Neck Stretches Part 2!
part two involves stretching, the Atlanta occipital joint and the fascia in the poll. This is a great one for horses that hold a lot of tension up there and will help to release it and give them relief.
More stretches to come soon!
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #stretching #horse #neck
Quick Tip… Wednesday? 🤷♀️😂
I’m so sorry I didn’t get anything posted on Tuesday. It’s been a little crazy between family visiting and client rotations.
I want to make a video on multiple neck stretches but enjoy this quick and easy one that not only helps stretch the neck but also the back.
I hope you all are having a great week and happy hump day!
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #muscle #stretching #follow
How many differences can you spot?
Too many to label. Biggest differences are the more relaxed neck and shoulders and softer muscles.
What tool did I use to achieve these changes?
Answer: MY HANDS. There is absolutely no replacement for my hands. They are my eyes when I am working on a horse. They are able to feel tissue textures, temperatures, tension. They are able to manually release and reset the nerve communication pathways in a trigger point.
While I do have many tools in the toolbox, they are complimentary to my hands. Did you know, a knot/adhesion in the fascia will ALWAYS be there until it is manually released. If you understand the structure, makeup and function then you will know that no machine or gimmick can achieve the release needed.
If your bodyworker disregards their hands through the session, it might be time for a new one.
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #hands #muscle #horse #pnw #follow #me #letsplayagame
~ SADDLE FITTING~
One of the big things when it comes to saddle fit is the back spread and spinal channel. The horse’s vertebrae are 3-4 fingers width. If your spinal channel is narrower than that then you are putting pressure directly on the spine. Even with a pad. This can cause them to avoid lifting their back, incorrect use of their body, pain and discomfort and even kissing spine. So flip your saddle over and check the back spread. I did a side by side comparison to show you a saddle with too narrow of a channel and a Burns Saddlery saddle where our saddle makers and designers take great care to make sure we are considering all aspects of the horse while also making high quality saddles.
Please follow and share for lots of tips, tutorials and education and so we can spread awareness and teach others
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #burnssaddlery #saddlefit #saddle #spine #kissingspine #horse #barrelracer #follow #me
Are you guys ready for show season?! I know I am! As always, I will be a vendor all over from barrel races, dressage shows, speed games, show jumping and reining.
Want your horse to perform better, decrease risk of injury and get better scores? I can help!
Upcoming Races/Shows
January 23-25: WAHSET Meet #1(Lynden, Wa)
Feb 22: Wild Hearts Barrel Race(Evergreen State Fairgrounds)
Feb 21&23: WAHSET Meet #2(Lynden, Wa)
March 14-16: Luck Of The Draw Barrel Race(Lynden, Wa)
March 27-30: WAHSET Meet #3(Lynden, Wa)
April 4-6: Sand Cup Barrel Race and Futurity(Moses Lake, Wa)
April 11-12: Barrel Daze race and futurity(Moses Lake, Wa)
- Performance Prep
- Bemer
- Needleless Acupuncture(not acupressure 😉)
- Kinesiotaping
- Musculoskeletal Manual Manipulation
- MicroCurrent Electrotherapy
- Mini Massage Sessions
- Saddle Fitting(Burns Saddlery)
If you are interested in having me as a vendor at your show, reach out as my schedule fills very quickly)
*The work I offer at shows is designed for horses getting ready to perform/compete. I do not offer full sessions or deep tissue at shows as changing their body before they compete can go really good or really bad*
Licensed and Insured
Tension Patterns and Hind Foot Angles
While there can be many and multiple reasons for tension patterns, I have found consistent evidence that when there is moderate tension running up through the hamstrings, through the glutes and into the lumbar, hind feet are the culprit. *This does not mean it is the cause every time or the only contributing factor*
- NPA- negative palmar(front feet) angles or negative plantar(hind feet) angles
- NPA is when the rear part of the coffin bone(p3) is even or lower than the front part
- Can be caused by conformation, poor trimming, loss of digital cushion, incorrect shoe, obesity, etc
- Xrays are the only true way to know exact angles of the coffin bone but there are some checks you can do at home that will give you a good idea.
- Have a knowledgeable and skilled farrier!
- Talk to your farrier about the potential for NPA and about addressing it as if it is, to see if it helps the tension patterns(if X-rays aren’t a possibility at the time) but having those angles on X-ray will help your farrier the most. Making sure you don’t have long toes and underrun heels, adding hind shoes and sometimes a slight wedge are all things your farrier may try.
- Once addressing the hind feet, bring in a bodyworker who understands anatomy and soft tissues to work with and release those tension patterns
Problems seen with NPA and these tension patterns:
- Toe first landing indicating tightness and heel pain
- Inability to truly come under themselves
- Tension and compensation patterns(this may start in the hind end but will snowball to the entire body compensating and risk of injury greatly increasing.
- Lameness
- Poor posture
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #preventionisprotection #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #pnw #education #growth #muscles #tension #farrier #horsehoofcare #equine #follow
A little funny for the morning.
