Latest Articles
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Calm Like A Bomb
Some horses are extremely stoic and will hide discomfort until it’s just too much for them to cope with. These are the horses that people tell you are oh so quiet – until they explode. So, is the horse quiet or internalized? Horses are prey animals; because of this, some of them are exceptionally good Read more
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Key Muscles of the Equine Respiratory System & Their Impact on Performance
Your horse’s performance is intimately tied to his ability to breathe freely and deeply. Breathing involves several key muscles that help facilitate the process of inhalation and exhalation. These muscles work together to expand and contract the lungs, allowing for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In this article, we’ll discuss the muscles behind Read more
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10 Tips to Improve Muscle Care & Recovery
Bonus info: Muscles, fascia, joints, and bones develop at different rates and require different stimuli for optimal health: 1. Muscles: Muscles adapt well to repetitive patterns and progressive overload. Gradually increasing resistance helps build strength and endurance over time. 2. Bones: Bones need regular, weight-bearing resistance and light impact to maintain and increase density. Activities Read more
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Step By Step: The Benefits Of Walk Poles For Horses
Recent studies have found that walking your horse over ground or raised poles strengthens muscles, increases range of motion in all 4 limbs and increases back flexion. Walk poles cause the horse to take higher, more exaggerated steps to clear either a ground or raised pole. That extra movement helps improve suppleness and flexibility through Read more
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Reading Your Horse’s Body Language: Understanding Subtle Signs of Discomfort and Well-being
During palpation we look for subtle variations in the feel of the tissue. It’s also important to observe your horse’s reactions to your touch. These can be fairly obvious; threats to nip, moving away from you, leg lifting, ear pinning, fidgeting or increasing anxiety. More subtle signs might include facial tensions, muscle spasm/fasciculation, breath holding, Read more
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Cultivating Resilience: The Science of Hormetic Stress for Horse Health
Hormetic stress refers to the beneficial effects of exposure to low to moderate levels of physical stress, which can lead to enhanced health, resilience, and adaptation. The concept of hormesis comes from the Greek word “hormaein,” which means to excite or stimulate. Hormetic stress activates various cellular pathways to trigger adaptive responses that can enhance Read more
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Elevating Equine Well-being: The Power of Massage for Performance and Health
Massage is used for the following reasons: 1. Improve performance: Massage can enhance your horse’s power, stamina suppleness, mind-set and exercise recovery. It can also be very helpful when bringing a horse into work, altering mechanics or improving strength, range of motion and overall posture. The easier it is for your horse to balance and Read more
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Winter Survival Tips: Staying Warm and Functional for Riders & Bodyworkers
Keeping your extremities warm can be a real challenge, interfering with your intention and compromising your physical ability to do your job well. Here are a few of my favorite tips for staying warm and functional during winter. A lot of heat escapes from your wrist. I use these polartec “Wristies” cool weather and can Read more
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Switching To A Better Fitting Saddle – And The Journey Beyond
Many riders believe that by swapping out a poorly fit saddle to one that fits well, their horse will be good as new. But if your horse’s body is used to moving in a compromised way, it will need help changing back to a more natural, efficient, optimized way of moving. Upgrading to a saddle Read more