Helen Thornton - Equine Sports & PEMF Musculoskeletal Therapy

23/08/2025

Why does your horse still lack topline? Why does your rehab plan keep failing?

🚩Here’s the truth: it’s not just about muscles.

Your horse’s ability to stand tall, lift their back, and carry themselves correctly isn’t just a matter of strength. It depends on how their brain and body work together through the senses—sight, balance, touch, and awareness of where their body is in space.

If those systems aren’t working well, your horse will keep falling back into poor posture and movement patterns, no matter how many exercises or poles you add. That’s why so many rehab programs stall out or never deliver the topline you’re working toward.

Think of it this way: if the brain is organizing movement based on “bad information,” the horse will keep moving in protective, crooked, or inefficient ways. That means the right muscles—like those along the topline—never get activated properly.

Rehabilitation that really works goes beyond strength. It helps your horse’s nervous system relearn how to balance, move, and use their body with confidence. This can include things like:

✅ Specific poprioceptive exercises that build body awareness first
✅ Gentle changes in footing or terrain to challenge balance when ready
✅ Tactile stimulation or groundwork that encourages posture resets
✅️ The often over looked and most important thing when it comes to rehabilitation > Bit n contact reset

When the brain gets the right input, the body can finally produce the right output. That’s when your horse’s topline starts to come back—strong, functional, and pain-free.

15/08/2025

🚩Horse with Sacroiliac SI joint pain? What if the real problem is in the HEAD? 🐴🧠

So my last post about horses and headaches went viral.
That brought about some great conversations and questions.
This post will hopefully start to answer some of those ❓️:

“Could my horse’s headache actually becoming from the hind end? Does he have a headache?, he's only ever been diagnosed with back pain and sacroiliac dysfunction. I am told his behaviour is just him."

Could this involve the sacroiliac joints?⁉️
Could it all be interlinked 🤔

⤵️ The Craniosacral Reciprocal System:

From an osteopathic perspective, your horse’s skull and sacrum work together in a finely tuned rhythm — known as the Primary Respiratory Mechanism (PRM).

This is a rhythmic, involuntary motion that is present throughout the entire body, but most noticeable in the skull and sacrum.
It moves in alternating phases of flexion and extension, with the skull and sacrum shifting in a coordinated way.
When that rhythm is disrupted, it can create tension, restriction, and compensation patterns far from the original problem.

📖 The dura mater — a strong connective tissue sheath — surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It’s not just a protective layer; it’s part of this living, moving system anchored at both ends of the body. When one end is restricted, the other end feels it.

Key Structures and Attachments:

Sacrum: The dura has a solid anchor at the second sacral segment S2, linking pelvic stability to the spinal system.

The filum terminale anchors the spinal cord and meninges to the coccyx (tailbone), providing stability. the filum terminale is a continuation of the pia mater, with contributions from the dura mater.

Foramen Magnum: At the opposite end, the dura grips firmly inside the skull at the foramen magnum — the gateway where the spinal cord exits the cranium.
Remember those headaches?!

Cervical Attachments: Just below, there’s a lighter connection at the second cervical vertebra (C2), before the dura “free-floats” along most of the spine.

Vertebral Periosteum: At each vertebral exit point, the dura merges with the vertebral periosteum.

The dura mater of the skull, does attach to the inner lining of the temporal, frontal, occipital, and sphenoid bones. The dura mater is a tough, fibrous membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and it has several layers, one of which is firmly attached to the bones of the skull.

Think those hind end joints are the whole problem?

Sometimes, those sore SI joints are just the symptom, not the cause. Here are a few tell-tale signs the real trouble could be coming from further away in the body and of course one end affects the other, in both directions:

🚩 Ongoing headshyness or poll sensitivity
🚩 Back pain that keeps coming back, even after local treatment
🚩 Uneven muscle development along the topline or hindquarters
🚩 Pelvic restrictions that simply won’t release or keep returning after bodywork
🚩 Unexplained changes in ridden behaviour — especially during transitions or when engaging the hind end

The message :

🐎🐎🐎 WHOLE horse assessment!🐎🐎🐎

Let's not segregate areas of the body.

