Total horse equilibrium

05/05/2022

I DON’T KNOW YOUR HORSE…
…But I do know horses. Here are a few things I’ve learned that should help most horses, most of the time, with whatever problem you may be having.

DO LESS:
Whatever it is, just do less. Expect less. React less. Use less strength. Less contact. Less pressure down the rein/rope. Less pressure from the leg. Less driving from the seat. Less noise…

GIVE MORE:
More patience. More time. More benefit of the doubt. More rest breaks. More reward. More still. More quiet. More variety. More length to the neck…

DITCH YOUR EGO & LET STUFF SLIDE:
Your horse isn’t trying to get one over on you, (or if he is, ask yourself why he feels the need to). What you think is naughty behaviour is usually just an attempt to communicate something: Discomfort, distrust, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, none of which require ‘telling off’…

COUNT TO TEN:
Be in control of your own emotions before you try and control your horse’s emotions. Once you let your emotions change, the whole dialogue upon which your training is based, changes…

IT TAKES TWO TO ARGUE:
So rather than asking for something that goes against your horse, start by asking for things you’re already pretty sure the horse is going to give, and go from there. (This one takes a little figuring out but is totally worth it!) N.B.: Common sense required!…

EVERYTHING IS MADE UP OF THE BASICS:
More advanced work is simply an arrangement of the basics taken care of simultaneously…

NEVER DISCOUNT PAIN:
You can never truly ‘rule out pain’ as a cause of unwanted behaviour. No matter how much money you spend, or how good your vet is…

REST DAYS ARE AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING DAYS: Overtraining can be just as damaging as under preparing. Horses only have so many jumps/steps in them - use them sparingly…

BREAK IT DOWN:
Most issues can be solved by taking a step back, breaking the issue down into smaller chunks, and taking care of those chunks one by one…

TAKE YOUR TIME:
You’ll get there much quicker if you do. Cutting a corner will only come back to bite you in the ass sooner or later…

ONE FINAL THING…
Horse training is subject to the same laws of physics as everything else. You can’t argue with either anatomy or physics, no matter how many medals you’ve won. Train with this in mind, because there isn’t a single instance where an unyielding or strong rein contact will benefit your training, or your horse…

21/04/2022

EXCITING NEWS! 7th of MAY is our next one stop clinic including Pol from The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic Equine Bodyworks By Mary Sargeant Jason richardson farrier, Louise from bit to perfection, Dan Astle-Carter equine dental technician and Isaac Ares Rio equine ethologist and biomechanics coach.

Perfect place for your horsey MOT. Or if you have any niggly issues we are your people 😊

£150 for an assessment with everyone excluding vet. £40 deposit for facilities.
The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic are offering their own amazing discounts so get in touch for details.
Venue - Mill Lane Stables, Selby

28/03/2022

Wow a whole year! Not long and we will be back with another clinic 🤩

30/01/2022

WANT TO HOST A CLINIC?? (Min 6 people)

It’s getting to that time again when we starting thinking about spring and competing our horses.
What we offer is a clinic where you can bring your horse and have your horse checked over by a farrier, equine dental technician, equine body worker, bit and bridle fitter and an equine biomechanics coach, all for only £150 plus facilities hire. We even have a vet involved offering X-rays and gait analysis at a seriously reduced price. Jason RichardsonMary SargeantDan Astle-CarterIsaac Ares RioThe Minster Equine Veterinary ClinicBelle Richardson

22/01/2022

We cannot sugarcoat pain.

Tension, spasm, restriction and other terms can all be used but what does that mean usually it means that at some point the horse has had to compromise the way it moves due to either past or ongoing pain.

What does that mean for us as a therapist to interpret and relay back to the owner well we have to be sympathetic to the owner but we have to be more sympathetic to the horse we have to tell the owner what the horse's body is saying.

How much pain is too much??? Yes, I hear this often usually as well it's only a little bit sore, or the horse was sore yesterday but ok today, but is it ok today what has the horse had to compromise to cover up the fact it wasn't ok yesterday, has the function of the body changed and now a series of changes are now occurring which in years to come will lead to a restriction or a tension pattern.

