Daneswood Physio clinic, 23.5.16

Sponsored rider Leonie Smith is as busy as ever at Daneswood Dressage, I discovered at my Physio clinic there yesterday. Exciting news is that client Ashleigh Jones, para rider on the World Class program, is looking at teaming up with a new horse, 11yr old Fresian gelding Prince,  on loan from Mandy Wright and pictured here ridden by Leonie. Ashleigh, Prince and Leonie went to the World Class weekend training session a couple of weeks ago where they wowed everyone, and Prince took it all in his stride.

Leonie's own Fresian, Bert, is coming on in leaps and bounds (not literally!), and their training sessions with David Pincus are paying dividends. Bert is still struggling slightly with consistency in the changes, more so one way than the other, but is improving as he strengthens. My role is to release any restrictions that might cause skeletal asymmetry (like many horses, he is restricted in his movement in the upper cervical spine, initially more to one side than the other, and after a few treatments is much more even) so that Leonie can use the ridden work to strengthen him within this more symmetrical frame. His piaffe and passage are progressing exceptionally well, and we're looking guessed to capturing that on film this weekend when we film the companion DVD to my new book 'Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?' (weather permitting!). 

At the horse Physio clinic yesterday I treated regulars Amor (great to know that he's back competing after some time off, and I captured a lovely video clip of part of his treatment, which you can see on The Horss Physio FB page for 23.5.16), Rufus (handsome and much loved young horse just beginning his ridden cater), Princess's (whose core stability muscles have really developed over the past month, and who showed some very positive improvements in her Physio assessment this time), the lovely coloured cob Bobby, who is aiming to qualify for the cob dressage championship later this year, and Blue Cross pony Trinity, amongst others. A busy day, with great rewards from the horses who give me the energy to keep going!

Many thanks to Leonie (www.daneswooddressage.co.uk) for fantastic facilities and friendly service as always!