Emma Punt McTimoney

Emma Punt McTimoney Horse and dog therapy in the Midlands. Treating animals with sore backs
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Always nice to get a mention ๐Ÿฅฐ
13/12/2024

Always nice to get a mention ๐Ÿฅฐ

It may sound simple but have you thought about the best way to transport your horse? Dr Emma Punt is a Veterinary Animal Chiropractor who has been in practice for over 20 years. She shared an important story with us and hopes that others can be inspired to take some simple steps in accident prevention, and if the worst does happen, learn to really listen to their horse.

Read more in Issue 32 and subscribe for more fantastic information and knowledge.

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/likely-cause-equine-grass-sickness-found-879516?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1VxmmaIz...
05/12/2024

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/likely-cause-equine-grass-sickness-found-879516?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1VxmmaIz8KeyjNfjz0NA2DW53UG4dToC3L8LjCfkS8xCB1-m0GJgLKcgY_aem_85hlFRkqUVVFy7pOYumIig

The identification of the probable course of equine grass sickness (EGS) is a โ€œgame changerโ€ in understanding of the disease โ€“ and an important step towards reducing deaths. Experts believe they have found the neurotoxin responsible for causing EGS, which has been elusive for over 100 years. R...

All tack and equipment we use with our horses is importantโ€ฆ
04/12/2024

All tack and equipment we use with our horses is importantโ€ฆ

**๐Ÿฑ-๐— ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€**

๐—š๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต๐˜€

The girth plays a vital role as part of the equipment used when riding, so when we are considering saddle fit, we need to consider girth fit too.

โ€œRiders spend a reasonable amount of money on a saddle and then donโ€™t always consider the girth shape or design,โ€ says Russell MacKechnie-Guire. โ€œYou can reduce the performance of the saddle and the horse by having a poorly-designed girth, so the fit and suitability should be considered similar to the saddle and the bridle.โ€

๐—š๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€

When we think about where the girth pressures are, previously, we believed it was mostly in the sternum region, but in a study in 2013, it showed that the areas of repeatable high pressure are in the region behind the elbows and not on the sternum.

โ€œWe used an electronic pressure map placed underneath the girth, robustly measuring the pressure of the girth during locomotion,โ€ says Russell. โ€œThe other intriguing thing is that these pressures are related to the movement and timing of the limb, so every time the hoof is loaded, we get pressure behind the elbow which we found in all gaits; walk, trot, canter and gallop, and when jumping. This means that pressure is repeatable every stride. So, if a girth doesnโ€™t fit, or is a poor design in relation to the horseโ€™s conformation, the horse is subject to those areas of high pressure every stride. We found that this can influence joint range of motion, and create asymmetry in the horse and what we know from other research is that horses will develop strategies to alleviate any discomfort caused.โ€

There are various designs of girth on the market which means horse owners have plenty of options.

โ€œHowever, what we must be mindful of is designs that claim to alleviate force or pressure on the sternum when they havenโ€™t looked elsewhere on the girth, for example behind the elbows,โ€ says Russell. โ€œIf we cut away something, the force has to go somewhere else โ€“ you canโ€™t get rid of the forces. Thatโ€™s something horse owners should consider when interpreting such claims โ€“ specifically the social media โ€œliteratureโ€, not the scientific literature - because there are a few companies that have cut away parts of the girth which at first glance appears to have โ€œremovedโ€ any pressure, which is great, but you still have the total force that has to be distributed somewhere. By removing parts, you are in effect distributing the same โ€œtotal forceโ€ over a smaller area.โ€

๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป

Every horse has a different conformation when it comes to the girth area, and assessing it isnโ€™t always easy.

Russell suggests: โ€œStand in front of the horse if safe to do so, with the horse standing square, and look at how the legs come out of the chest. Look at the distance between the two forelimbs, and if at the top it looks narrow (like a โ€œVโ€) this would indicate that the base of support is narrow, in which case the horse may need a girth that is of an appropriate design to suit that conformation.

โ€œYou then need to stand on the side of the horse (standing square) and visualise the girth groove. Influenced by anatomy (sternum length), some horses have a forward girth groove which creates quite an angle for the girth to be positioned, and some horses can have a rear girth groove.โ€

In these cases, girth fit and design in important, but it is essential that riders speak with their saddle fitter, as a girth alone is unlikely to prevent the saddle from travelling forwards or backwards.

