ESP Equine

25/08/2024

Love a bit of interesting research. As with humans, the gut microbiome is hugely important! Have a read on how it is seemingly affecting physical performance 👇🏻

🤓 I wanted to share this recent study with you all as I think the findings are really exciting. 📖

A new study by Proudman et al. at the university of Surrey has shown that foals with a more diverse microbiome at 28 days old went on to have a better racing career than foals with a less healthy gut.

They investigated the composition of gut bacteria in Thoroughbred foals bred for flat racing and its impact on their long-term health and athletic performance.

“To investigate this, 438 faecal samples from 52 foals were analysed and respiratory, gastrointestinal, orthopaedic and soft-tissue health issues were tracked from birth to age three. In addition, the team analysed information regarding finishing position, official rating, and total prize money earnings as measures of athletic performance.”

They identified that horses with a higher abundance of Anaeroplasmataceae had higher Official Ratings (a rating based on previous race results) and those with higher numbers of Bacillaceae went on to have higher race placings a during their careers.

They also looked at foals that had received antibiotics before the age of 28 days and found that they went on to win significantly lower prize money and have a significantly increased risk of respiratory disease later.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that low bacterial diversity early in life is associated with an increased risk of soft tissue and orthopaedic issues later in life.

We know from other research that antibiotics can be very damaging to the microbiome and a gut imbalance can lead to long term health issues.

Other studies in humans and animals show that good early gut health is important in priming the immune system and can affect how susceptible they are to disease in the future.

This is the first animal study I have seen that shows a strong relationship between a healthy gut and better sports performance. It leaves me with so many questions.
I wonder if we should be providing our sports dogs with pre and probiotics from a young age, or if feeding certain foods will help improve their microbiome and lead to better performance?

I would love for someone to research this area more 🙏🏻

This is the paper if you’d like to read it:

Proudman et al. 2024. Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing.

You can sign up to receive my blog posts straight to your inbox at www.ecvetphysiotherapy.com/blog

20/08/2024

New water treadmill research, very informative read for technicians and owners👇🏻

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/16/2393?

Repeated exposure to water treadmill (WT) exercise could elicit kinematic responses reflecting adaptation to WT exercise. The study’s aim was to compare the responses of a group of sport horses to a standardised WT exercise test (WTSET) carried out at three time points, week 0 (n = 48), week 20 (n...

12/08/2024

27/07/2024

Just putting this out there….

Can you relate??

21/06/2024

Well West Buckland, that’s a wrap 😢

It’s been quite a week waving off rehab liveries, saying goodbye to all you lovely clients and my wonderful support crew, and closing the doors on Chapter One of ESP Equine 🥹

Lord Dickie Dude and Roo Poo (who came to us as a rehab livery, and never went home 🥰) are tucked up in their temporary new beds, before we embark on the next chapter near Burford/Chipping Norton.

🐎 Dickie Dude was the first one on, and as chief in charge of nannying so many nervous horses, was definitely going to be the last one off. Dick, there were plenty of times that we quite literally couldn’t have done it without you 🥰

It’s taken a week to take down the barn, pack up the treadmill and close the doors on what is now a rather unrecognisable yard 😞

Thank you SO much to my amazing parents, who supported me in the beginning of this journey and have worked tirelessly this week. Legends. Big huge shout out to my partner for all his help with taking the barn down, dealing with the all the mixed emotions, all whilst fitting in his own busy work life 🤹✈️❤️

Many others have given up their time to help move the treadmill and fix things that needed fixing. THANK YOU 🙏🏻

A little thought to leave you with for anyone who is doubting their career dreams. Ask me 10 years ago if I saw myself doing this, the answer would have been a big fat “no”. I would have been too full of fear and “what ifs”. The one phrase that kept going round my head before I embarked on this journey was “the only person stopping you, is you”. Rehabbing horses is hard, the equine industry is….challenging…running a business is damn hard. But. The rewards and knowing you are making a difference, is worth it. So get qualified (this bit is SOOOO important!!) and get living your dream ✨

And on that bombshell, we shall see you on the other side of the summer, in our new location, ready to start splish splashing ☀️💦🥂

03/06/2024

🏇💦 Relocation Notice 💦🏇

As many of you know, ESP Equine has been looking at options for relocating the business away from the current location at West Buckland.