Behaviour changes, is your horse's behaviour ok one day then not the next could it be that the behaviour may be related to pain???

I got quite upset when once I was told I was a negative therapist and not wanted in the horse's life, I thought what had I did wrong, but I had done nothing wrong I just said what I saw, what else could I do the horse was in pain it was at a point that I just could not sugar coat the truth. Looking back, I probably wasn't the right therapist for the horse as the owner was maybe not ready to hear what the horse had to say, does that make someone a bad owner probably not, many people do not want to hear what a trained eye can see and the trained hand can feel.

We play down so many things involving horses and pain, oh it just slipped in the field, its only got thrush, its only its grass glands that are swollen, it's got the runs because of a change of grass, it's just a little bit stiff, its only lame every few weeks, it's just pulled a muscle etc etc etc

All these can have knock on effects to the rest of the body so let's give the adequate time for the horse to recover and remember pain is pain no more no less than any other mammal they just can't say ouch and I can only say what i see or feel.

21/01/2022

18/01/2022

18/01/2022

Interesting case this week. Horse had a 3 missing teeth from a young age and the opposing teeth hadn't been reduced for several years. This is the first time I had seen the horse the steps will be further reduced in 3-6 months intervals so the pulp of the teeth are not exposed. Video to follow.

23/11/2021

Quite often I hear horses who are not freely forward described as “lazy.” There are a few problems with this :

1- lazy is an anthropomorphic description. Horses don’t care about our ideas of work ethic, or even know what those are. Their priorities are eat, be secure in a herd, look out for danger, and eat. Their priorities are not inside leg to outside rein, they don’t care about doing straight flying changes, and they certainly don’t care that you have a show coming up. The only way they can become invested in your work is if it makes them feel good, as in brings them mental and physical well-being. Otherwise, you can threaten with your leg all you want and inspire fear response, but they aren’t lazy - they just don’t share your priorities.

2- most sluggish horses are extremely tight. Moving forward with a rider on their back is actually double or triple the amount of work that it should or could be. They are moving with a tight back, tight shoulders and weak abs and haunches. Likely the rider is tight as well, and quite likely the rider is not balanced as well as they could be and using reprimanding or nagging aids. This horse is working FAR harder then they need to be.

If a horse’s shoulders are supple, back is free to lift, core is engaged and working without interference, hind legs swinging at optimum range of motion, movement is easy and enjoyable. So your “lazy” horse is far out working a horse with looseness and alignment, because they have to work much harder just to go forward.

Imagine being pulled off your couch, given a 70 lb pack to carry that slips around and isn’t stable, and being asked to move forward through a series of obstacles without being fit or knowing how to position yourself. You aren’t going to be moving very fast either, and someone nagging you to speed up incessantly will probably make you quite resentful.

Something to think about next time you whip out the “L” word; which in my barn is a very very dirty word, along with stubborn ;)

25/10/2021

Another fantastic clinic.

We used the gait analysis and had interesting results. X-rays including teeth, hocks and feet.
Dan rebalanced nearly all of the horses who attended teeth. Jason shod a few, dressed a horses hooves for X-ray and discussed the X-rays with the vet and client to make a future shoeing plan.
Mary did a full bodywork with every horse and the clients learnt techniques they can do at home.
Everyone loved their lesson with Isaac and have had an introduction on how to train biomechanically correct.
Louise did full assessments with all the horses and is kindly going back out to a horse who was still too sedated to do a ridden assessment.
I will be adding our positive reviews shortly.

20/10/2021

Mill Lane Stables, Selby CLINIC 23rd OCT £150 plus deposit

What makes our clinic brilliant is TEAMWORK

We have to start looking at horses as an interconnected system each component having an impact on another.

