Fred and Rowena Cook: Equine Management and Training, Rehab and Therapy

02/08/2024

Well that's another one on its way back into training.
A severe tendon injury resulted in this mare finding her way to us 16 months ago.
Lots of in-hand work to improve posture and slowly re-align the tendon fibres followed by walking, walking and more walking. Then obviously trot work was introduced and then on to weeks and weeks steadily increasing the canter work both in the arena and out on grass when ground conditions permitted.
Jumping was successfully reintroduced too.
Scans were done firstly at 2 monthly intervals and then 3 monthly to ensure that the mare was ready for each step up in work.
This mare has been a lovely project not only watching the tendon repair but the postural changes too.
Of course a horse can over-reach or stumble resulting in a tendon or ligament injury but posture with the associated subtle [and then not so subtle] changes in gait and muscle development, remains the most important single factor as to why horses develop injuries - it all goes back to the compensation factor.

All our horses are fuelled by Sharp Nutrition, Baillie Haylage and Dengie Horse Feeds. This ensures they receive quality, consistent nutrition guaranteed free from "nasties" to ensure optimum health and the capacity to build muscle.

As always we do not work horses in any but saddles from Harrison Ezratty with a pad from ThinLine Global/ Europe which we source from KM Elite Products.

We will not lunge, long rein or ride any horse in anything but a Sprenger bit from Zebra Products. These bits encourage relaxation through the jaw as they are so comfortable in the mouth coupled with the sensogan metal used.

If you require any bits from Sprenger or Thinline products then please get in touch.

Do the Pump by D. Juan
[Courtesy of FMA; Attribution: 3.0 France]

23/07/2024

This is such wonderful news. The campaigning has paid off but just a dreadful shame it has take the "powers that be" so long to enforce this.

However we must continue to fight on as although horses/ponies within our shores are now safe, those on the Continent and around the world are not just subjected to horrendous journeys with no thought for their welfare, but also hideous acts of deliberate cruelty.

In the eastern world horses, ponies and donkeys are viewed at "beasts of burden" and so not viewed with any emotional attachment but charities do such tremendous work trying to educate owners with regards to care and management. However, there is no excuse in the "western world" even in those countries where horses are deemed meat sources. For these horses we must not give up the fight.

Horse smuggling is on the increase and similarly we must work together to bring this illegal activity to an end.

It costs nothing to sign a petition or write to your MP so for the sake of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules around the world please do your bit.

Thank you World Horse Welfare for your tireless work.

We're thrilled to announce that the ban on live exports came into force today! However, horse smuggling continues to slip under the radar and we're calling on our supporters to help us ❌

With the new UK Government in place, there is no time like the present to combine our voices and speak up for frightened horses, ponies and donkeys across the UK who suffer in horrendous conditions, being transported to an unknown fate.

We've recently reached over 7,000 completions, but we need to keep the momentum going. Join our campaigners and sign our pledge today 👉 https://bit.ly/3WlGm51

03/07/2024

A long read so grab yourself a cup [or glass] or something😀

We undertake a considerable amount of work with horses that are in training finding their way to us via recommendation which is of course the best way as no amount of advertising, article writing, etc beats word of mouth. The reasoning varies from the horse having incurred at actual injury whilst racing or it because it has not been performing of its best .... and we are charged with the task of finding our why.

99% of the time it's a pretty straightforward exercise as it's immediately obvious where issues presenting lie. There is always a primary issue and associated secondaries but it can be a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation deciding which way around the causation is. But whatever, of course these have to be addressed and the horse returned to its trainer.

Racehorses are not taught to use their back end resulting in them pulling themselves along rather than pushing from the hindquarters - and this is why the hamstring muscles become rock solid with all the associated compensation this leads to. There may or may not be other reasons involved. Whilst hill work gives a horse a great cardio-vascular work out, it can impact negatively on the hind end muscles if there is an undetected issue, so the horse compensates [because it has to in order to perform] which then leads to over-development in front, muscular dysfunction in the neck and an overall negative propping posture which has a negative impact on stride length. Quite a vicious circle.

