Sue Falber Equine Touch Practitioner

17/02/2025

THE FEET AFFECT EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING AFFECTS THE FEET....... Just a reminder that if your horse is currently affected by laminitis or remedial farriery then it is an even bigger reason to have bodywork in order to assist with the extra transfer of weight / compensations that the body has to undertake.
It really does take a team to ensure that the horse or pony regardless of if they are a happy hacker, a top competition pony or a retired family pet is a comfortable in their movement as possible.

RHF's Hooves for Thought: Posture, Compensation, Body Soreness and Farrier Work

Remember when I said that just because a horse moves without a head bob, doesn't mean the horse is sound?

Posture is one of the ways horses express their discomfort. Can your horse comfortably stand square? Does it always point one foot or rest diagonals? Can it stand on one hind leg easily? Or does it take the leg and slam the foot down? Does it fight with you when you hold one up and then immediately unload the other when you give it back? Or maybe always points a hind leg toe out? These can all be examples of them trying to tell you something.

Photos below are pre and post shoeing at a first appointment. This horse would not/could not physically stand square when we started. Not all behaviors during shoeing are just a bad attitude on the horse's part. Some of the biggest contributors to this when new clients come to me?
-Long toes/run forward heels
-High/low or "mismatched" front feet
-Mediolateral imbalances
-Negative angles (especially and more commonly on the hind end)
-or, all of the above!

THE FEET AFFECT EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING AFFECTS THE FEET.

Imbalances and leverage affect foot falls (how the hoof engages the ground), affects locomotion, affects performance, creates soreness, creates compensation in the body. All this also affects the teeth, and depending on pain/stress levels, the gut. All this while the horse moves without the typical lameness headbob, while the horse appears "sound." Horses express these things in myriad ways- bad behavior during shoeing, refusals during competition, rearing, losing seconds on the clock, bowing out in turns... or as simple as the inability to stand square comfortably.

THE FEET AFFECT EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING AFFECTS THE FEET.

This also means that- depending on the situation and how long it's been going on- it is not abnormal for your horse to be body sore and need bodywork after the feet are done. Especially the conformationally challenged situations, i.e. high/low on front, negative angles on the hind end. Rome was not built in a day, the horse did not break overnight (in this scenario). Sadly, that means that the farrier can't typically snap their fingers and fix it immediately either. Sometimes, things get worse before they get better. It takes a TEAM.

Just some things to ponder on a rainy weekend. I now respectfully ask: Watch how your horse moves when turned out, how they stand by choice/free will. How comfortable do you think your horse is, considering the above information?

Per always, interaction here and sharing the post is welcome, being a jerk is not. Share your story or photo in the commenst, or ask me some questions! Definitely though, have a great weekend!

Your,

17/02/2025

Meaningful Monday ..... a wonderful picture from Equine Touch's Co-Founder showing just a small part of the fascial web with a peripheral nerve floating within it. To my geeky mind this is just beautiful 😍

Peripheral nerve (floating) connected to the fibres of the areolar tissue...

11/02/2025

As we are almost midway into February (not quite sure how that happened!) Please be advised that I already have limited availability going into March. I had hoped to take a bit of December or January or even Feb off 🤣😂🤣 but the horses and ponies have once again kept me sane this winter and with the ground conditions and weather there have been quite a few broken ponies or those that are 'not quite right'. Thankfully with the help of and they are now on top form.
Horses and ponies that have had time off over the winter are now coming back into work and their lovely owners are aware of the need to check that they are nicely balanced before bringing them back into work and getting back onto a six week maintenance schedule ahead of the Spring. So if you haven't booked in for March or April - NOW is the time to do so.
P.S - don't forget that I also do horse and rider packages to help get rid of those winter niggles a VHT session is highly recommended for you!