To every action there is always an equal reaction. (Newton’s third law of motion)

The farrier affects the balance of the hooves and therefore the body that stands above it, without balanced feet and teeth the bodyworker/physio/chiropractor can not make lasting adjustments to the horses body. This theory can work in reverse if the horse is compromised in the body this can be shown through imbalance in the feet and teeth.
Add on top of this a rider and trainer with an already compromised horse and we will see a reaction presenting in either physically psychological tension/behaviour. (This can appear discreet or volatile)

What’s great about the clinic is we can assess hoof balance via X-rays if necessary, have sedation available for dental incisor rebalancing. Have a whole wealth of knowledge working together to improve your horse and make riding a partnership.
It’s all about knowing the normal for your horse and improving on this. Checking your horse and learning how to prevent negative tension and behaviours. NO HORSE SHOULD BE LABELLED NAUGHTY, DISOBEDIENT, LAZY, HAVING ME ON ETC horses just haven’t the brain development/capacity to make deceitful actions, they work on reactions.

18/10/2021

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK ON FOR TOMORROW !

Mill Lane Stables, Selby 23RD OCTOBER
£150 plus deposit spectators £15

HUGE DISCOUNTS with a saving of OVER £140 when compared with booking each professional individually.

The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic have their own unbelievable discounts

NO CALL OUT OR ASSESSMENT FEES!

£85 for hoof balance X-rays
£40 gait analysis machine

15/10/2021

It’s amazing what an animal can achieve when given a choice.

DO YOU WANT A PARTNERSHIP OR A DICTATORSHIP

I practice zoopharmacognosy this is allowing animals to self select herbs and essential oils to aid healing, by following Rory’s lead, in 3 months we killed off the sarcoid cells. He needed no time off ridden work and he loved his daily herbal selection, which did change during the process.
This self selection principle/ choice can be used with all aspects involving your horse. Equine Bodyworks By Mary Sargeant works by allowing the horse to release its own tension, following the horses cues to assist in realigning the body.
Isaac Ares Rio’s training methods concentrate on psychological calmness and positive submission. Correcting the horses posture/biomechanics by using techniques that help the body become less asymmetrical and able to carry a rider without causing detrimental damage to the horse.
Bit to perfection has a wealth of knowledge about mouth conformation and how to find the most suitable set up. She allows the horses time to accept the bits and doesn’t expect instant reactions. It’s allowing the horse to be comfortable with the change and adjusting as necessary.
Jason Richardson and Dan Astle-Carter both work by respecting the horse, knowing that drastic changes are not always in the best interest of the horse. Quick changes can cause strain on undeveloped/previously unused soft tissue structures. They are both experienced in knowing what is suitable for your horse and how to create balance.

By using professionals who work with the horse and see the whole horse we can improve equine health,wellness and longevity.

13/10/2021

DONT MISS OUT, ONLY 6 PLACES LEFT!

Mill Lane Stables, Selby 23RD OCTOBER
£150 plus deposit spectators £15

HUGE DISCOUNTS with a saving of OVER £140 when compared with booking each professional individually.

The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic have their own unbelievable discounts

NO CALL OUT OR ASSESSMENT FEES!

£85 for hoof balance X-rays
£40 gait analysis machine

11/10/2021

From the horse’s mouth... actually the horse’s tongue

After my recent post regarding fitting a bit to the individual horses mouth, it has become clear that horse riders don’t understand the horse’s tongue. At all. The horse’s tongue is the key to everything. It can tell you what a horse is feeling and thinking, it can tell you how true a horse’s carriage is or can reveal tension that is limiting their performance.

The horse’s tongue is a huge bunch of muscle, like way bigger than you think. The last tooth is about level with the horse’s eye, and the tongue goes even further back than that. Just behind the bit, the tongue doubles in height to completely fill the mouth. The tongue connects, via a long line of interconnected muscles, all the way back to the hind legs. What happens with the horse’s tongue DIRECTLY affects the horse’s ability to use his hind legs.

Yet many many riders consider the tongue a nuisance and tie it away. Using drop nosebands, flashes, grackles, micklems, “anatomical” nosebands, cranks etc. Some use spoon bits (remember the tongue doubles in height behind the bit), while others actually tie the tongue down! You are missing a vital source of information that the horse is eager to give!