Always have that discussion with your horseโ€™s saddle fitter to see what is most appropriate for that horse.

๐—˜๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐—ป-๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ

โ€œWe found no biomechanical differences when using elasticated girths, and found, in some situations, some riders could over-tighten the girth because of the quality of the elastic, so our general comment is that, if you donโ€™t need elastic, donโ€™t use it,โ€ explains Russell. โ€œHowever, there are a group of horses that do appear to prefer (defined as go better by their owners) in a girth that has short (1/2 โ€“ 2cm) strips of elastic on each side. We donโ€™t know the reason for that โ€“ work is on-going โ€“ but if you need/prefer elastic, have short elastic of good quality strength.โ€

If you have a saddle that slips to one side, you could try a non-elasticated girth to see if that adds stability, or if you have a girth with elastic on one side and the girth allows, change the side that the elastic is on, and see if the saddle still slips. In the majority of cases, saddle slip is induced by the horse, but a girth that has an elastic component may contribute, but it is unlikely to be the cause.

๐—š๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€

If using girth covers, Russell suggests using those made from natural fibres/materials where possible.

โ€œWhat we have to remember with a girth sleeve, is that, while they can add an element of comfort (or satisfy the riderโ€™s fashion), they can also add a lot of extra bulk, so as the limb is coming backwards, you need to check that you arenโ€™t creating pressure due to the increased bulk of the girth cover,โ€ says Russell.

๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต

A poorly-fitted or inappropriate girth can cause sores, discomfort, reduce the horseโ€™s performance, and compromise welfare.

โ€œObserve the horseโ€™s behaviour when tacking up, look for reactivity when girthing up such as nipping, ears back, tail swishing and pawing, and any sensitivity after exercise as well as sweat patches under the girth,โ€ Russell advises. โ€œThis behaviour is likely indicative of clinical issues that need to be investigated โ€“ these subtle indicators when girthing up could be an early indicator that needs looking into, and must not be over looked as โ€œnormal.โ€


๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต

๐—”๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ

The girth shape and design need to be appropriate for the horse, particularly cut away behind the elbows to allow freedom of movement. We also need to consider the conformation of the horse. Some horses are quite narrow in front and we have to be careful of the degree of the anatomical shaping of the girth that it doesnโ€™t actually cause pressure on the pectoral muscles. That is why itโ€™s important to have a girth fit discussion with your saddle fitter.

๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜๐—ต ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต

The position of the buckles and length of girth is another consideration โ€“ have the buckles up as high as possible. The buckles should be up as high as possible to remove them away from the high-pressure area behind the elbows.

๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€

Girths that have a pressure-reducing/distributing material lining are more advantageous than a girth that doesnโ€™t because that can help distribute and dampen some of the forces. We canโ€™t remove the force but we can distribute it more evenly across the girth and reducing the high areas of pressure.

๐—”๐˜๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€

Also be mindful that training aids or martingale straps wrapped around the girth will add pressure to the sternum area of the girth, so itโ€™s always better to attach them to a ring on the outside of the girth.

๐—š๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต

Check the condition of your girth. Itโ€™s not acceptable to be riding horses in a girth that has girth cracks on the inside โ€“ that is going to cause discomfort.

Have thoughts, questions or comments, share them in the comments and they will be discussed in next weeks ๐Ÿฑ-๐— ๐—œ๐—ก๐—จ๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ง๐—› ๐—–๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—”๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—•๐—œ๐—ข๐— ๐—˜๐—–๐—›๐—”๐—ก๐—œ๐—–๐—ฆ - ๐—ฉ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—š

๐Ÿ”ญ๐Ÿ”ญ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐Ÿ”ญ๐Ÿ”ญ

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€ ๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ญ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/centaur-online/

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต ๐—ค๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ข๐—ป๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—ฑ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—–๐—ฃ๐——: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/webinars-online-cpd-and-education-/

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/scientific-research-publications/

15/11/2024

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Horse vs. Human Hand โ€“ Can You Believe It? ๐Ÿด

Back by popular demand! Today, weโ€™re sharing another fascinating diagram โ€“ this time comparing the horseโ€™s front distal limb to the human hand - and yes, horses essentially walk on their middle finger! ๐Ÿคฏ

๐Ÿ“ธ: Photo credit unknown. DM us for credit or removal

14/11/2024
Do any of my clients have a horse thatโ€™s in ridden work that theyโ€™d like to use as a demo for this event this Saturday? ...
13/11/2024

Do any of my clients have a horse thatโ€™s in ridden work that theyโ€™d like to use as a demo for this event this Saturday? If so please get in touch with me direct.