It is increasingly common practise for training yards to have physiotherapists and even chiropractors visit which is wonderful and very positive but as we all know a horse could have a treatment every week but if there is an underlying problem no amount of such treatment is going to resolve the issue/s.

What we find so sad is that too many racehorses are written off without investigation being undertaken to find out why "..... has fallen out of love with racing". The thoroughbred is bred to run so if it does not like running why not?

We find it encouraging that there are owners who want poor performance investigating and so it becomes our job to find out and put horses back on track [no pun intended] - and what a wonderfully fascinating and rewarding task it is.

However, racing is far from stand-alone with regards to there being underlying causes as to why a horse struggles to perform – horses within the spheres of dressage, polo, show jumping, evening et al, whilst perhaps receiving more regular treatments from assorted practitioners, the incidence of injuries is just as great as are compensatory issues Obviously a physical injury is easy to diagnose but addressing the cause of things like SI irritation, asymmetrical loading and spinal misalignment can take time as in the vast majority of situations there will be more the one primary issue.,

A horse’s posture says it all – it lets us know something is wrong. The horse that has an abnormal posture has a chronic issues [or issues]. Yes of course a horse’s natural conformation may impact in a negative way but we can do much to assist - and this should be done whilst still a foal. Poor foot management and farriery, ill-fitting tack, rider weight and lack of rider balance, incorrect training, working the un-muscled horse inappropriately – the list is endless – all lead to an altered i.e. compensatory stance and the compensation patters we see. And the biggest issue surrounding the compensatory stance is that it is maladaptive to the way nature designed the musculoskeletal structure of the horse and actually serves to impart even greater abnormal stresses on legs, joints, muscles, tendons, ligament and the hoof capsule.

There needs to be much greater understanding of these matters as it is quite alarming how much of what is not right is not recognised. Every day on social media platforms there are images of horses with bodies saying “…. They are in distress” but underneath such images are all too often comments such as “.. oh wow, look at that movement ….”, “…. what a neck …..”, “… those shoulder….” – when, for example, the reality being the horse is bilaterally lame and the muscling is false i.e. wrong muscle development in the wrong places or over-development of muscle.

But as said above, what came first – the postural changes or the issue/issues to cause the changes in posture? That’s the fun bit …… unravelling it all, peeling back the layers and starting the rehabilitation process …… this is rehabilitation proper. Anyway we could babble on forever!!

The horses below had both run 3-4 weeks prior to arrival and presented performance issues; both demonstrated typical compensatory postures and patterns. Such posture is readily recognisable in the left hand image but some of you may wonder with regards the right hand image. We will post updated images soon.

01/07/2024

There is nothing more rewarding than successfully bringing a horse back into work that has had a lengthy lay off. This fellow has had a 2 year break and the time has paid off.

When brining a horse back into work it should always be borne in mind how long the lay off has been. Yes he has been happily galloping around the field kicking and bucking, he looks well and so on but remember his body is totally out of condition.

The moment you pop him on the lunge you are placing stresses and strains on limbs and joints. We don't advocate lunge work at the best of times for these reasons but you should be particularly mindful with a horse that has had an injury - and of course young horses.

Lunge circles should be kept large and do not pull the horse around you in order to maintain a circle - this is when so much damage is done at the poll and mid-neck. Those on the end of the lunge line must be prepared to move around too - a lot if necessary yourself if it is not practicable to give the horse too much length of line.

If the horse is twisting through his body, whether than be head/neck in, hindquarters out or he overly turns to the outside hence hindquarters coming in, then there is actually no point continuing with any trot work as the horse is not learning anything and is doing itself more harm than good. Many horses will turn outwards a little because this is how they balance themselves until they have built the strength to carry themselves.

