Difficulty turning out and bringing in

I received a phone call "I'm having problems turning my horse out and bringing him in".  J had owned R for just a few months, he was her first horse.  A coloured cob, strong and sturdy, he was great to ride but knew his own mind, especially when J was on the ground.  There was a 5 minute walk along a quiet lane to get to his field, with a busy main road at the end of the lane.  R had a nasty habit, usually when he was on his way in from the field, of taking matters into his own hands and pulling away from J in search of pastures new.  She had bought a Dually halter after attending a Monty Roberts demonstration, and was looking for some help in using it correctly.

I worked initially to assess R's response to me asking him to walk with me, stop, back up, move his quarters, bend his head and neck, and walk in a circle around me.  I found that he was basically very obedient, but had momentary lapses into difficult, almost threatening behaviour.  The longer I worked with him, the more relaxed he became.  Once I was confident that we were safe, I took him out onto the lane to show J how I would expect him to behave when he was led to and from the field.  He walked on a relaxed rope, with a 'smile in the line' (no pressure along the rope between my hand and the head collar), and we stopped often.  I expected him to stop when I stopped, and if he didn't, I asked him to back up a step or two until he was where he should have stopped, then I stepped out of his space to reward him with peace and quiet for doing what I had asked.  The more tempting the grass by the side of the lane, the more often I stopped.  I described it to J as having a conversation with him.  The walking, stopping, occasional backing up was like continually conversing with him, rather than just ignoring him and doing my own thing and so encouraging him to do the same.  The more distractions there were, the more interesting I needed to make the conversation. R walked calmly with me all the way to the field.

I asked J what she had noticed, she said that it looked like a fairy tale and she wanted to know how to achieve the same herself.  I advised her to start with some reading - Kelly Marks' 'Perfect Manners', Monty Roberts 'From My Hands To Yours', and anything by Mark Rashid for starters.  This week I'm going back to work with J and R again, helping them to work together rather than against each other.

If you'd like help with your horse, you can find your local Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate at www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk.

Gastric ulcers - a reader's story

This piece was written by a client, in the hope that her story will inspire others to consider gastric ulcers as a potential cause of problems.

My lovely horse B has always been a bit ‘special’ – he has always had grumpy moments, and has been difficult to tack up. He is a really sensitive soul who just worries about everything so much – any changes to routine/feed/field mates generally cause him to stress and his behaviour can become erratic and sometimes extreme. He is a nightmare to get weight on, and while he can look poor at times, he always tries his best for me when we’re out competing.

Following a talk by Sue at Derby College Equestrian Centre, our yard arranged for her to come out to assess and treat our four horses, all with different issues! Sue came out and saw my horse – she immediately asked whether he had been treated for gastric ulcers by the vets and I replied that it had been discussed, but was never really ‘pushed’ as an option. Sue’s assessment was thorough and she was able to see the bigger picture in terms of not just treating the muscle soreness and imbalances that my boy has. I watched Sue used a whole range of different treatment methods, however she treated my gorgeous boy so beautifully – I could see him relaxing and ‘letting go’ of lots of his stress before my eyes, and I’m not ashamed to say that I was really emotional too!

Following Sue’s advice, I contacted my vets and booked him in for a gastroscopy to establish whether he had ulcers which were causing him pain. The results were that he did indeed have mild ulceration of the stomach lining and we put him straight onto a course of Gastrogard. Thankfully, my insurance company have agreed to pay for treatment, since it is rather expensive stuff… As soon as he went onto this treatment, B’s whole outlook changed, almost immediately. He relaxed his body, became far more loving and cuddly, and his grumpiness virtually disappeared. I was over the moon – having spent years trying to get him to put weight on (and keep it on) with good grazing he became just a little rounder. I know that he will never ever be a fat horse but it was so lovely to see him looking more ‘normal’ and less ‘knobbly’!

Sue has continued to monitor his progress throughout and has treated him a number of times since, with positive feedback.

