Kate Stringer Equine Physiotherapist

04/11/2024

I had a great time at The Association for Working Equitation championships last weekend, a really fun finish to my first season!! It was brilliant to be competing for Team North alongside my fellow vet physio Kirsty Rawden Veterinary Physiotherapy❤️

More years ago than either of us care to remember Kirsty regularly came out on placement with me. She has been doing some really amazing work over the past few years so this was the best opportunity to reconnect over a few drinks and plenty of chat!

30/10/2024

This is really great visual for head and neck position in relation to the back. I often talk about the nod of the head and neck going forward and down, away from the rider rather than up and back towards the rider. This is clearly shown if you watch the nod in this visual. The restrictive rein and shortened neck is causing the back to hollow and the dorsal spinous processes to come closer together, over time this posture predisposes the horse to spinal pathology and back pain along with all the compensation patterns that come with it.

In walk think is my horses head and neck nod going away from me or back towards me. It feels like a subtle difference but it makes all the difference!!

29/10/2024

The arena hedge providing a great browsing opportunity!!

28/10/2024

I have been trying to create variable eating options in my horses pen area. I am lucky enough that there is an ancient burial mound in one of their fields which they like to graze on and in their pen I have put in a high haynet and platform to recreate browsing. Maude especially seems to like the browsing options but you must ensure there are plenty of ground level options alongside it, we are aiming for no more than 10% of feeding to come from this position.
This picture really shows stretching of the hip flexors and squaring of the front limbs. It will help to develop stability in the base of the neck and straightness of the spine. I believe they are fairly easy to make but massive thankyou to cable.tricia who gave me her platform!!

21/10/2024

Due to a cancellation I have space for one fitting next Monday in the Driffield area. Take a look at my website stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co
where you'll.find lots of information about what I do (eg faqs including explaining I don't check other brands, sorry, and my latest blog post on my new brand, Ghost of Italy) and a booking form.

If you'd like to talk about your issues and weather I think I can solve them, before booking, do give me a shout on Messenger or call on 07799 628057.

Below is the fabulous Lisa Allen of Equimech, specialist in rider fitness, conditioning and ridden biomechanics in her fabulous ErgoX2 dressage saddle.

11/10/2024

Who saw the Northern Lights last night? It has been on my bucket list forever so to see them so clearly in May and again last night is so special.

30/09/2024

This is so interesting for all the grey horse owners. Especially if, like me, you are struggling with their melanomas.

Recent scientific breakthroughs have shed light on the genetic mechanisms behind the greying process in horses and their connection to melanoma susceptibility.

The mutation is particularly common in some breeds, for instance Lipizzaner and Arabian horses.

The key to this phenomena lies in the Syntaxin 17 gene.

Researchers identified three variants of the gene:

G1: The wild type (this is the "normal" or original version of the gene which indicates that the horse will not go grey.)

G2: The variant has two copies of the duplicated sequence. The G2 variant is associated with a gradual/ slow greying process and has no apparent increase in melanoma risk.

G3: The variant has three copies of the duplicated sequence. The G3 variant leads to rapid greying and a significantly elevated risk of melanoma development.

A specific segment of this gene can be duplicated, and the number of these duplications directly influences both the rate of greying and the likelihood of a horse developing melanomas.

The more copies of this duplicated sequence a horse possesses, the more pronounced the greying process and the higher the melanoma risk.

Horses can carry between two and six copies of this sequence, depending on their genetic inheritance.

This discovery has profound implications for horse breeding, since through genetic screening, breeders can now employ tests to predict a horse's melanoma risk from an early age.

Using this knowledge, breeders can make strategic mating choices to influence greying rates and mitigate risks in offspring.

The study genotyped 1,400 horses and 78 breeds/populations and found the G3 variant, associated with rapid greying, is prevalent in 62 breeds, while the G2 variant, linked to slower greying, is found in only eight breeds.

This research could have far-reaching implications for understanding tumor development in horses and may pave the way for improved prevention and treatment strategies for equine melanomas.

Full details - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51898-2

30/09/2024

Feeling a little smug as I get home before the rain starts!!

31/08/2024

This horse is not the easiest to reach so it is a real moment of magic when you know you have connection and release of tension❤️

16/08/2024

I have been obsessing over gut bacteria for a good few years now and have been trying to feed the good bacteria in my horses, my own and my families guts! This research, whilst not surprising, has such far reaching consequences for health, welfare and performance in all species!

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬' 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬

A ground-breaking study has found that the future success of a racehorse can be predicted by bacteria in the foal's gut when it is just one month old.

The recent veterinary study, which was co-authored by a number of eminent vets including Rossdales Clinical Director and stud vet Oliver Pynn, analysed faecal samples, measuring the bacteria in the digestive systems of more than 50 thoroughbred foals from 5 stud farms across the country within the first four weeks of their life to assess the range and abundance of bacterial species in their gut.

The study found that the greater diversity of bacterial species a foal had in its gut at just four weeks old directly correlated to its future health, and its success on the racecourse.

