Hoof to Heart , LLC & H2H VETS INC

18/12/2024

- If your torso is collapsing to the right, your hips slipped to the left
- If your right leg keeps creeping up, or you lose just the right stirrup, your hips have slipped left
- If you find it easier to ride to the left, than to the right, your hips likely slip to the left.
- if you find yourself clinging to the right rein, while practically forgetting that you have a left one, good chances are that your hips slept left
- If your left hand is higher than your right hand, it’s possible that your hip slipped to the left
- If cantering counter clockwise, feels okay, but cantering clockwise feels awful, I’m gonna say your hips slipped left.
- if you can leg yield your horse to the right (off your left leg) pretty well,  but cannot lead guild to the left to save your life, your hips are probably chronically slipping to the left.

So many times, when a rider or is collapsing to the right, their coach tells them to fix it by stepping into the left stirrup. 🤦‍♀️ Like, I’ve heard of very famous coaches, giving this instruction.
And the thing is, it does look a little better, because at least when they step into the left stirrup, it gets them to straighten up their entire body -the problem is they are still off-center.
 I think the coach then typically gives students other exercises that bring them back over to the right (like twisting the shoulders to point a little to the left would help), but what I can tell you is these students then talk to me about their ride and they have absolutely no idea how to reproduce whatever straightness they may have accomplished during that clinic. 

The number one, needs solved now, issue in the rider in this sketch is that the hips fell left. I don’t care that the rib cage is collapsing to the right, or that the right leg is creeping way up. All of that will be fixed once the Rider brings their pelvis back to center.

This person is also riding with the left hip forward and the right hip back, but that will also likely resolve once you get this person to scooch over to the right.

 I would tell this student to put their left butt cheek in the middle of the saddle, high centering it, and drop the right butt cheek down into the hole that creates.

Another great exercise (on a trotting horse) is to drop the left stirrup, go clockwise, and posting trot utilizing just the right stirrup. This will feel horrible at first- to the point that I often have to let students try the exercise the opposite direction with the opposite stirrup so they realize how easy it is on their “strong” side. 

If you really struggle to keep from slipping left, it can also help to turn your chest to point a little bit to the left (while traveling right). This can be very effective at putting your weight into your right leg. You can stand up, assume a position similar to riding, and then twist your torso, one way, and then the other. Not all, but definitely most people find that when they twist to the left, it shifts weight into the right foot and vice versa.

Btw- I do virtual video review lessons! Very little tech knowledge needed. $65/lesson.


13/12/2024

💗🔮National day of the horse 🐴🎉🐴

13/12/2024

12/12/2024

Equestrians - its only 10 days until lighter days are upon us! Hang on in there!

11/12/2024

Starting in January I will have an open lessons spot for and intermediate - advanced rider. PM for details.

05/12/2024

22/11/2024

This all winter 🥶❄️ day long

Question - How many barns/lesson programmes/trainers/instructors lose clients (or fear losing clients) during the winter months when they switch to groundwork, horsemanship, stable management, horse observation and education lessons when conditions or weather dictate that it is in their own, the facilities, the clients AND the horses best interests to NOT proceed with ridden lessons on any given day?

Answer - A LOT!

Support your trainers or programme when they make smart decisions in your best interests during the challenging winter months.

We make these decisions because we care. We make these decisions because, collectively, Kerry and I have been teaching for 60 years or more.

Unmounted lessons are as important as any ridden lesson.

Walk lessons are as valuable as any lesson in faster gaits.

18/11/2024

🌾🌾🌾

Horses have a fascinating and unique digestive system that requires careful attention. As non-ruminant herbivores, horses thrive on forage-based diets and have a single-compartment stomach—similar to humans. Since horses are hindgut fermenters, they also rely on fermentation in their hindgut (cecum and colon) to extract energy from forage. 🌾

🔬 How it Works:

1️⃣ Chewing (Mechanical Digestion):
Digestion starts in the mouth, where chewing breaks food into smaller pieces, increasing the surface area for digestive enzymes. Chewing also produces saliva, which buffers stomach acid and supports gastric health. Horses with dental issues may struggle to chew, so their diet may need to be adjusted. 🦷💧

2️⃣ The Stomach (Chemical Digestion):
In the stomach, gastric acid, enzymes, and microbes continue breaking down food. The stomach’s acidic environment helps digest food and defends against harmful microorganisms. However, since horses continuously produce stomach acid—even when not eating—long periods of time without food (forage) can increase their risk of ulcers. 🧪🍴

3️⃣ The Small Intestine (Nutrient Absorption):
After the stomach, digesta moves to the small intestine, where enzymes continue to break down the food even more. Nutrients like starch, protein, and fats are absorbed. 🌟

4️⃣ Hindgut Fermentation (Cecum & Colon):
In the hindgut, microbes ferment fibre from hay, pasture, and other forages, producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) which are a major energy source for horses. Any undigested food continues through the colon, where water is absorbed, and waste is formed. 🌾🔥

📖 Want to learn more about equine digestion health and ways to support it? Check out our full article for a deeper dive! 🌿🐴

🇨🇦https://madbarn.ca/supplements-for-digestive-health-in-horses/
🇺🇸https://madbarn.com/supplements-for-digestive-health-in-horses/