Equine Affect

19/12/2021

16/11/2021

28/10/2021

26/10/2021

Hi everyone, Jasmine here from Equine Affect.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post and wish it was somewhat brighter news. I’ve decided to take a step back from the massage therapy world and discontinue my equine sports massage therapy services. I’ve loved learning about the equine anatomy and thank each horse and their owner for allowing me the privilege to come out and massage. Like many others, my journey began with inspiration of my own horse who I wanted to help and get a better understanding of what she was dealing with underneath the surface and my heart felt something deeper was going on than just ‘quirky’ behavior, as others deemed it. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to help like minded people and their own special horses too. But due to working full time elsewhere, having ongoing health issues, overcoming injuries from a riding accident and next to no time with my own horses, I began to realise i was running myself a little too thin. I still endevour to continue learning different topics and modalities in the equine world as it is where my heart lies and I love learning, but at this present moment I need some time away. Feel free to still contact in regards to sheath cleans and keep following this page as I do love to share information on all things horsey whether it be advice, articles, events etc.

Once again, thank you for all your love & support towards Equine Affect 🥰😘🐴

12/10/2021

Good news, Eyre Peninsula! The dynamic duo is returning 5th-12th of November 😎 I am so excited 😁🐎

Areas covered include Kimba, Cleve, Port Lincoln and surrounds.

Regulars have first preference for appointments (don't worry, if you are a regular I will be in touch soon!)

Service list is as follows:

Initial consult: $130

Follow up: $110

Red Light only: $60

Sheath Clean: $50

If you'd like to book an appointment please message this page or text 0431576858

20/09/2021

From the horse’s mouth... actually the horse’s tongue

After my recent post regarding fitting a bit to the individual horses mouth, it has become clear that horse riders don’t understand the horse’s tongue. At all. The horse’s tongue is the key to everything. It can tell you what a horse is feeling and thinking, it can tell you how true a horse’s carriage is or can reveal tension that is limiting their performance.

The horse’s tongue is a huge bunch of muscle, like way bigger than you think. The last tooth is about level with the horse’s eye, and the tongue goes even further back than that. Just behind the bit, the tongue doubles in height to completely fill the mouth. The tongue connects, via a long line of interconnected muscles, all the way back to the hind legs. What happens with the horse’s tongue DIRECTLY affects the horse’s ability to use his hind legs.

Yet many many riders consider the tongue a nuisance and tie it away. Using drop nosebands, flashes, grackles, micklems, “anatomical” nosebands, cranks etc. Some use spoon bits (remember the tongue doubles in height behind the bit), while others actually tie the tongue down! You are missing a vital source of information that the horse is eager to give!

Why does a horse stick it’s tongue out? It is NOT bad manners and it is not a bit evasion, it’s a cry for help. When the tongue is in the mouth, it is short and fat. Any sharp points on the teeth can cause pain, and pressure from the bit is amplified. The horse’s immediate reaction is to stick their tongue out. This makes the tongue long and thin, reducing the pressure from the bit and any sharp teeth. If this is prevented using nosebands, even loose ones (if it’s below the level of the bit, it’s a problem, loose or not, consider leverage distance to the temparomandibular joint) then the horse will resort to pulling their tongue back by tensing it or even putting the tongue over the bit. A drop noseband will not stop this happening, you just can’t see it happening anymore.

When the tongue is pulled back, it causes tension all the way down the neck, along the back and into the hind legs. If the tongue is over the bit, the bit lies directly on the bars. The bars are knife-edge-sharp bone with a very thin layer of gum over the top. When the bit directly contacts the bars it is extremely painful and horses will react very strongly, sometimes rearing or ditching the rider. This is not naughty behaviour, it is pain. The horse is creating pain trying to avoid pain, they can’t win and they can’t vocalise this. No matter how hard they try.

