Phoenix Equestrian

09/23/2024

Here’s the ugly truth of what people don’t tell you about going professional:

You will work 13, 14, 15, 16+ hour days. Not for a lavish vacation, but to put fuel in a truck and a sheepish dinner on the table.
365 days a year. Rain. Snow. Christmas. Funerals. Hot and humid you are there, you are working.
People will tell you your six figure horses will never be nice enough and those three/four figure ones will never be rank enough.
The biggest shows are the loneliest places. People support you until you become a threat, then they will try and break you down.
You will see death and hardships. A lot of hardships.
You will want to give up.

Why don’t people tell you this? Simple. We wouldn’t have an industry.

What people don’t tell you is why you don’t give up:

When that quirky horse gets it.
When you get that first big sale, first client horse, first investor, or the first time your barn fills up.
When those few people believe in you and you start getting phone calls of people being sent to you.
When a training client strikes it big.
When you finish a day and look back at a farm and business you built.

Why don’t people tell you this? Because there’s not a grand enough word to describe that feeling and that’s exactly why we are here.

09/20/2024

I've often said to a client "you can ride your horse to soundness or lameness". I never thought I would have a performance program focused on rehabilitation, taking horses the industry broke, and returning them to a more functional, sound state. You don't have to spend an entire career in this industry to figure out most programs are geared towards using horses for personal gain in their younger years and discarding them once maintenance becomes a requirement for performance soundness. So why are some trainers still competing horses well into their 20s and others or looking to sell their seasoned 15 yr old? It's the program. One is creating a legacy, the other is shuffling assets. And that's not to say it's maliciously intentional on the latter's part. Based on my experience, most are ignorant of what they do.

It is immensely fulfilling taking an older horse passed on for lack of performance ability, rehabilitating it, and returning it to its former glory. The hard part? Sometimes those horses go on and fall right back into the side of the industry that broke it the first time. My hope is that one day the entire industry will reflect the proper knowledge to facilitate better longevity in the horses that gave us everything when we were collecting ribbons for our walls.

Lameness can be the result of imbalanced feet, a chronically irritated ligament that isn’t addressed until it’s a bigger deal, or even stiffness.

09/19/2024

We've been working on riding ba****ck this past month and today Gunner coursed for the first time without a saddle.

09/19/2024

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. But what happens when you put hard work and talent together? 🥰

09/18/2024

Apollo and Lolie having a night ride under the lights. We love riding after sundown as the bugs disappear and the breeze is refreshing!

09/17/2024

Today was packed with much to do! Ziggy continues to improve his tempi changes, Goliath showed us his heart today giving his trot work all his effort (and then some), and both Gio and Phoenix received their monthly trim. Gio continues to be sound and is progressing towards better feet while Phoenix's angles made big changes in response to the right hoofcare. To his owner's surprise, Phoenix has been sound since we pulled his shoes. He was never able to walk without shoes prior to getting his barefoot trim. That speaks volumes!

09/15/2024

Cadans is making some real strides in his Rehabilitation this week. After 1 Shockwave/Acupuncture combination treatment from Dr Connick at Sunny Coast Veterinary his asymmetrical trot stride has made a 90% improvement. We expect a full resolution and are looking forward to bringing him with us to shows this fall ♥️

If you'd like more information about our performance rehab and if we can help your horse, give us a call!

09/12/2024

Sometimes training doesn't look like training. The most "pointless" thing could help your horse the most. Today, Whiskey and I "foraged" together. We walked, talked, picked weeds, worked on posture control, ate tastey snacks, and left the arena with a much more relaxed attitude about the corner with the invisible green troll. Today we won.

09/11/2024

Yesterday was all about the horses hooves. Apollo, Goliath, and Cadans all received their monthly trims. Here are some visual updates tracking their progress. Heels are decontracting, caudal structures getting stronger, and bars are getting some relief. Undoing the damage takes time but everyone is adjusting well and unbothered at being without shoes. In fact, everyone is moving better and showing more relaxed postures.

09/06/2024

Rehab looks good on this guy ❤️

09/05/2024

✨️Whiskey Thief ✨️

Proudly loved by Phoenix Equestrian 💖

09/01/2024

Posture conditioning through proper biomechanics will absolutely give you better physical development. Apollo came to us using his underneck for balance. His neck was quite ewe shaped. Just 5 months late and he's exhibiting that hunter look naturally. It's all in good training. What you get with your horse will be a direct reflection of the quality of your training.