Why does a horse stick it’s tongue out? It is NOT bad manners and it is not a bit evasion, it’s a cry for help. When the tongue is in the mouth, it is short and fat. Any sharp points on the teeth can cause pain, and pressure from the bit is amplified. The horse’s immediate reaction is to stick their tongue out. This makes the tongue long and thin, reducing the pressure from the bit and any sharp teeth. If this is prevented using nosebands, even loose ones (if it’s below the level of the bit, it’s a problem, loose or not, consider leverage distance to the temparomandibular joint) then the horse will resort to pulling their tongue back by tensing it or even putting the tongue over the bit. A drop noseband will not stop this happening, you just can’t see it happening anymore.

When the tongue is pulled back, it causes tension all the way down the neck, along the back and into the hind legs. If the tongue is over the bit, the bit lies directly on the bars. The bars are knife-edge-sharp bone with a very thin layer of gum over the top. When the bit directly contacts the bars it is extremely painful and horses will react very strongly, sometimes rearing or ditching the rider. This is not naughty behaviour, it is pain. The horse is creating pain trying to avoid pain, they can’t win and they can’t vocalise this. No matter how hard they try.

Tension in the tongue isn’t only caused by poorly managed teeth and poorly fitted bits however. The outline a horse is worked in also affects the tongue’s tension. Tuck your chin up and in, feel how large your tongue feels. Hold it there for a while and the back of your tongue will begin to ache. Now open your mouth and stick your tongue out. Sure it’s not comfortable, but it’s a relief from that tension. This happens in the horse too, but on a much larger scale. Anything that makes the horse carry itself like this (over bent, nose behind the vertical) will cause tongue issues. Whether that be poor riding, back pain or subtle hind limb lameness. This reaction is not limited to a bit, an overbent horse in a bitless bridle will still have a restricted tongue as soon as the head moves behind the vertical. Looking at it the other way around, most have heard of bridle lameness, this is when the tension in the tongue actually causes a visible lameness.

There is a reason why having the tongue out is seen as a bad thing in dressage, and it’s not because it’s bad manners. It’s because it highlights tension or poor training. The lazy solution seems to be, tie the mouth shut. Personally I believe all nosebands below the bit should be banned for dressage and 2 fingers should comfortably be placed under the bridge of the nose of a cavesson. That would sort the wheat from the chaff.

To summarise, make sure your horse’s teeth have been checked by a qualified EDT or dental trained vet, make sure your bit fits the anatomy of your individual horse, ride with a loose noseband that does not sit below the bit, make sure your horse is working correctly over their top line, truly engaged and swinging over their backs. Then your horse will not feel the need to stick their tongues out.

As a side note, the tongue is a symptom and not a problem in itself. Do not allow anyone to mess with your horse’s tongue. The trend of releasing the Hyoid apparatus using the tongue is not only dangerous but a load of BS. Do not fall for it.

Always remember, dentistry is basic care NOT a luxury.

05/10/2021

PROBLEM HORSES?? PERFORMANCE ISSUES?? REHABILITATION??

23rd October join us indoors at Mill Lane Stables, Selby 5 highly skilled professionals all under one roof helping you to improve your horse. £150
Plus Pol from The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic offering their own discounts on X-rays, their gait analysis machine and sedation.
Huge savings by booking onto the clinic including no assessment fees or call outs and the chance to use professionals who are otherwise fully booked.

27/09/2021

Mary is now offering courses. These will be amazing!

24/09/2021

Squaring up the horse 🤔

Squaring up the horse is a concept and an exercise we all do with our horses.
The reality is most horses have a hard time putting all four feet perpendicular to the ground under themselves.

This is not because they are stubborn or ill behaved it has to do with body tensegrity !

The elements of tension and compression that work through the body mean that often horses struggle to be square. Many horse that can be square can only maintain the stance for a short period of time with some discomfort and tension in their body.

Being square should be a comfortable and neutral position for the body, but very few bodies horse, humans or other have the kind of tensegral balance to stand perfectly square with out any effort comfortably.

Here is a little self experiment you can do - Most of use lose the perspective of what we think is square. If you stand with out looking in the mirror and be neutral and square and then look in the mirror you will most likely see that you are not balanced.
The body has trained the brain and the brain has a new perspective.