We are currently going through a slightly difficult phase, as he has become extremely grumpy again since coming off the Gastrogard (under veterinary advice), and we have been through a tricky period of not eating the lovely, expensive completely organic feed which I decided to put him on, and an upset tummy due to haylage which was far too rich for him, and his refusal to eat the gastric supplement that the vets have prescribed for him, so I’m in liaison with the vets again to see if he can go back onto treatment for a while.

I know it will be an on-going battle between reducing the risk of ulcers reappearing and finding a suitable feed that will enable him to keep putting weight on (that he will actually decide to eat!), however with amazing support and encouragement from Sue and our vets at Pool House Equine Clinic, I’m really hopeful that between us we can get B to a point where he is healthy and happy.

Thanks Sue! xx

Dressage Cadre Noir style

Demelza Hawes is a talented young Dressage rider, recently returned from Saumur, where she was training with the Cadre Noir Masters.  You can find out more about Demelza at http://www.demelzahawes.com.  This information she wrote in April 2011 for my free ‘Brain or Pain’ newsletter, which you can sign up for at www.holistichorsehelp.com.  Inclusion of this article in my blog does not imply endorsement by Sue Palmer or Holistic Horse Help.

Having had much competitive success over the years, Demelza's first major success was at the tender age of 8 when she won the Show Pony Championship at The Royal International. Over the years she has progressed into pure Dressage, having trained with Alison Davies, Bernward Schlutuer in Germany, and later back in the UK with Peter Storr, Ulrik Molgaard & Judy Harvey. Demelza now has a string of horses to compete at her base near Thame, and since her return from Saumur has won every time out competing under British Dressage Rules on a variety of horses.

The training in Saumur confirmed her own beliefs and training methods to work in harmony with the horse, and as a trained human sports massage therapist Demelza is also acutely aware of the importance of muscle and skeletal wellbeing in the competition horse to perform at their best.

How to ride a Test Cadre Noir Style

Dressage is a sport based around gymnasticizing your horse. It therefore means that to do well in competition your work is done long before you arrive at the show. It has always been  key to my competition success that I train my horses at a comfortable level but above their competition level.  I  am currently competing my horse Fabritzio at novice and elementary but he is training comfortably now at medium and advanced medium, including snippets of introductory grand prix movements for fun & variety.

After a gentle warm up in trot and canter on both reins, I use this basic routine at the start of each session,  leg yield, shoulder out, shoulder in, travers & renvers. Trot is very beneficial due to the diagonal stride pattern. Give your horse a stretch down in trot on both reins and allow relaxation in walk for a couple of minutes. Pick up your reins again & start playing with your transitions, Allow more stretching in trot and have a final walk 10 minutes before your test. Just before the test have a final trot using circles and the odd transition making your horse really sharp & quick off your leg.

Once the bell goes, give yourself time to go down the centre line,avoid unbalancing your horse.

While conducting the test, take your time.

The importance of fitness for riding...

In todays world with increased knowledge, we now know how important it is to be fit to ride our horses.

The ability to maintain balance and energy levels whilst riding is of great importance if you are to  get the best out of your horse and yourself.

Cardiovascular, endurance and core strength are all things we should try to improve whilst off the horse. Having a good basic fitness then enables you as a rider to keep you and your horse’s balance, give clear aids that are concise and consistent and avoid fatigue. You are also sharper so can react quicker to mistakes your horse may make as well as feeling when he is about to be a little more exuberant than normal.

Your fitness is a tool used to teach, train, develop and maintain your horses fitness and skills, whether he be an eventer, show jumper, dressage horse or just your four legged friend whom you take to the local summer show.

You and your horse’s biomechanics need to work together in unison, this way you have the greatest effect over his movements, activity and the length of his working life.

Working in harmony with horses

This series of 3 articles was written by Julia at ‘The Green Polly’ for my free e-newsletter ‘Brain or Pain’.  Julia promotes “Working in Harmony with Horses” and can be contacted on 01544 327189.  You can sign up to receive ‘Brain or Pain’ for free at www.holistichorsehelp.com.  Inclusion of these articles does not imply endorsement by Sue Palmer or Holistic Horse Help.

