Karina.emrt

07/03/2019

It’s been a while since I’ve done a before and after. Leon. What a fantastic result and even better to see him thriving! His wonderful owners Robyn and Hollie have put the effort of having him treated, fed correctly, feet & teeth and appropriate exercise for where he is up to in his training as well as remedial exercises to improve posture and muscle development.

24/12/2018

Merry Christmas !

Another year almost done and it's time now to have a break from today 24th until the 7th of Jan.

What a year it's been and I'm lucky to have the privilege of continuing along treating some wonderful horses and following their journey with their owners. From sand dancing dressage diva's, crazy thrill seeking eventer's, the flashiest show ponies, happy hacks, faithful pony club mounts, retirees and Thoroughbreds on the track and those who have moved onto their next career, I've loved seeing them all.

I just want to say a big thank you to all of your continued support and I'm thankful and inspired by the commitment all my clients have to their horses and dedication to their horses well beings. I am also grateful and privileged to have made some wonderful friendships. The horse community is a small and passionate group and at the end of the day I like to think we are all aiming for the same thing, harmony and successful relationship with our horses no matter what we discipline we do with them.

2019. (How is it 2019?!) I expect will be just as filled with horses, assessing and treating, CPD courses and of course riding and I loads of laughter.

See you all next year 😆

Resolution for 2019 - Ride more and even try to do it well!🦄🦄

10/08/2018

Dry Weather & Coughing in Horses

With the dry weather of late, many horses are struggling with coughing and dry airways. So we thought we’d share a few tips on how to help them out!

For weeks, if not months, it’s been dust, dust, and more dust. Many riders will have noticed that after doing some arena work, blowing their noise will yield a tissue full of dust. Now think about your horse – as you’re riding along, their nose is much closer to the ground, and of course they’re working hard so their air intake is much higher, too. They’re breathing in infinitely more dust than we are!

The horse’s nose hairs are there to transport dust and other unwanted particles into the throat, through a protective, moist film along the inside of the nose. The idea behind that is that if the dust and particles go into the throat, they’ll be swallowed rather than ending up in the horse’s lungs. Between the nose hairs, there are glands which produce mucus, to keep the protective film moist. This also happens when there is an infection. When there is an infection of something else that uses the mucus, the glands keep producing more. But if the mucus is not transported off, we end up with that “stuffy” feeling – i.e. our airways are full of mucus, but the mucus membrane is dry, so the glands keep producing more.

Large amounts of dust have the same effect. Over time, the dust dries out the horse’s mucus membrane. The glands keep producing more and more mucus. When the horse is regularly or even constantly exposed to large amounts of dust, the glands are in constant overproduction and the mucus keeps building up in the lungs. The dust that the horse breathes in that isn’t completely transported off by the nose hairs turns the remaining, fluid mucus into a thick, sludge-like mucus. This very thick mucus can no longer be heard by the vet when listening to the horse’s breathing. The horse also doesn’t cough much anymore, because the mucus is so hard and stuck that it’s not moving and therefore doesn’t cause the irritation that makes the horse cough. Some horses will only cough once, once they first start trotting or cantering, because something briefly moved, but not again after that – the mucus is just too firmly stuck.

So what can we do?

As we’re not vets, we won’t go into veterinary treatments to clear airways and dissolve mucus. But there is a few, simple, no-drugs remedies you can try at home to help your horse out through the dry times.

The simplest one is to regularly “clean out” the horse’s nose with a wet cloth (preferably with warm water). You will notice you’ll pull a lot of dust out. The warm water will help dissolve some of the harder clumps that have formed, and will also help open the pores so the moisture can really sink in. After that, if your horse tolerates it, leave a warm, damp cloth over the horse’s nostrils for a while. The horse will breathe in the steam/moist air, and it will help get that moisture further into the airways than you can physically reach. You can also use some warm, herbal tea like peppermint, fennel, sage, or thyme on the cloth, to further help clear the airways.

