Erin Dixon - Fully Insured Equine Sports Massage & Rehabilitation Therapy Student. Qualify Dec 2024
Today we met Joey.
Joey has been out of work for a while due to his owners maternity so it was nice to get a set of hands over him to see how he’s doing.
Joey has struggled with intermittent lameness and arthritis and has only recently been allowed back out in the field so it’s now time for some weight and muscle building before he goes back into longer periods of work.
He was a lovely boy and was very relaxed, lots of yawning which is a good sign of tension release.
From large to little. This afternoons stop off was for little Murphy.
Murphy is a retired Shetland who lives with Brandy who we saw earlier last week. We had a quick check over of his movement in a short dynamic assessment followed by a gentle initial palpation. Nothing jumped out at me so we decided to give him a nice little maintenance session.
After a gentle massage , we checked his neck and shoulders which were really clean and loose, followed by some teeny tiny little leg stretches.
Like butter wouldn’t melt… or would it 🤭
It was Alfie’s turn this morning.
Alfie is a lovely lad who has the same breeding as his mums other horse, Hollie.
He stood well for his massage (some small nibbles) and enjoyed a nice release of his tight hamstrings. Having had ulcers in the past, I made sure to be gentle over his pectorals and abdominals and he started to drift off.
Finished with some nice stretches which proved he is a great mover! Then he followed me back to my car with a big “thank you” kiss.
Ever been told you need to re-schedule or that you cannot create an appointment with your wet horse for massage?
Here’s why;
🐴 Horses muscles are sensitive when wet. Massaging a wet horse can cause strain on the muscles, which may already be tense or stiff due to the cold or moisture. This can lead to discomfort or even injury, undoing the benefits of massage.
🐴Effective massage requires firm, controlled pressure. When the coat is wet, it becomes too slippery.
🐴A wet coat can be more susceptible to friction which increases the risk to skin irritation. Massage movements on wet skin can cause chafing or small abrasions.
🐴Massaging a wet horse can trap moisture against the skin, slowing down the drying process. This prolonged dampness can create a breeding ground for skin conditions like rain scald or fungal infections.
If you have an appointment booked, or are looking to book one within a stint of wet weather, make sure that your horse is completely dry. Chuck a rug on a few hours before and keep an eye on the forecast. If needed, we can always change to a different date!
A thought for Thursday 💭
I often read and hear lots of explanations as to why people retire their horses at different ages. I’m here to share my thoughts…
You shouldn’t feel the need to explain yourself to anyone about the reasons you came to the difficult decision to retire your horse. Whether the veterinary care was becoming too expensive, your horses behavioural and psychological issues were too much for them to handle or you simply do not gain the same enjoyment from riding as you used to. There are many different acceptable reasons, do not think your horse is wasted.
I used to often find that I was explaining myself to people why I retired my mare at 14 but actually, they didn’t even ask!
A horse simply does not care if they stand in a field as a so called “field ornament” for the rest of their lives, eating grass and getting pampered … it’s what they were designed to do.
Stop feeling bad for not doing anything with your horse. There is no judgement here! And if you do find your passion for riding again or want to give it another shot, your horse will always be there waiting for you.
If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I have a soft spot for thoroughbreds.
This lovely boy , Manny, is currently on his “growth” holiday from race training. His owners are looking to pop him back into training after Christmas but thought they’d get him seen to make sure he is feeling good and that there are no points for concern.
He felt great under my hands, has a brilliant range of motion in his joints and carries a really lovely attitude.
I am in high hopes for his future and hopefully he can make his owners very happy in his career! Go get ‘em Manny 🏇🏻
A busy day filled with lovely new faces!
This morning I met another two beautiful horses. One in his mid twenties and the other still very much a baby.
Nothing in particular to note on either of them so we had a general feel around, getting them both feeling nice and loose and fresh.
Of course, leg stretches to finish the session off and they were both turned back out to have a nice happy afternoon in the field.
Hope was another who had her first massage today. A bit unsure to start off with so again, we took it nice and slow.