“A Good Lifting Technique for Horse”

 

“I don’t do dressage so it doesn’t matter how my horse goes”

Many horses would disagree. Some schooling problems and injuries could be prevented or significantly reduced if horses worked from behind and over their backs. 

The equine equivalent of a “good lifting technique”

Look at your horse. Answer the following questions:

What part of him generates his propulsion?

Which has the best  “energy absorbing” capacity, back or front legs?

Would he be more comfortable with a supported spine in a neutral position or unsupported?

The answers provide the optimal way for horses to work: pushing from behind, utilising the elasticity in their haunches for changes in speed and direction, and an engaged core supporting their backs and our bums!

When a horse is first ridden his response is to drop away from our weight. He hollows his back and raises his head, transferring his weight to the front legs whilst the hinds trail. A reversal of the optimal picture created by your answers to the questions above.

To help a horse in the un-natural task of carrying a rider we need to teach him, through progressive training, the equine equivalent of a “good lifting technique”.

Firstly his core strength and stability is developed helping him support and protect his spine and create a rounded back. By a process of increasing engagement, encouraging him to place his hind legs further and further underneath his body, he is enabled to push from behind. As his weight is incrementally transferred to his hindquarters he is able to utilise his haunches to accommodate changes in speed and direction making him more balanced or stable.

Working horses from behind and over their backs is not about style it helps them to do their job more effectively; it helps protect them from back related problems, relieves concussion on the forelimbs, helps you and them stay up right and cope with different terrain, reduces pressure on their mouths, heads and necks when they try to balance on a riders hands; the list is almost endless.  To achieve it takes time, consistency and experience but changing the way a horse works can literally change the horse, and his life for the better.

Emotional Intelligence Equine Style

Do we consider our horse’s emotional development and do we ever specifically train for a better emotional state?

Humans reflect thoughts and moods as body language or posture, either consciously or unconsciously. You know your partner is in a bad mood by how he enters the room; or when we have many thoughts whizzing through our minds, which is sadly normal today, we have quick & sharp movements.  Horses live in a mainly silent world communicating by signals. They too “read” emotion via movement, but to a much greater extent than we do. Your busy mind, to a horse, can be the equivalent of someone bursting into the room.

For the equine / human relationship to improve we have to learn to relax and leave everyday thoughts behind. Entering a horse’s world in this state invites a steady and balanced approach from him. Think about your friends, some enter your world like a whirl wind creating chaos, others leave you relaxed and refreshed. Remember we reflect out what we think, manage your thoughts into positive calm and your body posture & movement will follow.

There are numerous meditation & relaxation techniques designed to help you learn to manage your thoughts and emotions. Keep searching and you will find the one that works for you. Then practice! It gets easier! Adopt it whilst you are around your horse.

The approach of managing your emotions & thoughts works on two levels. Firstly and most directly it is easier for us all to learn in a calm environment. Your horse will be more receptive and respond better to new instructions if all is calm.

 But actively deciding to manage your emotions around your horse at all times works on a deeper level too. Horses are herd animals and copy the behaviour of other herd members. By continually modelling calmness, you can encourage your horse to adopt it as his style, his way of life. A definite decision to use your emotional intelligence can work specifically to influence a horse’s emotional development and mould his approach to the world. 

For some horses, turning down the emotional volume is just what they need.

Mirror Mirror

Monty Roberts burst into our lives and amazed us all with horses who joined up with him & “copied him” You cannot fail to feel the man’s passion and empathy. He has a rare gift. However, what’s probably more surprising for some, is that our horses have been secretly copying us all for years. Not by overtly joining up with us, though many do, but by mirroring our position when we ride.

Ok time for a little imagination, think about your riding in the following terms; your back mirrors your horse’s back, your legs reflect your horse’s hind legs. Your shoulders correspond to your horse’s shoulders and your arms to his forelimbs. Finally think about which way you tend to sit, forward or backward? Are you sitting heavier to the left or the right? None of us is straight so don’t feel bad just be honest.

Now you have a mental picture of a rider’s body as a mirror of their horse, watch a video of yourself or watch someone else ride and note the degree of mirroring which occurs.