However, twisting through the body can also be the result of the person on the end of the line not giving and taking enough. We see people giving a sudden "yank" in order to try a persuade pull the "outside looking" horse to look forwards or their body position is wrong causing the horse to fall in or out - as well as drop back and spin round or be too forward in the movement.

Your own body position and language is so important.

The attachment of the lunge line is also an important factor. Not all horses like the line attached on the top of their noses and is practice we do not like. Use of the positioned over the poll should also be avoided as so much damage can be done.

If you have difficulty achieving/maintaining control in lunge work then best to see help to check you are relaying the right messages. And don't be tempted to turn to a training aid to fix any turning in or out issues as such aids will put your horse into a fixed and hence false outline. Yes, use of a aid to stop a horse carrying its head overly high can be useful during the early stages of rehabilitative work to help him understand what you are trying to achieve but any aid used should NOT restrict lateral movement of the head and neck nor should it tie a horse down in any way - he should be able to head toss but not star-gaze.

Working on the double lunge is the best way to teach a horse as of course he can be better influenced as to how to use his body than with just one line if you are not suitably skilled in the art with one. However 2 lines can course add complications so if you are not used to using 2, again seek help.

So in this video clip, whilst the horse is not in any kind of outline which of course he would not be as he has only just come back in, he is calm, settled, forward facing and he is not being pulled about even when he drifted when he broke into canter. This makes a very happy image and how we want to see horses.

08/06/2024

As with other worming, testing is the way forward to ensure we, as owners, can do our bit in combating resistance as we need to protect the efficacy of our ever-dwindling supply of effective wormers.

There is sometimes an issue for some owners that the submitted sample is too dilute as some horses do produce more saliva than others. Hence it is always best to take remove food for a while before taking a sample. Please refer to the guidance on the test packaging or contact EquiSal Tapeworm; And of course Westgate Labs are a valuable source of worming information.

_______________________________________________________________________

Thank you to Jacqui Matthews FRSE FRCVS, Director of Veterinary Science, Austin Davis for the informative post.

THE WORM THAT TURNED: ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE IN TAPEWORM

The equine tapeworm, Anoplocephala perfoliata, infects horses everywhere. Its prevalence ranges from 80%, so it is difficult to predict infection without using diagnostics. Burdens of only 20+ tapeworms can cause pathology and A. perfoliata has been shown to be associated with increased risk of colic; the higher the burden, the higher the risk.

It's important to target worming only to horses that require treatment because anthelmintic resistance is now a real threat to effective control of A. perfoliata. Recent reports from the US (Nielsen 2023), along with anecdotal field reports from the EU, indicate issues with effectiveness of both anti-tapeworm compounds, praziquantel and pyrantel (2X). As relatively low tapeworm burdens can cause colic, poor anthelmintic efficacy could be catastrophic for those horses prone to higher burdens. For these reasons, sector guidelines released by British Equine Veterinary Association this year include 'testing for tapeworm' as part their Best Practice recommendations.

FEC tests have poor sensitivity for detecting tapeworm infection, partly due to the worm's habit of shedding egg-containing segments intermittently, and also because many horses harbour infections comprising immature or sterile worms that are not detected by FEC tests.

The EquiSal Tapeworm test, which measures tapeworm-specific antibodies in saliva, enables sensitive detection of infection to inform anti-tapeworm treatments.

Analysis of the 2015-2023 UK EquiSal dataset (below) demonstrates that, overall, only 1 in 3 horses is recommended for treatment, considerably reducing anthelmintic applications and, thus, protecting efficacy.

EquiSal Tapeworm kits are available via >500 veterinary and SQP stockists in the UK. Through postal collection points, the service is accessible for testing horses in the EU.

The cost of EquiSal shouldn’t be prohibitive compared to other equine expenses; the test kit can be purchased relatively inexpensively directly although it is recommended purchasing through a prescriber such as a vet or SQP so that you can get appropriate advice based on the test result.

For optimal accuracy, three different ELISA tests are run for each sample to account for variations in saliva, including flow rate.

