Simply Sound Massage Therapy

15/08/2024

🚨 ALERT🚨 Eastern Equine Encephalitis

As most of you have heard there have been several young horses lost in our area due to the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus. A disease transmitted by mosquitoes and which has a greater than 90% fatality rate. It has been confirmed that those that the equine community have lost were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.

Luckily, the vaccines we have available are very protective provided they are used in the appropriate manner. This means that:

Foals receive a 3 dose series: first dose is given at 4-6 months of age, followed by a booster 4-6 weeks following the first dose and a 3rd dose at 13 months of age).

Adults (whose vaccines have lapsed or with unknown history) receive a 2 dose series: the second dose is given 4-6 weeks after the first. Then given annually after.

If you are unsure of your horses vaccination status please reach out and we can help you decide what the best course of action is for your particular horse and situation. We are recommending anything under the age of 2-3years old receive a booster as a precaution.

Also consider fly sheets and masks as well as fly spray to deter mosquitoes as much as possible.

For more information on the disease please visit AAEP.org or contact us.

https://aaep.org/resource/eastern-equine-encephalitis-eee/

21/06/2024

With the heat this summer it’s good to stay up to date on effective cooling advice

28/05/2024

If anyone is considering buying or selling their horse, check out this new service starting at $0 and run by a local female entrepreneur!

With the launch of Whinny.ca, we will be highlighting all sales ads posted on the site from the launch date until June 16, 2024! Like and follow this page to stay up to date with new listings!

03/04/2024

Too funny! Stretches and homework are important to help your horse build strength and flexibility

05/03/2024

Not sure what to work on with your horse? Practice some gymnastics over ground poles!

An excerpt from "Pole Work for Dressage Riders" by Ann Katrin Querbach.

14/02/2024

How scrumptious are my two youngest patients! Erwin and Gambit are only 9 months old and were absolutely lovely for their first taste of massage. So excited to see these two gorgeous Hanoverian boys grow!

05/01/2024

Some fantastic little things to work on in the off season 💕

Circles can encourage your horse to fall onto their inside shoulder instead of bending through their body; correct this with straight lines.

13/12/2023

❗️IMPORTANT UPDATE - December 14, 2023❗️

The Divestment of Horses Program didn’t expect to receive so much interest. 🥹 While we appreciate it, we cannot accept any more applications at this time. Please note that if you applied, you will only be contacted if your application is retained for consideration. Due to the very small number of horses that qualify for this Program, there is no guarantee you will be offered a horse.

_____________________________________________________________________

Are you interested in owning a retired Musical Ride horse? For the first time ever, the RCMP’s Divestment of Horses Program is accepting applications from individual Canadians. The Program matches people who are capable of providing excellent care with a former Musical Ride horse that’s been retired from active service due to health conditions or injuries.

The top priority is finding the best possible home for each available horse based on its specific needs. Find out more about giving a retired Musical Ride horse a good home:
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/corporate-organisation/musical-ride-carrousel/divestment-horses-program-programme-dessaisissement-chevaux-eng.htm

… and go tell your horsey friends! 🐎

22/11/2023

A great way to keep an eye out for lameness!

22/11/2023

20/11/2023

Now is the time to give your equine owning friend the gift of a horse massage for the holidays! Gift cards are available for any amount!

Email me at [email protected] to secure your gift certificate in time for the holidays 🎄

19/11/2023

Fantastic top 5 things to not do! I truly believe that training your horse to live successfully in a human world is the kindest thing that you can do for your horse. Should you pass away or sell that horse in the future, having given it the skills to be successful and useful to humans will give it the best chance at a high quality of life without you

16/10/2023

A fantastic visual for those looking to have some ideas of how different movements can help build strength, balance, engagement, adjustability and mobility!

15/08/2023

Worth every cookie 🍎🍏🥕

30/07/2023

I am proud to be a 2023 Sponsor of the Pakenham Horse Show on August 12th 2023! You need to attend for a chance to win so check out their page for more details @ Pakenham Horse Show

26/07/2023

💥 REGISTRATION DEADLINE TODAY (July 26th, 2023) 💥

🚨 CLINIC ALERT 🚨

🗓 THIS SATURDAY 🗓

🌵 On July 29th, 2023 the Tombstone Tack Shop (480 Upper Dwyer Hill Rd, Ashton, ON) will be hosting Stuart Harrower as facilitates a Intro to Team Sorting with Stuart Harrower 🌵

🐮 This is a 1-day, 9am - 5pm clinic 🐮

🐄 Come chase some cows and develop your skills! This day will beFUN! 🐄

✏️ REGISTER TODAY ✏️

📱613-978-4985 (Call or Text)
💌 [email protected]
📨 Facebook or Instagram Messenger

10/07/2023

It happens, riders get injured too. While I focus on getting your equine back to feeling great it is just as important that riders take care of themselves, as their injures can cause a horse to get sore by compensating for their rider’s imbalances.