You can also pour various herbal teas over the horse’s feed to help clear the airways and dissolve mucus. Again, thyme and fennel teas work very well, as does licorice. Pour them over the feed when they’re quite hot – as the horse eats, the steam will be breathed in through the nose and help further (that said, make sure it’s not so hot your horse burns their tongue!) Be careful with feeding large amounts of thyme if you are competing – thyme is on the doping list.

You can also wet the horse’s hay. When the weather is this dry, hay is often also quite dusty and a big contributor to the horse’s dust intake. By wetting the hay, you can at least take that bit of dust intake away.

Lastly, feed on the ground! When you place the horse’s feed on the ground, it has to lower its head to eat. Any mucus that is soft enough to be disposed of, can only be disposed of if the horse’s head is lowered. Ideally, feed the horse just after riding (or let it graze in a non-dusty paddock) as the mucus tends to be softer after work. Try to find a nice grassy (or otherwise low in dust) place to put the horse’s feed, though 😊

You can also use our DIY herbal brew to help soothe -
here is a link for the recipe https://www.facebook.com/317045303905/photos/a.351146073905/10154795522618906/?type=3&theater

www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au
(Photo credit: Equino.de)

08/08/2018

With drought declared today for all of NSW, this is a timely read.

Tips on helping your pastures and your horses cope through drought conditions.

01/08/2018

Happy Birthday ponies everywhere!

29/03/2018

Well It’s been a wild 3 weeks and I thought I’d better offer an explanation to anyone that’s had difficultly getting through to me (and I do apologies profusely!).

Poor Inka (my own horse) has done quite an injury to herself, what started out as a little superficial cut above her knee has blown out into a hospital stay from an abscess that unfortunately formed and tracked down across her knee, 5 days in hospital with heavy antibiotics and 2 region limb profusions should have seen her home clean. Unfortunately and much to the surprise of the her attending vets, she appears to have a persistent infection that after 3 weeks on antibiotics hasn’t been able to clear up and has spread to her tendon sheath. Today Inka had the delight of having surgery to clean the tendon sheath and have cultures taken to try and identify the attacking pathogen.

Obviously this has been quite a stressful time on top of being sick myself as well as Inka the bandage bandit ripping them all off!

As we head towards a second go at recovery bare with me as I get back to anyone in regards to appointments. To everyone who has been so understanding In changing appointments so I can get Inka out to the vets or back home to fix bandages (so, so many times 😝) I thank you from the bottom of my heart you’ve made life much easier for me!

If I’ve forgotten to get back to you, your horse and your journey is so important to me please send me a reminder and I will put you in ASAP, I have not deliberately forgotten about you’ve I just got caught up with the above drama!

28/01/2018

Developing a horse’s core strength is vital in ensuring they are able to fulfill their athletic potential and avoid injury. Veterinary Physiotherapist Hayley Marsh PgDip Vet Phys BSc MNAVP gives you some exercises to try at home.

26/12/2017

Happy belated Christmas everyone! I big thank you for the continued support and friendship throughout the year. With 2017 coming to an end it’s time for a break to refresh for the year to come. I’ll be away from 25/12/17 and Back again on the 8/1/18.

Enjoy the festive season and wishing you all happiness, healthy and happy trails! 🎄🐴❤️🎉

09/12/2017

I'm currently away with Rob visiting family out west. I'll be away until Friday 15th with limited phone reception, just leave a text message! Have a good weekend everyone!

23/11/2017

We had the lovely Cam the dentist (Equistry) visit today to do my own horse's teeth as well as a few of the girls I'm lucky to agist with. The TMJ was the topic of today so I thought I'd share this :)

TMJ Disorder in Horses: Does your horse resist being touched around the face or ears? Does he toss his head when being ridden? These signs could indicate that your horse is suffering from a TMJ disorder.

16/10/2017

Sometimes even little horses needed a treatment too 😍. Love stopping in on Fynn today!