📌 Would you like me to follow this up with a post showing you exactly how to spot craniosacral imbalance in your horse — from the ground, before you even touch them? Comment below.

And… if you’d like to be first in the queue for practical ways you can help your own horse, drop your email using the contact form in the comments or DM it to me — you’ll be the very first to know when my new short video courses are released. 🐴✨

05/08/2025

🐎 I’ve said it many times — HORSES DO GET HEADACHES!!

And I’ll keep saying it, because too many still ignore the signs.

It is NOT normal if your horse hates to have ONE or BOTH ears touched 🚩
Let’s talk about WHY ⬇️

The general term head shyness refers to a horse that moves its head away when touched in certain areas — especially the ears, poll, face, or upper neck.

Yes, rough handling can create this behaviour. But I’m talking about the horses that give a clear pain response — and we MUST pay attention to the 🚩 red flags 🚩

Let’s break it down with some anatomy — including cranial nerves — and real-life examples:

🔺 If you have to take your bridle apart to get it on — this is NOT normal.
🚩 It’s a pain response! Likely involving the poll, the occipital bone, or surrounding soft tissues like the nuchal ligament and suboccipital muscles.

🔺 Soreness around C1 and the upper neck? 🚩
The atlas (C1) supports the skull and sits in close proximity to the brainstem — where cranial nerves originate. If there’s tension, compression, or trauma in this area, horses can experience headaches, vision changes, coordination issues, and hypersensitivity.

🔺 Ear shyness – Behind the ears lies a complex neural and muscular region. Structures here include:

CN VII (Facial Nerve) – controls facial expression; dysfunction can lead to twitching or hypersensitivity.

CN V (Trigeminal Nerve) – especially its mandibular and ophthalmic branches, which are often involved in facial pain and head-shyness.

CN VIII (Vestibulocochlear Nerve) – important for balance; tension near the inner ear can affect proprioception and make head movement uncomfortable.

🔺 Horse is poor to catch?
Many are not trying to be 'difficult’ — they’re avoiding the discomfort of the halter going on, which may stimulate the trigeminal nerve or cause tension in the TMJ area. 🚩

🔺 Can be brushed on one side but not the other? 🚩
Could be unilateral cranial nerve irritation, often stemming from fascial pulls, past trauma, or misalignment.

🔺 Foaming at the mouth under bit pressure? 🚩
This isn’t always “submission.” Bit pressure can impact:

the mandibular branch of CN V (trigeminal nerve)

the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) — which controls tongue movement

the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) — associated with the throat and swallowing
All of these nerves can be compromised by poor dental balance, bitting, or cranial dysfunction.

Summary

Refusal to touch the ears, poll, or head is NOT just “bad behaviour.”
It’s communication.

Horses with myofascial pain, C1 restrictions, cranial nerve irritation, or TMJ dysfunction will naturally protect themselves — pulling away, raising the head, tensing the jaw, or shutting down altogether.

💡 Signs of stress you may see when touching the head area:

Elevated heart rate or subtle sweating

Holding the head unnaturally high

Tight nostrils or pinched expression

Squinting or avoiding eye contact

Rushing to the back of the stable when a rug is taken from the door almost in a panic

Don’t ignore these changes. Don’t write them off as “just being difficult.”
Think about pull-back injuries, rope accidents, or even long-standing bridle or bit pressure. These can have lasting effects on the cranial nerves, cervical vertebrae, fascia, and overall comfort.

Not to forget the cranial sacral connections, got a a horse with SI joint issues ? Could be related all the way to the skull!

🧠 Pain is real.
🐴 Headaches are real.
🎯 And your horse is telling you — are you listening?

Reposting because it’s THAT important.
Let’s do better for them.

