OAKS Equine Massage

16/08/2024

Summer is a great time of the year to be a horse owner but let's not forget that heat, aggressive insects, and drought-hardened pastures can really impact the health and comfort of our equine friends.

One of the side effect of the heat for some horses is the inability to sweat properly. This condition, called anhidrosis, is potentially dangerous for horses because it compromises their ability to thermoregulate even in weather that doesn’t seem that hot, and therefore puts them at higher risk of heat stress.

Anhidrosis is not fully understood yet; it is widespread in the hot and humid regions of the southeastern United States and the Gulf states, but it is also widely reported elsewhere during the summer and particularly during heat waves. If your horse has a high respiratory rate and does not seem to tolerate turnout on hot days, be sure to discuss it with your veterinarian.

Remember that administering unnecessary medications without consulting your horse doctor first could do more harm than good, as it puts your equine friend at risk of developing harmful side effects!

05/08/2024

If your horse keeps having the same issues or not wanting to do something and you keep trying the same things to "fix" it, nothing will change.
Massage is used for more than just when the horse is injured or if/when a veterinarian recommends the treatment.
Call me today to see all the ways I can help your horse! 606.356.4234

28/07/2024

It is fair week in Connersville Indiana and we are here to enjoy the first few days!
Give a shout if you see me or your horses need anything!!
606.356.4234

04/07/2024

Happy Birthday USA!!

21/06/2024

With high temperatures across the country, please be reminded of regulations regarding electrolyte use. For example, electrolyte patches cannot be used within 24 hours of a race or Vets' List workout. For more information: https://www.hiwu.org/education-and-resources/horsemen-reminder-electrolytes

14/06/2024

Keep this in mind as the summer heat ramps up. 🐎The horse's safety and well being always comes before our own. ❤️

07/06/2024

Infographic Thursday also covers Feeding Fridays: Horses get help with forage digestion from microbes (good bugs, unlike that blister beetle!!) that convert some of the tough to digest parts of hay into volatile fatty acids that the horse can use... Thank you Dr. Kathy Anderson from Nebraska Animal Science for sharing this great info

27/05/2024

Always remember.... Never forget

22/05/2024

19/05/2024

Imagine you’re assigned a partner project in school. Only one of you gets to read the directions for the assignment, and then you have to explain it to your partner in a language that is secondary to both of you. You’d expect some miscommunications and misunderstandings, right?

That’s basically what’s happening while riding a horse. Whether in a lesson or a ride of your own direction, you as the rider are the only one who knows the assignment. It’s then your responsibility to relay that information to your horse, speaking through intention and cues that are a second language to both you and your horse. Your horse doesn’t understand what your trainer is saying he’s supposed to do - he’s relying on you to tell him.

Keep this in mind any time you’re riding and you feel like your horse isn’t listening, or you get frustrated with a missed distance or a sloppy transition. Remember that you’re the only member of this team who knows the assignment, and your horse is relying on you to tell him the game plan. Sometimes we make mistakes in our cues or our timing, we start thinking too many steps ahead or we forget to clue him into the next movement in time. Sometimes the horse is a little distracted, or tired, or not feeling it today. But most of the time, he’s doing his best he can with the information you’re giving him!

25/02/2024

It may be a messy time of year but I am grateful for the change in season!! Come on spring and summer!!

31/12/2023

I want to take a moment and thank all of my wonderful clients for making 2023 the best year yet for OAKS!!! You all are awesome!

Get ready for some big things coming in 2024. My commitment to help horses feel their best will continue to be my main focus!

I am honestly blessed for this opportunity to help you and your equine friends achieve all your goals!

Thanks to Onyx and Lauren Elise Curnutte for saying it best ❤️

16/12/2023

I could watch a horse run all day...

14/12/2023

Pro tip for our long-eared friends! Keep your asses warm this winter. 😂

23/11/2023

From my family to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving

09/11/2023

04/11/2023

Great practical information courtesy of the horse doctors at Barrow Veterinary Service:

NORMAL: NOT JUST A SETTING ON THE DRYER!
If your horse seems a little "off," do you know what his "normal" is? One of the best ways you can determine if your horse is ill is to know his normal vitals—temperature, breaths per minute, heart rate, and capillary refill time. If they are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted! Any refusal to eat a meal or to get up from a recumbent position is also a clue that you and your equine friend need assistance.

31/07/2023

Working and playing at the Connersville Indiana fair. Let's race these ponies!!

25/07/2023

From Stable to Pasture: Enhance the Health and Vitality of Your Horses and Cattle with Pink Himalayan Salt. Contact us today to see how we can help you and your heard.

07/07/2023

BOARDING FACILITIES

Have you heard what OAKS can do for you??

Message me now or call or text to find out!!

606.356.4234

04/07/2023

Happy Independence Day 🎆🎆🎆

Thank you to all of my wonderful clients! May you have a wonderful and safe 4th

01/07/2023

THE SACROILIAC JOINT

The horse's sacrum acts as a sturdy platform for its huge pelvis. There is not a lot of room for movement within the sacroiliac (SI) joint itself. In fact, after the age of 10, the SI joints in most horses are fused. So the question is, if the SI joints are fused, how can one expect to restore normal joint function there?

You have to look at this a little differently than you would a person's SI joint. Think "muscle dysfunction" in this area, as opposed to joint dysfunction.

If your horse is showing hind end discomfort and stiffness, is unable to pick up or maintain canter leads, has poor low back muscle development, cannot engage or lacks impulsion, bucks or rears under saddle, the sacroiliac region may be to blame.

Bodywork and massage therapy can help relax and release the muscles around the joint to increase range of motion, relaxation, balance and enhance performance and well being.