In my experience most of the horse I start to work with have an exceedingly hard time getting square. Once a horse is able to be really square and comfortably maintain it, the body has achieved a good tensegrity and the brain has integrated it.

Often people ask about the images I post wether the horse are square and my answer is yes, as best as they can be.

While the ability to stand with all four feet under their body and loading comfortably is no small achievement, it can also mask many of the deeper issues the horse may have if the stance is forced by a human.

Many of use relay on the squareness to fully assess a horse, I personally find that the way a horse stands and moves when not controlled by a human can be far more valuable in the diagnostic process.
Body tensegrity is an easy way to see body wide connected issues to see the correlation between structures. When we square the hose many of these connections can be masked or hidden.

In short using the squaring process as a diagnostic tool to see were the elements of compression and tension are unbalanced not as an end goal of achievement can be far more valuable.

24/09/2021

NEW CLINIC RELEASE DATE - 23rd OCTOBER very exclusive only 7 places.
Hosting at Mill Lane Stables, Selby

£150 plus £30 deposit

Ideal for rehab, problem horses and performance issues.

What to expect. The order varies

- in hand waking and trotting so we can see how your horse moves free.

- equine biomechanics lesson with Isaac Ares Rio

- hoof balance check and discussion with Jason Richardson

- dental balance check and discussion with Dan Astle-Carter

- Bodywork assessment and hands on techniques with Equine Bodyworks By Mary Sargeant

- bridle and bit check with to perfection

Plus at an extra cost The Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic offering discounts on hoof balance X-ray and gait analysis as well as dental sedation.

19/08/2021

Lordington Park Agronomy specialises in Albrecht soil analysis. We find out what's happening and increase fertility in an evolutionary & sustainable way.

14/08/2021

A small snippet of Equine Bodyworks By Mary Sargeant demo for last Saturday.

10/08/2021

Jonathan Holmes did a fascinating talk at our demo day. Check out this video.

08/08/2021

What an incredible first demo day. Such great horses. Some amazing feedback with everyone loving it and getting involved. We made it very hands on so spectators got to feel as well as see. Look out for more content and reviews from the day

26/07/2021

☀️DEMO DAY☀️ 7th August at Mill lane stables Selby. £15 entry to watch 7 demos spanning a range of equine professionals.

❤️SEE THE LINE UP❤️

🌟 The opportunity to see a work from the ground (without gadgets) to help the horse find the necessary balance through gymnastics and understanding tactics, to develop its muscles, flexibility, and positive submission, training it to develop in: dressage, jumping and eventing

🌟Louise will be available to give advice and discuss how different mouthpieces work alongside other bit rings/cheeks. We will be looking at how the horses individual characteristics of the head and mouth impact our choice of both bridle design, or shape and diameter of the correct mouthpiece.
We will also be using a skull to look at areas of potential damage or wear often experienced. Plus giving us the opportunity to see how the bit functions in the horses mouth.
There will be a wide selection of different brands and designs of bits on hand to look at and ask any questions about

🌟Jonathan’s demo will be based around soil & grass function and the impact that has on our horses and therefore our ability to interact with them.

🌟Jason will be discussing good/bad shoeing and what to look for, as well as shoes and their applications.

🌟Equipilates is different to normal Pilates as it is particularly tailored to the riders needs.
It promtes optimal function in muscles the rider needs for support and releases the muscle groups that overwork.
The system helps to mitigate injury.
In the demonstration I will look at horse and rider and observe their patterns and where they may be holding tension they may be rotated left or right and how often do you see one stirrup longer than the other or not able to feel the seat bones equally.

🌟 In the demo Mary Sargeant will partially work on a horse showing a different approach to body work where you, as the owner and the horse are a major part of ensuring function and performance , showing you tips, and advice

🌟Dan will have a selection of tools, skulls and teeth samples as well as a display board of case studies to show people. He will also be available to answer any questions people may have about horses teeth and Equine Dentistry in general.

