Equine Edge Massage Therapy

14/06/2022

My Girl 💙

23/12/2019

Putting a bow on Christmas with the beautiful Skye.

12/12/2019

Bitten by the horse bug as a city kid growing up in Mississauga, Marguerite Old struggled to find ways to pursue her inexplicable, innate passion for equines. The unshakable desire to be involved with horses has led her down a path of lifelong learning to become a Registered Equine Massage Therapist...

04/09/2019

Boys and their toys! Today’s roster is full of gorgeous 3 year old Thoroughbred colts at the top of their game. They glow with confidence and hum with an athletic energy that is second-to-none. 😍🐎🏐

19/04/2019

Many congratulations to client Josie Carroll and owners Tall Oaks Farm (Outstanding Breeder, Champion Two-Year Old Male-Avie's Flatter) and Windsor Boys Racing Stable (Champion Female Sprinter - Moonlit Promise) for their incredible success at last night's Sovereign Awards. I'm always bursting with pride that I'm considered part of this team. Josie has been a strong supporter of what I do from the beginning of my venture into this industry, she very thoughtfully gave me a true chance to demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved through massage therapy for racehorses and has trusted me with some of her best. Another Woodbine colleague, Hayley Morrison, (who brought home her own Sovereign last night for outstanding writing!) penned this great article about Josie's recent induction into the Canadian Horseracing Hall of Fame. I can't wait to see what 2019 brings!

https://woodbine.com/woodbine-news/carroll-honoured-by-hall-of-fame-achievement/

By: Hayley Morrison for Woodbine Communications TORONTO, April 15, 2019 – She loves racing, has a passion for horses and is great...

28/03/2019

Love this arm-forelimb comparison!

08/03/2019

Happy , this special lady is 28 years young!

05/03/2019

Stayed nice and warm today brushing up on lameness at McKee-Pownall in Caledon!

We are about to begin Taylor Mahren, DVM’s Introduction to Lameness talk! Let the learning begin

02/03/2019

Great read, always happy to see massage being incorporated into recovery from injuries.

Here's a look at some common pelvis problems in horses, how veterinarians diagnose them, and what treatment options are available.

19/02/2019

In my experience, and as this article indicates, horses definitely feel the slightest difference in pressure during massage treatments. They are so remarkably sensitive. I myself find they enjoy soft pats and gentle crest “scritches” as a reward for preferred behavior and efforts, and try to avoid the “equine high-five”.

Our equitation science reporter shares why she doesn't pat her horse for a job well done.

09/08/2018

It’s so rewarding to work with a horse like this, Melmich is one of my all-time favourites. 😍🐎

In 2012, more than a dozen yearlings from the third crop of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Wilko were offered at the CTHS (Ontario) sale. One of them was Melmich, who has since gone on to amass lifetime earnings of $1.2 million and has finished in the top three of all his starts over 80% of th...

03/08/2018

Recent research brings to light the best equine water treadmill depth for the most balanced thoracolumbar flexion and extension.

https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/news/2018/08/equine-research-making-waves-about-impact-of-water-treadmill-exercise/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news&utm_content=equine-research-making-waves-about-impact-of-water-treadmill-exercise

Staff at University Centre Hartpury, working in collaboration with the Animal Health Trust, have been finding out exactly how people are using water treadmills for training and rehabilitating their horses.

01/04/2018

"Training variation means riding on a variety of surfaces! This includes using more than one arena, but especially riding on varied natural terrain, (quiet) roads and riding paths. The body of the horse adapts to the surface used. If the horse is constantly ridden on the same surface the musculoskeletal system is not prepared for any variations, thereby increasing the risk of injury." - Equestrian Surfaces - A Guide

Love this resource!

http://inside.fei.org/system/files/Equestrian_Surfaces-A_Guide.pdf

27/01/2018

Such a pleasure to treat this beautiful Warmblood today. “Nerd” is showing us how much he appreciates his massage!

05/01/2018

Important cold weather information for horsekeeping is well captured in this veterinarian’s update. Stay warm everyone! ❄️

Old man winter is in full swing!