25/09/2017

This article first appeared in the September 2016 issue of Heels Down Magazine. For stories worth reading, subscribe now. Sometimes, lameness is the result of a freak accident. Any horse is subject…

30/08/2017

I do love stopping in on one of my favourite older ponies, Smarty sure does know how to relax through a treatment 😍.

20/07/2017

Rastas luuurves when we get the moxibustion out on those needles. A very relaxed man post treatment.

19/07/2017

THE UGLY ANATOMY OF RIDING BEHIND THE VERTICAL

(Click to uncover images — how appropriate that the first dissection post to get the 'gore'/'graphic violence’ filter is demonstrating the violence caused by bad riding... You're not wrong, Facebook, you're not wrong at all.)

Riding deep and round places an enormous amount of stress on the tissues of the horse's head and neck, not to mention the snowball effect on the rest of the body.

Posture is everything. Posture affects the health of your horse's body AND mind, just as it does in us.

So be fussy about the postures you see in the warm-up ring. Be fussy about the postures you see in the mirrors of your own arena, or in footage of your own rides. Be fussy about the postures your trainers encourage you to use.

Be even fussier in any horse under 7-9 years of age, who in all likelihood will have multiple open growth plates at the base of the neck.

Because every 'moment in time' like this is a moment of undue suffering, and a moment closer to irreparable musculoskeletal damage at the hands of the rider and an eternity of trying to fix what never should have been broken.

Thank you EPONA.tv for fighting the myth of the 'moment in time' on behalf of the horses.
https://youtu.be/PP35lw1D-Fk

07/06/2017

I'm the worst at up updating my page and haven't shared any stories recently so I though Alfie here deserved a bit of special mention! We met a few months when this big fellow was coming back into work and having a few issues. He was unable to track up correctly, lacked power, instability through the stifles and hoof changes were a few of the key points in his case. Within 2 sessions (EMRT and Acupuncture along with Taping) we had a big change within him and by the 3rd he was powering forward like a different horse! We are all pleased with his progress and I look forward to seeing him out there competing in the future and having the privilege of being part of his team and along for the ride for his journey!

07/06/2017

It's that time of year again... Interschools! I'll be out at Kurnell on Monday (the 12th) instead of Thursday next week to tune up those who are competing. There are a couple of spots left if anyone would like them. :)

09/05/2017

20/04/2017

Nothing like a good roll post treatment!

16/04/2017

Those ears are almost big enough and fluffy enough to match the Easter Bunny! I hope everyone has had a chance to make the most of the fabulous weather and long weekend and have got out riding with their horses whether competing, training or just good old fashion trailing, I sure have!

Happy Easter. xx

14/03/2017

Hi guys,

I met Ant late last year when I was kindly invited to come and do a biomechanics talk for his clients at one of his clinics and I appreciated his approach to horsemanship and emphasis on having the horse work correctly. Anyone interested in attending he'll be in Sydney in April the details are below :).

***** We have just gotten word that Anthony Desreaux of Reata Ranch Horsemanship has added a special two day clinic to his already packed schedule on April 8/9 in Austral NSW! (Near leppington / Horrsley / Liverpool)

Fresh from being an invitational c**t starter at Legacy of Legends in Fort Worth Texas, honouring the teachings of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt; this is an amazing opportunity for anyone who can get along to it!

Working on building a strong relationship with your horse through feel, timing and Balance, these clinics are not discipline specific. One thing is for sure; you won't be he same after you do a clinic with Ant. No ego, just good solid horsemanship from a guy who's in it for the horse.

One of my close friends is hosting this clinic at his place. Get in quick as spots will fill realllly fast.

$450 for two FULL days to participate
$25/ day to fence sit.

Contact
Thomas jones on 0418 960 233 or, email him Thomasjones87@live.

Don't forget to share!!

09/02/2017

Again with the heat advise but it is suppose to be exceptionally warm over the next few days (and by warm I mean eye burning hot!). Also take into consideration bushfire danger, keep updated on conditions and have a plan and mostly just stay COOL!