Firstly note the rider’s posture and how straight and level he sits, (This demonstrates a rider’s core strength and stability). It quickly become obvious riders who sit tall and light and support their backs encourage their horses to have active swinging backs.

 Riders who have good control of their legs and deliver effective positive leg aids have horses with an active engaged hind leg. The degree of control and stability the rider demonstrates in carrying his shoulders and arms will be reflected in a horse with a lighter forehand.

Thinking about riding in this way can help us identify areas where we may need to put extra emphasis on our riding skills to help us improve our horses. For example, if you have a horse who does not “track-up” or is not active behind its worth examining the effectiveness of your leg aids; it maybe worth experimenting with exercises which help your legs be more effective so that you can help your horse use his hind legs more effectively. Similarly if your horse is heavy on the forehand check where your upper body is positioned. It could help him if you check your shoulder position and ensure you are carrying your hands.

I run a rehabilitation yard and I even see established horse & rider combination mirroring each others soft tissue injuries, just about every horse I see who is stiff and sore behind the saddle will be accompanied by a rider holding their lower backs grumbling of back pain.

Look in your equine mirror and see what you can learn from each other.

Have fun.

Dressage is for everyone!!

This series of 3 articles was written for my free ‘Brain or Pain’ e-newsletter by Leonie Smith.  Leonie is a Grand Prix Freelance dressage trainer based in the West Midlands who has trained horses from unbacked to Grand Prix and been highly placed at the National Championships.  For details of a clinic near you see www.danesooddressage.co.uk.  To sign up to receive ‘Brain or Pain’ for free, sign up at www.holistichorsehelp.com.  Please note that inclusion of these articles is not an endorsement by Sue Palmer or Holistic Horse Help.

Part 1

I have been lucky enough to qualify over 40 horses for various Regionals and Championships and you might be surprised to know that they were not all flashy Warmbloods with amazing breeding.  I have trained Russian trotting horses, Gelderlanders, New Forest ponies, Thoroughbreds, and my favourites are the Welsh Section D’s.  Dressage does not need to be done on expensive horses, it can be used as a training tool to help your horse become more polite while out hacking, train them to be more responsive to open gates or just make them more comfortable to ride.

Although there are many different training methods the basic principle is the same, we want our horses or ponies to react to a light aid with as little resistance as possible.  This can be achieved by anyone with systematic training - yes even you!!  When you are next out hacking take note of how often you use your leg to keep your horse going.  If you have a very forward going horse then you may not use it much, but how many of you feel like if you stop kicking your horse will just stop so you have to nag with a kick every stride?  Think how uncomfortable that must be for your horse!  

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to ask your horse to go, whether you are in the school or hacking, and he or she just keeps going without you having to nag?  This is easily solved using a simple system of reward and correction that can be used for easy tasks such as asking a horse to walk from the halt to more difficult movements such as piaffe (trotting on the spot). We must always give the horse the chance to act on a light aid first.  Then if they choose to ignore it we can correct them.  If this is done every time you apply an aid (this means you have to be aware of every time your leg touches their sides) then, after a while you seldom have to correct as your horse understands what he or she has to do.  Dressage may seem very complicated but if you break it down into easy steps then anyone can have a go and be able to communicate with their horse in a more friendly effective way.

All horses have their own talent and if you train them in a sympathetic logical way you will be amazed at what you can achieve! 

Part 2 - Muscles need work to become soft and strong - like the Andrex Puppy!!