I have had several calls on how to keep horses warm and comfortable during this cold snap! I hope this offers some insight to some of your questions!

There are several ways in which you can keep your horses happy and warm during this unpleasant weather. Horses usually have an uncanny ability to survive in the cold. Their hair coat is actually designed to insulate them in cold weather. However, if their coat gets wet they lose this insulating ability. It is important to make sure that they have ample shelter to get out of the elements. (The picture is meant to show how you can provide shelter but they don't always use it! Yes, these are my personal horses) The shelter is accessible for them to keep dry on wet snowy days, which in turn helps them to stay warm.

The NUMBER 1 way to keep your horses warm is to feed them good quality hay! Timothy, alfalfa, orchard grass, or a mix of these are all great options.

Why is hay the key? When horses digest hay, heat is produced and it helps to keep them warm. Those little microbes that live in their gut digest high fiber feeds such as hay which generates heat. So yes, horses are quite the p**p factory! But in this case its good! The microbes live in their cecum and large colon so this is where a horses furnace is.

High fiber feeds, such as hay, produce more heat during digestion than low fiber feeds such as grain. Oats even though are a low fiber grain, will also produce more heat during digestion compared to commercial grains due to the fiber found in their hull.

It is important to remember energy needs to be increased during cold weather,and grain can be fed, but if you want them to produce more heat you need to feed them good quality hay.

For each 10 degrees below 30 degrees F, horses require an additional two pounds of feed with an energy density of 1 mega calorie per pound which is about the average of most hay.

In very extreme conditions it may be impossible to meet their caloric needs with just hay especially if they do not have shelter.

Blanketing is also a good option for horses that do not winter well. Remember, a blanket only works if your horse is dry. Always check that your blanket fits properly so they do not get rubs or sores. A dirty or wet blanket can lead to skin conditions such as a fungal infection.

It is better to use a heavier blanket also because if you use too light of a blanket, because even though it is light, it doesn’t allow the hair to stand up and insulate. A blanket that is too light insulation wise can cause your horse to actually become chilled. For subzero weather a heavy weight blanket such as one that is 400 grams or more insulation should be used to take over for what the natural hair coat isn’t able to provide while being blanketed.
Yes, both blankets will not allow the hair to stand up and insulate which is why it is better to use a heavier blanket if you choose to blanket your horse during frigid weather.

Being able to move around also helps keep them warm. When they are in a stall, they are not able to generate heat from their muscles. Moving around also helps them to digest their food better and keeps the gut moving. They are usually more content also.

Make sure they also have access to water that is not frozen! Adding an alfalfa mash, hay pellet mash, or a senior complete feed mash, also increases their water intake. Make sure they have access to a salt or mineral block (this will encourage more water intake).

Make sure your heated troughs and buckets are properly grounded. If the water isn't going down in the buckets or troughs its time to investigate if there is a problem with the water source. If you don't have heated buckets or ability to have them, rubber buckets can be thrown on the ground and the ice can be busted out easily. Add warm/hot water back in the bucket (drinkable temp). Horses have been shown to drink more water if it is heated to above freezing.

Lack of water in their diet means a call to me for most likely an impaction colic!

We hope everyone is staying warm!
Think spring!

Dr. Kate

31/12/2017

I would like to wish all of my clients a Happy New Year! Without you I would not be able to do what I love. 2017 brought many opportunities to see the horses I work with shine in competition, the most memorable had to be Ami's Mesa's gutsy performance in the Breeder's Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She finished second by a nose from post 14 and it's pretty convincing she was the best horse, but as they say "that's racing" and it doesn't take anything away from this filly's remarkable talent. My heart still races every time I watch this replay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MftDWh-T4w

Top Finishers: 5 Bar of Gold 14 Ami's Mesa 1 Carina Mia 12 Skye Diamonds

19/09/2017

Thrilling result for Ami's Mesa! Congrats to clients Josie Carroll Racing Stable and owner Ivan Dalos, it's such a pleasure to work with these folks.

After three clear victories at Woodbine, Ami's Mesa found success on the road as well Sept. 18 when she rallied to a one-length victory in the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) in Erie, Penn.