Green Animal Osteopathy / Martine Groeneveld

04/01/2025

Happy New Year and best wishes to all!

A new year, a new schedule. Reminders for visits are always welcome if I haven't reached out yet.

Thank you

CALIFORNIA:
Jan. 5: Carpinteria
Jan. 6: Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande
Jan. 7-10: Arroyo Grande
Jan. 11: Salinas
Jan. 12: Watsonville
Jan. 13: Carmel valley
Jan. 14: Gilroy
Jan. 15-18: Watsonville
Jan. 20-21: Temecula
Jan. 22: Santa Clarita
Jan. 23: Ojai
Jan. 27: Sunland
Jan.28: Fallbrook, Temecula

FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA
Jan.30-Feb. 2: Orlando
Feb. 2-4: Ocala
Feb. 5: Bluffton
Feb.6: Aiken
Feb. 7: Chapin
Feb. 8: Aiken
Feb. 9: Charlotte
Feb. 10: Aiken

CALIFORNIA
Feb. 13: Elfin Forest
Feb. 14: Sunland
Feb. 17-18: Ramona
Feb. 19: Rancho Santa Fe, Oceanside
Feb. 20: Temecula
Feb. 24: Menifee
Feb. 25: Sunland
Feb. 26: Santa Barbara
March 4: Sunland

CALIFORNIA, NEVADA
March 5-20: Bay Area, Reno, NoCA (schedule following)
March 21: Santa Clarita
March 24: Lakewood
March 25: Ojai

OREGON
March 25-April 6

Rest to follow soon.

21/12/2024

Last trip of the year is done! Much improvement in the follow up cases, which is always great to see.
Spend some days in the Landrum/Columbus area collaborating with fellow equine osteopath EDO Yarden Cohen. We've been doing this now for 3 years, every 6 months, and plan to do it for many more!
Had the opportunity to assess some ECVM horses to gather data on body, feet and teeth. The purpose is to assess possible common compensatory patterns, with the hope that horses with this issue might be picked out sooner then later and to recommend diagnostics. Some interesting findings so far, but many more horses would need to be assessed. An ongoing project for the next few years!
Currently working on the schedule for next year and will post soon. Reminders for a visit are always welcome, so please feel free to reach out if I haven't yet so far.
(Yarden travels in NC, SC, GA and surrounding states. Feel free to reach out to her for a visit,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095341271483602)

30/11/2024

FROM HYOID TO HOOF
How the tongue bone affects the hoof bones (and connecting structures)

A fascinating and strong connection exist between the hyoid bone and the front hooves. The position of the hyoid can be the determining factor in the position of the hooves.

The hyoid is a horseshoe-shaped bone located at the bend where the floor of the mouth meets the angle of the neck (at the level of the third neck vertebra). It’s connected to other bones only by muscles, ligaments and fascia: mandible (lower jaw), temporal bone (where the ear attaches), sternum (breast bone), scapula (shoulder blade) and vertebral column (spine). It also has a strong fascial connection to all the organs in the body. The position of the hyoid is a result of the tensions in these structures combined.

As the bone is thin and fragile, it’s susceptible to trauma. This could lead to bony changes in any of the movable parts, resulting in a fixation of the bone on one or both sides. Its proximity to the guttural pouch also makes it susceptible to taught scar tissue restrictions after a strangles episode.

The horse in this case is a good example of the hyoid interfering with the innate pattern of the horse, causing compensations in the front hooves.

This gelding was visited for osteopathy (March ’24) after he was diagnosed with Lyme’s disease. He also showed to have a parasite infestation. Priority was given to support his body in healing from these issues with treatment and supplements. Several months later, he was feeling much better and priority could shift elsewhere.

He showed in his body to be a left dominant horse, meaning he tends to put more weight over his left shoulder making it easier for him to bend right. This pattern showed compensations in his body; the base of his neck (C7) was sitting in a side-bend to the right and his front teeth had created a slant/wedge right (higher side is his right). These compensations are in line with each other and in line with the pattern of a left dominant horse. The expected compensatory pattern in the front feet would be a higher/narrower foot on the left and a lower/wider foot on the right. Although both feet were pretty low, the left front was obviously the wider and lower one. This wasn’t in line with his innate and expected compensatory pattern. Therefore, this was caused by something else.

His hyoid on the left showed to be very retracted (pulled high up from its position) with a lot of dense fascia around it, most likely scar tissue. Something must have happened in his past which resulted in a possible injury/trauma on the left hyoid and surrounding tissues. His larynx (throat) was also positioned to the left due to the pull of the hyoid.

