On Point Veterinary Services

11/03/2025

If your horse has an asymmetrical pelvis, this could be why.

Dr. Larry Bramlage and Dr. Kevin Haussler share details on pelvic fractures in racehorses following the death of 2025 Breeders' Cup contender She's Quality: https://tinyurl.com/349439ry

10/31/2025

Henry came to work today and learned about driving. He says he likes it better than riding, so perhaps Bustin Bieber needs to start cross-training and learning to drive. 😉

10/31/2025

It was take your child to work day! 💕

10/30/2025

🐴🧠 Neurodynamics & Neuroplasticity in Horses

When we think equine rehabilitation, we often focus on joints, muscles and tendons. But the nervous system - and how it adapts or mal-adapts after injury - is a powerful force in movement, compensation and recovery.

Here’s what every equine rehab practitioner should understand 👇

1️⃣ Neural communication runs through more than nerves
Beyond the obvious nerves and spinal pathways lies a dynamic network of neural control: spinal reflexes, peripheral nerve mechanosensitivity, neural gliding, and central motor-pattern systems. These pathways respond to injury, loading, posture and movement. When a limb fails, the nervous system rewires. When posture shifts, neural tension often follows.

2️⃣ Neuroplasticity = the nervous system’s ability to change
In horses, injury, pain or chronic compensation triggers structural and functional changes in the nervous system. That might include altered timing of muscle activation, modified reflex thresholds, or sensitised neural tissue - meaning the “system” now runs on a new, less efficient program. Recognising these changes can explain why an apparently healed limb still under-performs.

3️⃣ Neurodynamics = how the nervous system moves with the body
Neural tissues don’t sit still. They glide with motion, respond to stretch, and adapt to posture. A tight dorsal sling, rotated pelvis, or chronic head carriage can place abnormal strain on neural pathways, limiting mobility, altering gait, and contributing to hidden dysfunction. Mobility limitations that seem musculoskeletal may actually be neurodynamic in origin.

4️⃣ Why this matters in rehab
When you see persistent gait asymmetries, subtle head nods, or rider-induced stiffness, ask: is the nervous system locked into a compensatory program?

⚡️Standard “stretch & strengthen” may fail if neural control hasn’t readjusted. You might need neural mobilisation, proprioceptive re-education, and spinal pattern retraining.

Movement becomes therapy not just for tissues, but for the nervous system - re-teaching the body how to control motion rather than simply doing motion.

✅ Takeaway
Rehabilitation isn’t only about bones, muscles or fascia. It’s also about rewiring the nervous system’s software to restore efficient, symmetrical, pain-free movement. When you think neuro-plasticity + neuro-dynamics, you step from reactive rehab into strategic movement design.

10/23/2025

🧠💪🏽 Laterality isn’t just a rider’s “feel” 👉 it’s measurable, it’s biomechanical, and it runs deep.

📊 Research by Krüger et al., 2022 (Laterality in Horse Training: Psychological and Physical Asymmetry in Horses, Animals, 12(8):1017) and Kuhnke et al., 2022 (A Comparison of Different Established and Novel Methods to Assess Laterality in Horses, Front. Vet. Sci., 9:789260) found that:

🔎 Rein tension is rarely equal. One rein almost always shows higher tension - and that isn’t a rider error. It reflects a fundamental left–right asymmetry in the horse’s neuromuscular system. What you feel in your hands is a direct representation of how the horse organises movement through the spine and limbs.

🔎 Hindquarter displacement is common. Even in apparently “straight” horses, the pelvis and hindquarters often drift a few centimetres off the midline. That subtle shift alters how force travels through the body, changes back muscle activation, and can lead to uneven loading in the forelimbs.

🔎 Rider asymmetry compounds the problem. The research also found that when a horse’s laterality matches the rider’s dominant side, rein tension and movement patterns become more balanced. But when they don’t, asymmetries often worsen - amplifying drift, poll bend, and uneven contact.