09/01/2024

Lolie and Apollo killing it over 2'6! 💪

09/01/2024

We had a special guest this weekend! Sophia Talarico came in for a 2 day intensive to brush up her riding skills prior to joining the Equestrian Riding Team at Florida Atlantic University. She was recently accepted at FAU into the psychology program. She hopes to become a pediatric psychologist in time. Good luck Sophia! You are a brilliant rider and we look forward to having you back in the future ♥️

09/01/2024

The boys all awaiting their Saturday Spa treatment 🥰 everyone had rolled and gotten quite filthy so we broke out the soap, scrubby brushes, and the conditioner!

08/29/2024

I am continuously wowed by Gawsworth Track Livery and Lindsey at Hoofing Marvellous as they successfully rehabilitate some of the most severe cases of laminitis. A condition I once that a horse couldn't come back from once rotation occurred and now to find out that not only they can, but rotation is man made. Considering the level of imbalance I find most shod horse's hooves in, it doesn't surprise me but still, I was intrigued by this new information. It may be unconventional but the horses are recovering and surviving the condition without reoccurrence. What a wonderful thing to discover ♥️

The traditional way of caring for laminitic hooves isn’t the best way and is actually perpetuating your horse’s lameness.

We see horses arrive with us who have been battling laminitis for months and sometimes even YEARS!!!

Within WEEKS we have the hoof trimmed to its natural parameters and the horse’s comfort levels improve dramatically!

The bottom hoof can take some time for the eye to get used to but for us we LOVE THE LONG TOES!!!

When the long toes reveal themselves we know we are on the home straight and we have got it right!

It takes a few months to grow this HISTORIC damage (damage done by months- years of incorrect horse and hoof care) but once it’s gone we are then left with truly healthy hooves that the horse has grown itself and not what a hoof care provider has rasped to look normal.

08/26/2024

08/24/2024

New course set for the next month! Each month I adjust or change our jump course to train for specific elements that help our riders gain skill over various fences and distances. Going into September we have a 5 stride outside line a 1 stride diagonal and a 3 stride outside line with various trot fences and a beefy square oxer into a tight corner! Want to train with us? Send us a message to learn more!

08/23/2024

Dover Saddlery - Wellington, FL

08/22/2024

Our newest intake for hoof rehabilitation, "Phoenix" is his name. A 17 year old thoroughbred Gelding that is a pasture mate for one of our other rehab cases. After our successes with her dressage horse, she decided to put Phoenix on the barefoot journey. She described him as being extremely uncomfortable and not happy physically. Upon evaluation, I first noticed that he stood with compensatory posture known as toe pointing where they rest one hind leg opposite to the front leg that they prefer to point out in front of their body. When inspecting his shoes, I noticed that the pads applied to the front feet had pr*****ed towards the ground, not allowing his front feet to have any concavity even with the shoes on. I immediately pulled both front shoes and balanced his solar plane to relieve the unbalanced pressure applied to his poor pr*****ed frogs. By the time I finished pulling the shoes and moderately correcting the angles of his hose on three legs, he adopted a square posture with his front end and was more willing to stand for the removal of his remaining shoes. Aside from severely crushed heels, negative angles, and pr*****ed frogs I was able to adjust his hooves well enough that he became much more comfortable in his body posture. He made several physical releases through yawning, licking, chewing, and deep sighs of relief. We were pleasantly surprised that he jogged sound on concrete post trimming. Due to the poor condition of his Hooves we will be using scoot boots and solemate pads for his Rehabilitation over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for his updates.

08/19/2024

✨️ Frequently Asked Question ✨️

Doesn't your cremello get sunburned?

No, he doesn't. He wears a simple fly mask for fly protection. We do not need sunscreen for his nose at all. Our feed program here is void of inflammatory ingredients and supplies him with all the vitamins and minerals he needs for his skin to be burn resistant. This is the same for all the pink noses in our barn!

08/17/2024

Horse shoes and the horse's foot are like OIL AND WATER - they just don't mix!

Ever thought about the relationship between a metal horse shoe and a horse’s natural hoof?

A horse’s natural foot is beautifully arched, a design perfected by nature over 55 million years of evolution.

But when we slap a flat metal shoe on it, we’re essentially working against the hoof’s natural mechanism.

Why does this matter? 🤔

When we trim a horse’s hoof to its natural parameters, the sole plane reflects that natural arch.

This is crucial because it allows for proper weight distribution and shock absorption - enabling passive and active wear patterns.

However, when a flat shoe is applied, it disrupts this balance. The hoof is forced into a shape that it’s not designed to accommodate, leading to a host of issues.

The results of this mismatch are not just minor inconveniences.

Horses are experiencing an epidemic of arthritic changes, tendon strains, ligament sprains, and joint imbalances, navicular - and more.

These conditions stem directly from the fact that horses’ feet were never meant to be flattened out by shoes.