The contraction in this left area had a chain reaction through his neck, down to the left front leg. The hyoid attaches to the temporal bone (where the ear attaches), which is also the attachment of the brachiocephalic muscle of the neck. The other end of this muscle attaches on the humerus, the ‘upper arm’ of the front leg. Through this chain, the hyoid affects the structures (bones and tissues) in the front leg on the same side.

The hyoid and contracted tissues had caused a change in position of the temporal bone, which affected the attachment of the brachiocephalic muscle in the neck, causing an upwards pull in the muscles on the front part of the leg (extensor muscles), causing an upwards pull on the toe and downwards on the heel.
It’s not uncommon to find a hyoid issue in a high/low hoof situation.

Looking at the WHOLE HORSE is necessary to understand local issues. The clues to solving the puzzle might be in a completely different area of the body then the issue you’re looking at.

23/11/2024

A great trip finished on the East Coast; South Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The weather was mild and the fall colors spectacular.
Highlight of the trip was collaborating with colleague EDO Kate Schaffer in the North East (https://www.facebook.com/share/18KwFMs2dW/) and newly graduated osteopath EDO Megan Wicks in the Mid East (https://www.facebook.com/MWmagnawave?mibextid=LQQJ4d).
Both Kate and Megan can be reached for equine bodywork and osteopathy in their areas.
We’ll do this again in 6 months.

09/11/2024

A few fantastic days working together with colleague equine osteopath EDO Kate Schaffer at Mango Bay Equestrian in the Boston area. Collaborating with others keeps you sharp in your mind and feel, plus it’s double the fun! So we’ll do it again in 6 months. Kerri and Ruby, thank you for organizing and hosting!
Kate travels in the New England area for anyone looking for osteopathic work for their horse.

20/10/2024

Another great trip in Oregon with Rachel Ashworth, osteopathic bodyworker. We visited 54 horses and were excited to see all the returning horses doing so well and to be able to help new horses . The weather was mild and beautiful and we topped off the visit with a 9.5 miles hike on the last day. We will be back April 2-13.
Anyone looking for osteopathic bodywork for their horses or themselves (she works on people as well), Rachel Ashworth travels around in Oregon. Feel free to reach out to her. https://www.facebook.com/BalancingPointEquineBodyWork?mibextid=LQQJ4d

08/10/2024

UPDATED SCHEDULE TILL THE END OF THE YEAR

If you see your area on the schedule, but haven't received a message yet, I very much welcome a reminder. Thank you.
PS. Florida is scheduled for February 2025 and North California/Nevada for March

OREGON
Oct. 9 - 20

CALIFORNIA
Oct. 21-22: Menifee
Oct. 23: Fallbrook, Temecula
Oct. 28-30: Arroyo Grande

SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, Aiken

MARYLAND
Nov. 3: Bel Air

MASSACHUSETTS
Nov. 5 - 8: Bedford
Nov. 9: Hubbardston

MARYLAND
Nov. 10: Bel Air

VIRGINIA
Nov. 11: Winchster
Nov. 12: Dublin

NORTH CAROLINA
Nov. 13: Charlotte

SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 14: Westville
Nov. 15-21: Aiken

CALIFORNIA
Nov. 22: Thousand Oaks
Nov. 25: Santa Barbara
Dec. 1: Simi Valley, Moorpark
Dec. 2: Carpinteria
Dec. 3: Moorpark, Agoura Hills

SOUTH CAROLINA
Dec. 4: Aiken

NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA
Dec. 5-12

SOUTH CAROLINA
Dec. 13-19: Aiken

CALIFORNIA
Dec. 20: Agoura Hills
Dec. 23: Sun Valley

21/09/2024

FALL WARNING: WATCH OUT FOR ELEVATED INSULIN LEVELS

ACTH is an abbreviation for adrenocorticotropic hormone. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Cortisol is needed for many functions, but for this post I’d like to focus on the regulation of blood sugar.

Cortisol raises blood sugar by releasing stored glucose into the bloodstream. This will in turn cause the pancreas to produce more insulin to move the sugar into cells where it then will be used for energy.

So, fall raises ACTH levels, which raises cortisol levels, which raises glucose levels, which raises insulin levels.

In short; fall raises ACTH levels and therefore insulin levels.

The levels of ACTH, and therefore glucose and insulin, rise in the fall and the spring, with the highest levels in the fall. The reason for this isn’t clear yet, but a possibility might be the body’s preparation for harsh winters and seasonal shortage of food, therefore needing the stored glucose reserves for energy.

The fluctuations in these levels happen in every horse, no matter the breed or location of the horse.

Higher insulin levels pose a risk for developing insulin resistance, which in turn increases the risk of laminitis. Previously unaffected metabolic horses could now spike into a laminitis episode even though no changes were made to food intake, condition and situation.

With this knowledge in mind, horse owners and professionals can take proactive steps during fall and spring to manage the risk.