This is due to many factors, both business, and personal.

From a business point of view, we have been fully booked with liveries for much of the last 6 months. In order to grow, we need more stables.

From a personal perspective, Founder and Director Emma, has been running the show as a full time single Mum. With the prospect of secondary school on the horizon, personal life choices needed to be reviewed and made. Subsequently, Emma is taking a leap of faith and is Cotswolds bound, to start a fresh chapter.

We have tried SO hard to find a way to keep the business running in the area. We’ve spoken to vets, clients, colleagues, but sadly the right location hasn’t been found.

The water treadmill is heading to the Cotswolds, where a new facility will open. Do keep an eye on our page for more info on this over the next few weeks.

Our last day of running the treadmill will be Wednesday 12th June. Please do contact us if you want a last minute session!

This has been a VERY tough decision to make. We are beyond proud that we are going out on a high, and so very grateful to all our clients for your support and trust. We have loved helping so many horses, and will miss them (and you owners!) hugely.

Emma has had THE best help and support from Ella Hooper since she joined the Team in March 2023. Her horsemanship and dedication is second to none. She is currently about to finish her Sports Massage Diploma. If you need her help with equine care, yard help or massage, please do contact her.

We’ve also had a wonderful team of weekend help and holiday help, thank you to you all too.

Thank you to the vets, body workers and farriers that have referred to us. Working with a team of professionals has been great. A special thank you to Hazel Clewley for working your acupuncture magic on our rehab cases. Said as an equine chiropractor, equine acupuncture is AMAZING and complements all other forms of body work. You can contact Hazel for acupuncture via Western Counties.

We have learnt a lot, there is still a lot to learn in the world of equine hydrotherapy, and hopefully the next chapter will contribute to this in some way. Knowledge is power. 💦🏇🙌🏻

28/05/2024

Following the tragic incident that claimed the life of Georgie Campbell on Sunday, the entire Bicton Team wish to extend their heartfelt condolences to Georgie’s family and friends alongside all those who were involved with and affected by the tragedy.
Whether you were a fence judge, photographer, volunteer, or spectator who witnessed the accident; whether you were on site and experienced the swell of sadness that encapsulated the aftermath, we wish to make sure that you have the support that you need.
British Eventing recognises the importance and benefit of being able to offer support to the entire eventing community. The British Eventing Support Trust, working together with Sporting Chance is offering help and support to anyone who wants or is seeking it during this difficult time.
Please call 07780 008877 any time of day or night and you will be connected with a mental health professional who will ensure you are connected to the most appropriate support. Please, don’t hesitate to call.

24/05/2024

Lots of our clients are out competing this weekend at events all over the country 🏇

From International Eventing at Bicton to NSEA at Hickstead, Team ESP are super proud to be part of your fitness journey, and wish you all lots of luck 🍀🤞🏻💦💪🏻🐎

22/05/2024

Keep listening to your four legged friends folks.

06/05/2024

04/05/2024

30/04/2024

No balance, no horse? 🤔

It never ceases to amaze me how many poorly balanced horses we see. It doesn’t take long to help them, and the changes in rider feedback in performance is phenomenal!

Have a read of this article 👇🏻

Lightbulb moment!
This is how important balance & co-ordination are to the horse.

In my own head, from learning Human Physiotherapy first, the Cerebellum is a small part behind & below the main part of Brain (cerebrum). It co-ordinates gait, balance, and posture control.

So to see in real life, that the horse’s cerebellum is almost as big as the rest of the brain itself, was a massive eye-opener!

We know that horses don’t have a large frontal cortex, the complex thought part, like humans. But, naively, I kinda thought the whole brain was just smaller. I never expected the ratios of parts to be so clearly different.

So is it any wonder then, that horses react when they feel unbalanced? They react when their co-ordination is messed with?

The size of the cerebellum means it is VITAL for horses to maintain balance, gait & posture co-ordination.

If you put your horse off balance when riding, because your own body is wonky or weak, they have to react. Biomechanically, they HAVE to stabilise the system. But it could be a behavioural reaction too.