Over the next 3 days the Hawkesbury is predicted to be 44-45 C each day. Young foals and old horses (especially old horses with cushings ) will be at a high risk of heat stress.

What are the signs?
• Excessive sweating or complete lack of sweating
• Dry, hot skin.
• Increased respiratory rate (> 20 breaths per minute) and flaring of the nostrils
• Increased heart rate (>48 beats per minute)
• Extreme lethargy
• Not wanting to eat or drink
• Irritable/strange behavior and sometimes colic like symptoms
• Tacky/dry or dark red gums

How to help your horses in this heat:
• Lots of FRESH CLEAN COOL WATER available to drink. If you have the ability to clean out and change the water to cooler water in the heat of the day that is advisable.
• Plenty of shade
• Horses that are sweating a lot may require electrolyte supplements.
• Cushing’s horses should be clipped and on appropriate doses of pergolide. Cushings horses should have their ACTH levels checked at least once every 12months to esnure they are on the correct dose of pergolide.
• Use fans and encourage horses to drink
• Horses at higher risk or not coping may need continuous hosing in the hottest part of the day if they are having trouble. Direct the hose to the insides of the legs and the head and neck areas where large blood vessels are located near the surface.
• Feed cooler feeds that require less hind gut fermentation. These include higher fat diets with less carbohydrates and micronized feed were possible.
• DO NOT just hose and leave - Water on horses heats up quickly to body temperature and effectively keeps the horse hotter. Ideally you would apply the cool water and as it heats up, scrape it off the major muscle groups, such as over the loin and hindquarters and then repeat.
• DO NOT drape a wet towel over their head and neck. The towels serve to insulate the horse rather than allowing the heat to escape particularly if the water on them remains warm.
If concerned that your horse has heat stress, please call the clinic immediately on (02) 45774611

03/02/2017

I've been a bit slack with putting up before and after shots but this mare has had a big change with EMRT and acupuncture along with dietary corrections and good old fashion correct trimming. Three treatments in and a huge change! She still has a way to go and I wish the owner all the best with her in her move out west!

03/02/2017

It's a hard life for the big T! Territory is an off the track Thoroughbred that's in the beginning stages of reeducation, part of his rehab includes bodywork so as to reduce tension left over from his race career and encourage better muscle development for his new riding career. Like most OTT's he comes with a number of quirks that need to be ironed out however with the correct combination of balance feet, teeth, diet, training and bodywork he is well on his way to being the dressage star we all know he has the potential to be!

30/01/2017

As we sweat through another sweltering night here is some light reading on heat stress, signs and symptoms and what to do in horses (those most of this applies to your other pets). Or if you don't want to read it all here are a few key points:

- Ride in the cool times of day, avoid riding in the heat or when humidity levels are high.
- Scrap water off immediately while hosing horses down ( Heat dissipating from the body gets trapped in wet coat and heats up the body instead of cooling if the water isn't removed quickly).
- Avoid transporting unless necessary it gets hot in those floats even with ventilation!
- Sponge or spray inside leg, belly and chest to cool down large blood vessels quickly.
- Provide adequate shade and water as well as electrolytes if needed.
-Do not walk your dog in the heat or on hot footpaths as it can burn their pads.

http://www.qldhorsecouncil.com/QldHorseCouncil/media/QHC-Portal/Horse%20Health%20%26%20Infectious%20Diseases/Heat-Stress-and-Heat-Stroke.pdf

23/01/2017

Mutual grooming! Not only sweet to watch it is an important part of bonding within a herd. For horses rugged living in herds it's a great idea to give them n**e days to encourage better bonding between herd members and encourage positive social behaviours.

Horses often begin a mutual grooming session by scratching each others withers but then move up and down each others body using their teeth to scratch and gently nip their grooming partner.

