Place Your Bets Equine - Equine Osteopathy

02/11/2026

February Schedule update.

February is fully booked.

Wainwright is still TBA with space.

Booking into after March 12th.

As always I do my best to fit everyone in especially existing clients into existing schedules.

If you’re needing an appointment please comment or message so we don’t miss.

02/10/2026

“Leg up” or Conditioning season is in full swing. While we focus on stamina and muscle strength here is another consideration.

Every step your horse takes is guided by the nervous system — not just muscle strength. How your horse moves is really a reflection of how well their nervous system is processing information and coordinating the body.
Movement starts with sensation. The hooves, joints, spine, eyes, inner ear, and even internal systems are constantly feeding the brain info about balance, position, effort, and safety. The nervous system uses all of that data to decide how the body moves in real time.

🫣Here’s the part that can get overlooked

The horse’s stress state matters. A lot.
When the nervous system feels safe and balanced, movement is fluid, elastic, and efficient. Muscles adjust easily, stride stays free, and the body can adapt.

When stress, pain, or tension puts the horse in a fight-or-flight state, everything tightens up. Muscles become protective instead of dynamic. Movement looks strong or “engaged,” but it’s actually rigid, guarded, and less sustainable.

This is also why head position, vision, and balance are so important. The nervous system uses the eyes, inner ear, and neck to organize the whole body. Restrictions there can ripple down into the spine, limbs, and stride quality.

That’s why simply “releasing a tight muscle” often doesn’t last. The tension wasn’t the problem — it was the nervous system’s solution.

The real goal is to:
• Improve sensory input
• Support nervous system balance
• Help the body communicate as a whole

When you treat the system, not just the sore spot or tight muscle, you don’t just get better movement for a day — you get movement the horse can sustain long-term.

That’s the difference between chasing symptoms and addressing root cause.

If your curious about Equine Osteopathy comment or message to see if this modality is a fit for your horse.

02/08/2026

I have had this conversation with so many of my clients. Iodine is so important in the horses diet.

In many parts of the world, soil has become increasingly deficient in iodine, leaving horses and other animals at risk of iodine deficiency. This lack of iodine can have serious implications for a horse’s overall health, as iodine is a vital mineral that plays a critical role in the body’s cellu...

02/07/2026

I have a couple outstanding invoices for January. Please check your “pending” in e-transfers.
Invoices are due upon receipt. I don’t mind a few days but weeks is a tough one.

02/07/2026

A great read explaining the Cranial Base and Osteopathic importance. A few visual and outward symptoms are the horse that won’t let you touch its ears, unable to rotate its head and neck to look left and right without angling head and neck, pull backs, and a general “grumpy” demeanour.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 🧠🐴

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 “𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙠.” 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙫𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙨.

Formed by the occiput, sphenoid, temporal bones and their articulations (including the occipito-atlantal and spheno-basilar regions), the cranial base houses and influences:

• The brainstem
• Multiple cranial nerve exits
• Venous drainage of the head
• The dural tube and its continuity with the spinal cord
• Parasympathetic centres critical for autonomic regulation

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

The autonomic nervous system is never on or off, it is a constant balance between: • Sympathetic drive (alert, reactive, survival) • Parasympathetic regulation (rest, digest, recover).

The cranial base plays a direct role in this balance because: • The vagus nerve (CN X) exits here • The brainstem sits immediately cranial to it • The dura mater transmits tension from the cranium to the sacrum.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

So the autonomic nervous system is never “on or off.”
Sympathetic and parasympathetic tone are always co-existing, adjusting moment-to-moment to maintain homeostasis.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁:
• The vagus nerve (CN X) exits via the foramen lacerum
• Cranial parasympathetic nuclei reside within the brainstem
• Dural tension patterns can directly influence autonomic tone

If the cranial base is restricted, compressed, or asymmetrical, the horse may lose the ability to down-regulate, even when no gross pathology is visible on imaging.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲:

• Hypervigilant
• Unable to stand still
• Over-reactive to touch> ears!!
• Chronically tense despite “nothing obvious” being wrong

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

In equine osteopathy, we are not chasing symptoms, we are restoring mechanical and neurological permissiveness.

𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:

• Cranial nerve function
• Ocular reflexes
• Head posture and poll comfort
• Trigeminal sensitivity
• Autonomic imbalance (sympathetic dominance)

Importantly, this does not require a fracture, lesion, or disease process.

