DSH Equine Myofunctional Therapy

09/08/2024

Im so grateful we are becoming more aware of conditions such as ECVM and Kissing Spine. Horses that are showing discomfort, becoming nappy or anxious, in fact any abnormal behaviour deserve to be looked into and treated if possible. We owe it to our horses to listen to what they are trying to tell us

09/08/2024

Not something you see every day. When I arrived to bodywork this guy I noticed this swelling under his neck and queried his owner about it, turns out he got caught up in the middle of a paddock scuffle and took a kick full force to his throat!!
1st aid was applied immediately and over the next couple of days as the swelling subsided there is a distinct dent in the muscle. Will be interesting to see how it settles over the next few weeks. He already has monthly bodywork sessions and now currently daily cold laser therapy on this injury. Will update when I see him next

08/08/2024

What happened to the weather!!! A beautiful start to the week has turned to winters rain again!!! Very grateful today’s clients are all under cover!!! ☔️☔️
Post featuring Dillon having a snooze in the sunshine ☀️

01/08/2024

Ist of August in the Southern Hemisphere is traditionally the date used to mark the combined birthday of all horses. Our racing and sport horse competition seasons end on July 31st and start on August 1st each year, so take a moment to hug them tight, offer a treat and wish them a very special birthday and health and happiness for the next 12 months ahead

28/07/2024

Sefton/ Amberley bodywork run 5th August, have a couple of spots available if anyone wants them

24/07/2024

Did I mention how much I love my job 🥰

22/07/2024

So grateful my wonderful clients had stables for me to work in today with that freezing wind and rain!!! 8 horses worked on today, lots of good releases and relaxed bodies by the time I left. I’m so lucky I get to do what I do and get to spend time with beautiful horses and their gorgeous people 💙💙

18/07/2024

Big releases from Dillon

16/07/2024

Hey 👋🏻 everyone, so I’ve been thinking of a new deal. From 1st Sept 2024 horses bought to my place in Fernside for treatment will automatically receive a 12% discount.
Just let me know when you book if you are travelling to me or I’m travelling to you 🥰

12/07/2024

What a great week!!
Full week of bodyworking with regular and new clients, a super end to the hunting season on Tuesday. Some meridian work on one of my own, the learning never stops!!! Books are near to full over the next few weeks so if you aren’t a regular please book your appointment in asap so not to miss out

12/07/2024

This is a great article if you are interested in the holistic approach but please 🙏🏻 remember:
🛑if in doubt ALWAYS contact your vet!! 🛑
Colic and turn bad real fast.

Colic in horses can be a distressing and life-threatening condition. Acupressure is an effective method to prevent colic and promote healing

09/07/2024

Yesterday we ended our hunt season for the winter on a beautiful sunny winters day. Fantastic turnout of riders and a fabulous farewell ride Dave Ferriman who’s is retiring from 51 years as huntsman at chch hunt inc.
Pic here of my wonderful boy Pally and my friend’s lovely chestnut mare CeeCee. Before riding out I did a quick treatment on CeeCee who was locked up through her front end. She rode out well afterwards and appeared to be feeling much better. A follow up treatment will be required but it was nice to be able to treat her at the start of the day and see her happy out in the field and jumping spars comfortably 💜💜

04/07/2024

https://equinewellnessmagazine.com/exercise-routine/

Warm up and cool down routines before and after exercise are just as important to your horse’s physical and mental well being as they are for yours.

01/07/2024

My wee helper wasn’t too keen to brave the weather today, much happier tucked up inside out of the rain ☔️

01/07/2024

https://holistic-animal-studies-by-angels-animals-llc.thinkific.com/?ref=a8d3f2

High Quality Courses For Professionals and Animal Owners Offering state of the art learning experiences in animal bodywork and holistic health.

21/06/2024

Saw this on a page I follow and it was too good to not share

20/06/2024

16/06/2024

It wasn’t that long ago, horses presenting with the below signs were described as “naughty”, “feral”, “nasty” etc. Thankfully most people now understand that behavioural changes are more often than not pain related. If you suspect your horse may have ks please consult with your vet for X-rays, as this is the only way to confirm for sure.

14/06/2024

🩷SPONSORED RIDERS 24/25 SEASON🩷

It’s a huge pleasure to have 4 of my current riders continue on this coming season as well as 2 new ones!!