09/02/2025

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙀𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙄𝘽𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙍 𝙅𝙊𝙄𝙉𝙏 (TMJ)
One of the key areas that I address with every horse that I see with Equine Touch is the TMJ Atlas and the Hyoid. Simply by releasing tension in these areas I find that the hindquarters lumbar and sacrum of the horse tend to release due to the fascial connections. Everything is connected and no one part moves in isolation.
The TMJ is the equivalent of the human jaw joint and as my clients know is what I refer to as the ‘eating gear’ as it plays a large role in helping the horse when they are eating.
The movement of the jaw is quite large and intricate - in fact to give you an idea of just how much they should move next time your horse is eating watch how the temporal muscles (those on his forehead) move. They should show equal movement on both sides and should not be enlarged and be equally balanced.
Additionally the following points can affect the correct functioning of the TMJ:
🐴 Correct bridle & bit fit to allow for the movement of this joint and also relieve pressure. Flash / grackle nosebands prevent the movement of the TMJ by closing the mouth, leading to the accumulation of tension in this area.
🐴 Refraining from using ‘gadgets’ eg draw-reins / side reins etc which force the horse into the supposedly correct position. Trying to force the horse to use muscles that are not sufficiently developed will cause evasion and bracing as well as resulting in additional physical problems through compensation.
🐴 Regular dental checks and treatments - recommended every six to twelve months. Important regardless of if the horse is ridden or not and especially important in young horses (for retained caps / growth and development issues can be corrected early on) and veteran horses (fractured and loose teeth can cause eating and digestion problems)
🐴 Muzzling - especially as we approach Spring
🐴 Considerations for haynet use - research has been carried out that confirms that horses need to eat from varying positions (Sharon May Davis - Equine Anatomist) I tend to advise that if you have to use haynets then splitting the ration and having two haynets in the stable one on the left and one on the right in order that the horse can alternate between the two can make a huge difference to equal wear on the teeth.
🐴 Using regular targeted Equine bodywork techniques to release tension in the atlas, tmj and hyoid areas. We know this from the many horses that we have helped with Equine Touch!

08/02/2025

So what are you planning on doing with your 3 / 4 / 5 year old this year ? The dissections that I have seen and the scientific papers that I have read do not lie nor do the many ex-racehorse's that I see that have apparently had a very successful racing career but are sold off to teenagers for a few thousand pounds because they are now broken sadly beyond repair at 7 or 8. It is time for the 'horse loving' population to wake up and start to educate themselves.
It is good to see and hear like minded professionals such as farriers, saddle fitters and riding instructors/coaches refusing to work with people who are looking to want to do 'grown up horse stuff' with their youngsters who simply are not physically ready.
Now that we know better we must do better !

06/02/2025

Introducing Monty ! Our second 'Equine Touch Foundation Course Addict' 😍🦄😍 in collaboration with Tacky Central Livery. His owner kindly offered him up for an assessment to see if he would be suitable for students to learn all about Equine Touch and he passed or rather snoozed his way through the session with flying colours ! Monty is a 32 year old 14.2 Connie and whilst he has the usual age related issues you would expect from a 32 year old he has wintered out 24/7 and settled into his new home brilliantly and as I have said before all ponies need Equine Touch in their lives especially the veteran ones as it is what keeps them young and I have quite a few clients who would agree with this 100%.
Often it takes more than one session for the pony to work out what Equine Touch is all about and so it is only fair that the horses I am looking to use with students are in some respects attuned to the process as they can teach the student who is getting to know the choreographed moves and placement so much. However Monty is a pony that has been there, done it and worn the Tshirt, read the book and starred in the movie and seemed to really enjoy his session and found the post at just the right height to rest his head on to process.
As I have said previously my initial Horse Owner's Foundation course in March is now full. (The places went within a day of me posting 😊) However I am starting a waiting list for future courses in the Spring / Summer so feel free to give me shout with your email address and I can send you more info.

06/02/2025

Excellent start to a Thursday morning - Part 1 of my Emergency First Aid Refresher completed - and the Part 2 Practical to follow next week 👍

04/02/2025

Sooooooooo my Christmas pressie to myself has finally arrived and I am just a very very bit excited to have a closer explore ! The postman was quite bemused when I told him what was inside the package …

04/02/2025

'Listening is not about losing a battle, it’s about starting a conversation…' YES! YES! YES!
So often when I get to see a horse for the first time I hear of the issues under saddle - napping, refusing to go forward, bucking, rearing etc and then as I approach I get ears back and the comment 'oh they always do that !' THIS first approach is the chance you get to LISTEN and to try and understand what it is that they are trying to tell you - until you start to listen then you are not going to be able to build a strong relationship to your horse. Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship - If you haven't heard of this guy I highly recommend him - his Journey On podcasts are a wonderful delve into so many brilliant speakers and pass by many many travelling hours....