For example:
-Limiting feeds high in sugars and starches (like grains, rich pastures, or rich hay). Instead, providing low-carb hay or grazing on restricted, controlled pasture can help insulin levels stable

-Reducing overall caloric intake by reducing portions

-Encouraging a forage-based diet that offers low-energy forage

-Regular exercise increases insulin sensitivity and promotes weight loss

-Supplements to improve immune health, reduce inflammation and increase insulin sensitivity

-Blood tests to monitor insulin levels and other metabolic markers can help identify issues early

Prevention is key! Let's try to get through fall without issues.

07/09/2024

“INCISORS (FRONT TEETH) DON’T NEED ANY WORK”

It’s a statement some horse owners might hear when discussing dental care with the equine dentist. It’s sometimes followed by the explanation that “INCISORS AREN’T BEING USED, THEREFORE THEY DON’T NEED ANY DENTAL WORK”.
While this may sound logical at first, it actually isn’t.
In this post I would love to explain the reasons why, hoping more people will come to understand the importance of working on the incisors.

Horse teeth don’t grow, but erupt during the horse’s life. All the teeth erupt at the same rate, meaning incisors erupt at the same rate as molars. They also wear at the same rate. So, eruption of incisors and molars equals wear of incisors and molars. This keeps a beautiful balance between the length of both incisors and molars, making sure one doesn’t get longer than the other, for example short incisors with long molars, or long incisors with short molars. Load/pressure of teeth touching each other should be distributed evenly over all the teeth, this means on incisors and molars evenly. This is how nature has intended this mechanism to work and it’s a beautiful design.

Domestication, however, throws this mechanism off. It interferes with the balance in eruption and wear.
One of the main causes is the soft food/hay horses eat in domestication compared to rough forage out in the wild. Hay is pre-cut, so no ripping and tearing is needed with the incisors, and even horses who graze on grass don’t have enough abrasion from the grass to wear the incisors down. Grinding of hay/grass with the molars causes some wear on the molars. Therefore, while all the teeth in the mouth erupt evenly, the balance is disturbed when there’s no wear on the incisors, but some wear on the molars.
Added to that is then the focus of many equine dentists exclusively on the molars during dental appointments, reducing these even slightly more, while neglecting the incisors.

This results in longer incisors with shorter molars; the balance is disturbed. Often the incisors start to show crooked alignment partly due to the overload in pressure.
For this reason, dentistry should help restore this balance by ‘wearing off’ on the incisors what nature would have intended, but domestication is disturbing. If this is omitted, this disturbed balance will slowly exacerbate over the years.

So, the statement would actually have to be:
‘INCISORS AREN’T BEING USED, THEREFORE THEY ABSOLUTELY NEED DENTAL WORK’.

Both incisors and molars require attention and care for best dental health and alignment.

PS. The pictures show examples of horses who received recent dental care, but no work on the incisors. Therefore the incisors were addressed as a step towards better alignment.

17/08/2024

Due to being 'unplugged' for a few weeks, I'm very behind on catching up on texts and messages. If you've reached out, but haven't received a reply yet, I welcome the help of a reminder. Thank you!

UPDATED SCHEDULE

COLORADO
August 18 - 22

CALIFORNIA
Aug. 26: Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande
Aug. 27: Arroyo Grande
Aug. 28 : Templeton
Aug. 29: Salinas, Carmel Valley
Aug. 30 - 31: Watsonville
Sep. 1: Gilroy
Sep. 2 - 8: Watsonville
Sep. 9: Scotts Valley
Sep. 10: San Jose
Sep. 11: Petaluma
Sep. 12 - 13: Sonoma
Sep. 14: Vacaville
Sep. 15: Danville, Gilroy
Sep. 16: Watsonville
Sep. 17 -18: Salinas, Carmel Valley
Sep. 23: Orange County, Huntington Beach
Sep. 24: Sun Valley
Sep. 25: Sylmar
Sep. 26: Santa Paula, Ojai
Sep. 27: Carpinteria
Sep. 28 - Oct. 8: Break

OREGON
Oct. 9 - 20

CALIFORNIA
Oct. 22: Menifee
Oct. 23: Fallbrook
Oct. 24: Murrietta
Oct. 25: Temecula

EAST COAST: SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS
Oct. 29 - Nov. 1: Aiken, SC
Nov. 3: Bel Air, MD
Nov. 5 - 8: Bedford, MA
Nov. 9: MA
Nov. 10 - 19: PA, GA, NC, SC (still working on the schedule)

CALIFORNIA
Nov. 21: Santa Barbara
Nov. 22: Agoura Hills
Nov. 25: Moorpark

EAST COAST: SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA
Dec. 4 - 19

15/08/2024

For the people in Oregon. If you haven’t received your date and time yet for the October visit, please feel free to reach out to Rachel.