When those uninvited guests overstay their welcome and expect you to share your food.
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #pnw #SpicedCider #throwback #foodaggressive #dinnertime
How to ask for Belly Lifts
* start at the sternum(between front legs)
* Using midline(center) as our contact point
* As much pressure as necessary and as little as possible
* Work your fingers from sternum to end of belly to get a full back lift/stretch
* 18 Thoracic vertebrae, 6 lumbar vertebrae(unless Arabian then there are only 5)
* Best to ask when muscles are warm(after a ride, lunge, etc)
* Can use a firm bristle brush as it asks for the stretch, gives scratchies and breaks up superficial adhesions
When I do belly lifts, I normally also ask for posterior and anterior pelvic stretches as well. I can do a video on that as well but need someone to help hold the camera. Heck, I need to hire someone to follow me around with a camera all day 😂
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #licensedequinebodyworker #horsebackriding #pnw #follow #me #burnssaddlery #education #muscles #growth #horse #bellylift #exercises #stretches
And what an absolutely amazing year it has been! My most successful year so far! From teaming up with an amazing saddle company, working out of state at some big shows, taking more educational courses and of course becoming almost fully maxed out for rotational clients. To say I love what I do would be an understatement. It is a passion that never fades and I’m so excited for the future and what God has planned for me.
2024 is coming to a close but there are some even bigger things coming for 2025!
Thank you to each and every one of not just my clients, but my followers. I wouldn’t be where I am without you entrusting me with your horses.
See you all next year!!!
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #licensedequinebodyworker #horsebackriding #riding #pnw #follow #me #2024 #godsplan #trusthim #burnssaddlery
👆🏻It’s funny but true👆🏻
Poor fitting saddles can cause a slew of issues that range from:
🎭 Behavioral Issues - bucking, bolting, rearing, pinning ears when saddling, gate issues
🥉Decreased Performance - if they can’t freely move their shoulders, round their back, use their thoracic sling, drive from behind due to the saddle causing restrictions or pain then they will have a noticeable decrease in performance.
🦴 Pain - it may start in the back but it will snow ball through the rest of the body as the body compensates. From joint to soft tissue, the dysfunction will spread, risk of injury increases and longevity will decrease.
🫚 Ulcers - while there are many factors that contribute to ulcers, pain and stress are a huge culprit. Now you have a vicious cycle. Pain contributes to ulcers, ulcers cause more discomfort and pain.
- There are no supplements that will make a poor fitting saddle fit
- We work with what we have. Sometimes we can make what you have work, other times it is not possible due to the severity of the poor fit
- Don’t wait until your horse is done growing to buy a good fitting saddle. Those young and formative years are crucial that they can use their muscles and body correctly
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #saddlefit #burnssaddlery #education #me #pnw #horse #horsebackriding #barrelracer #growth
Good morning and happy Monday! Today I wanted to address a common misconception on where the actual hip joint is located. Many equestrians actually mistake it to be where the wing of the Ilium and Tuber Coxae are located.
Now for a little anatomy:
The pelvis is made of 3 bony structures:
- Ilium, Ishium and Pubis
- The Ilium and Ishium come together to form the acetabulum which is the hip joint socket and where the head of the femur will be.
- The Pubis forms the floor of the pelvis and can vary in shape from stallion to mare
- The Tuber Sacral(point of croup), Tuber Coxae(point of hip) and Tuber Ishii(point of buttocks) are all palpable with our hands
- The wings of the Ilium sit on the sacrum and are connected with strong fibrous bands known as the Sacroiliac Ligament aka SI(not a synovial fluid joint).
- The Coxofemoral (Hip) joint is a ball and socket joint.
- Underestimated and Ignored commonly when it comes to lameness and discomfort in the hind end.
🐎 Hit that FOLLOW button
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #anatomy #equinehealth #horses #education #bodywork #bones #pelvis #me
Horses should be able to engage their core and lift their belly with minimal encouragement. If you can’t elicit a belly left with just your fingers then it normally means there is a reason. You should NEVER have to use a hoof pick or other pokey object to force it. At that point there is no benefit and you are only causing discomfort.
The reason could vary but many times it is from restrictions in the vertebrae and/or ribs. Is it the muscle? Bone? Fascia? Is it due to compensation from the hind end? The neck? Poor saddle fit? Poor biomechanics? Potentially a chaotic blend?
This is a before and after video of a horse that was jammed up in the thoracic vertebrae with muscle involvement. I did a blend of massage, fascia work and musculoskeletal manual manipulation. You can see how easily she can engage her core and lift after.
* there are correct and incorrect ways to ask for a belly lift. I will do a tutorial on that soon.
#wildfireintegrativebodyworks #licensedequinebodyworker #ignitinghealingmaintainingwellness #preventionisprotection #anatomy #equinehealth #equinefitness #pnw #horses #education
