Key Equestrian Stables

14/08/2024

13/08/2024

04/08/2024

01/08/2024

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

29/07/2024

The joys of winning !

Our Vision to Glory and Erin Chislett winning their performance riding class and becoming the supreme champion. The judge could not resist touching Glory’s natural unclipped coat !

Our grooms are the best at maintaining natural coats and exceptional turnout ! This is proven in the show ring !

21/06/2024

Save the date !

We are thrilled to announce our participation in the hashtag Congress in Valencia, Spain, from June 4-6! 🐾
Come visit us at Booth 34 to learn more about our innovative veterinary solutions and how we're advancing animal healthcare. 🐶🐱

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with our team and discover the latest in veterinary advancements. See you there! 👋

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

07/06/2024

When a jumping horse refuses an obstacle, it is not uncommon for trainers to use the whip as the horse stands motionless in front of the obstacle after its refusal. Punishment at that point is non-contingent and, therefore, devoid of any useful training effect.

In some cases, the refusing horse is punished and then turned away for another presentation. When horses do attempt an obstacle after a random act of punishment, it is likely that increased anxiety levels make the horse run and, if the obstacle is in its path, it may well jump over it.

At best, this is a haphazard training exercise, destined to have low, if any, efficiency. At worst, it simply trains the horse to default to a flight response in the presence of jumps.

The need for caution regarding punishment underscores the importance of teaching horse-riding coaches the fundamentals of learning theory.

- An excerpt from Equitation Science Volume 2 by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel

14/05/2024

Introducing PBC BioVet: A New Frontier in Veterinary Healthcare, https://lnkd.in/ei_tTG_E

12/05/2024

19/01/2024

Contact – What is good contact? Posted on October 12, 2021August 24, 2023 by thm admin A judge’s view: “Correct contact is difficult to define because it is an ever-changing feeling. When a horse is well balanced and in self-carriage, contact with the mouth is so light it is nearly nothing. It...

21/12/2023

Horses and sweet potatoes?

Ulcers, 60-90% of show/performance horses have ulcers. Humans created stall confinement, grain and commercialized feeding. Horses are meant to spend all day, outside free grazing. “In a natural grazing situation, a steady flow of acid is required for digestion, so a horse's stomach produces acid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – up to 9 gallons of acidic fluid per day, even when not eating.”

So what happens to that acid when there’s no roughage to break down, ulcers. How do we treat and prevent ulcers in our barn? We preventatively treat each horse with omeprazole paste the week before and during each showing. It’s cheap, easy and effective!! Want further benefits? It’s in the common grocery store sweet potato! Why?

“On top of protein and dietary fiber sweet potatoes also have a very good selection of vitamins and minerals:
* Vitamin A – As well as boosting your horse’s immune system and strengthening his bones, Vitamin A can also help to reduce the risk of cataracts.
* Vitamin C – Like Vitamin A, Vitamin C can help to improve your horse’s immune system but it can also help to heal wounds and keep your horse’s teeth, bones, and cartilage healthy.
* Vitamin B5 – Part of the B complex vitamin group, Vitamin B5 can help to keep your horse’s coat in good condition. It also works to aid digestion, especially in the digestive tract.
* Vitamin B6 – Another B complex vitamin, it’s known for its ability to reduce the symptoms of some forms of arthritis as well as keeping the eyes healthy. If your horse suffers from depression then Vitamin B6 can help with this.
* Vitamin E – Known for its ability to fight infection, Vitamin E also works to maintain healthy skin, eyes, and even a healthy coat.
* Potassium – You might not realize it but potassium is actually one of the most important minerals in the body, it works to keep a horse’s muscles working properly and will also help to reduce tiredness after exercise.
* Manganese – Not only does manganese help to keep your horse’s bones strong and healthy but it can also reduce inflammation. In my opinion, though the biggest role that manganese plays is in the regulation of blood sugar, this means that it may be good for horses that suffer from conditions such as Equine Cushings Disease.”

Maybe you will consider adding sweet potatoes to your show horses regimen, we have, and we have seen outstanding results! Our biggest sweet tater eater in the barn is 17+ hand gentle giant He’s Forrest Gump! They helped him gain over 300lbs and help to curb his proneness to colic. Thank you to Dr Mendenhall at Equine Services for your recommendation!

Source horsefactbook.com

14/12/2023

10/12/2023

Ingrid Klimke tells us:“The hindlegs must be energetic under the centre of gravity, that means the hindquarters get much more muscle, the back gets so much stronger, and the horse really shows himself. The horse has to have energy from behind, the motor is the hindlegs. “I don’t want to see a spectacular trot, just active hind legs and the movement going over the back to the rider’s hand.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2023/02/ingrid-klimke-talks-about-hind-leg-development/

10/12/2023

07/12/2023

Essential questions from Christoph Hess:
“Is the horse properly seeking the bit? Some top class horses are light in the neck and head, but always behind the bit. You always have to have the feeling that the horse learns to stretch its body. Not just stretching his front and neck, but the whole body. The horse needs his neck to balance his body – it is not so important that the horse’s nose is in front or behind the vertical, as long as the horse is stretching.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2020/07/christoph-hess-talks-about-the-basics/

25/11/2023

Window Dressing

24/11/2023

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/YRn5KbRrTUkvdSXU/?mibextid=o3JX1P

On behalf of the Gauteng Equitation Committee, our Judges and Officials, coaches, parents and all our riders, a HUGE THANK YOU to Mr Boyd Chislett from LIQUID INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES for your generous support towards the Series! Your sponsorship has been an incredible benefit to Equitation this year. We have had a huge growth in our membership and participation across the board at all levels of the dicipline. The LIQUID INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES Equitation Series has enabled our riders to improve, develop and excell. We are so grateful.