For further information go to http://equisal.co.uk/ or email: [email protected]

22/05/2024

Yesterday's new arrival:
With us for some dedicated rehabilitation for his back and to address the consequential compensations elsewhere.
Good project to get our teeth into and let's get this boy back on to the track in due course.

16/05/2024

People are probably rather weary of our constant references to the compensatory effects of any "ailment" whether a tendon injury, SI issues, KS, a foot abscess, foot imbalances - the list could obviously go on to be a very long one but also includes the effects of rider imbalance, saddle fit, bit use, false outlines etc - but hopefully the feature below will help you understand why the need to address compensations [once the initial cause has been identified and addressed] is so important as otherwise these compensations just escalate and become so much harder to address. Dealing with the actual injury or cause if equipment or training induced is the easy part, it's what follows which takes the time and expertise.

Sadly too many people just do not recognise wrongly developed or over-developed muscle; indeed they are impressed by the builky muscle mass. congratulating posters on FB and similar. Such muscle is not just the consequence of the horse adapting how it has to move order to cope with a developing injury in order to function as its rider wishes, but also due to the incorrect and inappropriate use of so-called training aids, swimming and treadmills [with or without water] for the conditions that are not best assisted by such therapy or brought into a treatment regime too soon.
The concern is that by the time the wrong muscle mass has manifested, a lot has gone on under the skin and this is what takes the time to correct . People expect the fixes to be done is a few weeks when in fact they often take many, many months of very patient work.
As with all things in the world today, people want "instant"; veterinary advances are constantly about speeding up healing instead of giving nature the proper time to do its work with appropriate therapy and rehabilitative exercises being undertaken.

Compensation
The word compensation is used so often that we, perhaps, do not even think how the compensation can look and what it means.
Yes, horses are masters of compensation. They can compensate
– finding strategies or techniques that work around limitations for many reasons. Pain - trying to avoid it, restriction - trying to find other ways to move when for example the saddle is restricting their shoulder movement, imbalanced rider and many more....
The longer the horse compensates, deeply it is 'written' in his soft tissue. We can see overdeveloped muscles (those are sometimes easy to spot), but there are also changes in the fascia.

Those changes didn't happen overnight, so they will not go away overnight.
The body can do miracles but do not expect those to happen today....the body needs time and.....CHANGES!

I can say we can adopt and adapt the saying: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them", to: "We cannot change the soft tissue with the same stimuli that created changes in the first place".

Can you spot the overdeveloped muscles (A) of the horse battling for three years with changed mobility in his carpus?

Also, notice that the deep fascia (on the shoulder) has a different pattern in all horses. That is the most challenging in the mapping of the soft tissue, as I am finding that each horse is adapted to different work, lifestyles or compensates for whatever reasons.

15/05/2024

We may well be heading into summer and have plenty of grass but that does not mean that our haylage needs diminish
So this morning Shaun Hewson from Baillie Haylage rolled in with a lorry-load which will keep us going for a couple of months or so.
As always great service and quality assured ensuring that the horses in our care on having excellent forage.
After water, fibre is the most important nutrient the horse requires so feeding a quality product is important for maintaining good health. Forage is an excellent way of fulfilling fibre requirements and bearing in mind that the energy requirements of many horses can be met by fibre alone, using good quality forage is an excellent place to start.
Baillie Haylage has a range of products to meet the requirements of all horses whatever their level of activity as the grass mixes contain different levels of protein; horses in hard work like racehorses and high level event horses obviously need higher protein levels for building, maintaining and repairing muscle.
The bales are superbly wrapped, so if like us, you have to store the big bales outside as the yard can only accommodate so many at a time, you can be sure that the haylage will not deteriorate provided the wrap is not punctured.
Do contact Baillie Haylage to discuss your requirements.