Don’t forget to also take care of yourselves and visit a physiotherapist/massage to help you gain back strength after your own injuries. This helps you and your equine!

22/06/2023

How cute is Romeo giving all of the snuggles after his massage this morning? He was creeping in for a cuddle while I worked on his buddy Poet and I had to stop to take a pic. Now Romeo is relaxed and ready for his dressage clinic this weekend!

Taking bookings for new and existing clients as the summer and competitions start to heat up ☀️

06/06/2023

To find your local air quality index you can use this link:

https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/index_e.html

Unfortunately the smoky air is continuing here for a few days. Currently Ottawa is sitting at at Air Quality Index (AQI) of 180-190. We are all feeling this irritation and our horses are as well. While Ottawa Public Health recommends humans stay inside, this doesn’t work very well with our equines!

Smoke causes irritation in the upper airways and when the particles are very tiny they can make it into the deep lung causing irritation and changes there as well. While the upper airways may clear particles in as quickly as 24 hours it can take up to 90 days for the deep lung to clear itself!

Here are some things you can do to help your horse:
-Encourage drinking: water helps ensure the airways are protected by their normal mucus coating which helps move dust out.
- Reduce overall environmental dust where possible: steam or thoroughly soak all hay, don’t sweep the barn while the horses are inside, don’t toss hay or shavings around the horses
-Assess your barn ventilation and make sure airflow is sufficient as the outdoor air quality improves to help get cleaner air into the barn
-Monitor for signs of difficulty: a normal resting respiratory rate is 12-24 breaths a minute. A rate that is increasing over 30 breaths per minute or increasing abdominal effort with breathing could indicate a problem is developing.
-Vitamin E supplementation at 2000 IU per day can help act as an antioxidant to give the body a little extra protection.
- Avoid exercising your horse in poor air quality as breathing harder means taking in more smoke particles.
-Allow 2-4 weeks of gradually increasing exercise after air quality improves to allow your horse to heal their lungs. This is especially important for horses with lung issues such as heaves!
-Call your vet if you are seeing any signs of concern!

This image below will help give a little guidance on riding activities based on the AQI
Purple horse is AQI of 200+
Red horse is AQI of 151-200
Orange horse is AQI of 101-150
Yellow horse is AQI of 51-100
Green horse is AQI of 0-50
This link will take you to more info about what exercises are appropriate at each level

https://www.starwoodequine.com/blog/aqi

06/06/2023

Might be worthwhile giving the horses today off due to the air quality warning today. Rest assured, you can still do your stretches 💕

⚠️ Air Quality Update for Ontario

VALID: 11:30 AM - June 6, 2023

We’re seeing very poor air quality today due to the wildfire smoke from Quebec. It’s only expected to get worse throughout the day.

The AQI indicates potential health risks related to air quality. Here are the locations with AQI 100 or higher:

Very Unhealthy (AQI 200-300) 🟣
Air pollution is at an unsafe level. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

Petawawa: 220 🟣
Kingston: 220 🟣

Unhealthy (AQI 151-199) 🔴
Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities outdoors if you are experiencing symptoms.

Ottawa Downtown: 191 🔴
Cornwall: 190 🔴
Belleville: 185 🔴
Dorset: 184 🔴
Parry Sound: 181 🔴
North Bay: 177 🔴
Peterborough: 177 🔴
Barrie: 166 🔴
Sudbury: 163 🔴
Newmarket: 159 🔴
Oakville: 154 🔴

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 101-150) 🟠
Increased risk for people with heart and lung disease, older adults and children due to presence of particles in the air.