23/11/2023

Amazing opportunity for you and your horse to join the Key family! Key is an extremely active yard, constantly hosting seminars, clinics and various workshops, aimed at both the horse and rider.

If you’re looking for a relaxed, friendly and professionally run yard, with your horses care always top of mind, what’s app Karen Eekman on 079 284 0107

23/11/2023

The horse world feels like a dark place today, with the release of the Operation X documentary on the systematic abuse of horses in sport at a well-known Danish dressage stud. The murkiness spreads as it becomes apparent how far reaching the acceptance of the abuse is.

Money talks. Much louder than the horses do.

And dressage is by no means the only sport to blame. Anywhere where horses are used by humans for financial and egotistical gain, they are left wide open to potential exploitation and abuse (yep, even those that are apparently ‘treated like kings’).

Today I’m overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, anger and helplessness. What are we doing to these beautiful, gentle, powerful creatures? Why? How can anyone think it is ok?

Never. Ever. Turn a blind eye or accept the bullying, domination, intimidation or forcing of a horse, in any way shape or form. If they say no, they say it for a reason. Always.

23/11/2023

Did you know that there is a direct relationship between heel to toe height ratio and lameness?

Dyson (2011) measured different hoof balance parameters and correlated them with lameness.
The study found the most significant correlation with lameness was with heel to toe height ratio.

Another significant finding was the coronet angle of the lame foot in a unilaterally lame horse was higher.

Inevitably these parameters will correspond with hoof Pastern axis, Dyson cited Bach et al. Which stated that HPA was more important then absolute hoof angle. In a similar vein my research showed plantar angle was less significant then how broken back the hoof Pastern axis was in the hind foot in the relationship with metatarsal angle (camped under).

Heel to toe height ratios, shown here with our template is therefore an important parameter to measure and document. The image also shows how this measurement correlates with coronet angle and HPA.

18/11/2023

13/11/2023

13/11/2023

If we assume that the pelvis is a primary structure that facilitates gait and that gait requires integrated muscle activity on two sides of the body, if we have asymmetry in the pelvic area all gaits will be dysfunctional, period.

Movement into any direction will require compensation by other muscles or will not be accomplished. Compensatory muscle activity is less efficient, energy demands increase, and stress accumulates on poorly aligned joints.
Efficient gait requires the right and left sides of the body to be relatively equally competent in both stance and swing phases of gait.

Gait is the best measure of lack of balance through biomechanical asymmetry.

11/11/2023

If mom won’t give me carrots … I’ll just pop into the tack room and help myself 🥕

07/11/2023

Does symmetry lead to success ?

Early on in my journey I certainly thought that was the end goal, structural symmetry that would be the magic to unlocking equine body potential.

Over the years I have come back time and time again to examine this thought and see if it still holds true in the light of day particularly as my clinic grew and I gained more experienced and was exposed to more horses.

More and more I am making peace with the concept that structural symmetry is not the key and is a futile pursuit. It is a myth, after all even though the horse may appear symmetrical at first glance, there is absolutely no symmetry in the body.

Having two front limbs, two hind limbs, two eyes and ears is about where it ends. While those appear to be symmetrical often their orientation on the body is very different and their range of motion very different.

Symmetry, in biology, the repetition of the parts in an animal or plant in an orderly fashion. Specifically, symmetry refers to a correspondence of body parts, in size, shape, and relative position, on opposite sides of a dividing line i.e the sagittal plane or distributed around a central point or axis.

The reality is the body is asymmetric particularly internally organ size, weight and placement all play key roles in the asymmetry we struggle to change.

When we look at the horse's external asymmetry and place value of what we see, are we considering the symmetry beyond the superficial. We tend to think of musculoskeletal asymmetry but rarely do we consider the driving force of this asymmetry which is the innate internal asymmetry.

This is why the pursuit of symmetry is not only futile, it is also unrealistic because nature never designed it that way.

This of course leads to the question of, what should we pursue to help the equine body function better and hold up to the pressures and loads placed upon it.

What drives the laterality we see in horses and why is it so much faster and more pronounced in horses than in other mammals ?

The smart people at the postural restoration institute talk about humans but the reality is I see the patterns they talk about not only in humans but also in horses, dogs and cats.

Laterality as a result of natural internal asymmetry in part of the living condition, it seems to affect all mammals I look at. The reflexive patterns of motion in relationship to internal balance create what they call a zone of apposition in all bodies bipeds or quadrupeds.

In simple terms laterality through the body!

So what is the answer ?
Understanding that the innate asymmetry of the internal body will always influence posture and movement. Changing reflexive motion by strengthening and incorporating the weaker lateral zone i.e creating more balance between both sides of the body.
Working from an understanding that external symmetry says little about balanced functionality particularly as it relates to functional balanced locomotion.

It’s vital to remember that at the end of the day it’s not the visual symmetry that counts, it’s the balanced respiration and locomotion that drive a healthy body. Access to reflexive bilateral motion it where the poster resides.

It is important to remember that this laterality becomes more pronounced and affects the horse more than humans and dogs, because we ride horses.
The axial loading coupled with the constantly erupting teeth and the constantly changing foot balance puts the dependence on reflexive laterality on the fast track.

A struggling body will always revert to a reflexive pattern and will rely on them for stability and just like that we’re back to the zone of opposition a dominant lateral side.

Good therapy is about working with nature not overriding it, if we work smarter and not harder we can affect change, that is presuming we understand what we need to change.