King Equine Osteopathy

09/10/2025

✨ Kissing Spine Rehabilitation Success ✨

📸 Top photo: August 2020
📸 Bottom photo: April 2020

This 14-year-old horse made an incredible transformation over four months!

Through a carefully structured rehabilitation programme, he has regained strength, flexibility, and confidence — he returned to regular show-jumping lessons and competitions.

✅ Achieved Through

🥕 A carrot-stretching routine to strengthen the multifidus muscle group — the most important spinal stabiliser!
🐎 Long and low ridden stretching
↔️ Lateral work
🪵 Pole exercises
🔹 Small grids
🔁 Walk pirouettes & transitions
🎓 Regular lessons & correct training

🥕 Carrot-Stretching Programme

For rehabilitation: 5× per week for 3 months
For prevention/maintenance: 1–3× per week
Each stretch is held for 5 seconds, then rewarded with the carrot.
Repeat each 5 times per session.

🔶 Stretching Positions:

1️⃣ Chin-to-chest – chin as close as possible to the chest bone
2️⃣ Chin-between-knees – nose level with the knees
3️⃣ Chin-between-fore fetlocks – chin down and back between the fetlocks
4️⃣ Thoracic/Sternal lift – gently press along the sternum to lift and flex the back
5️⃣ Chin-to-girth – lateral stretch to the girth (both sides)
6️⃣ Chin-to-hip – lateral stretch toward the point of the hip (both sides)
7️⃣ Chin-to-hock – lateral stretch reaching back and down toward the hock (both sides)

💪 This programme is the equine equivalent of around 45 abdominal crunches a day —
a simple but powerful way to strengthen postural and spinal support muscles.

🌿 For Maintenance
Once recovered, performing this routine once a week keeps the core and spine strong, reducing the risk of future back issues and supporting healthy, balanced performance.

30/09/2025

🌟 10 Things I Won’t Teach or Tolerate — Rule #2 🌟
Spin Class Is Cancelled

One thing you’ll never see me teach is turning your horse in a circle to stop it.

Think about it: for centuries, horses carried us into battle, across continents, through hunts and competitions — and not once did anyone need to spin them in circles to stop. The whole idea of “disengaging the hind leg” by yanking a horse around is a modern invention, and honestly? It’s one of the worst habits I see riders pick up.

Here’s why:
👉 You can’t do it on a hillside, in a hunt field, or in a competition arena.
👉 It’s unsafe — horses often start linking spinning with fear, and some will even begin spinning on their own.
👉 You’re actually more likely to fall off in a circle than you are in a straight line.

Yes, I teach an emergency stop. But it does not involve spinning your horse around. If your horse can’t stop in a straight line, it’s not properly broken in. Period.

Keep the line. Keep the training clear. And please — stop the spin. 💯

01/08/2025

Today I've put on my brave pants because equine welfare is important to me.... as is being kind, compassionate, supportive and understanding to my fellow riders. This topic is emotionally charged, but it's a conversation that is necessary and sticking our heads in the sand won't help ourselves or our horses.

🧠 Fat Shaming vs. Equine Welfare: Let's Clear This Up 🐴

In the equestrian world, conversations around rider size can quickly become uncomfortable. But here's the thing: talking about load limits isn’t about fat shaming — it's about equine welfare. There’s a big difference between targeting a person’s body shape and discussing what a horse can physically carry without risking pain, injury, or long-term damage.

📣 Your amount of body fat or how much you weigh does not need to be discussed. In fact, a tall muscular person can weigh more than a shorter person who has higher adipose tissue (bodyfat).
This is not a conversation about anyone’s worth, appearance, or character. It’s about physics and biomechanics (which is measurable and does not change), and the welfare of our horses.

📊 The Research Is Clear
Multiple studies support the 20% rule: horses should carry no more than 20% of their bodyweight, including tack and rider. Beyond this point, horses begin to display observable signs of stress and unsoundness — regardless of how balanced the rider is or how well the saddle fits.