28/01/2025

Let horses move past their "story" - this eloquently states what I have tried to explain to a number of owners when I have worked with rescue horses or those that have experienced past trauma. They can be so in tune with our energy and intention that when we are doing everything calmly and far too quietly and 'pussyfooting' around them they find our 'craziness' odd and then when we have to act quickly this in itself alarms them as we have suddenly switched into high energy busyness mode.
Striking the balance is very much how I work with Equine Touch I get a feeling of how the horse wants me to work with them - sometimes they need space to process and adjust to their bodily changes and so working at liberty in a large space can let them overcome their issues knowing they are free to go and come back for more.
I have had a few owners say he was traumatised / abused in his /her past and doesn't trust strangers or like anyone touching him /her - they are often amazed at just how their horse can change given the chance and choice of a much different form of bodywork that listens to the horse and works with them.

Let horses move past their “story”

When you’re in the thick of it, the story is real. The behaviors can be explained by a past, near or far. Some of it may be valid, some may be our interpretation, some may be best guesses. Either way, here we are.

But horses have a strong desire to be balanced. If given half a chance, most of them, I’ve found, adapt. Some need a little more help, some have a missing ingredient that helps them complete the recipe of wellness. But usually, people are in the way.

I’ve been that person too. It’s easy. You tell the story over and over - “she was traumatized.” “You won’t be able to catch her, she hates men.” “She doesn’t trailer.” “She had an accident while tying so she doesn’t tie.” These things may have been true at one time, but without adapting our awareness to the current moment day by day, moment by moment, we so often keep the horses progress stifled.

I can’t tell you how many troubled horses I’ve had that I tip toed around, told the public to watch out, and one day discovered them calmly standing. Before my very eyes they had turned into another horse, and I was so busy talking about them I hadn’t noticed who they were now.

Photo by Caitlin Hatch

27/01/2025

Fascinating Fascia the largest organ in the body and the one in which Equine Touch focuses on ........

Proprioception: Research has determined that fascia tissues have 6x to 8x more proprioceptive sensory nerve endings than red muscle

- ( Robert Schleip 2017).

“This makes the fascia system arguably the body’s largest sensory organ.“

-

Photo Credit: Fascia Training Academy



https://advancedrolfing.com

25/01/2025

Exciting news …saw this the other day and it certainly cheered me up as December / January has not been an easy month for many but also of the 4 horses that I worked with today - all 4 of them had started to moult ….soon I will be wearing my clients and trying to extract horse hair from mouth with a tissue or the back of my hand ! Spring is on its way!
Sooooo if you are looking to start bringing your horse back into work in March - please contact me now as I will have limited spaces available once we get into March and I don’t want to have to disappoint anyone.

25/01/2025

Apologies to clients in the Great Missenden / Wendover / Amersham and Seer Green area BUT due once again to the HS2 travesty - I may have to reconsider next weekends bookings / timings 🙁

ADVANCE NOTICE: the London Road, Wendover, from Rocky Lane to Nash Lee Road roundabout, will be closed from 5.30am on 31 January until 5.30am on 01 February (24 hours) for the launch of the bridge deck over the A413.

Additionally, Dunsmore Road will also be closed; Wendover Bypass (connecting with Nash Lee Road) will have a southbound closure in place and Missenden bypass will have a northbound closure in place.

Please use an alternative route.

22/01/2025

'A well-fitting saddle isn't a luxury or something to be earned. It's an integral part of your horse's welfare'
IF you intend on riding your horse or pony regardless of if it is once a week in the winter hacking round the village OR competing to reach your goals of success it is absolutely vital that you have a well fitting saddle and it is checked regularly.
Whilst horses are not machines (really they are not !) we would always ensure that our cars are taxed, MOT'd and serviced, and have petrol, oil and windscreen wash.....Your horse needs regular saddle checks, dentistry, farriery and good nutrition as well as bodywork to keep them in top working order !