Tension in the tongue isn’t only caused by poorly managed teeth and poorly fitted bits however. The outline a horse is worked in also affects the tongue’s tension. Tuck your chin up and in, feel how large your tongue feels. Hold it there for a while and the back of your tongue will begin to ache. Now open your mouth and stick your tongue out. Sure it’s not comfortable, but it’s a relief from that tension. This happens in the horse too, but on a much larger scale. Anything that makes the horse carry itself like this (over bent, nose behind the vertical) will cause tongue issues. Whether that be poor riding, back pain or subtle hind limb lameness. This reaction is not limited to a bit, an overbent horse in a bitless bridle will still have a restricted tongue as soon as the head moves behind the vertical. Looking at it the other way around, most have heard of bridle lameness, this is when the tension in the tongue actually causes a visible lameness.

There is a reason why having the tongue out is seen as a bad thing in dressage, and it’s not because it’s bad manners. It’s because it highlights tension or poor training. The lazy solution seems to be, tie the mouth shut. Personally I believe all nosebands below the bit should be banned for dressage and 2 fingers should comfortably be placed under the bridge of the nose of a cavesson. That would sort the wheat from the chaff.

To summarise, make sure your horse’s teeth have been checked by a qualified EDT or dental trained vet, make sure your bit fits the anatomy of your individual horse, ride with a loose noseband that does not sit below the bit, make sure your horse is working correctly over their top line, truly engaged and swinging over their backs. Then your horse will not feel the need to stick their tongues out.

As a side note, the tongue is a symptom and not a problem in itself. Do not allow anyone to mess with your horse’s tongue. The trend of releasing the Hyoid apparatus using the tongue is not only dangerous but a load of BS. Do not fall for it.

Always remember, dentistry is basic care NOT a luxury.

08/09/2021

I weirdly love removing beans, it must be such a relief to remove such a mass of dirt, oil, skin and debris from this small area for these boys. Removing a bean this size can be quite sensitive and uncomfortable for the horse, so often I do mention to owners to ask the vet to do so when they are sedated for their routine dentals if it proves too much for the horses to have his private area fondled 😝 Some horses love it, sometimes the fiery ones can turn to putty in ya hands (literally) and others tell you it’s a bit too much (especially in cases as this video shows) I’m more than happy to come out for a routine clean (every 6 months or so)

04/09/2021

Get in quick, I’ve only got a few spots left 🙂

Hey everyone.
I’ll be in the Strathalbyn, Meadows and Onkaparinga Hills area on Tuesday, the 7th of September for your boys sheath cleans & bean removals. I’m happy to travel to surrounding areas so feel free to send a message and I can arrange a schedule.

*$40 per horse if over 1 hour travel range (discounts apply for multiple horses under 1 hour travel range)

02/09/2021

Shoulder Relief & Girths

You hear this term thrown around a lot, and more recently, with specialty girths. Truth is, shoulder relief is built into the saddle. A girth, regardless of shape, cannot provide relief to the shoulders.

The best girth is the one that doesn't have the buckles sitting against either the latissimus or pectoral edge, doesn't have any cracks or lumps, is not bulky behind the elbow, and doesn't create localized pressure.

No girth will correct saddle fit issues, however, the girth alone can create other issues in your horse that you may assume is from the saddle. Issues such as limited protraction of the forelimb, stagnated stride, knocked rails, and even saddle imbalance if the girth isn't the correct length or the elastics are completely worn out.

Like with many things, keeping it simple is your best bet.

31/08/2021

Anticipation of pain

Let's talk about pain and the anticipation of it . We know that the most behavioural issues are related to pain. Horse doesn't want to stand still by the mounting block? Horse struggling with lead changes? A horse bucking or rearing ? A horse trying to bite his human? Your most likely answer is P A I N.