Subtle changes in motion, tone, or dural tension are enough to alter neurological signalling.

🐎𝗢𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵:
Cranial work is not forceful manipulation: It is precise, informed, and responsive.

🔆𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼:
• Reduce dural strain
• Improve cranial base mobility
• Support parasympathetic expression
• Allow the nervous system to self-regulate

Often, the biggest change is not what the horse does; but what it no longer needs to do to feel safe.

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲):

𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴:
• “Spooky” or hypervigilant
• Reactive to light, shadow, or enclosed spaces
• Anxious during routine handling
• Unable to settle, stand still, or switch off
• Showing headshaking or facial sensitivity

These are not training problems, they are often regulation problems.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:

Through the craniosacral system, dural tension at the cranial base is transmitted all the way to the sacrum.
If the sacrum cannot move freely, or if the axis of strain described by Sunderland is compromised, the entire system struggles to find homeostasis.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆:
• The cranial base is never treated in isolation
• The occiput, atlas, axis, diaphragm, and sacrum are functionally linked
• True regulation is a whole-system process

𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆
𝘐𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴:
• A neurological crossroads
• An autonomic regulator
• A biomechanical keystone

And the foramen lacerum is one of the most important exits in the horse, particularly for parasympathetic regulation.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁:
• Behaviour
• Stress responses
• “Spookiness”
• Recovery

Next post> a head shaking case and what i found
Tomorrow > diaphragm part 2

02/05/2026

Updated Schedule:

Feb 11: Vermilion College - this date is full. I am looking at booking a second date please message or comment to book

Elk Point - 1-2 spots left

Wainwright and area - TBA

Feb 24 - North of Lloyd - Booked Full
*Working on a second date.

March 4- Alix- Ponoka FULL (will add a second date mid-march)

***This year I am also going to offer haul in days with a significant savings to my treatment cost. Please message for more details.

My inbox is very full and I see all of your messages. I am just working through organizing and trying to accommodate everyone’s schedules.

01/30/2026

February has limited availability. Dates are still being scheduled as needed.

Locations with dates TBA
Wainwright
Elk Point/St.Paul room only for 2 horses
Lloydminster
Ponoka/Stettler area

I can also add Czar/ Cadogan if needed.

Please comment or message to book.

01/19/2026

I have had a request to book a day at Vermilion College.

If you would like an appt please comment or message.

01/18/2026

Winter Warning: The Hidden Dangers of Ice for Your Horse 🐴❄️

Yesterday, a client called me in a panic. Her mare had slipped on black ice near the water trough and seemed "off" for days afterward. Sound familiar?

Yesterday I literally slid across the yard scrambling to keep myself upright.

Ice isn't just about dramatic falls. Horses constantly micro-adjusting their balance on frozen ground create compensation patterns that ripple through their entire body. Research published in the Equine Veterinary Journal shows that even minor slips activate protective bracing reflexes that can persist long after the incident, affecting everything from gut motility to temperament.

Here's what many people don't realize: when your horse tenses against slippery footing, it's not just their muscles that suffer. The skeletal system absorbs abnormal forces through joints and fascia. The autonomic nervous system shifts into sympathetic overdrive, affecting digestion and immune function. Even the visceral system feels it—restricted diaphragm movement from chronic tension can compromise respiratory and digestive efficiency.

This is where osteopathy offers something unique. Rather than just addressing sore muscles, osteopathic treatment works with the body as an integrated whole. We assess how a restricted thoracic vertebra might be affecting the nerves that supply the gut, or how pelvic misalignment from compensating on ice could be creating tension through the craniosacral system. Studies in comparative manual therapy demonstrate that restoring proper motion to these interconnected systems helps the body release old trauma patterns and return to balanced function.
Practical tips: Sand or salt high-traffic areas, break ice on water sources twice daily, and watch for subtle changes in movement or behavior. If your horse has taken a tumble—or you've noticed them bracing against winter conditions—consider having them assessed before small problems become big ones.

I hate to say it but I am actually hoping for a big snowfall to cover up the ice.

01/17/2026

A great post about the connectedness and how Osteopathy works on all systems of the body.

01/13/2026

Booking
Lloyd
Wainwright
End of Jan. Days are partially filled.

Please comment or message to let me know if you would like an appointment.