14/05/2024

This mare was sent to us as 2 year old for rehab work as her owner felt something was not right with her.
We immediately found assorted physical issues, not injury related, but those naturally consequent upon the rigours that training puts on an immature skeleton.
Joint and back issues presented with the associated compensatory issues and these took many months to resolve and we are pleased to say that apart from acupuncture [via Fellowes Equine] and lots of therapy no veterinary intervention was resorted to.
At 2 years of age, if you have to go down that route, then it just becomes a downward spiral when all so many of these young horses need is a bit more time to properly develop with people who know how they should be developing with the right manual work, without the reliance on horsewalkers, treadmills, etc.
Thanks to a patient owner this mare flourished [left photo the day she left us]..
In her 4 races to date she has always run well but for us she's a turf not AW mare and the race on Saturday proved it ..... she led from the start but although sadly beaten into 3rd in the last 100 yards what a performance she put in.
Rachel Burton

Left Image: the day the mare left us
Racing Image: Tony Knapton of Proshot Photography

22/04/2024

This mare came to us last year and it was hoped that she would return to training but earlier this year the decision was made not so to do.
She has begun her transition to a riding horse and all is progressing albeit slowly but most importantly, positively.
She's a forward-going little mare and loves to be out but needs time and patience as well as experienced handling.

An exceptional home is required with someone who will work with her quirks and help her continue to grow in confidence.

08/04/2024

Today's new arrival: A lovely 4 year old by El Kabeir.

When he has developed and matured more he is going to be quite a stunner.

07/04/2024

This little lady made her chasing debut on 1 April.
She hit the 4th out very hard which knocked the stuffing out of her but being the little fighter she is, she still managed to get back up to finish 4th.
The mare returned to the track on 28 January after 675 days off, 210 of which was spent with us for rehab following a leg injury.
Her first run back was on 28 January but she was pulled up as she hated the ground; her run on 26 February saw her finish third but again she was pulled up on 18 March as she literally got stuck in the ground - pulling shoes off.
With the trainer running out of options, and with the mare having such a good jump, it was decided to "cut to the chase" [no pun intended] and send her over fences.

It's certainly been proven that our rehab was success as the leg has stood up to running on some rough ground.
We look forward to welcoming the back back shortly for a break and then prep before returning to her trainer at the of July/early August.

29/02/2024

Very special little fellow seeks a very special home.

27/02/2024

SET IN THE WEST

This little mare spent 7 months with us last year to address a tendon injury and the consequent postural changes that occur in horses with a leg injury; she returned to her trainer, Richard Rowe Racing. in October.
With the weather as it has been and with race balloting, the mare had had only one run, a few weeks ok so yesterday saw a very positive result with the mare coming third - not a bad achievement at all having had two years off the track.
We are obviously delighted for her owner as he has given this mare the time she has needed ..... and he has been rewarded for doing so.
With thanks to Rachel Burton for her invaluable input.
Fuelled by Baillie Haylage and Sharp Nutrition whilst here and never ridden without a Thinline UK pad [KM Elite Products]

19/02/2024

It is absolutely wonderful what has been achieved by Westgate Labs.
Such a great service and so much info on the website as well as help and advice available on the ‘phone too.

Worming is an important part of management to maintain health. Carrying a worm burden can seriously compromise gut function and ultimately cost your horse its life.

Please worm count for “routine” checks and worm accordingly but don’t forget to tapeworm test too.
Westgate are here to help so if you have any questions or queries do get in touch.

13/02/2024

Come flooding or freezing temperatures, with this wagon pulling in today that’s our forage requirements covered for a couple of months or so. 😊
As always …. fast, friendly and reliable service from Baillie Haylage bringing us top-notch quality-assured haylage.
Various bale sizes and nutritional content to suit all requirements so do give Baillie a call.
Thank you Steve, chief delivery man today.

29/12/2023

Not the best photos for proper comparison but this little mare is now in good shape so that we can start to pick up her racing prep.
As the mare gets stronger and with another couple of farrier visits the foreleg posture will finally be 100%..

It's taken a while as we had foot issues to resolve before we could sort physical issues out, which in themselves were a complex tangle; when the feet are not right you cannot get the body right. People spend so much time with chiros, physios etc but unless the foundations i.e. the feet are right then all the work these practitioners do will ultimately be to no avail or you will have a horse that is still compensating even though you may not recognise it.