Our horses deserve better. Let’s listen to what their natural hoof is telling us and strive for solutions that honour their well-being



HM.

p.s. if you want to get those flat shoes off your horse and let them have their foot back, then join our free rehab group - The Phoenix Way: Path 2 Hoof Health

p.p.s. watch recordings of our live shows here: Lindsay Setchell Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/

08/16/2024

Lovely day to hack out and school outside the arena ❤️

08/11/2024

When your horse extends through their AO joint [the articulation between the base of the skull and C1], their lower jaw retracts - you can feel this yourself if you point your nose to the sky, notice how your bottom jaw glides back.

When your horse flexes through their AO joint, their lower jaw protracts - you can feel this yourself if you press your chin to your chest, notice how your bottom jaw glides forwards.

When your horse flexes through their AO joint, their laryngeal diameter decreases - you can feel this by pressing your chin to your chest and taking a deep breath in, notice how much harder that is.

If your horse has tension in their jaw, they lose range of motion through their AO joint - you can feel this yourself if you clamp your jaw shut, notice how much harder it is to point your nose to the sky or point your chin to your chest - your neck feels tight and immobile.

And the same can be said if your horse has tension through their AO joint or neck, they will lose range of motion through their jaw.

-

Now do all of those movements again and notice how, when you drop your chin to your chest:

It's difficult to inflate your ribs to breathe,

It's hard to round your back,

Your hips tighten up.

This is because you've impinged your deep ventral line.

We do this to horses when we ride with a rein length/tension that doesn't accomodate and support their anatomy.

So if we compress their jaw and neck, we compromise their ability to:

Breathe

Lift their back to carry a rider

Activate their hindlimb.
..Gives us quite a lot to think about with how many horses are ridden and trained, doesn't it?

-

Want to learn more?

The recording for Train Your Eye - How's Your Bit Affecting Your Horse? is now live on my website.

❤️✨️

08/11/2024

Don't do this

Advice from a trucker.
If this is how you trailer your horse on the drivers side, please stop it immediately. Yesterday made the 3rd time in recent years that I’ve had to put a semi in the ditch (maintained control, not wrecked) to keep from decapitating your equestrian friend with his head 3 1/2 ft. over the center line on a narrow road. Thank you!

08/10/2024

"Charlie" is recovering well from his pythium and thrush infections! Today he trotted perfectly sound 6 weeks after pulling his front shoes and putting him on the road to barefoot. We did not put him to work in the beginning due to the conditions of his frogs, hoof angles, and extreme pain of the right front pythium sore. All swelling is gone and today is day 1 for him! Looking forward to completely rehabbing this guy. His topline needs some serious help due to the atrophy caused by his overall immune condition. Poles to the rescue! 💪

08/09/2024

Look at this guy go!

08/08/2024

Do you want to learn to be a rider or a passenger?

Good coaches are not created equal.

Let’s talk about the lack of quality coaching and lack of standards in the equine industry. For example, kids learning with someone who claims to be an "coach" and all they learned is how to see-saw a horse's head down and chuck their body over a fence like a champion. All coaching is not equal.

But what happens when you have a good coach? One that opens their program to you, takes you under his/her wing? Becomes invested in your success? When you essentially become part of the "family"...

Eventually, something will happen...

Coach tells you that you are not Karen O'Connor 2.0, and not ready to make the move up to the next level.
Coach says you need to go back and fix some holes in your training.
Coach says you have developed a bad habit, and it needs to be fixed before you can accomplish your goals.
Coach says you need to make sure that your horse is being ridden (not just hanging out at the barn).
Coach says you need to dedicate more time to studying the sport, not just riding.
Coach says it isn't a "horse" problem, it is a "you" problem.

People have become increasingly more reactionary. More easily offended. In lieu of everyone getting a trophy, it is so hard to hear these words from people you admire. Some of the best coaches will be the toughest. Not ones that tear you apart constantly, but coaches that aren't afraid to have the tough conversations with you. Or conversations that you may not have wanted to have.

But remember, a good coach is in YOUR corner. They want YOU to achieve success. They dedicate so much more than an hour of time to your growth not only as a rider but as a horseman. Maybe you are burning the candle at both ends (and in the middle), and you need a reality check that this sport requires more of your time and focus.

These conversations can hurt, but while it may sting at first.... take a second. Think about why your coach is against you moving up right now, why your coach is saying to wait until the summer to be a working student, why your coach is saying that you should not enter the show until the homework and flat work is done.

By Courtney Waskiewicz

08/08/2024

Most horses are brought up in training that aims to accomplish tolerance. You see this in action when a horse's head is tied down or excessively tight nosebands and other gadgets that force the physical response desired by the rider.

We should be aiming for acceptance, relaxation, and appropriately learned response so softness is the norm no matter the circumstances.