equine pemf therapy, massage & mindful horsemanship
Exhibiting some stringhalt-like flexion, but without any other indicators of stringhalt, and maybe even some toe-drag, but an otherwise normal-behaving stifle? Look for the peculiar dent/abnormality in the musculature of the hamstrings that can reveal scar tissue below the surface. A google search for “hamstring tear” solved the mystery surrounding the “hitch” of my newest …
No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get your horse to lift his back or engage his hindquarters. The strides are choppy, maybe even rushed, and he is fighting the bit. Before you criticize him for disobedience or bad behaviour, it’s important to make sure he isn’t suffering from back pain. Here’s …
The croup on the horse is identified as the area along the topline from the loins to the base of the tale. From the side, the point of the croup should be in alignment with or just behind the point of the hip which is the bony protrusion at the front of the haunches which …
There is more to the shoulder than meets the eye. Firstly, it is important to realize that the horse’s shoulder is not actually attached to the spine by a collar bone as it is in humans. Instead, the shoulder is attached to and supports the weight of the front end by sheets of muscle. These …
Dressage is a most pleasant art to watch. The horses are often well-muscled and round, their heads held proudly on arching necks. It looks like a dance where rider and horse become one; and it is. This connection between bodies and minds is a constant effort. The rider must always respect the horse’s body and …
The stifle joint of the horse is designed similarly to the human knee, in that it is the joint between the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia, with a “knee cap,” the patella, that resides in the front of the joint. The stifle joint can be identified at the front of the hind leg, just …
As any serious dressage rider who’s taken a lesson or two knows, the horse should be ridden ‘back to front.’ In other words, creating energy in the hindquarters to encourage the horse to carry himself over the back, lightening the forehand and suppling into the contact of the rider’s hands. So why start with focus …