The biggest problem with pain that I have observed across equestrian communities is that people are very often convinced that their horse is NOT in pain - so let's look at it from this perspective. Let's say that a horse is struggling in some aspects of training and handling but the owner is convinced there is no pain. The owner even did all the vet checks including x-rays etc ...and there is nothing that has been picked up. The examinations showed that horse is pain free (I will not go into the subject that no examination can ever ensure that a horse is pain free anyway) . The health checks focused on physical aspects currently happening in the body but they didn't investigate one thing, which is impossible to ever investigate. The anticipation of pain.

I'll now talk about a human example that is perfect for this subject , just so you can understand better what I mean. It's a real example from my own experience with my toddler. My 3 yo has always been easy with trimming his nails. He always voluntarily participated until one day. That day I couldn't find his usual small nail clippers so I had to use the adult ones. I cut his nails on his fingers and then moved onto his toes. It was going all well until I accidently caught his skin on the toe , he pulled his leg away which resulted in ripping tiny bit of skin and bleeding. It was painful. He cried .

Since then nail clipping of his toes has became a nightmare. He is still happy for me to do his hands but once I move to the feet the anticipation of pain starts. He gets distressed and doesn't want me to do it. I need to go very slow and convince him one toe at the time and the whole process can take few days until it's completed. I also pair the process with something he likes - usually some food + cartoon. He hasn't been caught with the clippers since , yet the aversive memory has been so ingraded in his neural pathways that each time he knows I would like to cut his toe nails he becomes distressed. It's fear conditioning in its pure form.

Now let's get back to horses . Horses just like any other animal will also experience anticipation of pain. It will show itself in all imaginable behaviours that humans like to label *unwanted* . The anticipation of pain is so strongly embodied that it's very difficult to convince the animal that there will be no pain involved. When a horse is showing all the signs of possible pain, but no pain have been detected through veterinary examination, we are likely dealing with fear conditioning .

Sadly the usual approach with horses who have been *cleared* not to have pain, is to continue as usual hoping that it is just a *behavioural* issue. So horses who struggle with balance, lead changes, brace, buck, rear, nap, bolt, bite, kick etc are approached through *training* that often involves attempts at stopping the unwanted behaviours with the application of punishment and escalating pressure. This approach could have detrimental consequences to horses emotional well being - a horse that has been fear conditioned to anticipate pain will only strengthen these neural pathways because the human who wants to eliminate these behaviours will use pain / psychological pressure. Such approach could result in more unwanted behaviours emerging or emotional shut down.

So what could we do when a horse is believed to be pain free but shows the usual behaviours that could indicate anticipation of pain ? After the full vet/dentist checks the best option is to find a professional qualified equine behavioursit that will set up a plan to help the horse change his emotional response to the stimuli that evokes pain anticipation. So for example if a horse struggles to stand still by the mounting block his perceptions can be changed with counter conditioning combined with a gradual exposure to the fearing stimuli while ensuring the horse is under the fear threshold . This could be a long learning process for both the humans and the horse but there is not shortcuts when it comes to fear conditioned memories.

Personally my belief is that you can NEVER say that the horse is not in pain even after a detailed vet work. Many people suffer with undiagnosed pain, many are turned away by doctors who are convinced "there is nothing wrong with the person"....yet that person experiences pain ... Fibromyalgia is one example - and only recently the patients are being looked at seriously ! So if we can't always find source of pain in humans who are able to tell us where exactly it hurts I'd say it's an impossible case with animals who also through evolution are prone to hiding pain until it's unbearable.

Lastly I wanted to add that the best approach to dealing with fear conditioning to pain anticipation is to try and prevent it from happening as much as we can. We can accomplish it by using science based approach that incorporates voluntary participation in husbandry behaviour /vet care and training and handling with the use of positive reinforcement and environmental management. The less aversives we use such as escalating pressure and punishment the less likely we are to create pain, fear of pain and psychological distress

19/08/2021

Hey everyone.
I’ll be in the Strathalbyn, Meadows and Onkaparinga Hills area on Tuesday, the 7th of September for your boys sheath cleans & bean removals. I’m happy to travel to surrounding areas so feel free to send a message and I can arrange a schedule.