If you mess with their gait & posture control because you have no idea about timing of aids, or suddenly pull them around, or block their spinal movement with your rigid seat… they will probably react. You’ll be met with resistance. They might even rear or buck you off.

It’s not just about pain. A rider that puts their horse off balance doesn’t necessarily hurt them, but it does impact these vital things that horses need to feel safe.

If your horse doesn’t like their feet being picked up… or they do silly behavioural things with the farrier… Please ask yourself if it’s because they find it difficult to balance, and therefore don’t feel safe!

A lot of people these days are looking for pain when there’s a behavioural problem, which is fantastic and right. But if your Vet doesn’t find anything, don’t just assume ‘it must be behavioural then’ and try to TRAIN them better.

Consider balance & muscle/posture control. Ask a Physiotherapist to assess and teach you exercises to help your horse.

Sort your body as a rider, to improve your own balance & symmetry, to avoid throwing your horse off balance.

Save this post to remind yourself again.

15/04/2024

As (yet another) cold wet windy Monday
goes, today has been a good day! 😄

How lovely to receive such wonderful reviews, and to see our client’s achieving greatness over the weekend 🥇🏆

12/04/2024

This looks SUPER interesting!

How does our myofascial system affect the horses?

Many of you have probably seen our upcoming webinar for Myofascial Tissue Dysfunctions and Treatment with Tuulia Luomala. Our last webinar with Tuulia was a huge hit where she discussed the Horse - Rider Myofascial Connection!

In the images below connections from the pelvic floor to the diaphragm are illustrated to visualize 3 dimensional continuities that myofascial structures create within the human that transfer to the horse. Correlations between the asymmetries of the horse and the rider are common place. Often horse-rider combinations show re-occurring types of health issues.
Any weakness, crookedness, or imbalance in the human, will have implications for the training of the horse and often these can’t be remedied without addressing the myofascial tissues.

In an absolutely mind blowing webinar Tuulia detailed topics such as our own psychological connections, to how myofascial restrictions in our own body creates mirroring dysfunctions in our horses.

Horse - Rider Myofascial Connection:

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/horseriderconnection

Upcoming Webinar Myofascial Tissue, Dysfunctions and Treatment:

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/myofascial-tissue

08/04/2024

👇🏻 Very interesting article on equine hydrotherapy 👇🏻

💦 Don’t just take our word for it, have a read

“In summary, equine water treadmill therapy is a well-founded approach rooted in principles of hydrodynamics and equine physiology. Whether used for recovery from injury, general fitness, or performance enhancement, equine water treadmill therapy stands as an innovative and valuable tool in the comprehensive care of horses.”

“it's crucial to have qualified and trained professionals oversee equine rehabilitation programmes to ensure the best possible outcomes for the horse. This includes veterinarians, musculoskeletal therapists, and other professionals with expertise in equine rehabilitation that form the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).”

ESP Equine professional qualifications ✅

YHC's HOT TOPICEQUINE HYDROTHERAPY advocating for your equine friendThe equine therapy industry can be overwhelming to any owner, but it can be further complicated when you have the stress and worry of rehabilitating or safely enhancing your own horses’ performance. There is not only a myriad of t...

06/04/2024

Well at least this wind *might* help dry the fields a bit.

Until Monday, anyway 😞

Just keep swimming 🥴

Or water treadmilling, that’s just as good 💦😂

Lovely afternoon for a spot of gardening!! 😑🤦‍♀️

Still, at least it's Friday....gin night!!

Much love
Nay

05/04/2024

🐎💦 Facing a few months of rehab?

🐎💦 We’ve got your back 💦🐎

🙌🏻 With over 2 years experience of rehabbing horses on the water treadmill, and 14 years experience as an equine chiropractor, we are here to guide you through what can be a daunting task.

🐎💦 From post op, to building up the minutes of walking and then onto building muscle tone, we’ve been there, seen it and done it.

🐎💦 We strongly believe your team needs to be involved with your horse, so any visits from musculoskeletal specialists, vets, farriers, nutritionists, saddle fitters are always welcome.

🐎💦 If you’re at the final stages of rehab, the water treadmill will help activate the all important core muscles & proprioception and build a strong group of supporting muscles before you get back in the saddle.