She did end up relaxing into the session as well as she could but this girl has some interesting findings. Rescued as a foal from the RSPCA, she sustained a break to her poll/cervical spine. Due to this she stands with a slight head tilt which subsequently adds more concussive pressure to the compensatory parts of her neck.
We worked hard to try to relieve these sore points and managed to see some relief. It’s a long process but she managed this session really well!
Finished with some leg stretches and she went back out to join her friends.
Cai had his first ever massage session today!
He can be a little nervous of new people and situations so we took it nice and slow to start with until he understood what was going on.
It didn’t take him long before he was standing patiently and responding well to his massage. He was also a pretty clean slate too which made our time so much simpler!
Finished the session showing his mum some nice baited stretches before he headed out with his brother to the field.
This afternoon I saw the beautiful black Beauty.
As textbook as textbook goes, under initial palpation, Beauty felt great.
We had a nice maintenance session, getting her muscles to be nice and supple before finishing with some wonderful leg stretches.
Then, her mum wanted to show me just how good her baited stretches are with an amazing dorsi-flexion.
The last horse for today was the sweet old Brandy.
At 32 years young… yes 32! Brandy’s mum wanted a little maintenance session to see how he is feeling.
This beautiful boy responded so well to the entire session and had very little areas needing attention.
A quick Look at his shoulder showed some nice looseness and he finished with some lovely leg stretches which proved he is still fighting fit!
His mum even suprised me with a lovely thank you gift! If you haven’t checked out Alf&Co jewellery you absolutely should!
Today I was presented with a strange case.
This beautiful pony was rescued after a bad start to life and subsequently has a chunk of her neck missing. Thought to be a fight with a stallion (although owners have other ideas) she has evidently lost muscle.
She therefore was quite tight in other areas of her body due to muscular compensation.
She thoroughly enjoyed her session today , snoozing, lots of yawning and licking and chewing which are good signs of tension release.
Finished off with some stretches which she had a slight struggle with over her hinds, and some carrot stretches… proving she is still very mobile despite half of her neck missing!
The beautiful and chillaxed Billie had her first work up today.
After her start with racing, she was re-introduced to the “regular” style of work where it is thought she sustained a few injuries to her pelvis and tendons before her forever person bought her.
With that, her wonderful owner has given her the time to properly develop and heal. Now she is ready to get back into some full fitness.
A quick initial palpation showed nothing troublesome, only a small amount of tension in her lumbar spinal area and some slight shoulder discomfort where she responded really well to her massage.
Finished with some limb stretches which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Today it was Keepers turn for a check up.
Keeper has recently started his backing process so we wanted to make sure that with the increase in workload, his body was maintaining its normal muscle tone.
He had very little tension so we did a nice maintenance session before finishing with some stretches. He wanted to show me how well his spine moves and also how he has been lifting his back naturally by diving for his hay!
Laid back, or nearly laid flat?!
Today I met this handsome boy who shares the same yard as big Wally we met on Saturday.
Noted as possibly cold backed with some soreness in his back, we had a careful examination. Upon inspection there was some tenderness between t10 and t16 so we did lots of techniques to release this.
Apparently, I was not needed for this as he had his own ideas for a stretch! About 10-15 times he dropped into a nice big back bend and cat stretch so he must have been feeling good!
Finished with some nice stretches of the legs and neck to really get his shoulder nice and loose.
Well it’s a good thing I had my step handy today!
Meet Walter, a 3 year old Shire. He stands at 17.3hh (although feels like 18.3).
Walter has never had any experience with a massage therapist before so it was a nice starting point for the not so little man. After a short dynamic assessment, we got straight to work.
Some ever so slight tension in the shoulders was able to be released with some general massage and myofascial release.
We finished with some baited stretches and a nice attempt at limb stretches. Because Walter is still a growing boy , he still hasn’t mastered his balance so we just looked at asking him to lift his feet nicely today. We will work on stretches in the coming months.
New faces this Friday 🐴
Today I met the beautiful boys ; Ace and Mirage.