📏 What does this mean for us as vetrehabbers?
Laterality is not something to “fix”. It’s a pattern rooted in the horse’s brain, musculoskeletal system, and history. Recognising it allows us to:
✅ Design targeted groundwork to balance hindquarter control.
✅ Support more symmetrical development in the trunk and thoracolumbar fascia.
✅ Coach riders on how their seat and rein habits influence what happens beneath them.

🐴 Straightness isn’t about straight lines - it’s about balanced neuromuscular control. And the evidence shows that paying attention to these details can make the difference between subtle compensations and sustainable, symmetrical performance.

📆 Join us at the Vet Rehab Summit on 8 November, where Kevin Haussler will discuss Redefining Laterality in Horses, and Maria Teresa Engell dives into The Rider’s Influence on Equine Biomechanics and the Role of Off-Horse Training for Technical Riding Skills

10/19/2025

If you are an owner, trainer, vet, farrier, saddle-fitter — in short, anyone entrusted with a horse’s care — then there is one body of work you absolutely must make part of your foundation:

The groundbreaking research of Dr. Sue Dyson, internationally lauded for her work on equine locomotion, lameness, and the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram.

Why is this non-negotiable?

Because too much of the horse world still operates on opinion, tradition, and guesswork — methods and ideas handed down over decades without being challenged by science.

But horses don’t lie.

Their behaviors, posture shifts, subtle gait changes, unwillingness or tension under saddle — these are communications.

They are not “quirks,” nor should they be dismissed as mere “bad days.”

They are early warnings of discomfort, strain, or pain — long before overt lameness sets in.

Dr. Dyson’s research distills years of careful observation, peer-reviewed studies, and clinical validation into tools that allow us to see what we otherwise miss.

Her 24-behavior ethogram teaches us what horses do (or avoid doing) when ridden in pain — before the issue becomes overt or chronic.

As guardians of our horses’ welfare, we must move beyond subjective “this feels right” or “this is how things have always been done.”

It is our responsibility to know how horses truly work — physically, mentally, emotionally — because riding them is a choice, not their natural state.

They trust us to see the signs.

They rely on us to act before problems escalate.

When vets, trainers, farriers, and saddle-fitters all share a common, science-based vocabulary — when we can spot early indicators of pain together — the difference is profound:

Fewer breakdowns
More longevity
Better performance
Deeper relationships built on trust

If you want to be a true steward of horse welfare, then Dr. Dyson’s work must no longer be “optional” — it must be core.

Are you ready to raise the bar — for yourself, for your horses?

https://courses.equitopiacenter.com/product/how-to-recognize-the-24-behaviors-indicating-pain-in-the-ridden-horse/

10/13/2025

Register for the 2025 USDF Sport Horse Seminar! 🎓

Designed for riders, trainers, breeders, and judges alike, the USDF Sport Horse Seminar is an essential educational experience for anyone involved in breeding or developing dressage horses.

Whether you're evaluating prospects, preparing for inspections, or honing your judging skills, this seminar offers valuable insights into conformation, movement, and competition structure. Register now at the link below to join us at Hilltop Farm in November!

📆 Register by October 24
🔗 https://www.usdf.org/education/other-programs/sport-horse-seminars/seminar.asp

02/12/2025

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/baker-institute/research-baker-institute/h5n1-avian-influenza-bird-flu

An update from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on H5N1 Avian influenza In March of 2024, a group of scientists from the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center, in collaboration wit

02/07/2025

On Point Veterinary Services scheduling update for 2025:

Due to increased cancellations and missed appointments, I'll be charging for last-minute cancellations and missed appointments. Given enough notice (5-7 days), I can often fill appointment slots when clients have to cancel.

Any cancellations within 5 days of the previously scheduled appointment will be charged the full price of a chiropractic appointment ($120) and the travel fee, depending on the appointment location. If I can fill the spot, no fee will be charged. My phone number is (585)420-8386, and the best way to reach me is via text.

If you're canceling due to an emergency, please let me know.

I truly appreciate all of my clients, particularly those who stay on a regular schedule. Thank you all for entrusting me with your horses' health. I look forward to a year full of horses feeling in tip-top shape!