🐎💦 Rehab using hydrotherapy has been around for decades. It’s very safe, very controlled and once you get going, very easy.

🐎💦 Call us, PM or email us if you would like to have a chat about how we can help.

25/03/2024

💦 How much water do we put in and why?

💦 We initially start with 3-4” of water. We never increase the depth of water until the horse is straight, balanced and can consistently work in a straight line for 15 minutes. Water is then gradually added incrementally, reduced if needed to allow for rest (HIIT exercise).

💦 Why? Because even the fittest of horses are learning a new form of exercise. Would you go into a gym and go for the heaviest weight? NO! Why? Because it will probably cause an injury.

💦 We already know that increasing the water height increases the stride length from the literature. We also know that deeper water influences the biomechanics of the spine and pelvis.

💦 Does this mean that just because you can, you should? In my opinion, no. We have to build the balance, core, symmetry and muscle tone first. It may take longer and may not look that impressive, but that’s just a case of managing expectations.

💦 We know that in a 15 minute session the horse will do the equivalent of 600 consecutive raised poles. Add the water, you add resistance to this too. If there are visible asymmetries, then these will be exaggerated by the deeper water, which means you will be training the horse in a compensatory pattern. And that rather defeats the object of the exercise.

💦 So, there is a method to our slow and steady introductory phase. We’re always watching, observing, referring to your team of body workers, saddle fitters etc if needed because our aim is to build a supple, strong and balanced frame. And that isn’t built in a day 💦💪🏻🐎

14/03/2024

🐣 It’s time to get organised folks 🐣

Having been fully booked with rehab, holiday and bootcamp liveries since Christmas 🎄Team ESP are taking a much needed few days off over Easter, and are only working part time hours for Easter Week and the school holidays 🐣😴

💦🤩 We’ve been inundated with new booking requests over the last few weeks, so drop in appointments are getting booked up fast.

📔 So if you’re wanting to start your water treadmill journey, get in touch ASAP to secure your place 🐎💦

13/03/2024

🫣🤪 Wednesday Winge incoming 🤪🫣

Today has been a maintenance day. The filters have been cleaned, re cleaned and then cleaned again.

The amount of silt and mud we’re having to deal with this winter is killing all of our souls.

It’s also killing my rather precious machine and costing a fortune in water bills 😩

So PLEASE can everyone make a monumental effort to arrive with CLEAN LEGS and FEET 🙏🏻. We totally appreciate horses stand in 💩 on the way to see us and we will happily help clean up according. However, bringing half a field of mud along for a wash off needs to stop now please 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I don’t want to charge extra for having to clean horses, but we will have to if things don’t change 🙈

Winge over 🤪😂

11/03/2024

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Fabulous piece of advice.

Remember that each little trip over or knock of the pole means that the neuromuscular system is having to be on high alert, constantly firing reflexes to prevent injury. If you over do it and the reflexes can’t fire in time, you risk causing damage to soft tissues.

We’re always watching the horses on the water treadmill for signs of fatigue 💦

When the horse says “enough”, it’s our responsibility to listen 🙌🏻

Pole work. When to stop ✋ 🛑

Pole work can be a great way to improve your horses joint movement, limb awareness and strength but….

If you do too much it can be detrimental 😢

One simple way you can tell that your horse is tiring is if they start knocking the poles.

If they are knocking them a lot right away then it is likely that the poles are too high or the exercise too difficult for them at this stage.

If they are managing them fine for a while and THEN you notice the knocking becomes more frequent, they are becoming fatigued and it’s time to stop for a rest ✋

Walk your horse for a few minutes and try again. If the knocking has become much less then carry on with the exercise until it starts again. Then stop ✋

If after a few minutes of walking you return to the exercise and your horse is knocking the poles right away then that’s enough. Stop the session for today 🛑

Poles are a great tool but it is essential that you watch your horse very closely for signs of fatigue 🥱

08/03/2024

Looking forward to firing up the brain cells this weekend with this fascinating lecture 📚

Neuromuscular control is so important when rehabbing horses, we love trying to explain what we’re doing an why to our clients on this subject👩🏼‍🏫

07/03/2024

The marmite subject of trotting on roads - who does, who doesn't?