Ace is only three years old but his owners have done a brilliant job rearing him into a very mature little man. He endured a dynamic assessment before standing for a nice massage. Luckily, he didn’t need much correcting as he is a pretty blank slate.
Mirage waited patiently for his turn and again, was in top form. He regularly shows and is a high qualifier. We had a nice maintenance work up where we found a slight adhesion in his pectoral muscles. He wasn’t fazed so some nice stretches finished his appointment off.
Mak is here to tell you that the quality of forage is really important in the maintenance of the overall condition of your horse.
Although there is lots of long grass, horses prefer fresh shoots as these are nutrient rich. Mature grass is often tougher and less palatable as the energy and nutrients are diverted from producing leaves into seeding.
Of course, we are nearing the end of a typical calendar summer, so it’s time we start to think about forage options for the autumn and winter. Keep an eye on the condition of your horse and if it starts to dip below average, think about supplementing to keep them on the right track. This may be in the form of small and frequent meals or the addition of ad-lib hay. If feeding a dinner, remember that their stomachs are only around the size of a rugby ball. A grazing tub is often a good option, so long as you know your horse is not going to scoff it down in 5 minutes 🤭.
Overall condition also affects things like tack fit. I have seen an increasing number of horses who are back sensitive and it has resulted from poor saddle fit.
Remember- just because you bought a fitting saddle, does not mean that it will always fit! Condition fluctuates for lots of different reasons throughout the year such as increase/decrease in forage, increase/decrease in workload as well as medical issues. Please keep an eye on your saddles and if you think that there may be a slight discomfort, get it checked. Horses are very good at masking pain and discomfort and you often do not notice it until physical signs such as atrophy or pain under manipulation start to show.
If you are not sure where to start, pop me a message and I can guide you in the right direction.
Happy Hump Day!
Today- I spent some time getting to know Blaze. Although I have ridden him prior to purchase, I have given him the last few days to settle into his field and get used to his surroundings. He is a very inquisitive and playful boy and likes to explore.
On day one, I gave him his dinner as he usually would, in his stable , then took him for a short walk around the yard.
On day two, I let him and Gorse meet without a barrier… they get on like a house on fire! He then had his dinner as usual and went for a walk past the other horses, where he would usually be ridden.
On day three (today), I decided to hop on. We went for a relatively short hack around the farmers fields, getting him used to leaving the yard without the others. Although I do not have a saddle yet, the total contact came in handy! He is in a new bit, a new bridle, a new “saddle”, in a new environment with a new rider and he took it all in his stride.
Hacking is a great option of stimulation for our horses. Not only does it offer something different, it keeps our horses engaged and interested in their work. It allows the horse to experience a variety of environments, aiding their confidence and adaptability. Lastly, it is a great way to improve your horses fitness level as it involves riding over varied terrain and inclines, which helps target different muscle groups… enhancing overall conditioning.
Last night , Sisco had his regular maintenance session as we want to make sure he is still in top shape for competing.
He felt really well under my hands and responded nicely to his session. We finished off with limb and carrot stretches and a couple of tail pulls.
🔥 BLAZING DREAMS 🔥
A.K.A Blaze has joined my herd as my new partner to excel and have fun with.
He finished his racing career in 2020 and has since been progressing with his flat work amongst rising racing stars, teaching them the ropes.
He has settled well into his temporary paddock where he can meet the girls from a safe distance, and has already made friends with Gorse.
All in time for my birthday next week too!
Thank you Callia Breaking & Pre-Training for trusting me with this wonderful lad!
Pablo and Sonney had their first assessments before the heat cooked us all this morning.
Pablo (the giant) is already soaring with the planes! He is only 5 so has a lot more growing to do … already standing at 17.2-17.3hh he is going to be a dinosaur.
He is competing tomorrow so I gave him a thorough work up to make sure he is feeling nice and loose!
Sonney has recently retired as a 22yo. He hasn’t been feeling too agile recently so we took it easy and finished off with some nice limb stretches. Hopefully he feels a bit better since releasing some built up tension.
