Equus360

11/09/2025

Looking forward to supporting the TriDent Equine Dental Conference.. for tickets please follow the link on the post..

✨Introducing another sponsor of the TriDent Equine Dental Conference ✨

Equus360 is an educational hub dedicated to advancing whole-horse health through evidence-based teaching. Designed for horse owners, farriers, dental technicians, veterinarians, therapists, and other professionals, it provides workshops, CPD programmes, and dissection classes that bring anatomy and biomechanics to life.

At the core of Equus360’s teaching is the exploration of how dentition, the mandible, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) function integrate with hoof biomechanics and their wider associations to the axial and appendicular skeleton. This whole-horse perspective highlights the critical links between oral health, posture, locomotion, and performance.

By translating cutting-edge research into applied understanding, Equus360 equips delegates with the knowledge to optimise equine performance, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance welfare. Through a collaborative learning environment that blends scientific insight with practical application, Equus360 provides a unique platform for deepening understanding of equine function and advancing standards of care across disciplines.

Website : www.tridentequineconference.com

09/09/2025

This horse will be much happier..

A very overgrown 211 due to the missing opposing tooth (311). The protuberant tooth had caused soft tissue damage to the opposing gum.

This horse was displaying some behavioural issues and was very reluctant to turn left when ridden.

With careful reduction of the protuberant 211 whilst closely monitoring tooth structure over several regular treatments this horse will be feeling much more comfortable.

08/09/2025

Matt and I are looking forward to presenting this dissection, please contact TriDent Equine Dental Education Ltd for ticket..

🌟 🦴 Equine Head and Lower Limb Dissection with Lucinda Stockley & Matt James AWCF 🦴 🌟

Join Lucinda Stockley, MRes, BSc (Hons), Adv. Cert.
Equine Dentistry (Academy of Equine Dentistry, U.S.A.)
Internationally recognised equine dental anatomist and bio-mechanist, and Matt James AWCF, International Master Farrier and co-director of Equus360, for a unique dissection-based learning experience that brings the equine head and lower limb into sharp anatomical and functional focus.

This course offers delegates the rare opportunity to study two of the horse’s most bio-mechanically critical regions:
The Head – Explore the intricate anatomy
of the teeth, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), hyoid apparatus, and cranial structures, with discussion of their neurological and bio-mechanical connections to posture, proprioception, and performance.
The Lower Limb – Examine the distal limb, including hoof capsule structures, tendons, ligaments, and distal interphalangeal joint mechanics, with applied insights into farriery, pathology, and locomotor function.

TriDent Equine Dental Education Ltd

Website : www.tridentequineconference.com

04/09/2025

All of our instructors have a current DBS certificate and are selected for each course depending on the requirements of the attending students.
They all receive further training and guidance to allow them to provide the best training to our students when on the course.

03/09/2025

A horse owners guide to understanding Corns in Horses: Causes, Types, and Treatment.

Corns are bruises that develop in the angle between the hoof wall and sole, commonly referred to as the seat of corn. They occur when blood escapes from damaged vessels, and are more frequently seen in the front hooves due to the 60/40 weight distribution.

Causes
Corns can develop due to a variety of factors, including improper shoeing, trauma from stones or jumping studs, hoof imbalances, and conformational issues such as long pasterns or a broken-back hoof-pastern axis. Concussion and poor farriery practices can also contribute.

Types of Corns
* Dry corn – Appears as deep red discolouration.
* Moist corn – A deeper bruise with serum infiltration.
* Suppurating corn – Infected bruises that require veterinary attention.

Signs and Diagnosis
Horses with corns may show intermittent lameness, heat, pain on pressure, toe-first landing, or refusal to jump. A strong digital pulse and long or unbalanced hooves may also indicate the presence of a corn.

Treatment
Treatment focuses on removing pressure from the seat of corn and correcting underlying causes. Regular shoeing, good foot balance, and correctly fitting shoes are essential. For infected corns, veterinary care may include poulticing, warm water tubbing, and specialized shoes such as heart bars to relieve pressure.

Conclusion
With good consistent management, most horses recover quickly once pressure is removed. Infected corns may take up to two weeks to heal. Horses with conformational causes may require ongoing remedial shoeing to prevent recurrence.

By Matthew James AWCF

31/08/2025

29/08/2025

What your horse’s bite reveals about balance and jumping performance

Did you know that your horse’s incisors may hold clues to their balance, posture, and even jumping ability?

The vestibular system (inner ear balance organs) works with vision, muscles, and joints to stabilise the head, neck, and body during movement (Zsoldos et al., 2015). When this system is disrupted, or when hoof asymmetries such as high–low syndrome alter thoracic sling mechanics (Caudwell, 2021), horses often adopt subtle postural compensations.