31/07/2025

💡 Lightbulb Moments: The Mind-Body Connection 💡
WHAT’S IN THE MIND IS IN THE BODY.
WHAT’S IN THE BODY IS IN THE MIND.

🫀👀 Exploring the Mind & Body Connection 👀🫀

Understanding the relationship between the mind and body is essential—for both humans and horses. Each one powerfully affects the other. Mental, emotional, and behavioural patterns are reflected in the body—and what’s happening in the body can equally shape the mind.

Let’s say it again:

WHAT’S IN THE MIND IS IN THE BODY.
WHAT’S IN THE BODY IS IN THE MIND.

When either a horse or rider is stuck in a habitual physical pattern, there’s almost always an underlying emotional or mental component at play. I've experienced this myself. After any new fall or traumatic incident, my body instinctively reverts to the same pattern formed during my very first major trauma. It’s like my body remembers—and it’s unmistakably specific.

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🐎 Key Takeaways for Horse Owners

🦄 If you’re defending, you’re not performing.

This goes for both horse and rider. A body in a defensive, protective posture simply can’t perform at its best—and is more prone to injury.

Over 15 years ago, this realisation shifted everything for me. I learned that releasing the diaphragm should be the first step in any treatment session—whether for the horse or the human.

Here’s why:
Most adults don’t breathe properly. And yet, something as simple as improving breath mechanics can radically shift the body’s physiology. Horses are no different.

My journey into this started with my own injuries. Having my diaphragm worked on during an NKT seminar triggered a powerful release—I yawned non-stop for three hours! That experience set me on the path to train in osteopathy and understand just how vital visceral work is.

Only when we address these internal patterns can we begin to unlock and shift the habitual ones.

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🎓 Want to Learn More?

✨ The Balanced Horse Workshop
2-Day Hands-On Course for Horse Owners & Therapists
The Balanced Horse Workshop – 2-Day Hands-On Course for Horse Owners & Therapists

✨ Somatic Integration Movement Therapy Workshop
31 OCT – For Horse Owners & Therapists
Somatic Integration Movement Therapy WORKSHOP 31st OCTOBER for horse owners & therapists

These workshops offer practical, powerful tools to support your horses and create real change—both in performance and well-being. They're full of lightbulb moments for owners and therapists alike

28/07/2025

🧠✨ Understanding Your Horse’s Cranial Health: The Sutherland Fulcrum Explained 🐴

Did you know your horse’s cranial system plays a vital role in their overall well-being? In cranial sacral osteopathy, we often reference a key structure known as the Sutherland Fulcrum — a central pivot point deep within the head that helps regulate natural, rhythmic motion of the skull.

📍 What is the Sutherland Fulcrum?
It’s the spot where two important membranes — the falx cerebri and tentorium cerebelli — meet. These are part of the Reciprocal Tension Membrane (RTM), a network that helps guide the subtle, essential movements of the cranial bones.

💧 Why does this matter for your horse?
These rhythmic cranial movements — influenced by the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — are believed to support proper neurological function, balance, and comfort. Restrictions here can lead to a variety of issues, including:

Head shaking

Resistance to the bit

Uneven gait

Behavioural changes

👩‍⚕️ As practitioners, we assess and gently support this area to help restore balance, relieve tension, and improve performance. It’s a powerful yet subtle approach that can make a noticeable difference in your horse’s movement and behaviour.

📞 Cranial sacral work could help your horse in so many ways and for me is very valuable for the whole horse approach in each session.

26/07/2025

What a fabulous end to three days of learning, filled with lightbulb moments! ✨️

Day 2 of Structural Balance Therapy gave us the perfect opportunity to put the theory from Day 1 into practice—much needed after a bit of brain overload! Applying what we learned made everything so much clearer, especially in understanding how the body is interconnected. The value of conducting full-body check-ups became even more apparent—they provide crucial information for horse owners about where their horse’s body is at and allow us to track key areas throughout rehab programmes.