Dressage is not just about making our horses do a flashy trot or flying changes it is about making you horse athletic and supple so he or she can carry you in the most effective way.  I train my horses at home to become as supple in the back and neck as possible, which means I use a variety of techniques and don't just ride in what I call a test outline all the time.  If I feel the horse is tight over the back I might work him for a little longer in a lower frame where the horses nose is stretching down to lengthen the neck and back muscles. Every horse has different requirements, a horse that is prone to carrying a lot of tension in his back or neck might be worked for say 80% of the session in a long low frame.  If a horse has a tendency to be on the forehand I might only do 5 minutes stretching and make sure I added plenty of walk breaks.  If we only asked the amount of flexion required in a test our horses neck and backs can become very stiff.  I might also use lateral flexion of the neck to increase suppleness and ask him to hold the bend for 5 to 10 seconds to really benefit from the stretch, almost like a carrot stretch while riding!!  This technique uses the same principles as I mentioned in part 1 of ‘Dressage is for everyone!’.  I ask for the bend with a light aid and keep the pressure on until I get the required response, and then release the pressure as a way of saying thank you that is what I wanted!

This sounds very simple but there is a lot of feeling and skill required to achieve the lightness and throughness we are looking for.  If we just pull our horses round in flexion and don't let go at the right time then we will only end up with a tighter neck.  We want the horse to flex in a soft willing way to develop the muscles correctly so that when we ask for a higher frame for riding our tests we have a lovely soft supple horse whose muscles are strong enough to achieve self carriage - and get good marks from the judges because it looks easy and beautiful!

We can work on our horses muscles in other ways as well which can speed up the process - massage, physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths are all an essential part of improving any horses life.  Whether they help to improve my Grand Prix horse's extended trot or make your retired arthritic horse more comfortable I believe we have a duty of care to our horse to make them more comfortable.  Any athlete that progresses to any significant level will have to endure some form of discomfort as they push their bodies to improve.  Its our duty to make sure our horses are pain free - they can only tell us by being naughty or going lame!!  I don't like to leave it until that stage so I get my horses treated by a Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist every month but there are many ways to help from simple massage done yourself, to massage pads or tens machines, to professional therapy.

Part 3 - Happy horses get better marks!!

I am a great believer in making sure your horse enjoys his work.  I think so much more can be achieved if you horse wants to do what your asking rather than of he is forced to do it from fear or pain.  I always bear in mind my horses’ temperament, and how horses learn and process things is essentially important to how we train.  My sessions always involve short periods of work followed by a short walk break on the buckle once something has improved.  These breaks, which can be up to 6 or more in a 45 minute session, are in my opinion key to having a happy horse. 

Imagine the horse holding his head and neck on the bit and then think of this analogy. If I gave you a jug of water with a little water in and asked you to hold the jug out at arms length - easy you say!  Then imagine after 5 minutes I add some more water (ask the horse to trot while being on the bit), still OK so far.  Then I fill the jug right up and ask you to hold it for 45 minutes - (ie trot for 45 minutes on the bit and do a half pass with no break) - not quite so nice now!!!  You can imagine how your back muscles would start to burn, arms would ache and it would be very uncomfortable.  If you could put the jug down for 5 mins every once in a while it would be easy!! Once you practised this a bit more often, you muscles would become stronger and you could hold the jug more comfortably for longer periods. This is the same for the horse, not only for their muscles to have a break but also for their brains to process what has been asked of them. If you break the learning process down into easy manageable tasks the horse will be happy to learn and want to do more.  If you ask for the impossible and over work the muscles when they are not strong enough and then follow that up with a reprimand when its not achieved your horse will switch off and either be naughty or just stop caring about his work and become numb.  I believe horses do not just wake up one day and decide to be naughty - they are either being over faced or are in pain.  I really believe I can achieve more from a horse by just asking nicely and by being fair. 

Next time your horse is naughty see if you can see it from his side, are your aids being clear, are you asking the impossible?  Happy horses always give that bit extra when you need it and I am far happier getting 65% on a happy horse which I know will get better scores as they improve than getting 70% once by forcing him through fear.  This will always come back to bite you in the bottom!!!!

Where Does My Horse Hurt?

This series of 3 articles was written by Renee Tucker, DVM, author of Where Does My Horse Hurt? , for my free e-newsletter ‘Brain or Pain’.  Free emails similar to these articles are available at www.wheredoesmyhorsehurt.com.  Simply sign up for "50 Horse Secrets that your vet doesn't know", and they'll come right to your inbox.  To receive ‘Brain or Pain’ for free, simply sign up at my homepage www.holistichorsehelp.com.

