons in a state of excitement which allows normal threshold stimulus to produce excitatory output to all the organs and tissues innervated by this ‘excited’ area (Korr, 1947). This facilitated spinal segment may also continue to re-initiate pain signals to existing mechanical and physiological dysfunction while creating more global effects through the visceral innervation of the organs in the same segments (Patterson, 1976). Since the rule of the artery is absolute, it is understood that fluids both in and out of the systems are vital for optimal health but with disruption (i.e., facilitation) we may also see altered control of these vessels further which only further exacerbates the primary dysfunction (Taussig, 2016).

What this means is that following injury, a normal stimulus may produce larger, more painful effects through the tissues (which includes the associated organs), even if the original injury has long since healed.

The theories on spinal facilitation are not new. In fact, as you can see in some of the references above, these concepts have long been studied since the late forties continuing to be developed into the present century.

Hope you enjoy this share of research and find it to be as meaningful as I do. Working with an understanding and application of these pieces is why I love the study of osteopathy. With this way of being, we may gain a deep appreciation for the complete interconnectedness of the anatomy and physiology that lies within all of us.

References in comments.

08/11/2023

Limited spaces in December available for booking (I’m taking a whole week off 🤩) & January is already half booked! Please DM to make sure you’re in the schedule if you have not yet confirmed with me in person.

06/11/2023

⬇️ This is worth a listen ⬇️

‎Show The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton, Ep Whole Horse | De-bunking dominance theory + how research can inform best practices with our horses with Shelby Dennis of Milestone Equestrian - Oct 16, 2023

02/11/2023

Feeling lucky and blessed to get to do what I love every day. My days are long & I feel like I could sleep for a week straight, but I am so happy with where I am right now 💕

📸: .creative

11/10/2023

So incredibly thankful for this opportunity ❤️ I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do which is making a difference in horses lives (and getting to pet all the ponies).

𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒-𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.

How incredible to be able to guide someone who is fully invested in your process and train them in all the methodologies that make your business what it is. Having the ability to pour my hearts work into the development of another has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences I have ever had to date.

As Angie now transitions to the her 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 as the second therapist at EQ Therapeutics and educational assistant, I am overjoyed to see her spread her wings and fly. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞. She brings her own unique gifts of the horse to my clients and this has been exciting to watch unfold.

We do not simply want cardboard duplicates when it comes to therapeutic work, we want deeply invested (and well educated) individuals bringing their special talents to the table. Angie brings both the scientific methodologies that set our business apart and the heart that only comes from her own experience and inner development.

So, today I say a huge thank you to Angie Balance Equine for staying the course and putting in the work as well as a huge Happy Birthday ❤

10/10/2023

This year I am grateful for what I have and who I have in my life. The first 7 months of 2023 felt like I was being emotionally ripped apart every single day. I had loved ones pass on and major life changes both personally and professionally. When I was moving, I looked through my manifestation journal and discovered an entry from July 2018 where I wrote about having the best, regular clients, working on x number of horses in a month, making a difference in people’s and horse’s lives, and attending amazing educational courses. I am grateful that I can say each of those have come to fruition. I am grateful for the support and love that I receive from my family, friends, and clients. I am grateful for the health and vitality of my pony. I am grateful for lessons learned and I am grateful for those still to come. Thank you for your support in the work that I do & trusting me with your equine partners. I am grateful for you.

08/10/2023

Curious about the courses I’m taking? Here’s an excerpt from the hindlimb assessment course ⬇️⬇️⬇️

02/10/2023

October is fully booked! Please DM to book your November & December dates. Only 2 weekend spaces remain for November so if you want to snag them let me know!

As always, eternally grateful for your support 💛

22/09/2023

⬇️ YES!!! ⬇️

𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

Meaning that regular changes of posture achieved through daily intrinsic movement is the most effective way to maintain soft tissues free of pain and restriction and to keep muscles supple and strong.

The evidence is mounting in the human realm and has been for a very long time. This was one of the first things I learned almost 20yr ago when I started my BSc.Kin yet we still see horses living in strict confinement across the world.

These pictures taken from the various areas on my 2 acre track system, showing the range of available movement opportunities for one horse on any 𝐨𝐧𝐞 given day. If a horse is not provided the ability to use their bodies the way nature (and science) intended we will see breakdown of the systems in the form of joint pathology, systemic disorders, spinal dysfunction, not to mention a severe predisposition for acute onset illness (think colic).

Keeping horses on a track system, especially if you live in densely populated areas (such as myself) requires dedication and hard work but this is what horse centered care looks like. This is what species specific focus means.

Track systems are designed with the physiology of the horse in mind over human desire. If you have a horse, they need friends, freedom, and forage. Period. This is how they are genetically designed. Regardless of discipline or breed, your horse is still a horse which means they were born with a constitution that requires free ambulation, safety in groups, and access to resources. In most cases, this can be accomplished if time is taken to safely provide your horse the skills needed to integrate.

When people tell me, "my horse could never live like that, they would hurt themselves" it shows me a severe lack of education permeating the industry. After integrating 13 different horses into my herd, from 5yr to 30yr old, I can assure you most things are possible with professional support and evidence based understanding (not google!).

Any one posture held static for long periods is 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 and this is one of the many reasons I am a fierce track advocate.