12/07/2021

Mary Sargeant showed me a couple of great techniques on how to reduce his tension. From doing a couple of simple exercises it’s amazing seeing how much more freedom he has in his movement. This horse is a working progress , he still starts out like the before photo when first bridled but within 2 minutes I have achieved the bottom photo 🙌

09/07/2021

This picture is so true but we also need to add in an equine dental technician into the equation. This is what our clinic is all about having everyone there under one roof, with one common goal to help horses and horse owners. By empowering horse owners we can bring positive change into the competition world. Increase longevity of the horses ridden career and give the horse back its voice.

07/07/2021

Always nice when one of our professionals receives such a lovely review. Keep a look out for the release of our next clinic date

"Big thank you to Jason Richardson…….who never fails to do the best for all our horses.
We have such a range on our stud and livery yard from the 11.2hh Welsh a pony to the biggest Shires at 17.3/18hh. From foals to the retired. Jason is calm, reliable and takes pride in what he does.
Jason will always come out when the serial shoe puller aka Dolly has decided she likes the 3 shoe look. It's true what they say no foot no horse but I know all mine and my clients' horses have the best.

Thank you Jason for all you do 👌👏👏"

27/06/2021

Proud to say our teams farrier is a Master farrier. At our clinic we only offer the best professionals and those that continue to progress within their fields. Jason Richardson

'MASTER FARRIER' is a registered, trade marked designation that is owned by the Worshipful Company of Farriers for use in Great Britain. The Company registered for exclusive usage of the title 'Master Farrier' and put in place a procedure which allows all those Farriers currently holding the higher qualifications - AWCF (or AFCL) and FWCF - to apply to use the mark.

The Worshipful Company of Farriers is committed both to raising the standards of farriery and the kudos of farriers within the equestrian world. The WCF want to encourage farriers to achieve qualifications and to become highly skilled in their chosen career. The WCF has had a long history of supporting CPD and further learning, from an apprentice's first day in training right through to a Fellowship awardee's presentation ceremony. Today, the Company offers recognised awards, qualifications and a registered mark that lay a solid foundation for the development of essential farriery skills and open up a defined tradesmanship pathway. Each designation stands by itself as a recognised standard of achievement.
​​​​​​​
The Worshipful Company of Farriers promotes the status of 'Master Farrier', so that those farriers who have passed the higher examinations within farriery can have another opportunity to display their excellence of the craft, and in turn have an increased standing in a competitive business environment.

The official list of Master Farriers is available here:

https://www.wcf.org.uk/files/pdfs/masterfarrierlist_aug20.pdf

Requirements
Only qualified persons may apply to be 'Master Farrier', as detailed in the regulations for the Registered Mark.
Applicants must hold either the Associateship (including the AFCL) or Fellowship. Honorary Fellows may not apply, unless holding an AWCF or FWCF by examination.

For more information about Master Farrier and how to apply, please visit the link below:

https://www.wcf.org.uk/master-farrier

27/06/2021

16/06/2021

Mary Sargeant explaining perfectly why working as a team is so important. By attending one of our clinic means we can help address any postural issues and the advantage of having everyone there means we can discuss your horse together.

Posture----Conformation
Posture----Training
Posture---Bodywork
Posture---Pain
Posture---Enviroment
Posture---Feet
Posture---Teeth
Posture---Rider
Posture---Natural Assymtry
Posture---Tack
Posture---Owner

We all know that correct posture is essential for things to be easier for the horse in day to day life, but you can see from the small list above that it is essential that everything and everyone is on board to help the horse.

And what may be correct for one horse may not be right for another, as anatomy and injury can influence the list above.

But each section in the list needs to be addressed as a whole or else like a domino effect one aspect will influence another

As a therapist I will ask about each of the above list as for me I need to know at what stage I am entering the horses phase of training, and then throughout we can keep assessing and see what may need adjusting as time goes on.
Pictures are a great diary of how things are changing (or not changing) and often can see things what we may miss as we can look back in them.

But it takes a team to make it work and everyone in that team needs to be achieving the same goal

Horses come first
I am just a link in a chain