Toronto East: 147 🟠
Milton: 144 🟠
Chatham: 142 🟠
Windsor West: 139 🟠
Sault Ste. Marie: 134 🟠
Mississauga: 134 🟠
Windsor Downtown: 132 🟠
Toronto West: 127 🟠
Toronto North: 127 🟠
Brampton: 122 🟠
Oshawa: 122 🟠
Port Stanley: 102 🟠

If you're in an area with unhealthy air quality, consider staying indoors, keeping windows closed, and using air purifiers. If you need to be outdoors, limit your exposure as much as possible.

Continue monitoring the AQI in your area and​ take necessary precautions.

Data from: https://aqicn.org/map/ontario/

04/04/2023

And they can be used as rewards for stretching!! 🥕

09/03/2023

The equine body is actually truly fascinating. Tension can definitely be a tricky thing to tackle sometimes but realize it’s just the bodies way of protecting a bigger weakness. There are times when it’s not the best option to breakdown the tension quite yet. It does come down to correct timing. After all, tightness is sometimes the only thing holding that horse together. If you do not have the tools to address the weakness that is there, you will find yourself playing one big game of whack a mole. Except this game is not fun and exhilarating. I hear so often that horses get worse after body work. And many times it’s because of this. It’s not just about getting rid of tension or tightness but also finding balance and strengthening the weakness(es). Make sure you as professional and horse owner are prepared to build your horse up once the tension is taken away.

14/10/2022

I couldn’t help but have a giggle at this one!

08/10/2022

My Gypsy Vanner gelding is a hard worker but after team penning and eventing his biggest concern is all about filling his tummy. Keeping an ‘easy keeper’ sometimes isn’t the easiest, so we are so happy to have Haysmart hay nets! Local to Ottawa and fantastic quality and customer support. We highly recommend!

03/09/2022

26/08/2022

A fantastic perspective on being mindful if lunging

Lungeing sessions should not last longer than 20 minutes. Here’s why:

• Horses did not evolve to move in circles.
• Lungeing is hard work on the horse’s joints, tendons and muscles.
• Overwork on the lunge (or any situation) can cause pain, injury, discomfort and fatigue.

According to Australian researchers, ‘In an 18-m diameter round-pen, approximately 20 circuits equal 1 km. In just 20 minutes of lunging or round-pen work, a horse may cover around 5 km in distance which, as we postulate, poses musculoskeletal risks due to the constant circular track. Therefore, round-pen/lunging sessions exceeding 20 minutes should be avoided’ (https://tinyurl.com/CuttingTheChase).

For more recommendations about lungeing for horse welfare and rider safety, download Pony Club Australia’s NEW Lungeing Guidelines https://tinyurl.com/lungeing

10/07/2022

25/05/2022

Fantastic advice about mounting. This concept is the same for all disciplines!

20/05/2022

Are Ground Poles Really Effective?? 💈🐎

STUDY DEMONSTRATES EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUND & RAISED POLES IN TRAINING & REHAB

Walking over poles is a commonly employed training and rehabilitation tool- but how effective are they really? Researchers set out to understand the effect of ground poles on equine locomotion, particularly joint range of motion.

A recent study assessed the effect of ground poles and raised poles on limb kinematics and poll, wither, and pelvic range of motion at the walk. Researchers hypothesized that walking over poles would increase joint range of motion but have no effect on poll, wither and pelvic range of motion compared to no poles.

41 horses were walked in-hand over no poles, ground poles and raised poles in a crossover design. Limb kinematics were determined via motion capture (240Hz). Poll, wither, and other aspects of range of motion range of motion were determined by inertial motion units.

The study determined that walking over both ground poles and raised poles increased limb-joint range of motion and increased poll range of motion, through increased swing flexion, compared to no poles.

In summary, walking poles appear to be effective at increasing joint range of motion via an increase in mid swing flexion, without vertical excursion of the trunk, compared to normal locomotion.

Given that this is a key early rehabilitation and training goal for many horses it supports the use of poles for these purposes.

Reference: V.A. Walker, C.A. Tranquillle, R. MacKechnie-Guire, J Spear, R. Newton, R.C. Murray,
Effect of ground and raised poles on kinematics of the walk,
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2022.

19/05/2022

Some of my clients ask me if it’s safe to do their ‘carrot’ stretches if they have an overweight, laminitis prone or metabolic equine and my answer is yes! I use this list as a safe suggestion list of treats to try for those horses to still benefit from the stretches!

Safe treats for PPID/EMS equines. For more information about diet, go to https://www.ecirhorse.org/DDT+E-diet.php. For individual help, join our free outreach group: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main