Equine Bowen and Soft Tissue Therapy

27/12/2025

Hope everyone is having a lovely festive season, and spending plenty of time with your horses! A beautiful day for a ride today!

17/12/2025

Just want to wish all of my friends and clients a very happy Christmas and New Year!
Thank you all for your continued support.
Stay safe during the holiday season, and enjoy your horses!
I will be only taking the public holidays off, so will be available on the other days. Cheers Annette!

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12/12/2025

13/11/2025

Servicing the Kilmore, Broadford, Tallarook and Seymour in the next week, and have a few appointments available.

11/11/2025

Just an addit to the topic of ear twisting/twitching. In performing this cruel treatment of horses you are doing a lot more than just "controlling the horse." It can be easily seen how intricate and delicate the muscles and other structures around the ears are. Shocking damage and ongoing pain can be caused, All for a few minutes of "control."

19/10/2025

Just lately, I am noticing quite a number of OTT horses looking for new homes, as they are deemed "not suitable" for their new owners.
I want to point out that unless you are wanting to continue the education of these horses, you should NOT be purchasing them in the first place.
Even though the majority of re trainers do quite a good job at getting them going,they only have a limited time with each horse to do so.
often they have many horses to work, with more on waiting list, so although they give them a basic start, there is generally much more work to be done.
Consider the fact that the horse's racing preparation has not included 20 m circles, cantering on both leads regularly, arena work or trail rides, let alone club rallies or comps, and you will get the gist of just how upsetting and confusing a new home can be to the horse.
Additionally if they are paddocked with strange horses who can bully them they are likely to be very stressed.
in my experience it takes AT LEAST twelve months for a new OTT to adapt and get to know me and my way of doing things.
Please give them a decent chance, or don't buy them at all!

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07/10/2025

"Ears" to no more ear twitching or twisting.
One of the most painful and damaging things you can do to a horse is ear twisting.
Many people do this as a way to control a horse, or stop bad behavior, but al that happens is that the horse suffers severe pain, and can sustain injuries to nerves and cartilage, as well as potential muscle damage.
The soft tissue connecting the ears to the horse's skull can be torn quite easily.
Far too many people believe that "endorphins are released " when pressure is applied in this way. This has been disproven many years ago. Try twisting your own ears, and see how many endorphins are released.

28/09/2025

A Message From horses to us!
Don't assume if I bite or become reactive when the girth is done up that I'm "just being grumpy."
My girth area is very sensitive at the best of times. If there is pain there it is pretty intense.
If I behave in any way out of the ordinary, please investigate! Something is wrong!
Please make sure I am fit enough to complete the rides or comps that you want to take me on or to.
Can you please check my legs and feet before and after a ride to make sure all is well?
If I don't "behave" during a ride, can you please check to make sure my gear is fitting correctly,and check for any back, neck or shoulder pain?
And finally, please lets enjoy each other's company, and have fun! Variety in my work keeps me interested and happy!

02/09/2025

Poor Bailey was very tight and sore today, but was a perfect gentleman ! Neck and poll were especially sore, as were his shoulders! Left gluteals were very sensitive as were his longisimuss muscles. He was a casualty of "mud hooning " among other things!

01/09/2025

I still have some appointment times free for tbis coming Wednesday and Thursday. Will be around Kilmore, Broadford, Seymour , and some in the Yan Yean, and Whittlesea areas.

12/08/2025

This is something I talk to people about regularly. This post says it all!

Q🐎 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.

30/07/2025

I can "batten down the hatches" and live without a lot of things, But animals and my favorite music, I can't do without.