Frowny Face

There was a horse named Scout that had the frowniest face I had ever seen. Ears 3/4 back, nose tightly wrinkled -- even his eyes looked squinty! I thought the horse must not like me.

"No, Scout likes you as much as he likes anyone. He always has that frowny face. He doesn't like other horses either," said Jean the owner.

"What do you mean, he doesn't like other horses? None of them?" I asked incredulously.

"No. Not a one. Either with a small group of horses or one other horse, Scout always stands off to the side."

Well, that was the saddest thing I had ever heard. As I worked on Scout, the most prominent thing he had out of alignment was his atlas (poll).  And it was way off. Luckily I was able to fix it.  

When I rechecked Scout a few weeks later, he looked happy! Jean reported that he had even developed some horse friends.

Because the brainstem runs through the atlas bone, people with atlas subluxations develop headaches, migraines and even vision problems. I believe horses also get headaches with bad atlas subluxations.



Other problems with atlas subluxations include: 

• ·      head tossing 
• ·      difficulty going one direction 
• ·      trouble picking up leads
• ·      can't flex the poll
• ·      and many more.




You can do the Atlas Body Checkup on your own horse to make sure his or her head is on straight.  Body Checkups are simple, easy to do Checkups that tell you whether or not your horse has a problem.  The details of the 
Atlas Checkup are available for FREE here: wheredoesmyhorsehurt.com/atlas-checkup

Give it a try!  You might be surprised at what you can do for your horse.

Is your horse's skin "sensitive"?

One hot, sunny day in Redding, California where I live, I was examining a horse for chiropractic subluxations. A beautiful bay Trakehner mare, Jewel had a wary look in her eye.

I was doing her exam when I noticed Jewel suddenly stop breathing, flick an ear back and twitch her tail. I paused.

"Did you see that?" I asked her owner.

"See what?" Amanda replied.

"Jewel's ear and tail twitched when I was examining her rib cage," I explained.  I did the exam again and Jewel reponded the same way.



"Oh, Jewel is always twitchy about touching and brushing. I got her the softest brushes--from New Zealand, mind you--but she's still sensitive," Amanda said.

"So does she roll a lot, like she's itchy?" I asked.

"No, she never rolls.  Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her roll in about two years since she got caught up in that panel fence," Amanda added.

Well, this was an excellent clue for me.

  Jewel's ribs probably became subluxated during the fence incident.  Jewel proved to have lots of ribs subluxated on both sides.  After she was adjusted her eyes relaxed and she breathed easier.  She also went out and rolled.  :)



Many caring horse owners do not realize that small signs like "skin sensitivity" can be indications of chiropractic problems.  They do the very best they can for their horse, like buying the best brushes, but "you don't know what you don't know."   Many people are saddened that they didn't know their horse even had a fixable problem.

Sensitive-skinned horses definitely appreciate soft brushes.  But if they're still irritated by brushing, there may be more going on under the surface.

For FREE step-by-step Body Checkup directions to examine your horse for rib subluxations, click here: wheredoesmyhorsehurt.com/rib-checkup

3)  Does "Girthy" = Ulcers?

Is your horse girthy? Or cinchy?

Maybe he doesn't try to kick you, but what if he turns his head to look at you (not with fondness) while you're girthing up the saddle?

Or maybe she wrinkles up her nose and stomps her foot while you're putting the saddle on?



I've even heard a couple people say that their horse turns around to BITE the riders foot while they're on the horse!

Right now, at least in the US, many people are on the "ulcer bandwagon" and are treating their horses for ulcers.  There are so MANY ulcer products out there now, and new ones are arriving on the market all the time.

IS this the answer then?  Does girthiness indicate ulcers?  The answer is:  sometimes.

You gotta love that answer.  Only a vet would be so annoyingly vague. 