18/01/2017

Hey guys,

just letting you know for those in Kurnell my usual Thursday visit will instead be WEDNESDAY the 25th next week. If you'd like your horse treated please let me know and I'll see you then!

17/01/2017

Is your horse affected by Anhydrosis?
The inability to sweat efficiently can be a major problem in horses housed or worked under hot, tropical conditions and is relatively common in Northern Australia. It does not develop under hot, dry conditions, so increased humidity appears to be a trigger factor. Horses under the stress of training and competition in these conditions can progressively lose their ability to sweat, developing into a more severe form of non-sweating disease or anhydrosis (spelt anhidrosis in USA). Anhydrosis also can affect humans under hot conditions.
Horses and humans are the only mammals which secrete sweat from skin glands as a means of evaporative cooling during exercise and hot weather. Sweating is an efficient form of thermoregulation, complemented by radiation, convection and lung cooling during respiration in working horses. The average 500kg horse has around 3.5 square metres of skin surface for the evaporation of sweat. The number, size and secretion rate of sweat glands decrease as anhydrosis develops. Some horses develop a partial degree of anhydrosis to become ‘shy sweaters’, noticed as patchy sweating as sweat glands become inactive, whilst more severe cases, they cease to sweat and lose their primary cooling mechanism. In severe cases, the sweat glands shrink (atrophy), become inactive and never reactivate to resume sweat secretion. Some horses sweat under cooler winter conditions, but begin to sweat less as the heat and humidity of summer in Northern Australia and SE Asia increases. As humidity increases, the amount of sweat produced does not increase, but its evaporation rate from the skin is decreased, retaining more heat.

Major Signs of Anhydrosis
The symptoms progressively develop over 1-3 months as the ability to sweat decreases under hot, humid conditions. Up to 50-60% of horses develop the very early signs, including the ‘puffs’ with increased shallow breaths under hot conditions during peak daytime temperatures, a loss of performance, often with increased panting and ‘blowing hard’ during and after exercise, and less profuse sweating. As the condition develops, only patchy sweating occurs under the mane, on the front of the shoulders and flanks, eventually resulting in loss of the ability to sweat over the neck and remaining body surface. Panting after exercise to expel heat from the lung surface increases as the condition develops. Severely affected horses will stand in the shade or play in a water trough, whilst other less affected horses continue to graze.

Management and Therapy
The condition is usually managed by measures to reduce heat production and aid cooling, as treatment with drugs is largely unrewarding, although nutrient supplementation with electrolytes, vitamins and some amino acids may have some benefit. Although there are some nutritional remedies available, recent observations suggest that physiological salts combined with Vitamin E and Vitamin C are beneficial. A supplement, such as Kohnke’s Own Troppo-Salts™ containing Vitamin E, amino acids, Vitamin C and the salts of sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium, has been consistently successful in maintaining the ability to sweat in most horses. Being a concentrated salt mix, Troppo-Salts™ is supplemented at the rate of ‘scoop for scoop’ with plain, fine table salt, which makes it very economical. In poor or ‘non sweaters’, 2 scoops of Troppo-Salts™ and 2 scoops of salt combined daily have been helpful in maintaining sweating under hot, tropical conditions.

Dr. John Kohnke has written a handy factsheet on Anhydrosis with more information on chronic signs and extra management advice. Please message our page or email [email protected] for a free copy.

12/01/2017

It was fun in the sun today with the kids at Kurnell Boarding Stables learning about anatomy and having a go drawing it on their horses! 🐴❤️

09/01/2017

It's a busy start for the first day back for 2017 and it's already been a cracker day! Early start to try and beat the heat and got to hang out with 2 of the most adorable foals around. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and I don't know about you but I'm pumped to get back out working again after such a relaxing break!

For dates I'll be in your area please pm. Happy riding everyone!🎉🐴

19/12/2016

Christmas time is almost here!

I'll be taking two weeks off over the Christmas and New Year from the 23rd Dec and back again from the 9th Jan.