Fuelled by Baillie Haylage and Sharp Nutrition

25/12/2023

Wishing all Friends, Clients, Colleagues and Associates a Very Happy Christmas.
Fred, Ro and Binky xx

19/12/2023

This is our latest arrival here for us to get to the bottom of performance issues. Unfortunately with the posture he is currently presenting he is not able to perform of his best.
Another super rehabilitation case for us to get our teeth into. We can then send him back into training a much stronger boy.

19/12/2023

Hooray …. It is unbelievable that with so much information out there via videos, webinars, magazines and live demos that riders and trainers are still so fixated on the head and neck when focus should be on the engine - the hind end.
As the horse learns (is taught) to use its back/hind quarters correctly with an engaged core there is list through the withers and as contact is developed the head carriage follows because the horse is strong and balanced.
We see so many horses with a completely overdeveloped front end or horses with overall weak frames yet are expected to perform.

Do read the article as it is very important.

This page concentrates on the Olympic equestrian disciplines of eventing, showjumping and dressage

07/12/2023

We will not use any other saddles but those from Harry Dabbs Saddle Makers for thoroughbreds and non=thoroughbreds alike.

There is a wide selection of trees to ensure the right fit for your horse as fit is not just about width but also angle of the shoulder, how the saddle flows front to back and of course how the width of the back changes from withers to the lumbar area. If the tree is not right then a saddle will not only pinch but also rock on the back which of course comprises back health. How many times have you watched a horse trotting and seen the saddle lifting?

Once the tree is sorted you have a huge choice with regards to colour and finish but also with panel and flap styles to suit both horse and rider, girthing options, knee block styles for added rider security in the saddle for dressage and the list goes on ....

Choice of saddle is so important and when your horse has the freedom to move correctly and fluidly, he will naturally feel more better and be able to perform better.

Harry Dabbs Saddle Makers saddles are designed and fitted to ensure your horse has that optimum freedom of movement This is so important because when a saddle does not limit or influence negatively how a horse moves (and training is correct) the horse is able to come 'up' more naturally, lifting at the wither and shoulder as well as the back which allows development of a stronger, more powerful posture allowing him to perform so much better and more easily carry the rider.

The addition of treeclix to saddles provides even more control over the fit, allowing incredibly fine adjustments to be made in order to achieve the most accurate fit.

There are so many options so always consult with a saddle fitter who is up to speed with all the innovations from Harry Dabbs Saddle Makers. Some fitters will say they are when actually they are not so check with the office - 01922 642222.

05/12/2023

Whilst it is important not to over worm which serves to increase wormer resistance, you do need to ensure your worming programme does include treatment of this most serious of parasites .. encysted redworms.
A worm count doesn’t pick up on the encysted worms as they hibernate in the gut wall during the cold weather emerging in the spring sometimes with very serious consequences and also causing significant and sometimes irreversible damage to the gut walls.
For more information action on what to do and when please visit the Westgate Labs website at www.westgatelabs.co.uk

❄️🐛🐴 There is one dangerous parasitic stage of the small redworm that we need to be particularly aware of at this time of year as it can have fatal consequences. Winter is the season to consider how we tackle the possibility of encysted redworm. This means either blood testing or treating with an appropriate wormer.

Between December and February is time to
✅ test or treat for the possibility of encysted redworm
✅ reduction test to ensure treatment has been effective
✅ Have you tested for tapeworm in the last 6 months? EquiSal test if required.
✅ Are you in an area where you need to consider bots?

💊 If we need to treat then a moxidectin wormer is the preferred choice for most horses - a 5 day fenbendazole is the other option which may be considered especially for youngsters or those who are very lean. We should also use this opportunity to reduction test to ensure our worming has been effective, particularly if using the latter chemical.

More ➡️ http://bit.ly/WinterWorming