Emma Punt McTimoney

03/02/2025

23/01/2025

When you treat a horse and he jumps like this 🥰

20/12/2024

Our interim committee would like to welcome all those who are interested in planning for and responding to emergencies and disasters that affect people and animals to a meeting of a new support network, the International Community of Practice (Incidents Involving Animals). Formed at the 2024 BARTA C...

19/12/2024

“I don’t need a fancy, professionally fitted saddle, I only hack out and mostly in walk!”

I’m going to quote Dr Ian Bidstrup from a recent webinar he conducted on saddle fit from a specialist spinal vet’s perspective – and for those interested there will be a more in depth look at saddle design next year which will be fascinating.

THE SLOW DEATH

This is the terminology he uses to describe slow rides. Now slow walk is important, super important, when we’re building posture and balance for sure, I’m a big proponent. However, when we consider the pressure under saddles and its effect on the skin and blood flow then we have to think more traditionally and look at the role of the saddle in spreading that pressure.

If you sit on your horse in halt, it’s likely that the pressure under the saddle is already approaching levels that prevent blood flow. I’d have to go and look at a ton of research to try and get down to it but we know it’s not always that easy to get our hand under the front or anywhere else under the saddle, your weight and that of the saddle has to go somewhere!

What happens when we move at a pace that’s faster than walk?

Each part of the back under the saddle is at least partly unloaded at one stage of the stride pattern. In rising trot we shift our weight forward and back in the saddle, from our seatbones to the stirrup bars. In canter the whole saddle rocks a little, and the pressure under the saddle fluctuates and transfers from front to back and back again with each stride. Even sitting trot allows for some relief of pressure under the saddle in all areas within each stride.

Racehorses have pretty grim saddles with teeny areas underneath them, the reason that greater damage isn’t done is because whenever they walk any distance they’re generally going to the gallops where they will get immediate relief from the unrelenting pressure.

Walk does not offer any real alleviation of pressure. A lack of blood flow to the muscle will stop them functioning fully, and may be causing damage to the skin and to the fascia. Fascia are layers of connective tissue that wrap around muscles (you’ve seen it if you’ve prepared or eaten most meats) that are critical to the skeletal and biomechanical health of the horse and obviously the skin is pretty important too!

The long riding experts Be Professional. Look Cool. have also looked at this VERY closely in their work, the effect of saddle pressure on the horse’s back and, for riding long distances daily, back to back, for long periods of time where "mistakes" get hugely magnified. He recommends intervals for dismounting and loosening the girth, and for taking the saddle off. This should be done more than once every day, and that’s WITH doing faster work. Here’s a post of theirs on the subject https://www.facebook.com/beprofessionallookcool/posts/pfbid03369vorLPo4PeMYF49a7V6kp1HYm6qH7ixnywNMqApYvHrPzernmJBD13rCpQpuDyl

Remember, they’re not just poorly designed to carry us and a saddle, the way they function in the wild means that riding them will always compromise them immensely unless we’re super careful about how we load them with weight and how we prepare them to carry that weight.

Give your horse a break – if you’re not doing faster work then your need for a well fitting saddle is just as high, perhaps higher, as those working at supposedly higher levels. Take the fitting of your saddle deadly seriously.

13/12/2024

Always nice to get a mention 🥰

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.

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 “game changer” in understanding of the disease – 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...

04/12/2024

All tack and equipment we use with our horses is important…

**𝟱-𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀**

𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘀

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.

“Riders spend a reasonable amount of money on a saddle and then don’t always consider the girth shape or design,” says Russell MacKechnie-Guire. “You 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.”

𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀

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.

“We used an electronic pressure map placed underneath the girth, robustly measuring the pressure of the girth during locomotion,” says Russell. “The 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 doesn’t fit, or is a poor design in relation to the horse’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.”

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

“However, what we must be mindful of is designs that claim to alleviate force or pressure on the sternum when they haven’t looked elsewhere on the girth, for example behind the elbows,” says Russell. “If we cut away something, the force has to go somewhere else – you can’t get rid of the forces. That’s something horse owners should consider when interpreting such claims – specifically the social media “literature”, 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 “removed” 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 “total force” over a smaller area.”

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Every horse has a different conformation when it comes to the girth area, and assessing it isn’t always easy.

Russell suggests: “Stand 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 “V”) 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.

“You 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.”

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 horse’s saddle fitter to see what is most appropriate for that horse.

𝗘𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

“We 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 don’t need elastic, don’t use it,” explains Russell. “However, 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 – 2cm) strips of elastic on each side. We don’t know the reason for that – work is on-going – but if you need/prefer elastic, have short elastic of good quality strength.”

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.

𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀

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

“What we have to remember with a girth sleeve, is that, while they can add an element of comfort (or satisfy the rider’s fashion), they can also add a lot of extra bulk, so as the limb is coming backwards, you need to check that you aren’t creating pressure due to the increased bulk of the girth cover,” says Russell.

𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵

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

“Observe the horse’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,” Russell advises. “This behaviour is likely indicative of clinical issues that need to be investigated – these subtle indicators when girthing up could be an early indicator that needs looking into, and must not be over looked as “normal.”


𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵

𝗔𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱

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 doesn’t actually cause pressure on the pectoral muscles. That is why it’s important to have a girth fit discussion with your saddle fitter.

𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵

The position of the buckles and length of girth is another consideration – 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.

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀

Girths that have a pressure-reducing/distributing material lining are more advantageous than a girth that doesn’t because that can help distribute and dampen some of the forces. We can’t remove the force but we can distribute it more evenly across the girth and reducing the high areas of pressure.

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

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

𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

Check the condition of your girth. It’s not acceptable to be riding horses in a girth that has girth cracks on the inside – that is going to cause discomfort.

Have thoughts, questions or comments, share them in the comments and they will be discussed in next weeks 𝟱-𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗦 - 𝗩𝗟𝗢𝗚

🔭🔭𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿🔭🔭

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/centaur-online/

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗣𝗗: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/webinars-online-cpd-and-education-/

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: https://www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk/scientific-research-publications/

15/11/2024

🖐️ Horse vs. Human Hand – Can You Believe It? 🐴

Back by popular demand! Today, we’re sharing another fascinating diagram – this time comparing the horse’s front distal limb to the human hand - and yes, horses essentially walk on their middle finger! 🤯

📸: Photo credit unknown. DM us for credit or removal

14/11/2024

13/11/2024

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

💚CPD Certificates available for 3 hours💚 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

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 couldn’t have gone to a more deserving and hard working pair. I’m proud to have been part of the team🎉🥇⭐️

28/10/2024

Brings tears to my eyes - what a legend

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

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.