21/01/2025

Introducing Laddie ! Who is destined to be Mr Equine Touch Foundation Course Addict 😍🦄😍 Having had several sessions of Equine Touch over the last few months at Tacky Central Livery he is the perfect horse for learning all about Equine Touch as he is a big lad at 16.2 however despite his size Laddie is the perfect gentleman although he will ask (ever so nicely) if it is time for a carrot yet? 🦄🥕. He loves humans and is more than happy to stand and chat with you all day.
I am now in the process of 'recruiting' more horses to help students learn and will update as the weeks go on.
Whilst my course in March is now full. (The places went within a day of me posting 😊) I am starting a waiting list for future courses in the Spring / Summer so feel free to give me shout with your email address and I can send you more info.

19/01/2025

Excellent post! I work alongside some excellent saddle fitters who I have to say can and do work miracles with unbalanced horses, horses coming back from injury and some very odd shaped horses. However it takes time and patience and attention to detail. It isn't always the saddle fitters fault or for that matter the horses fault. How are you currently sat reading this post? Having just checked myself I am pressing into my left seatbone and sat at an angle to my desk 😳 and I wonder why the last time i rode I was collapsing into my right hip !!
Because Equine Touch is a whole horse modality we look to rebalance the horse's body but also VHT is the human version and so both horse and rider can be rebalanced at the same time. As a VHT Practitioner I often find the same pattern of tension in the rider that shows in the horse ....chicken and egg and yet once both bodies have been rebalanced the horse not only goes better but we also see the issues with saddle slip no longer occur. The same can also be said for stirrup leathers they should be of equal length.

It’s all about physics… Your saddle (or saddle fitter) is not a miracle worker. If your horse is a barrel, and there is a bit of wonkiness somewhere (you or the horse) and your saddle slips to the side… your saddle isn’t necessarily to blame. Instead, get it checked and if it’s ok, work on making the horse less of a barrel shape… and straightening them (and yourself!) up so there is less unevenness.

If your horse has big wide ribs and an itty bitty shoulder… or a girth groove that’s inches in front of the girth line… maybe your saddle slips forward. That’s physics. Your girth will always pull into the narrowest place. Sometimes changing your girth or the girthing on the saddle can help.

If your horse has massive shoulders, and hoiks them up into the air when they jump… those massive shoulders can push the saddle back. That’s physics. Again sometimes girths and girthing can help. But saddles can’t defy the laws of physics.

If you or your horse is uneven then yes we can pad/flock/shim saddles to help. But… working on evening them up is much more beneficial.

Sometimes, in an attempt to hold a saddle still, to fight against the laws of physics (and often to keep the rider happy), we can end up clamping a saddle too much. Personally I would rather see a saddle shunt forward/to the side/backwards a little bit if the alternative is to clamp it too much the other way.

What do you think?

11/01/2025

An excellent piece with a different perspective on rugs - especially when it comes to how they can affect your horse's physical body and the structures that you cannot see.
In addition and especially as the temperatures have plummeted this week - please STOP double rugging ....a 6ft 3 rug may be a lovely fit (or a bad fit on your horse if you haven't been paying attention to the signals when you put it on) adding an additional 6ft 3 rug on top of it that is not a specific insert will affect the fit and add to the physical compromise. Think about your wellies that may be a bit tight around your big toe and calf but are ok as long as you have a thinner pair of socks on ....now force your feet into those wellies with an additional pair of socks on and walk around in them for 6 hours .....this is what it will feel like on your horse's withers and around the shoulder sling - buy a single thicker rug if you need to and help prevent any issues down the line.

Oh the bloody rug debate I hear you cry, every bloody year! No, WAIT! This is a new one, this isn’t to rug or not to rug, as clearly all horses are individuals, you know your horse, ask them, look at them.. Boom, Done!Running a livery yard I get to see a lot of things but one of thing that really ...