Here's the thing.  Girthiness can be caused by multiple different issues.  Here's the short list:

•                Saddle Fit

•                Ulcers

•                Chiropractic subluxations:

•                Ribs, withers, sternum, thoracic, C7 can all cause girthiness

•                Nutrition

There's always a reason for girthiness.  I encourage you to keep trying to find your horse's reason, even though it can be frustrating to figure out!  There's more girthiness information here:  wheredoesmyhorsehurt.com/girthiness

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Osteopathy for horses

Osteopathy

This article is written by Osteopath Alison O'Docartaigh, member of the Holistic Horse Help treatment team (www.holistichorsehelp.com), as a 3 part series for my free 'Brain or Pain' newsletter. To receive your copy of the newsletter simply fill in your name and email address on the homepage at www.holistichorsehelp.com.

Part 1 – What is Osteopathy?

The science of Osteopathy was developed in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, a medical physician ardently searching for a more effective system of healing. He taught that the structure of the body and how it functions are inextricably linked and that each person contains within himself the resources necessary for health. In other words the body is an intrinsically self-healing, self-regulating, self-adjusting organism

The primary osteopathic tool, in both assessment and treatment is the highly skilled sense of touch of the osteopath’s hands, known as palpation. From the outset of their training, osteopaths develop their sense of touch, to be able to feel information that is not readily experienced by the untrained hand.

With this palpatory skill, applied with an informed, light touch, the osteopath can detect joint mobility, and tissue tension and quality, sometimes deep within the body. Combined with visual observation and a detailed knowledge of anatomy, the osteopath builds a ‘survey’ of the patient’s body to establish how well that body is functioning as a living, moving unit.

Part 2 – What does an Osteopathic treatment consist of?

Treatment techniques employed by the osteopath may include:

·       Soft tissue techniques, such as massage and stretches, used to ease, relax and soften tight or tense muscles and fascia.

·       Mobilisation which involves passive rhythmic and repetitive movement of a joint.

·       Functional techniques which involve placing a joint in position of ease or moving the joint in such a way that there is minimum tension.

·       Manipulation techniques which involve a fast, controlled movement of a joint over a very small range. This sometimes is accompanied by an audible click, which is perfectly normal.

·       Working with the hands to improve the function of the lymphatic, or drainage, system of the body.

·       Cranial osteopathic techniques which involve very quiet gentle approaches, using touch to sense the quality of the tissues. This can involve contact anywhere on the body, but commonly is on the low-back, pelvis and the head

·       Palpation and identification of tender reflex points in order to assist diagnosis

·       Exercise advice

The treatment is tailored to meet the needs of the individual patient, human, horse dog or another animal.

Although the above outlines the scope of osteopathy there is a great deal over overlap between the different treatments available for humans and other animals. I feel that Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Chiropractics and McTimoney Chiropractics all want to achieve the same outcome – a healthy, pain free animal and a happy owner! We just have slightly different tools in our tool box with which to achieve this and ultimately it is about finding the approach that works best for you and your animal.

All therapists involved with treating animals must, under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, gain consent from a registered veterinary surgeon before an animal can receive any complementary physical or manipulative therapy.

Part 3 - The Horse and Rider interaction from an osteopathic view point

Many horse owners regularly have their horses checked by the “back person” – be that the physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor – but how many of us ever consider getting ourselves assessed?

What effect could we be having on our horse’s ability to work to their full potential?

If we have, for example, one hip that is slightly more restricted in its mobility than the other, then there is a chance that we may sit on the saddle with unequal pressure through our seat bones, which in turn could lead to the horse having to compensate for this in the way that he moves. Could that be why the horse struggles more on one rein than the other?

If our lower back is not as supple as it could be, can we absorb the movement of the horse underneath us effectively or could our stiffness be leading to the horse stiffening up beneath us?

Could the increased strength of one of our hands over the other cause our horse to be tighter on one side of his jaw, poll and/or neck than the other, potentially leading to more difficulty working on one rein than the other?

As we form our partnerships with the horses we ride, all of the above factors, and many others, may be affecting the way our horses move. It is still of primary importance to have our horses assessed and treated at regular intervals, but what about getting ourselves assessed as well? This will help to ensure that we can be as balanced as possible with our horses and, as a team, reach our full potential whether that is a relaxing hack in beautiful countryside or competing at the highest level.