First up we have
❤️
Sharon Rowlands who has been with me from the start!!
Sharon competes in dressage on her gorgeous boy Marko and also has Ricky, a young tb she is bringing on quietly.
It’s always a pleasure working on her horses and picking her brains about ways to improve my riding!!! 🤣🤣
❤️
Hess Vertogen came on board last season and has been a fantastic ambassador for our business.
Hess competes in dressage on her beautiful big mare Lee and equally gorgeous gelding Nio. Always the professional, juggling horses with running businesses, coaching and being super mum to her two wee boys!! I don’t know how she fits it all in!!
❤️
Julia Percy has also been on board for the past couple of seasons.
Julia show jumps her super wee pocket rocket 🚀 Magnum as well as being a riding instructor at Maris Equestrian. We wish Julia a successful season ahead.
❤️
Faith Blakemore has been on the team forever!!!
Faith has a team of horses, Twist will be show jumping while Dillon will be RTR and is currently hunting. She is hoping to have a couple of extras on the truck this summer, a TiES contender and possibly another showjumper too. When not riding her own horses Faith helps out at Driftwood Sport Horses riding schoolers and sales horses.
❤️
Maris Equestrian are coming on board this season too!! Run by Nicole Daikee, Maris Equestrian is a well respected riding school in Templeton. Nicole takes great pride in her business and great care of the horses. It’s a pleasure to work alongside her to keep her horses in tip top shape.
❤️
Myla Weiss is also new this year and this is her introduction in her own words.
Hi I’m Myla nearly 16 yrs old. I own my own horses, Ben who is my show-jumper and Rodger my little project horse who I hope to produce into a sport horse. My plan this season is to compete at junior rider level and work my way up . My passion is show jumping but give all my horses a lot of variety!
Good luck this coming season Myla!!!

Roll on spring and the new season, it’s going to be a good one!!

DSH Equine Myofunctional Therapy
Driftwood Sport Horses Ltd

14/06/2024

It’s that time again, sponsored rider introductions.
Normally I do an “open for applications” post about this time of year, but this year I have opted to fill the spots without application.
I will be introducing my 24/25 riders in another post shortly. ☺️
Driftwood Sport Horses Ltd
DSH Equine Myofunctional Therapy

12/06/2024

Missed the best bits, but lots of good releases from Mac after a cranial sacral and bodywork session this morning

28/05/2024

Ody started out not really appreciating his bodywork sessions, now they are definitely more than ok in his eyes 💙💛

26/05/2024

This is great!!

Friday Fact - The Lymphatic System

Essential for strong immunity, the lymphatic system protects the body against bacteria and disease.

The lymphatic system consists of lymph, lymph vessels, lymph nodes and bone marrow.

20/05/2024

From Reverence Equine

Meet Peggy.

Peggy is the skeletal remains of a polo pony mare that was euthanized due to dangerous behavior. It was said that she, and I quote, "was trying to kill people".

The first image is of Peggy's thoracic spine. The spinous processes of her vertebrae directly under where the saddle would be not only have no space between them, but have rubbed so hard against each other that they wore holes in the adjacent bones. Attachment points for tendons and ligaments further down on the vertebrae are spiky and sharp and feature errant bony deposits where her body was trying to support soft tissue structures that were under tremendous abnormal strain.

The second picture is of the ventral aspect of Peggy's lumbar spine. This is the view you would have if you laid down on the ground on your back underneath skeleton Peggy and looked up towards the sky. Not only does she have areas where the vertebrae are trying to fuse to stabilize her back, she has an enormous 1.5" bony growth jutting out, right into a channel where long muscles of the back run and attach.

The reason I got to meet Peggy is because she was given to a friend of mine, and the reason she was given to them is because the horrific pathologies her skeleton exhibits are run of the mill at the institute her body was donated to. She is not unusual, she is the norm.

This mare did not become this way overnight - this took years and years of poor riding to manifest to this degree, undoubtedly with signs along the way. The longer I work with horses, the more I recognize that they are extraordinarily willing to tolerate immense discomfort to do what is asked of them until they simply can't anymore. They always find a way to tell us - it then becomes of matter of whether we know how (or care) to listen.

The horse that starts out stiff every ride is not "cold-backed". Something is going on.

The horse that throws a buck after every jump is not just "quirky". Something is going on.

The horse that pins its ears while being groomed, the horse that consistently can't hold the left lead canter, the horse that swishes its tail when you put your leg on...

Something is going on. If we can't put empathy before ego, we have to ask ourselves: who are we in this for, us or the horse?

Many thanks to Saxon Alexandra of Actuality Equine LLC for sharing Peggy with me.

08/06/2023

So much going on with this kid, feel like I only scratched the surface in the hour & 1/2 I was working with him

06/06/2023

Caught up with sponsored rider Julia and her gorgeous boys today for their monthly massages. Regular maintenance is the key 🔑

30/05/2023

I might only be a small business but I try and help out where I can. Here’s some vouchers and WBB Equine Salve ready to go out to competitions I sponsor.