๐Ÿ’šCPD Certificates available for 3 hours๐Ÿ’š Do you know how a comfortable horse should behave when ridden? Do you know how to differentiate between a training problem and an issue that could be caused by discomfort? Are you aware of the extent to which discomfort can influence quality of move.....

11/11/2024

The Cross Country at Paris 2024 was set in the grounds of the Palace of Versaille, a spectacular location and realising a satis...

04/11/2024

Awesome video of Sally Hibbert winning the championship! The focus and the beauty of watching a dog like the stunning Snook work- so lucky to be part of the team

A huge congratulations to my lovely client Sally Hibbert and her gorgeous Snook who are now the official National Champi...
29/10/2024

A huge congratulations to my lovely client Sally Hibbert and her gorgeous Snook who are now the official National Champions after winning the
GSDL All Breeds National Championship

This accolade couldnโ€™t have gone to a more deserving and hard working pair. Iโ€™m proud to have been part of the team๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿฅ‡โญ๏ธ

28/10/2024

Brings tears to my eyes - what a legend

Great to meet some of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain track vets today and talk to them about animal rescue as my r...
09/10/2024

Great to meet some of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain track vets today and talk to them about animal rescue as my role representing the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association.

An enjoyable time with a very welcoming group of dedicated vets and also some racing to watch too at the Nottingham Greyhound Stadium

I was flattered to be asked to write this article for Animal Therapy Magazine. Wonderful to see it in print and I hope t...
03/10/2024

I was flattered to be asked to write this article for Animal Therapy Magazine. Wonderful to see it in print and I hope that this encourages others to spend some time thinking about how to best travel their horses and maintain their trailers/lorries.

Great to have been asked to contribute to the lates Animal Therapy Magazine. Canโ€™t wait to see my article in print
10/09/2024

Great to have been asked to contribute to the lates Animal Therapy Magazine. Canโ€™t wait to see my article in print

Our latest issue, number 32, is now live on line. Hard copies will follow next week.

Huge thanks to our wonderful contributors, Equigate Humanimal Trust Aceso Animal Therapy - Chiropractic and Soft Tissue Therapies McTimoney Animal Association Trimbio Omega Laser Systems Dressage with Levi Hunt Big Dog Bed Company Photizo UK - LED Light Therapy Devices Emma Punt McTimoney Pioneer Veterinary Products Emily Ashdown RVN - Veterinary Rehab and Industry Coaching Tony Nevin Equine Physio UK IRVAP Nupsala Veterinary Services Pumpkin & Friends Charity 1199484 Leucillin

26/08/2024

The method of feeding hay to horses (floor, haynet, Haybar) affects the head and neck position on a daily basis. Study suggests an effect on the musculoskeletal system, with notable differences in areas of muscle tension. May imply a link between how horses are fed and their musculoskeletal health

19/08/2024

How about a 'Feel-Good-Friday' story? The power of the human-animal bond is so beautifully captured below. Assisting the North Valley Animal Disaster Group in Butte County during the , Napa CART and Sonoma CART teams were dispatched to locate four dogs who were reportedly running around a burned-out area. It had been several days since the fire, and our teams knew we had to find them and bring them to safety.

Dedicated Animal Search and Rescue Napa CART team member Annette Laverty (pictured below), was onsite along with Napa County Animal Services officer Patrick Sagar and others who found these sweet dogs. They were brought to the Del Oro Animal Shelter where they received exceptional care from staff and the CVET team.

Imagine if this was your dog out there after a fire - what a relief to know there are highly trained volunteers who can mobilize to safely find and reunite animals affected by these disasters and emergency situations!

Sonoma CART North Valley Animal Disaster Group Napa County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center California Veterinary Emergency Team - CVET

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