It just makes sense, doesn’t it? Why rely solely on visual observation during rehab? Assess the body—see where it’s at. Body patterns should change if we’re inputting the right sensory information.

Today built beautifully on that whole-horse approach.

Nick Hill’s insights into hoof wear patterns added another essential piece to the puzzle—something every owner, bodyworker, and professional should understand and be able to apply. Things in the body can be affected from either direction, and removing blocks is like opening up the flow throughout the horse’s body.

Huge thanks to all who attended. Next year is shaping up to be a busy one!

To stay updated on future events, make sure you regularly react to or comment on our Facebook posts. You can also sign up for our emails to ensure you don’t miss out on important dates.

25/07/2025

Rehab Plan going nowhere? Topline as bad as ever ?
One of the most asked questions , to equine therapists, trainers, and also to google ....

Why isn't my horse building topline?

And the worst most bull 💩 answer award....

“Maybe it’s just lack of exercise… or maybe lameness. If the horse is sound, check the diet.”


Let’s be honest — that’s not a real answer.
Especially if you’ve already worked with a vet, fitted the saddle, invested in bodywork, or followed a full rehab plan.

And yet, here’s another one:
🩺 “Why isn’t my rehab plan working?”

If you’re months to a year into rehab, still seeing hollow outlines, dropped backs, tension, shutdown, or just zero progress — I promise you: you are not alone.

And it’s not your fault.

Why isnt my rehab plan working .......
❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️
The answers are simple, yet rarely understood.

➡️ 👉 Here’s a clue:
Most rehab plans skip the entire phase where the horse’s body needs to remember how to feel itself and to "re wire" movement patterns.
That’s why nothing sticks. That’s why muscle doesn’t build. That’s why connection & engagement never really happens

Share this and make sure you are signed up to emails, for my webinar on answers to this very common subject.

You won't believe how simple the answers are and the difference to your success .

The clue, the nervous system and working the horse from the inside out!

https://helenthornton.com/contact

Contact Helen Thornton for Equine Sports Therapy & PEMF Therapy with questions, to register for special updates & advance notifications, or to request an appointment. Helen travels to your site, yard or home, or - by arrangement - you can come to Helen's Human Clinic and/or Equine Rehabilita

24/07/2025

🐴 Day One ~ Equine Structural Balance Therapy Course 🐴

Today marked the beginning of a deeply insightful journey for our attendees — a day full of discovery, awareness, and connection with the horse on a whole new level.

✨ We explored what it really means when a horse “drops down the staircase” — how their posture reveals the story of their nervous system, and how the balance between parasympathetic and sympathetic states affects everything from movement to mindset.

🧠💫 “What’s in the mind is in the body — and what’s in the body is in the mind.”
This concept became a felt reality today, as we observed just how closely the emotional and physical experiences of the horse are woven together.

🌀 Our check-in process gave students hands-on tools to assess key areas like thoracic sling development and pelvic engagement — two systems that must work in harmony for strength, lift, and healthy biomechanics. One can’t activate without the other.

💡 But what really stood out today was this:
Regulating the nervous system is the gateway to structural change.
Before strength, before stretch, before schooling — comes safety. We cannot ask for postural transformation until we help the horse truly re-inhabit their body and release old, stored tension.

🌿 Less is more.
We’re not here to impose. We're here to listen.
When we slow down, the horse shows us the way.

👁️‍🗨️ This course isn’t just about “fixing” posture or relieving tension. It’s about understanding the why behind the patterns — and empowering horses to move with flow, trust, and freedom again.

If you're a dedicated horse owner or a therapist craving deeper layers of understanding, this is for you.
This is about more than techniques — it’s about how you see, feel, and meet the horse.

📆 Limited spaces available on our next course — DM to register or learn more.
🔗 ://www.facebook.com/share/164kHtQDKo/

Let’s rewrite the story of tension — together.