Send a message to learn more

27/07/2024

ZIMBABWE

What an experience!
Spending time in a Rhino and wildlife conservancy has been an unforgettable experience. Learning about the different species, big and small (humans included), the habitat/vegetation, the climate and the whole ecosystem that it's all part of, was phenomenal. The love and pride exhibited by the people working and running the conservancy 24/7 to protect the wildlife from poachers, fires, drought, loss of habitat, etc. is clearly visible and tangible in everything they do and a joy to be part of temporarily.

We rode horses every day and it has instilled a new love for riding again. Exploring the plains of Africa on horseback is mesmerizing. All the natural sounds are very peaceful to listen to, wildlife is closer and galloping through the fields is exhilarating.

Africa is special. I look very much forward to visiting again.

06/07/2024

FYI, starting tomorrow, I’ll be offline for the next couple of weeks. Messages, texts and emails will be received, but not read and replied to till the end of this month. Thank you.

05/07/2024

Dental balancing and proprioception

This original post and video was about a year ago. Even though this gelding had received dental care on a regular basis, the incisors (front teeth) were too long in comparison to his molars. This left him with insufficient contact on his molars and not enough activation of his vestibular system (the ‘mastermind’ of coordination in the body). As a result, his proprioception (for example, knowing where his feet are in space) was off and he had a hard time walking out without the help of his eyesight to see where he would put his feet.
His proprioception was restored after dental balancing and he had no problems walking out blindfolded (he knew where his feet were without seeing).

One year later, we did the same test. We took him straight out of his corral, blindfolded him, asked him to walk out and he showed no problems. This means the dental balance had held up over the past year with appropriate activation of his vestibular system/proprioception. Upon measuring the dental contact/balance, it showed to be exactly the same as how it was created last year. This means the mouth had been working really well for him over the past year, wearing off as much tooth material as had erupted, which is ideal. No hooks had formed on the teeth, another indication that his mouth had been working and sliding well. Very minor dental care was needed this time and most of the attention was spend on relaxing the structures/tissues that assist the mouth in correct movement (tmj’s, poll, neck) which is a key component for a good mouth.

The combination of dental care with release of connecting structures/tissues seems to be of crucial importance for long term dental balance with as much self-maintenance as possible. The more the mouth can be set up to self-maintain, the less invasive the dental care needs to be. I believe that is the aim of the care for every horse; correct/intervene when something is going in the wrong direction, but step back and only support as needed when it’s working well.

The original post and video
https://fb.watch/t7nwIYJ2_G/?mibextid=cr9u03

02/07/2024

A great couple of weeks on the east coast! It started of working a week with equine osteopath EDO, Yarden Cohen (https://linktr.ee/yardenedo), followed by a couple of days of head dissections and working in Savannah, GA with Diane Dzingle.

Thank you to Pamela Eckelbarger and Diane Dzingle for the opportunity to do these head dissections. Seeing and feeling structures, tissues and their marvelous connections in a real head is an invaluable learning opportunity and so different than in a book/picture. As much as it answers certain questions, it raises just as many more. The wonderment never ends.

After working with Diane for several years directly with horses, she’s now venturing more into doing equine research with a specific interest in ECVM horses. I’ll be following her discoveries with great interest and excitement.

30/06/2024

UPDATED SCHEDULE

July 1-28
Break

CALIFORNIA
July:
29: Ojai
30: Sunland
31: Santa Barbara
August:
1: Calabasas
2: Topanga

MONTANA
August 5-9

CALIFORNIA
August:
11: Rancho Santa Fe
12: Menifee
13: Fallbrook
14: Moorpark
15: Sunland
16: Topanga
17: Escondido

COLORADO
August 18-23

CALIFORNIA
August:
26: Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande
27: Arroyo Grande
28: Templeton
29: Salinas, Carmel Valley
30: Carmel Valley
31: Watsonville
September :
1: Gilroy
2-8 Watsonville
9-20 Bay area
24: Sunland
25: Sunland

OREGON
September:
10-20

SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, MASSACHUSETTS
October 29-November 24

27/06/2024

Had a great week working with Yarden Cohen, equine osteopath EDO in Landrum, Tryon, Columbus and Inman (NC/SC). It was a good mix of new and follow up horses and each horse was documented for the database. We discussed everything osteopathy, validated body/teeth/feet connections we’ve found before and wondering about additional connections. So interesting and so much fun!
Yarden recently moved from Texas to Landrum area. She also travels for work through North and South Carolina and Georgia, for anyone in need of osteopathy for their horse(s). https://linktr.ee/yardenedo?