I also would like to say a heart felt thank you for all you support, this year has been amazing with some truly interesting cases and meeting a lot of wonderful horses, dogs and owners old and new.This year has brought a lot of learning opportunities with completing my acupuncture course as well as having the privilege to attend Sharon May Davis's Dissection and biomechanics classes. I'm exciting for new learning opportunities in the new to continue improving my skills to help your animals as well as continuing to meet and treat horses old and new! have a wonderful Christmas and see you all in the New Year!!! 🎄🎄🎄🎉🎉🎉🐴🐴🐴

18/12/2016

"Just a kink in the neck, or something more? What is it that we are really seeing and feeling in our horse’s bodies?"

What clues do you think you might find in a horse with changes like these? What might they have difficulty with in training? Can you think of any possible inciting factors?

There are no wrong answers - this page is intended to make you think and question, so that you can do the same as an advocate for your own horses or clients.

There are many facets (pardon the pun) to this particular case, which will be revealed piece by piece... But this is a good place to start, because it is a troublesome area in many performance horses

Hint: I find issues here most commonly in a) dressage horses and b) harness racing horses...

"Is a bulge in the neck just “out” or temporarily misaligned? Is it a muscle that is overdeveloped, or stuck in contraction? Or, are the bones actually in bigger trouble than we might think?

In becoming aware of what we are really feeling underneath the skin, we can make informed decisions about how to manage the problem..."

To see another case of changes in this area that correlated to palpable issues on the surface, check out this piece: http://www.foundationsofsoundness.com/just-a-kink-in-the-neck-or-something-more-what-really-lies-beneath/

15/11/2016

Useful for those with OTTB's no matter what discipline you do.

http://dressagetoday.com/article/dressageottb-26464?utm_source=DressageTodayFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook

Try these three exercises to turn a Thoroughbred racehorse into a successful dressage mount.

02/11/2016

Sacroiliac pain is one the most common issues I come across, particularly in ex-race horses and jumpers. Interesting read!

Sacroiliac Pain:

One of the major causes of reduced performance in many different types of equestrian horses is lower back pain. Sacroiliac ligament strain and joint sprain, stress fractures and chronic arthritic pain account for 50% of all back injuries. Some of the symptoms which indicate that your horse may have suffered a sacroiliac injury include pulling or lugging to one side, or an inability to work on a circle or bend correctly. Additionally, many horses will drag their toes on one or both hind limbs when walking, or work with one hind leg swinging under the hind quarters. The physical appearance of a ‘hunters bump’ or a prominent sacrum area is also a possible indicator.

Often it can be difficult to diagnose the exact cause of your horse’s back pain. Dr John Kohnke recommends that an examination of the sacroiliac region by pain reaction to deep finger palpation around the dorsal sacroiliac ligament attachments is an indicator, as well as ultrasound scanning to determine the presence of ligament damage. Additionally, infiltration of local anaesthetic into the area to evaluate pain relief can also be used to identify the injury area. Unfortunately, there rarely seems to be a simple single cure that will alleviate the problem and consequently we recommend a combination of rest, massage and specific exercises to help aid the healing process. Firstly, if the sacroiliac injury has just occurred, the horse will need to be rested and kept quiet to allow local inflammation and discomfort to subside. Long periods of rest beyond 30-45 days are contra-indicated because the back muscles and associated ligament structures need to be “worked” to improve flexibility and strength. Secondly, to help relax muscle spasms in the rump area it is recommended to massage the area from the hip bones up to the sacroiliac area using a firm kneading action with closed fists. Finally, this is followed by walking the horse in hand over 3 poles on the ground, spaced 1 ½ to 2 horse lengths apart at a 45-degree angle. This can be done in a figure 8 pattern over the poles 4-5 times which will help to flex and twist the sacral and pelvic area which will assist in strengthening the sacroiliac ligaments.

25/10/2016

I've started the morning with catching Cabo for his treatment but it seems like everyone wants to get involved!