These adaptations ripple through the axial skeleton (spine, ribcage, skull, pelvis) and the appendicular skeleton (limbs), influencing head–neck carriage and mandibular orientation. Over time, they can leave a record in the form of incisor malocclusions such as slant mouths or stepped incisors (Adams et al., 2018).

This is particularly relevant in the jumping horse: vestibular inputs stabilise head and neck orientation in the air (Clayton & Hobbs, 2017), while hoof balance determines symmetry of limb loading on landing (Dyson, 2011).

Cross-species studies reinforce this link: humans with malocclusions show altered postural control (Cuccia & Caradonna, 2009; Manfredini et al., 2017), while canine athletes demonstrate posture changes associated with occlusal disturbance (Lindner et al., 2020). Together, this suggests that equine incisor malocclusions may act as chronic markers of whole-body adaptation.

At Equus360, we view incisors not as isolated findings, but as part of an integrated system where dentition, posture, hoof balance, and skeletal alignment all contribute to health, welfare, and performance.

16/08/2025

✨Incisors, where it all begins!✨

This year’s conference is all about incisors! 🦷 Join us as we dive into the latest knowledge, techniques, and discussions surrounding incisor health, function, and treatment. A great opportunity to learn, share, and connect with colleagues passionate about advancing equine dentistry.

16/08/2025

Postural Control -The Hidden Foundation of Equine Performance

When we think about athletic performance, we often focus on muscle strength, conditioning, or cardiovascular fitness. But beneath all of this lies something more fundamental: postural control.

What is postural control?
It’s the body’s ability to maintain stability and orientation in space. Postural control isn’t just “balance” it is the result of constant integration between:
•Vestibular system (inner ear) detecting movement, acceleration, and gravity
•Visual system (eyes) providing environmental awareness
•Somatosensory system proprioceptive feedback from muscles, joints, skin, and even the teeth and temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

The nervous system processes these inputs to keep the centre of mass over the base of support. This is true for humans, horses, dogs — all athletic species.

Why does it matter?
•In humans, research shows that dental occlusion and TMJ function can alter postural sway (Gangloff & Perrin, 2002; Manfredini et al., 2013).
•In horses, hoof balance, cervical alignment, and occlusal symmetry likely play comparable roles in stability and coordination (Carmalt & Townsend, 2007; Clayton & Hobbs, 2017).
•Compromised postural control leads to inefficient movement, increased injury risk, and reduced athletic potential.

💡 In practice:
• A horse with asymmetric incisors or TMJ discomfort may subtly alter head–neck posture, affecting vestibular input and balance.
• Hoof imbalance can shift limb loading, changing postural strategies and leading to compensations through the axial skeleton.
• Corrective interventions in dentistry and farriery are not just “local fixes” — they influence the whole postural system.

At Equus360, we explore these connections through education, dissection-based learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Understanding postural control helps us see the horse not in parts, but as a highly integrated, adaptive athlete.

Postural control is not just about standing upright — it is the neurological foundation of movement, efficiency, and performance.

References
Carmalt, J. L., & Townsend, N. B. (2007). The equine temporomandibular joint: anatomy, pathology and clinical implications. Equine Veterinary Education, 19(1), 15–22.
Clayton, H. M., & Hobbs, S. J. (2017). The role of biomechanical analysis in equine locomotion research: past, present and future. Equine Veterinary Journal, 49(5), 560–568.
Gangloff, P., & Perrin, P. P. (2002). Unilateral posterior crossbite affects postural control in human subjects. Neuroscience Letters, 330(3), 189–193.
Manfredini, D., Perinetti, G., Fabbri, A., & Guarda-Nardini, L. (2013). Dental occlusion, body posture and temporomandibular disorders: where we are now and where we are heading for. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 40(6), 463–471.

15/08/2025

A great conference, looking forward to presenting this year..

Meet Lucinda Stockley MRes, BSc (Hons), Adv. Cert.
Equine Dentistry (Academy of Equine Dentistry, U.S.A.)

Lucinda Stockley is an equine dental anatomist and biomechanist with over 25 years of clinical and educational experience in equine dentistry and performance.
Her work focuses on the relationship between
incisor alignment,
mandibular symmetry, and
temporomandibular joint (TMJ function, exploring how oral structures influence whole-horse
biomechanics, proprioception,
and long-term
soundness.

Lucinda will be speaking at the 2025 TriDent Equine Dental Conference about Incisor Malocclsuions in the Equine Athlete. A Functional Review, and Incisor Insights into Cranio-Vestibular Function in the Equine Athlete.

https://www.tridentequineconference.com/