Ahhh, first nice day of glorious sunshine in weeks was spent doing what I love . Treating horses!
Harry is competing in his 70cm class tomorrow morning so had a maintenance work up. It is safe to say that he is feeling a lot better since the last time I saw him. Previously Harry had some back issues relating to his saddle so his lovely owner made sure to get that changed! Since then she says he has been progressing nicely in his work and had a nice change in temperament.
Previously, Harry got quite reactive to his back being touched or manipulated… today he was snoozing. RESULT!
Finished off with some leg stretches to make sure he is feeling good for his ride. Good Luck Rebecca 🏇🏻
This beautiful girl gave me a lovely thank you after her session today.
It didn’t take too long as she was pretty much book perfect so we finished with some leg stretches and baited stretches (her favourite as they involved treats).
BAITED STRETCHES 🥕🍎
Also known as carrot stretches, baited stretches are a good exercise to introduce to your daily routine. Pre/Post ride or even whilst grooming. They only take a maximum of 5 minutes to perform and benefit your horse in the long run!
What does a baited stretch do?
- Increases range of motion in your horses dorsal joints
- Improves your horses flexibility and posture
- Improves co-ordination and motor control
- Increases blood flow to the surrounding muscles
- Increases flexion, extension and lateral bending of the axial skeleton (spine)
Gorse is demonstrating some of the ways that you can help to stretch your horse below;
Using your treat, guide their nose to the desired position but watch out for those teeth!
Hold for a maximum of 5 seconds before releasing them back to their natural stance.
Another glorious day treating a beautiful Shetland pony.
Ginger is 26 years old! At his ripe age he had a build up of tension around his shoulders which also carried through to his hamstrings. I just love seeing the difference even one session can make through encouraging blood flow to muscles, myofascial release and some gentle trigger point release.
His session finished with leg stretches and poll release (which he loved).
Holly had to say hi midway through 🤭
This morning, I had the pleasure of meeting Monty.
Monty has had a stint of lameness and vet appointments to clear all matter of possibilities.
He responded really well to my manual techniques to release tension in areas he has been compensating, even trying to lie down half way through! Just look at that mushy face…
Welcome to E Dixon Equine Performance!
I am passionate about enhancing the health, performance and wellbeing of equines through my expert sports massage and rehabilitation services. Whether your horse is an elite athlete or a beloved family member, my mission is to provide the highest level of care which is tailored to both their and your unique needs.
I will offer;
🐴Sports Massage Therapy
🐴Injury Rehabilitation
🐴Performance Enhancement and Analysis
🐴Preventative Care
🐴Personalised Treatment Plans
I believe in a holistic approach that not only addresses physical fitness but also supports overall wellness. I dedicate myself to helping your horse achieve peak performance and recover from injury with compassionate, professional care.
Stay connected with me for tips on performance, health and success stories, and more!
Thank you for joining my community. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Welcome to EDEP! 💫
Darlington
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when E Dixon Equine Performance posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to E Dixon Equine Performance:
You may be glad to see a bit of rain restoring the moisture in the ground, but don’t be fooled! Please continue to walk your usual canter/gallop routes on foot before opening your horse up. So many tendon injuries can be prevented by resisting the urge to gallop fresh stubble!
Dexter is a beautiful cob who had his first session with me yesterday. He was so relaxed throughout the entire thing which was so refreshing to see!
#equinemassage #relaxed
Tension can appear in an individual muscle group or an entire linear chain. This shows just how much of a knock on effect sore spots can have on the body. When inspecting the longissimus/latissimus and iliopsoas, you could see the fibres responding through to the gluteals and even the bicep femoris.
Blaze put his good boy pants on this morning for his mums birthday . Thank you Blaze 🔥 🎊
I just love that my client horses are comfortable enough to interrupt me in the middle of another horse’s session to relax. Holly was rather politely asking for her to be next on the list 🏇🏻
Pet Microchipping & Pregnancy Ultrasound Scan
Jesmond Road