🔬 Key Findings

✅ Clayton (2020) found that even with a balanced rider and appropriate tack, horses showed increased gait asymmetry, higher heart rates, and signs of discomfort when load exceeded 20% of their bodyweight.

✅ Greve & Dyson (2013) observed that exceeding this threshold often led to lameness, saddle slipping, and altered movement patterns, even in well-conditioned horses.

✅ Powell et al. (2008) demonstrated that horses carrying 25–30% of their bodyweight had significant increases in muscle soreness, heart rate, and fatigue compared to those carrying 15–20%.

⚖️ Yes, There Are Other Factors Too
It’s not just about the numbers. Factors like the age of the horse, their back health, fitness level, the type and duration of activity, and rider skill and balance all matter. A fit, skilled, and light rider may impact a horse less than an unbalanced one — but weight is still weight, and the research shows even the best riders cannot eliminate the risk once past the 20% threshold.

🤝 No Room for Bullying
There is absolutely no place for abuse, bullying, or humiliation of riders. Conversations around appropriate rider-horse matching must be sensitive, kind, and thoughtful. It’s essential to create space for honest, supportive discussions without shame.

🐴 But We Must Do More to Protect Our Horses
Our horses can’t speak up when they are struggling. It is our duty to advocate for them, to keep their welfare front and centre, and to ensure they are not placed in situations where physical harm is inevitable.

If you’re unsure whether you're within your horse’s safe load limit, consider:

✅ Weighing yourself and your tack

✅ Knowing your horse’s actual weight (not just guessing)

✅ Speaking with a vet, bodyworker, or qualified saddle fitter

✅ Exploring different breeds or horse types that better match your riding needs

🥰Let’s keep these conversations kind, factual, and horse-centred.
Protecting our horses is not up for debate.

21/07/2025

Are you interested in Elephant Osteopathy? If so, then you don't want to miss out on these opportunities...

Twice a year, Tony Nevin runs an Elephant Osteopathy workshop in Northern Thailand which is open to osteopaths, vets, chiropractors, physios and animal practitioners. It includes 30 hours CPD and a unique elephant experience that will bring you memories for a lifetime!

Find out more details by emailing [email protected]

17/07/2025

Just 3 months till our next workshop!

Limited spaces still available 🐘

Email [email protected] for further details

12/07/2025

Before and after of a horse with a right psoas spasm, right sij restriction and lumbar rotation 🦄

11/07/2025

Nothing better than watching horse-patients win at the races 🤩 🐎 🦄

10/07/2025

Everyone trying to take part in Jolene’s treatment 🦄

05/07/2025

💞🦄💞

04/07/2025

For those wanting a great magazine to subscribe to, have a look at Animal therapy magazine 🦄🐶🐘

“New Zealand has a strong equestrian community, with horses excelling in disciplines like dressage, eventing, and show jumping. Equestrian sports can push horses to their physical limits and any discomfort or injury can affect their ability to compete and their overall quality of life. The demands of these sports can place significant physical stress on horses, leading to issues such as muscle stiffness, joint pain, and poor posture. Stiffness and pain are often shown in horses as an unwillingness to perform movements they previously found easy, or through pain-based behaviours such as bucking, rearing, reluctance to move forward, napping, and impaired performance. By addressing musculoskeletal issues, osteopathy helps horses perform better and recover faster, allowing them to stay healthy and active in the long term.”

Turn to page 14 in Issue 35 for a wonderful article about Animal Osteopathy in New Zealand, written by Emily King.

25/06/2025

Who else agrees? 😅

24/06/2025

Horses are highly sensitive to tetanus neurotoxin and face infection risk throughout life. The tetanus vaccine is highly effective, while unvaccinated horses often die if they become infected. Current New Zealand and Australian guidelines on vaccination have inconsistencies regarding optimal immuniz