We all approach our equine husbandry differently and what suits one can be very different for another. Either way, sessions on our Equine Water Treadmill can be beneficial in the build up and maintenance of fitness of all horses, young and old 🐴

Roadwork is often unavoidable when hacking. While it can be beneficial to your horse's legs, it can cause injury if done incorrectly

03/03/2024

What a fabulous day it’s been! ☀️

Made all the more wonderful by a very special first driving lesson with Fenix Carriages.

Faced with the dilemma of a child who’s about to outgrow the family pony, we decided to have a go at driving to see if this would offer a second career for Lord Dick 🙏🏻

Just can’t say enough about how positive this experience was. Mark and Jo are so welcoming, knowledgeable and the teaching is superb. Child’s face was a picture and safe to say we are going back for round two! Highly recommend for anyone else faced with a similar dilemma! 👏🏻

24/02/2024

Shamelessly re-sharing this post! 🤩

🐎 Pre season fitness isn’t just about cardiovascular health
🐎 All top (human) athletes dedicate hours to their core workouts
🐎 They also get regularly checked by their musculoskeletal specialist teams
🐎 Why? Because without a healthy joint, muscle and nervous system, the body will not be performing at its optimum levels
🐎 Core strength and proprioception is vital for balance, co-ordination and injury prevention.
🐎 The science shows us that the water treadmill also increases stamina.

✅ Core
✅ Strong proprioception
✅ Increased endurance

💡What’s not to love?

❓If it works for the human model of performance, then there’s no reason why it can’t be applied to the equine model❓

🐎 Make 2024 your year by doing everything you can to help your horse achieve their ultimate fitness and performance levels 💪🏻

🐎 Call us, PM us or email us to find out how we can help 💦

Following Team Opposition's recent end of season round up of what has been a mega year!!🥳🤩 We thought we would share some posts on how the water treadmill has become an integral part of the yard life and the benefits we have seen from it (combined with some useful, relevant research).💧🐴

This season has seen the many of the horses having wins and top 10 placings from 2-5* in both long and short format, as well as good results at national classes🥇🥈🥉. One of the key attributes to this is the horses conditioning and fitness. Kirsty is particularly adept at working out plans for each horse and communicating what they have coming up and how they are feeling to make sure they are doing the appropriate amount at that stage.

In long format, you really want the horse to be feeling the best they can at the end of the XC phase in order to recover and be well prepared for the final day of show jumping (and that pesky trot-up!). We have been really impressed at some of the post XC heart rates the girls have had this season. Here are a couple that were taken approximately 2-3 minutes post-completion:
Betty- Luhmuhlen 5* 88bpm
Holly- Boekelo 4* 96bpm
Betty- Pau 5* 92bpm

Whilst the water treadmill does not entirely replace the fast/gallop work it definitely helps with and improves endurance/stamina. A study by Greco-Otto et al (2017) on horses undergoing a period of water treadmill exercise versus a control group that didn’t, found a 16% increase in VO2max (this is the maximum oxygen consumption: better oxygen consumption = better performance and delay in onset of fatigue). They also found that whilst neither group showed an increase overall speed measured on the racetrack, the treadmill group did have a 12% increase in final finishing speed compared to the control group. Meaning that although they were not faster, they were more endurant.

FMBs Therapy Systems

🤓
Greco-Otto et al. (2017). Workload of horses on a water treadmill: Effect of speed and water height on oxygen consumption and cardiorespiratory parameters. BMC Veterinary Research. 13:360

16/02/2024

🤩 It’s Friday 🤩

It’s been a busy week 🤯💦🐎

🐎 We’ve had another fully booked week of rehab liveries to look after 😍
🐎 Lots of lovely drop in clients 🤩

We’re helping horses of all ages, all sizes and all disciplines at the moment. Our rehabs range from tendon injuries, to post op kissing spine rehab and arthritic joints that need lots of muscle building to support their system.

It’s also been half term.

Both Ella Hooper and I are busy Mums when we’re not at the yard! So here’s a little Friday appreciation to our team of extra helpers, and to our clients that have waited a little longer for an appointment “because it’s half term”.