Read more here https://tinyurl.com/bdmhjyww

01/08/2024

Backing is an exercise I do recommend and can be really useful for engagement and mobility. BUT it is only useful when the horse is in good posture and ready for it! Backing up at the expense of posture, crooked steps or in a hollow frame only serves to strengthen the dysfunction. If your horse is struggling with rein back start with just rocking back from the sternum until you see the wither lift and the neck drop, when this is easy then ask for just one step back and build from there. If your horse hollows or looses straightness you have asked for too much!!

Walking backwards - rein back - step back

This has always been an exercise I recommend and a recent article has used 3D motion capture to explore back and pelvis motion during the movement - Jobst, Zsoldos and Licka, 2024

'A significantly larger maximum and a greater ROM was reached between the withers, thoracic region and sacrum (labelled D-angWmT16S2) in Backwards Walking compared to Forwards walking, indicating a lifting of the back, an effect necessary to facilitate strengthening of the horse’s core and therefore often desired in equine physiotherapy and in equestrian sports (Clayton, 2016; Shakeshaft & Tabor, 2020)'

A few steps backwards - Unmount SD Cardnted - as part of groundwork and before mounting are a really good idea to mobilise your horse's back.

Link to article:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023324001412?via%3Dihub

16/07/2024

Entries also available on the day!

15/07/2024

I have this conversation regularly, a shorter shoeing/trimming cycle can really help reduce strain……

Regular farrier appointments aren't a luxury, they are a necessity for your equine companion's lifelong welfare.

❔Did you know❔
Every extra 1cm of toe length results in -
🔹an extra 50KG of force acting on the tendons
🔹a -1° drop in sole angle where the DDFT inserts into the coffin bone can lead to a 4% increase in the pressure exerted by the DDFT on the navicular bone

(Credit Dr Renate Weller)

28/06/2024

Something a bit different for me this week, I spent two inspirational days at Groundswell Agriculture, a festival for regenerative agriculture.

How is this relevant to equine physio? I am married to an organic and regenerative farmer and we see so many similarities to the way we approach our respective roles. I am passionate about restoring biodiversity within agriculture and food so it was always going to be win win for me!!

I learned so much, my brain is still buzzing with all the incredible speakers (and the equally fabulous DJ set by Andy Cato of Groove Armada fame turned Regen Farmer!)

The take home message for me was how intricately our health is linked to what we eat and how it is grown. The more healthy the soil, the more nutrients available to the plants grown on it and the animals raised on it. This ultimately results in more nutrient dense and tastier food for us along with huge benefits in disease prevention

This of course is the same for our horses. I have been working hard to implement a very diverse diet for my own little herd but still have some way to go with managing my summer turnout. The difficulty for me is boosting the diversity and health of my small paddock without weight gain for my selection of very good doers!

16/06/2024

Buster being awesome at our second ever working equitation competition finishing second in the novice🦄🦄!

10/06/2024

I love hacking and I am so lucky to have access to off road hacking round the farm!! I understand not everyone has access to this, and not all horses are happy in wide open spaces on their own but the benefits both physically and mentally are massive! If you can get off road on more uneven terrain, even just the verge this can really be therapeutic as part of the horses routine.

Physically coping with rough ground, uphill, downhill and side slopes activates the deep stabilising muscles. I like to do plenty of walking on a loose rein so my horse can figure out how to carry himself, when to shorten his stride and when to move more forward without needing me to guide him. Trotting through longer grasses encourages joint articulation and gives a cardio workout without needing to go to the beach or get the poles out. A good gallop makes the world seem a way better place!

Horses are roaming animals and I believe hacking helps to simulate this, giving them the chance to express this part of their natural behaviour. Even the odd stressful moment when a pheasant flies out is only what they would experience in the wild. As long as they remain under threshold their nervous system learns to switch back into the parasympathetic and they realise there can be a stressful moment but it is ok and then we carry on as normal. (Good for riders to figure this out too!!)

When done wrong hacking can undoubtedly be stressful for horse and rider, the trick is to start small and stay under threshold, make sure you take small steps increasing the layers of challenges slowly - ie start with company, most horses are more chilled on a sunny, quiet day than a wild and windy one, pick your routes, don’t go when you know your horse is likely to be fresh. When I started out with Buster the only place he was happy was up and down our quiet road with a big hedge on either side of him so for a long time that is what we did. I then slowly challenged him when the time was right with open spaces, new routes, pheasants, wind etc and these days he is a really fun, enthusiastic hacking partner that can benefit physically and mentally from all that hacking has to offer.

08/06/2024

This is such a special horse😍 I had the pleasure of treating him throughout his racing career, and what a career it was!! These pictures are lovely to see!

29/05/2024

In the wild horses spend around 20% of their feeding time browsing and 80% grazing. Variable feeding positions create different postures and muscle recruitment. Researchers have found horses who are offered variable feeding positions to have fewer asymmetries. A small haynet tied high alongside hay fed low down can help to recreate this in the domestic environment.