Equine and Canine Bodywork Services

03/11/2024

Drop me a FB message or text to discuss your needs :)

07/09/2023

13/02/2023

And tips to prevent it

22/12/2022

Love this 💕

21/11/2022

When Horses come into our care we generally don't know anything about their history. A top tip we use to check on the amount of sand a horse may have in its stomach is the glove test.
We collect a f***l sample from the horse in question, usually a ball size is enough and we collect it in a glove. We add some water give it a little shake and hang it up to allow any sediment to settle.

If sand is present, it will sink into the fingers of the glove, which you will be able to feel.
Depending on how full the fingers of the gloves are you may want to consult with your vet over your findings.

Why not give it a try!

16/10/2022

😳😳

30/09/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZgtrqbMVI

Amazing info here, big advocate of Sue Dyson and her work :)

The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain is a film that dares to challenge the way we look at "badly behaving" horses, and promotes the notion that lamen...

27/09/2022

27/09/2022

Interesting info

🌟Tuesday Topic - Sugabeet🌟

I thought I’d take a moment to talk about this seriously under-rated and misunderstood feed. All to often people say to me they are nervous of feeding sugabeet, they think it’s the equivalent of rocket fuel for their horse and have been told to avoid it. So let’s look at some of the facts about sugabeet;

Sugabeet is a non-heating highly digestible source of energy and fibre.

Unmolassed sugabeet has a very low sugar content of 5-6% compared to molassed sugabeet which is approx 23%

The British Hores Feeds Speedibeet is unmolassed and is an approved feed suitable for Laminitics.

Sugabeet’s fibre content is highly digestible (much more so than hay) and is fermented in the hindgut therefore more sympathetic to the horses digestive system than starchy cereal grains. It also provides similar energy levels of approx 11MJ (megajoules) /kg than many cereal based mixes hence why sugabeet is often referred to as a ‘superfibre’.

It is high in calcium therefore useful for younger horses or to balance the calcium:phosphorus ratio

It acts as a excellent buffer for mixing powdered supplements

It is a useful way to increase water intake as once soaked sugabeet is approx 85% water.

It can be used as a partial hay replacer for poor doers or those with dental problems and similarly unmolassed sugabeet can be used for good doers as an excellent source of fibre whilst supplying minimal calories.

Some horses can find unmolassed unpalatable or take a bit of time to get used to it but generally over time they will get used to the texture.

If Must be fed as part of a fully balanced diet because it’s vitamin and mineral content is minimal however it has

Overall unmolassed sugabeet is a fabulous and versatile feed that we need to stop being scared to use, it has so many benefits.

20/09/2022

Rare opportunity. Livery available in small private yard between Witchford and Wilburton. DIY with hay shavings and utilities included in price. Help available with holidays days away etc. 20x40 school available. Pm me for more information 😀😀 and photos etc

01/09/2022

Relaxation + energy = the holy grail with horses.

At a clinic a few years ago in the UK I helped Sarah Watson with her chronically rushy mare. She rushes so much at the trot that Sarah doesn't usually canter her.

Sarah came to the clinic with perfect "bending for relaxation". The exercise involves bending so that the horse has a hard time holding their breath and holding onto tension, and find it easier to bend their ribs, step under behind and breath deeply, having a full emotional release. We took that exercise and used it to help solve the rushy trot, and then by day 2 we got a nice forward canter where the mare stretched over her topline and was cantering around with a nice rhythm.

They can only do this if they are loose in the back, and while there are many riding techniques to get a horse to do this, I don't know any of them. I don't ride a certain way to get a horse loose in the back, I do certain exercises with them to encourage it. But I'm not trying to get them loose in the back, I'm working on relaxation. Once you get that, everything else comes easily.

Take a look at this screenshot of Sarah cantering and look how far the horse's hind foot is reaching up underneath her, it's actually all the way up under the saddle horn. This is with a horse who is rarely cantered under saddle, so it's not from previous training.

“Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.”

~Friedrich Von Schiller.

Congrats Sarah on perfecting the small things, that makes all the difference come clinic time and makes my job easy.

I reposted this today and Sarah replied and said “Just the biggest turning point for us this clinic. And now, we go out on trail rides and gallop down tracks and then walk and trot with zero anxiety afterwards. The canter is no longer a gremlin for us.”

31/08/2022

The barefoot movement is growing amongst top professional riders worldwide, and finally a comprehensive Swedish research project is to determine exactly why there are so many benefits from ditching your horse’s iron shoes and going barefoot instead. By Helle Maigaard Erhardsen Since the Olympic Go...

08/08/2022

After two very dry winters have left reservoirs and rivers below normal levels, seven water companies in southern and eastern England will be imposing water restrictions this April.But how will this affect us as horse owners?

03/08/2022

So true 😀😀

😉😆🤣

02/08/2022

We have had the hot weather... ☀️
We now have the rain... 🌦

While this will go some way to begin to improve the hard conditions we have suffered from this summer. These episodes of rain will also be followed by a grass flush.

So please, please, please be extra careful with your horses and ponies over the next coming weeks. They will be at high risk of gaining weight and of laminitis.

Laminitis is a painful condition for horses, and can be prevented with management and restrictions to diet.

Early signs of laminitis include
🔸️ Heat in hooves
🔸️ Increased digital pulse
🔸️ Change in behavior
🔸️ Shortened stride of forelimbs and/or hindlimbs
🔸️ Reluctance to turn on a tight circle
🔸️ Struggling with uneven/stoney ground

If you suspect that your horse is suffering from laminitis, please bring them in off the grass immediately and contact your veterinary surgeon.

For more information please visit
https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/blog/laminitis-what-is-it-why-do-horses-get-it-and-how-is-it-treated?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=laminitis

Please also consider the body condition of your horses... Are they looking a little too well?

Obesity is increasingly prevalent withing the equine population, and as with humans it comes with a great number of associated health risks.

Alongside the associated increased risk of developing laminitis and other metabolic disorders, increased body weight increases the loading forces on joints and strain subjected to tendons and ligaments. Degeneration of these structures leads to reduced athleticsim and a higher risk of developing orthopaedic diseases at an earlier age.

Equine Anatomy in Layers wrote a great piece on this last year...
https://www.facebook.com/294886844488557/posts/813948895915680/

For more information about how to assess your horses body conditom
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/horse/how-to-body-score-your-horse

Please take the time to enjoy the rest of the summer months, and ensure that your horses and ponies enjoy it as much as you do 🐎

17/07/2022

Interesting post 😀

Even though we have air conditioning in the horse compartment and are able to take the temperature in the back down to 16° when needed, we have taken the decision to postpone our transport jobs for tomorrow. Even with air conditioning, if we were to breakdown, we would have a real problem on our hands! Be safe and be sensible, and thank you to our customers for being understanding :)

13/07/2022

It’s going to be more hot days so do have a read. Horses and very hot weather for transportation don’t mix well so stay safe 😀 ask if it is really necessary or could it wait until it cools a bit 😀

Heatstroke or heat exhaustion in horses occurs if a horse’s body temperature becomes too high and in extreme cases can be fatal. It is crucial that during hot weather that horses do not become dehydrated and owners do everything they can to avoid heatstroke occurring. Arguably transporting horses ...

26/06/2022

STATEMENT

The Coloured Horse And Pony Society UK’s Board of Directors have discussed PSSM1 at length, and have made the attached decisions which will be implemented with immediate effect.

We would like to thank you for your support in advance.

If you have any questions or queries please email Alison on [email protected]

Statement link

https://www.chapsuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CHAPSUKStatement_PSSM1-1.pdf

CHAPS UK Grading & Youngstock Evaluations