My not so mini me and I had some precious us time on the Quantocks this afternoon. It was lovely ☀️

We hope you all have a lovely weekend….dare I say it but it’s not supposed to rain!!! Whoop whoop!! 🙏🏻🫣🤞🏻

06/02/2024

To anyone struggling with the “I can’t do this” demons, please have a look at how trained professionals can help you achieve your goals!!

🧐Are the negative committee, who meet-oh too regularly in your 🧠getting louder and louder? Pulling you off course, affecting your confidence and ruining your riding enjoyment?

✨Would you like the help, support and techniques to better understand how to manage your anxiety, nerves and limiting beliefs?

✨ We’ll work on techniques to delve into the unconscious mind to help you gain greater understanding and control of that negative committee so you can disband them off to pastures new! Allowing you to reboot your enjoyment when riding once again. 🎗️Remember, just like you used to, with renewed confidence whatever your aspirations!

✨I work with a variety of riders all over the UK with diverse aspirations, from hacking, travelling out to clinics, to competition performance.

🤔Interested to know more about how YOU can make the changes YOU want?

✨I offer a complimentary, confidential, no obligation phone call where we can discuss the issues you’d like help with and plan a program for change. Making sense of your thoughts (the negative committee!) and being able to control those thoughts especially when under pressure will empower you to have so much more confidence and fun when riding and competing 💪🏼

✨Sessions can either be online or in person so they are available to you wherever you live in the UK and Internationally. Sessions can easily be fitted into your working week as I have evening sessions available too.
DM or email [email protected] to book your call
I look forward to hearing from you.

✨I am a qualified BD Coach, NLP Practioner, hypnotherapist and Centre10 Advanced Coach with several decades of coaching experience and excellent training.

“What goes on in your brain goes straight down the rein”

Let’s make that conversation a positive one!

31/01/2024

📢 Today is the last day you can take advantage of our Winter Special Offer! 📢

🐴 Just £35 per session
🐴 On Treadmill sessions on Mon, Tues & Thurs only
🐴 Minimum block booking of 3 sessions
🐴 Initial introduction session just £20
🐴 Offer valid until 31.01.24

This fabulous offer is perfect to get your horse up and running for 2024 - click here to read the benefits of our equine water treadmill https://espequine.co.uk/water-treadmill or call 07725 841778 to discuss your horses individual requirements 🐴

Book now to secure your horses sessions for:

1️⃣ Resistance Training
2️⃣ Increased Core Stability
3️⃣ Improved Balance
4️⃣ Increased Joint Range of Motion
5️⃣ Improved Muscle Tone
6️⃣ Increased Cardiovascular Fitness
7️⃣ Reduced Concussive Impact

30/01/2024

THIS THIS THIS 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Please have a read, please get your team working together 🙌🏻 Each individual professional is just one piece of the puzzle 🤔🐎

Researchers found a strong association between hind hoof balance and posture that could affect overall musculoskeletal health.

27/01/2024

What a fabulous graphic. 🤩

Please take note folks - poor posture and biomechanics is nothing other than a fast track to injury and rehab. 💊😥

Here’s a little exercise for you to help you understand what the horse is feeling when it is not engaged properly:

Standing up - stick your bum out, let that tummy hang lose, and drop one shoulder, clench your teeth and stick your chin in tight to your neck. Now try to do a couple of lunges or squats. How does that lower back feel? And the creaky knees? Can you push using your thighs or are you too busy trying not to wobble? Keep smiling though, you’ve got to look pretty!!!!!! And don’t you dare object because I might come over and dig my fingers into your rib cage, or tell you to keep your head straight. What? You can’t do it??? It hurts??? 🤯

So now do it again: curl your bum under you, pull your tummy muscles tight, loosen your jaw, relax your shoulders and now have a go.

Easier?

Posture posture posture is SO important!!!! Without core muscle strength, and a relaxed frame, it HURTS to do strenuous exercise 😩

Keep that in mind with any of your training, your horse will thank you 🙏🏻🐎

**DONT DO THIS EXERCISE IF YOU HAVE BACK PAIN** (That’s me telling you, about you, and what you should be saying to your horse 🤔😊🐎)