Happy official retirement big girl
Those pesky ribs often bring about big releases and breathe........... Equine Structural Balance Therapy Course (2-Days) For owners and therapists #equinetherapy #competitionhorses #horseperformance #equinesportstherapist #Thorntonequineacademy #horseowners #equineosteopathy #helenthorntonequinesportstherapy #equineeducation #helenthorntonequine #allforhorses #horseownership #EquineWellness
Ever feel someone's taking the mickey out of you ? 😂😂😂 #equinetherapy #competitionhorses #equinesportstherapist #vagusnerve #horseperformance #horsetraining #equinehorseowners
Not witchery 😅
All courses & workshops 👇👇
Helen Thornton - Equine Sports & PEMF Musculoskeletal Therapy
🐎🐴 Spooky horses? & why they DO NOT need telling off! 🐎🐴
The Limbic System, Orientation, and Cranial Sacral Health in Horses:
As prey animals, horses are uniquely attuned to their environment. Their survival instincts depend on constant orientation to detect potential threats. This heightened awareness is deeply connected to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, memory, and survival responses. For a horse, the limbic system acts as the control centre for interpreting and reacting to their surroundings, ensuring their safety in a world full of perceived dangers.
But what happens when a horse’s cranial sacral system is compromised?
Constant Orientation and the Limbic System:
Horses constantly scan their environment with small, subtle movements of their head, ears, and body. This orientation is a primary way they assess safety.
Their cranial nerves, which emerge directly from the brain, play a critical role in this process. These nerves are responsible for sensory input (like vision, smell, and hearing) and motor function (movement of the eyes, ears, and facial muscles).
When the cranial sacral system is functioning well, these processes flow smoothly. But tension, injury, or misalignments in the cranial bones, neck, or sacrum can disrupt the cranial nerves, creating challenges for the horse.
Compromised Cranial Nerves and Perceived Safety:
Issues such as tightness in the occipital area (the base of the skull), misalignments in the sacrum, or restrictions in the dura mater (the protective sheath around the brain and spinal cord) can affect cranial nerve function. This might lead to:
🦄Altered vision or depth perception.
🦄Impaired hearing or balance.
🦄Reduced facial mobility, impacting the horse’s ability to communicate with its herd.
🦄Headshaking or discomfort when moving or being handled.
For a prey animal, these disruptions are MORE than physical discomfort—they challenge the horse’
🌞The warmth of the sun
'Apricity' describes the warmth of the sun in winter. It comes from the Latin word 'apricitas' meaning sunny. It's an old word, but I think we should bring it back!
The word comes from the Latin word aprīcitās. It was first recorded in 1623 by lexicographer Henry Cockeram in his book The English Dictionarie: Or, An Interpreter Of Hard English Words. However, it fell out of use and has not been commonly used in modern language. Recently, the word has seen a resurgence in popularity.
Here's my girl enjoying her sunrise 🌅
She was so warm !
When was the last time you felt apricity?
Somatic Integration Movement Therapy WORKSHOP @DN214UQ for horse owners & therapists
Equine Structural Balance Therapy Course (2-Days) For owners and therapists
Musculoskeletal First Aid Body Check-ups Workshop - Dec 6th 2024- Helen Thornton Equine Academy
#thorntonequineacademy #equineosteopathy #workshops2025 #horseownerproblems #equinesofttissuetherapy #horseowners
Changes not always captured on camera are a missed opportunity because often our eyes can't keep up with such changes #thorntonequineacademy #posturematters #horseownership #equinehealth #allforthegoodofthehorse #horsesforcourses
Simple palpation &don't let anyone tell you this is normal.
(Horses do talk)
#equinecranialsacral #helenthorntonequinesportstherapy #equineheadshaking #equineosteopathy #thorntonequineacademy #horsecourses #horseowners
Remember this guy from the last reel
If your horse stands like this, there is a dysfunction that includes the elbows in the body. Exorotation of the elbows means chest pain, rib n sternum pain!!
Simple palpation often shows the extent of how much a horse is In trouble in their body. This showjumper is coming in for a few sessions. I'll post how we get on.
Don't let your horses suffer when you get even not such extremes to simple palpation.
Nothing should feel like a brick or in spam ! #showjumpinghorse #helenthorntonequinesportstherapy
All set up for the next Equine Structural Balance Therapy Course (2-Days) For owners and therapists tomorrow. I am looking forward to teaching another group of horse owners/therapists how they can achieve this.
The 2 days always consist of some theory, body check-ups demonstrated, and how to also utilise those checks into gentle mobilisations in key areas such as the thoracic sling and pelvis. This is followed by my key listening sections and plenty of hands-on practice with discussion.
We end the 2 days with an introduction into my prescription exercises and which horses would benefit most from that approach.
Next year will include a day 3 of hoof mapping, which is very exciting.
Helen Thornton: Equine Sports Therapist, Equine Osteopath EDO stu. PEMF Musculoskeletal Therapist horse, rider & pets. 