*$40 per horse if over 1 hour travel range (discounts apply for multiple horses under 1 hour travel range)

05/08/2021

Mounting.

Mounting is something not many riders tend to think about, other than the side in which they mount. However, mounting alone can be the cause of many issues with the back, and can even twist the saddle tree.

The photo is the rib of a horse who was consistently mounted from the ground.

Even when mounting from a block or elevated surface, if you constantly pull on the pommel or are too low that you're having to push off the stirrup, you risk causing injury to your horse that is so easily avoided.

21/06/2021

15/06/2021

Impaction colic is unfortunately a common occurrence in winter due to horses not consuming enough water when temperatures drop.

Offering your horse a drink of warm molasses-flavoured water on cooler nights will help entice fussy drinkers to maintain their hydration levels. For horses who are currently laminitic or those prone to insulin dysregulation, consider spiking water with lower sugar alternatives such as apple or carrot juice.

13/06/2021

Very cool

04/06/2021

🤣🤣🤣

How very true.. 😂
www.coligone.co.uk

29/05/2021

A big nerve in the equine neck. It was about 8 mm wide.

Look how it is encapsulated in fascia (connective tissue) and look how it’s wiggly. That’s because it needs to keep working when the horse moved his head. It’s almost like a spring. If it was not coiled, I’ll would snap as the horse moved his neck. The brown tissue is muscle. The yellow is (I think) fat in fascia.

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

13/05/2021

Over Rugging, by our vet Lucy Carmichael

As temperatures drop, it’s tempting to reach for one of the rugs in our horse’s wardrobe. However, when we want to throw on the layers, doing the same for them may not be the right choice. There are significant differences in the way horses stay warm to the way that we do, for example:

• Unclipped horses already have a thick, hairy coat. This coat contains natural oils to repel water, and, if required, small muscles can contract, causing the hairs to stand on end (much like when we get goosebumps). This traps air between the hair and skin, providing an additional layer of insulation

• Horses have the benefit of a wider thermoneutral zone- for humans this is 25-35˚C, whereas the horse’s thermoneutral zone extends much lower, 5-25˚C. The thermoneutral zone is the temperature range at which an animal does not have to expend any energy to keep warm. This means that horses remain comfortable at significantly lower temperatures compared to us

• Where we have an appendix, horses have a caecum. The caecum acts as a ‘fermentation vat’, where bacteria break down feed and produce heat. Breakdown of forage generates the most heat. Therefore, a diet of low-calorie forage is far more effective for keeping your horse warm than putting on a rug

• Horses can efficiently divert their blood flow from the extremities to the internal organs, maintaining their core temperature. This is why their ears sometimes feel cold to touch, and it is important to see how warm they are by feeling inside the armpit or taking a re**al temperature (See our video on how to take your horse’s TPR here - https://youtu.be/_bug-U1-hMg)

• During movement, or even shivering, contraction of the large muscles of the body burns energy and releases heat

Over-rugging will affect your horse’s ability to regulate its body temperature and may cause significant distress if they get too hot. Extreme heat stress may result in dehydration, increased heart and respiratory rates, lethargy and even colic. There are long term implications too. When rugged, your horse will use less energy, and the excess will be converted to fat, predisposing them Equine Metabolic Syndrome and laminitis in the spring. Therefore, rather than rugging, providing appropriate shelter and ample forage are likely to be more effective ways of keeping your horse warm through the winter.

There are cases, of course, when rugging is appropriate- horses standing in, or those which are clipped will need a rug. However, numerous factors should be considered when choosing which type and weight, including the environment, type of shelter available and the weather. Remember that you are likely to be making this decision in the morning, when the temperature is probably several degrees cooler than it will be in the middle of the day.

