Healthy Horses Equine Sports Massage

03/07/2021

Great article!

https://horseandrider.com/horse-health-care/horse-vision-and-eyesight?fbclid=IwAR0ObL2-O3yFCzZ4DWyPm_e3KbixdWEmOp1tC9EZ3lOm_MmsMcxlkwGdIss

How does your horse see the world? Take a ride with us and gain a little insight—from your horse’s perspective.

03/06/2021

Why is hoof function important in blood circulation?

The hoof is a long way away from the heart and the blood in it is subject to the laws of gravity. There are no muscles in the lower leg or hoof to aid in the return of venous blood to the heart.
The miracle of the haemodynamic system therefore plays a huge role in pumping the blood back up the leg while simultaneously acting as a hydraulic damper against the shock and forces of locomotion.

In order to do this efficiently, the system requires movement.
In order to do this efficiently the system needs to be engaged.

This has implications both for podiatry and for management and becomes very important in the case of injury and prolonged loading of supporting limbs.

Movement, and engagement and stimulation of the caudal hoof structures has proven to improve hoof health (Taylor et al. 2020). We know that in the wild horse roam for around 20 miles a day. How much is the lack of movement affecting the different systems of our horses?

Further reading on the haemodynamic system..
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/haemodynamic-mechanism-the-key-to-hoof-health

Further reading on the risks of supporting limb laminitis at this link.
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/supporting-limb-laminitis

10/11/2020

The rider's hand, good soft communication, correct aids and balance, saddle-fit, teeth even the trim and/or correct shoeing... so much affects the development of the right muscles in your horse's neck.
Did you know that in humans over 90% of tension headaches and migraines are caused by chronically tight neck- and shoulder muscles which put pressure on the nerves? I bet this is not different in horses!

This is a great picture - maybe have a look at your horse and compare to see whether your horse's development is on the right track :-)

www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

10/10/2020

12/25/2019

Love them mares!

12/05/2019

😎🐴

12/03/2019

Perspective❣️

11/27/2019

Every senior horse deserves the opportunity to reach their greatest potential. At Purina, thousands of senior horses have made an impact on our team – both o...

11/25/2019

To help you maintain a low hand and closed elbow …

"Imagine you are taking your toddler on her first ride, and she is sitting on your lap in the saddle. Through all of your movements and transitions, those low-together hands and tucked-in elbows act like a seatbelt for your little one to enjoy her first ride safely."
—Bonnie Walker

🎨 Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz

11/23/2019

THE FRONTAL LOBE OF THE HORSE’S BRAIN IS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.

How does this apply to schooling/training? Frontal lobes are involved in higher mental functions such as reasoning. This means that horses cannot reason or plan to be naughty. They cannot be blamed for bad behavior or poor performance. They cannot recognize future consequences. Horses simply react to the situation. They learn through conditioning and memory.

I see and hear so many riders anthropomorphize their horses instead of finding better training tools. Phrases such as, ‘he just likes to be difficult’ or ‘this pony is so naughty’ or ‘he understands or knows what I want, but won’t do it’, or ‘he moves his hindquarters at every halt just to irritate me’. Horses do not know what we want unless we explain it in a manner that they can understand immediately.

A few months ago a rider told me how her horse ‘just does not want to co-operate’. It started with overt flight behavior and then became a subtle ‘snatchy’ movement of the nose. I asked her whether it could be due to discomfort. She answered, ‘no, she is just naughty’. It turned out that the horse was suffering from laminitis and was in severe discomfort! It made me want to cry.

At the moment I am training a young horse from scratch. I also used phrases such as, ‘she has a short fuse’ and ‘she challenges me every step of the way’. Then I realized that everything I was doing on this horse was completely new to her. I realized how frightening that must be for an animal with no reasoning ability. She was actually trying hard to understand me, but when new instructions were a tad confusing, she showed me in no uncertain terms that she did not understand it. The horse’s reactions to learning new skills all depends on personality. This particular horse is extremely sensitive and an introvert. Utopia, my older horse, is less sensitive and a complete extrovert. She can deal with much more pressure than the youngster. The message for me is that I must train each horse with the kind of pressure which they can deal with. Each horse has a different tolerance for pressure. Us riders have to be adaptable to each horse’s ability to deal with pressure. Personally I find that most behavioral problems stem from confusion, discomfort and too much pressure. Photo is the equine brain in front of the human brain.

Thanks to Karin Blignault for the info!!

11/14/2019

😂🐴

11/02/2019

🤠🐴💁‍♀️

10/13/2019

🎃🐴😁

10/09/2019

😳😂

10/07/2019

☕️🐴❤️

09/27/2019

I love this image...

It shows just how vulnerable the young horses’ skeleton is.

Look how long it takes for the lower jaw & poll to mature.

We put bits in young mouths & in some cases force their bodies into an outline way before their skeletons have matured.

09/25/2019

Sanctuary horses from 🖤 If you followed your equine dreams, what would your life be like? I’d be living with my Irish hunter, Anglo Arabian and Cornet (currently ridden by Daniel Deusser) jumping everything in sight 🙌 I might have a mini or two in the front paddock too - just for the cuteness 🖤

09/11/2019

Remember......

Photo credit to Dana Provo Photography, LLC

09/09/2019

!

When I was a kid, I regularly told people that the Tom Petty’s classic “Free Fallin’” perfectly defined my life. In response, those very same people would rightly point out that it did not. In reality, I was raised in rural Pennsylvania, while the woman in the song is clearly a native of the...

08/24/2019

Yep

Absolutely! 🐴😂

08/11/2019

Happy Sunday!!

08/09/2019

💗🐴🙌

08/09/2019

08/07/2019

Thank you to Topline Photos/Kim Suddaby for the photo. When a horse person loses a horse, those uninitiated into the club will tend to compare it to “losing your dog.” That isn’t even close to the reality for your horsey friend… I heard this more than once in the last week and to be honest, ...

07/24/2019

When evaluating the horse, saddle, rider combination it is important to understand the muscles, joints, their positions and function in order to be able to p...

07/23/2019

"Barn Time" is a real thing!

07/16/2019

What should you do (or not do) if your horse shows signs of colic? And how do you prevent colic in the first place? Find out from our veterinary experts.

07/14/2019

Cross-Training does not just relieve mental boredom for your horse. It optimizes his physical abilities to move and perform well.