21/07/2025

🚨 3-Day Equine Course Alert! 🚨
📍 Nr MarketRasen| 📅 24th/25/26 JULY 2025

Is this image your horses top line? Keep 📚

We’re excited to offer an in-depth 3-day training course designed for equine professionals and enthusiasts! Whether you're looking to expand your skills or deepen your understanding, this is for YOU. Easy to learn with powerful changes.

✨ Days 1 & 2 – Structural Balance Therapy
Learn techniques to assess and support the horse's body for optimal movement and comfort. Ideal for bodyworkers, farriers, trainers, and horse owners who want to make a real difference. Help transfer your horse from poor posture and tension like in the image.

🦶 Day 3 – Hoof Mapping
Master the art of reading the hoof for better balance and soundness. This day is perfect for those focused on hoof care and function.
WITH V&T Equine services

🔹 Choose what suits you best: ✅ Attend only the 2-day Structural Balance Therapy
✅ Join us for just the 1-day Hoof Mapping
✅ Or dive into the full 3-day experience for maximum value!

📩 Spaces are limited – please get in touch to book your spot or ask any questions!

Let’s take your equine knowledge to the next level 🐎

Event link is in the messages
📞 07947 623 923
Dm
Or pay via link

20/07/2025

"Understanding Equine Asthma Through the Equine Osteopathic Lens"

Equine asthma, like human asthma, involves inflammation and narrowing of the airways, making it harder for your horse to breathe—especially during exertion or in dusty environments. From a veterinary medical perspective, this is a respiratory condition. But from an osteopathic point of view, we look deeper to see how different systems of the horse's body interact and contribute to the problem.

Here’s how:

1. Structure Affects Function

Osteopathy is based on the idea that the structure of the body influences how it functions. If your horse’s ribs, spine, diaphragm, or even pelvis are restricted or misaligned, their ability to breathe deeply and efficiently can be compromised. These mechanical restrictions can reduce lung expansion and lymphatic drainage, making the horse more vulnerable to asthma symptoms.

> Example: If the ribs aren’t moving well during breathing, it’s like trying to blow up a balloon in a box—there’s just not enough room for full expansion.

2. Fascial and Muscular Tension

Horses under physical or emotional stress may develop tightness in the fascial system (the connective tissue that wraps around muscles and organs). This tension can restrict the lungs and diaphragm, limiting airflow and contributing to poor respiratory function. Osteopathic treatment helps release these restrictions, supporting better breathing mechanics.

3. The Role of the Diaphragm

The diaphragm is a major breathing muscle, responsible for inspiration and it’s also closely connected to digestion and posture. If there’s tension or imbalance in the diaphragm—perhaps from colic history, back pain, or saddle fit—it can reduce the efficiency of breathing. Osteopathic work restores proper motion and tone to the diaphragm, improving its ability to assist respiration.
More on the diaphragm next time. Yes I always bang on about how important this is 😄.

4. Nervous System Imbalance

The autonomic nervous system regulates inflammation and smooth muscle contraction in the lungs. If your horse is stuck in a “fight or flight” mode (sympathetic dominance), it can worsen inflammation and bronchial constriction. Osteopathic techniques can help rebalance the nervous system, promoting relaxation and better immune regulation.

5. Drainage and Circulation

Good lymphatic and venous drainage are essential for clearing inflammation and toxins from the lungs. Restrictions in the chest, neck, or thoracic inlet can block these pathways, allowing inflammatory fluid to build up. Osteopathic adjustments can improve circulation and drainage, easing respiratory effort and promoting healing.

What Does This Mean for Your Horse?

Equine Osteopathic treatment doesn't replace veterinary care or medications, but it complements them by addressing the underlying restrictions and imbalances that may be contributing to or worsening your horse’s asthma. By improving structural alignment, muscle tone, circulation, and nerve function, your horse’s body can function more efficiently—and that includes the lungs.

19/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined my Somatic Integration Movement Therapy workshop today, and for travelling from far n wide. Your presence, openness, and willingness to explore made it a truly powerful experience. Grateful to hold space with you all—until next time. 🌿✨