Latest Articles
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Coping With Stall Rest
Stall rest can be a difficult time for horses, especially if they are used to being active and social. Here are some tips to help manage your horse’s stress when it is on confined stall rest for an injury: 1. Provide Mental Stimulation: Boredom can be a major source of stress for horses on stall… Read more
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Massage Can Have A Positive Effect on the Involuntary Muscles
Equine muscle falls into 2 categories: voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary muscles are those muscles that are under conscious control by the horse, meaning the horse can decide to contract or relax them at will. These muscles are responsible for movement and locomotion, such as walking, trotting, and cantering and are often referred to as “movement… Read more
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5 Tips for Winter Care and Safety
1. Make sure your horse has access to plenty of hay. Digesting food creates heat and can help a horse maintain body temperature in cold winter weather. The greatest amount of heat is released when microbes in the gut digest high-fiber feeds such as hay. For each decrease in coldness of one degree F below… Read more
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Fascia Can Contract
Fascia is a fibrous network of connective tissue in the body that surrounds all structures. Fascia holds parts in place, suspends organs, nerves and blood vessels, transfers the pull of the muscles and allows different parts of the body to move freely by forming distinct layers of tissue that can slide smoothly across each other.… Read more
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8 Ways To Decrease The Risk Of Lower Leg Injuries
1. Balance feet. Ask your vet and farrier to work together to help you create the best plan for your horse and then stay on schedule. 2. Warm-up. A 15 minute walk prior to any other warm up has been shown to significantly decrease lower leg injuries. 3. Cross train on other surfaces. Walking on… Read more
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A Study On DMEs And Gymnastic Training
A study by the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2015) found that dynamic mobilization exercises (DMEs) and gymnastic training (GYM) in therapy horses can improve stride quality and increase epaxial muscle size in these horses. Gymnastic training and mobilization exercises in therapy horses Horses were were divided into 3 groups (sedentary, DMEs only and DMEs… Read more
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Bodywork Is Not A Spectator Sport
There are quite a few bodywork videos going around currently that showcase the “wow factor” of a particular maneuver or technique. In my opinion, these videos are more about the featured person’s salesmanship skills and less about their horsemanship or bodywork skills. In fact, I’m concerned about how those horses’ bodies feel in the days… Read more
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Carrot Stretches After Riding
When you ride your horse, his muscles work hard to support you and perform whatever task you ask of him. You can help him keep his muscles healthy and limber by asking for some simple stretches at the end of your ride. (Video in the comments) Baited Stretches, often called Carrot Stretches, target muscles in… Read more
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Walking Improves Gut Motility
Walking around the pasture can help improve a horse’s gut motility in several ways. Firstly, low key physical activity such as walking stimulates the movement of the muscles in the horse’s digestive tract, helping to promote gut motility and prevent constipation. The rhythmic movement of the legs and the contraction and relaxation of the abdominal… Read more