Ailsa

Can doing the simplest things like grooming, catching or feeding horses be dangerous?

I recently read a statistic that around 25% of equestrian injuries happen when the person is unmounted, including serious injuries. My first head injury patient as an NHS therapist was an experienced horsewoman leading her horse to be groomed when other horses panicked at the gate and she was trampled with a shod hoof penetratingContinue reading “Can doing the simplest things like grooming, catching or feeding horses be dangerous?”

‘Introductory course in equine massage and bodywork’ online/distance certificate.

This weeks blog is a little different as I introduce a new course we have been developing here at High Coast Animal a education centre. This course is really great for you if you want to improve your relationship with your own horse, develop and deepen your knowledge to help horses or as an introductionContinue reading “‘Introductory course in equine massage and bodywork’ online/distance certificate.”

CUSHINGS OR PPID suggestions to complement veterinary care and treatment

The alternative medicine toolbox contains many tools for treating the Cushing’s horse, but each animal is an individual and will respond differently. In treating these complex cases, it is important to proceed one step at a time, and realize that the course of treatment may be long and expensive if the horse has many medicalContinue reading “CUSHINGS OR PPID suggestions to complement veterinary care and treatment”

Thoracic sling revisited

I know I bang on about this but a lot but I am once again reminded of the vital effects of developing these muscles and the disasters of not doing so after seeing several horses these past two weeks who were asked to work in different ridden disciplines with underdeveloped thoracic muscles While today’s blogContinue reading “Thoracic sling revisited”

Sacroiliac problems could be the source of your horse’s performance problems

Sacroiliac disease is debilitating and performance-limiting. A lack of understanding about this condition can lead to inefficient treatment and even welfare problems for the horse—especially if handlers consider his issues to be behavior-related. Know how to recognize the signs and work with your veterinarian and physiotherapist to get a diagnosis and personalized treatment program toContinue reading “Sacroiliac problems could be the source of your horse’s performance problems”

Hay nets

Hay nets have been around for a long time and were originally designed to keep hay up off the ground to reduce waste. Traditionally, hay nets had very large openings that did not restrict the horse’s rate of intake. More recently, slow-feed hay nets with openings as small as 1.25” have become popular. These serveContinue reading “Hay nets”

Thoracic sling

Maintaining the correct function of the system and the development of muscle enables you to ride your horse without doing any damage. Horses work in a horizontal balance from poll to tail in spinal alignment, which is effectively two slings with a hanging basket in the middle supported by four pillars. THERE ARE FOUR PARTSContinue reading “Thoracic sling”

Why does my horse get lazy when I am training him?

A majorly overlooked physiological and behavioural occurrence in the equine field- WHY is it not being discussed! All too often I hear “he’s had his back checked, all OK so it’s not that”- especially now spring is on the horizon. People are riding more and pushing their horses ready for competing all summer. But, rememberContinue reading “Why does my horse get lazy when I am training him?”

Spinal Crowding Syndrome – otherwise known as Kissing Spine or Dorsal Spinous Process- what could be done.

Overriding (or impinging) dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP), or “kissing spines”, occur when vertebrae in the spine are too close together, rather than being spaced apart as in a healthy spine. This results in touching or overlapping of two or more of the bony projections at the top of each vertebrae (spinous processes). In some horses,Continue reading “Spinal Crowding Syndrome – otherwise known as Kissing Spine or Dorsal Spinous Process- what could be done.”

Winter to spring in the horses gut

The horse is a hind gut fermenter, which means he is designed to eat fibrous material, fermented in a holding chamber called the cecum, home to trillions of bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi. These tiny organisms work in synergy to break down poor quality and largely indigestible food material (woody- stalky material, seed heads) intoContinue reading “Winter to spring in the horses gut”