Silver Daisy Chain

This series of three articles was written by Amy of Silver Daisies, www.silverdaisychain.co.uk, for my free e-newsletter ‘Brain or Pain’.  Please note that neither Sue Palmer nor Holistic Horse Help endorses this person or their work.

“I work as an holistic therapist working with people and animals alike.  When working with animals, the Reiki healing I use is always the most important and effective tool we work with which complements veterinary care.  Although Reiki is a natural healing energy which is intangible, what IS tangible is the very real benefit that we see following a treatment.

In this three-part series for Holistic Horse Help I am going to be looking at some other natural healing therapies which can complement veterinary care and help assist the body and mind in its highest levels of healing.

Aromatherapy

Horses and all animals respond extremely well to Aromatherapy. This delicate and fragrant healing art taps directly into the refined and fine tuned energy of the animal.  When an animal is unwell, suffering from a physical or emotional disorder, it will in its natural habitat, seek out the correct plant or herb to help restore its health.  Essential oils offer a life force energy that works like a catalyst, allowing the oil to discriminate which areas need balancing, stimulating, sedating or healing.

For example, Rose oil can help bring mares into season yet can also calm mares that are overly “mare-ish” thus acting as a natural, balancing agent.

Behavioural issue	Useful oils
Spooking	Jasmine, Clary Sage, Roman Chamomile
Fear	Rose, Frankincense, Jasmine
Cribbing	Carrot seed, Jasmine

*Essential oils can be volatile if used incorrectly so you should always consult an Aromatherapist and thoroughly read up on the effects of the oils prior to use.

Bach flower remedies for healing

Dr Edward Bach was a Harley Street Doctor in the 1920s and 30s. He spent many years researching and developing his theory that all plants had specific healing qualities in their “vibration” or energy.  Over time he developed 28 remedies, each one effective for treating a specific negative emotion.  These negative emotional states where divided into 7 categories:

Fear

Uncertainty

Lack of interest in present circumstances

Loneliness

Oversensitivity

Despondency and Despair

Over anxiety for the welfare of others

Bach also developed Rescue Remedy, a combination of 5 remedies: Rock Rose, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Star of Bethlehem and Impatiens. Rescue Remedy is very effective in an emergency or crisis as a first aid measure.  It works to combat shock, terror, fear and anxiety. It can be used for example after birth for the mother and foal, to combat the shock and trauma of change.

Flower remedies are subtle tools for combating negative emotions.  The system is easy to use: when you begin to think about helping yourself or your animal, you first need to identify which of the 38 remedies will be most appropriate.  Aspen, for example is suitable for nervous horses that excessively spook but are confident when they know their handler, and Vine is great for very assertive or dominant horses and also for bullies with a tendency towards aggression with biting and kicking.

Herbs for healing

In the past, animals were free to roam and commonly sought out the wild herbs and other native medicinal plants that they needed to stay properly conditioned.

Modern animals rely on their owners to supply herbs and medicines they need to keep them strong and healthy.  Herbs are slower acting than most drugs and are not intended as a replacement for veterinary care.  Herbs work by treating the body as a whole, as opposed to treating the symptoms in isolation.  Dry or fresh cut herbal preparations are the easiest and least complicated way of feeding herbs, particularly those in leaf or flower form.  A horse’s gut for example, is designed to break down cellulose and fibre and horses respond well to herbs fed this way.  The herbs, be they fresh or dried, can either be fed on their own or mixed into feed, chopped up.  They can also be prepared as infusions, teas and brews and compresses or poultices can be made to be applied.  As with essential oils, covered in part one, you must always read up thoroughly on a chosen herb before use to check for possible toxins, dangers of overuse etc.”

Herb	Condition
Valerian	Anxiety, pain relief
Passionflower	Mood elevator, fear, depression
Flaxseed	Rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids
Aloe Vera	Externally for burns,  wounds
Calendula	Dermatitis, burns
Arnica	External treatment of closed-tissue injuries only
Raspberry Leaf	Strengthens the uterary muscles in pregnant mares