For further advice on rugging in the winter, call our team on 01323 815120

27/04/2021

It Takes A Village… By Ronda Hanning

You have often seen in posts regarding a person’s journey with their horses, “Thanks team. I couldn’t have done it without you!” and the then thanks roll out to the veterinarian, the body worker, the saddle fitter, the saddle manufacturer, the nutritionist, the herbal therapist, the farrier, the animal communicator, the trainer, the bit fitter, the bit manufacturer, the team psychologist, the natural horseman guru and of course, all the adoring fans that follow this amazing team. One marvels at the teamwork necessary to get a horse to the Grand Prix dressage ring. If one allows their little devilish inner voice to have an opinion that little devil wonders how the horse could have made it to the Grand Prix dressage ring at all as he is held together, no matter how frailly, by this team of band aids and palliative therapy. That little devil voice is amazed that the team can pull this off considering the horse is literally living day after day, lame, uncomfortable and enduring the work. This devilish voice wonders when the horse is going to simply say “no” or give up. Of course, when this happens, the team will retire the horse quietly, simply letting the world know the horse has done his job and now at, 16 or 17, gets to live his life out of the spotlight. They will tell the world that this horse has reached the top and now that he has gotten there deserves the rewards of getting to the top, retirement. What they don’t tell you is that their band aid approach is no longer working. The horse is struggling to do what he did yesterday and not only can he not do it better, in fact he is fading fast. His body has reached the limits of its compensation for the training methods and competition standards that he has been subjected to. Indeed, it takes a village to manage the damages done to horses through training methods that capitalize on the horse’s natural talents without taking into consideration the need to truly understand the physiology of the horse as current research has explained it. The village is very convenient. It is not the fault of the rider that the horse is having difficulties. It is saddle fit, bit fit, tight muscles, low vitamin E, allergies, conformation, PSSM, EPM, lyme disease, behavioral problems, not seeing the rider as Alpha, it is the horse’s personality, ulcers, and on and on. Now that we are clear that it is not the rider, the experts can enter the scene and treat the horse because obviously, the horse is the problem. The rider is assured that this team will fix the horse. The rider need do nothing more than to follow a training regimen and let the team do their magic. Then, if the horse is talented enough, the horse reaches the Grand Prix dressage arena for a time. The team has successfully bandaged the horse to hold it together for a while and it does its best to perform Grand Prix movements and patterns. If it does not make it to the Grand Prix arena, it is because the horse is just not good enough. There are other horses. The rider goes on the search for the new horse.

There is another way to get a horse to the Grand Prix dressage ring. It is not so much a village, although many mentors and researchers and fellow riders have provided support, information and inspiration, but it is really more of a path. On the path walk the rider and the horse. The rider gathers knowledge along the way and observes the horse. Through the rider’s observation the horse tells the rider of its difficulties and where it finds comfort. The rider uses the horse’s feedback to gain further knowledge and propose creative solutions for the horse to explore. The rider invites a few others on the path with them. The farrier, who keeps the feet balanced, the veterinarian, and trainers and mentors to help them as they seek always to gain a deeper understanding of how to develop their horse’s athletic ability so they can make it to the Grand Prix dressage arena sound and athletically prepared. The rider hopes to be on this path with their horse for life! They are committed to seeing their horse develop for life. Even into the elderly years, this horse and rider continue to enjoy sound athletic performance and ever continuing refinement of movement. All difficulties are shared by horse and rider as a team. The rider takes the responsibility to both become knowledgeable and master their own body control to support and not hinder the horse in his work. The horse takes the responsibility for using the challenges the rider presents in the work to further their own body coordination. They depend on each other. They become a unit that is greater than the sum of its parts. The rider refines the horse through their own body refinement and the horse allows the rider to refine even further as he seeks to meet the rider’s body control. They evolve together through an intimate process that is uniquely their own. The Grand Prix dressage arena is not the end goal. Instead, it is the expression of the fruits of their journey. Thanks team. I couldn’t have done it without my partner, my horse. He made me who I am and I am forever grateful. I would rather be on the path with my horse than in the village.

26/04/2021

Precisely

Happy Monday 💕

21/04/2021