In Motion Veterinary Physiotherapy

23/12/2023

Our beautiful little boy arrived just in time for Christmas, we are smitten 😍 . Say hello to Jack Gregory Andrew White.

26/07/2023

Bed time reading. Really looking forward to getting stuck into this. Thank you 🙏🏼🦄

24/07/2023

Relationship before rehab….

To do any rehab work you need a horse who is calm and connected with you. Take a step back, can your horse walk calmly into the school and stand still next to you in a relaxed way. Or are they head up, looking, spooking and can’t keep their feet still? Or worse, explosive as soon as you ask for anything?

If it’s the latter, you have work to do before you can do the rehab exercises. You need a horse and handler who have a regulated nervous system and are in a state of coherence.

I had a very explosive (even on the ground) ks horse. I took him to a yard where he could be out 24/7 in a herd with plenty to eat. I did some self work, breathing exercises, meditation etc. if I showed up in my sympathetic nervous system (flight or flight) as opposed to my parasympathetic nervous system this horse would see me as unsafe and would bolt.

To begin, I spent a few weeks walking him in hand slowly around the school and whenever I felt the slightest tension in him I would stop, pat him, laugh, or sing to him. Until he showed signs of starting to relax and then we would carry on. Initially this was every couple of steps and then eventually (about 2 weeks) the tension, spooky and explosive behaviour disappeared all together.

I also spent hours sat in his field, asking for nothing and just getting to know who he really was when he was just being a horse.

Then the rehab can start. When you have a horse who wants to be with you, because being with you feels good.

Horses when in motion in the wild have two rules, do what everyone else does and don’t collide (like a school of fish or a flock of birds). If you establish a relationship with your horse, so that they want to be part of your band, they will follow you with these same rules. You can perform dressage movements on the ground without any pressure or even use of the whip, just from how you position your body next to them. 💜🦄🦄

19/07/2023

I have been a little absent from social media these last few months, sometimes life just takes over.

The news is, we are relocating again! The joys of being an army wife. This time off down to Andover.

The other news is, I am 5 month pregnant 💙

At some point I am looking forward to getting stuck back into my books and writing some more content 🤓

16/07/2023

My friend Claire is an amazing equine facilitated human development practitioner. I have so enjoyed being privy to her professional journey as well as her personal journey with her own herd. Her first podcast is now available, take a listen 💜🙌🙌

‎Religion & Spirituality · 2023

10/02/2023

Species appropriate movement opportunities.

Sorry for the radio silence recently. I have been a little bit pre occupied with working on a rehab plan for these guys.

Currently, these are not trained camels, so aside from having a quick palpate down one side of them from behind a gate, most of the work at the moment is focussed on adapting their environment to encourage species appropriate movement patterns.

However, it got me thinking about horses. How much are we able to facilitate species appropriate movement for our horses during turn out? It is vital not only for developing athleticism but also for mental stimulation and nervous system regulation.

🐴 Do we provide enough space for a flat out gallop?
🐴Do we give them fiends to play with, move, or be moved around by?
🐴Do we provide them with hedgerows and trees to reach up into to browse?
🐴Do we provide them with hills or undulating ground to navigate.
🐴Do we provide them with natural obstacles (such as fallen tree trunks) to position around?
🐴 Do they have access to a natural water supply with banks that requires a balancing act to drink from.

I am happy to say that where I currently keep my horse he has all of this. Sadly, yards with 24/7 turn out like this are few and far between.

10/02/2023

Species appropriate movement opportunities.

Sorry for the radio silence recently. I have been a little bit pre occupied with working on a rehab plan for these guys.

Currently, these are not trained camels, so aside from having a quick palpate down one side of them from behind a gate, most of the work at the moment is focussed on adapting their environment to encourage species appropriate movement patterns.

However, it got me thinking about horses. How much are we able to facilitate species appropriate movement for our horses during turn out? It is vital not only for developing athleticism but also for mental stimulation and nervous system regulation.

🐴 Do we provide enough space for a flat out gallop?
🐴Do we give them friends to play with, move, or be moved around by?
🐴Do we provide them with hedgerows and trees to reach up into to browse?
🐴Do we provide them with hills or undulating ground to navigate.
🐴Do we provide them with natural obstacles (such as fallen tree trunks) to position around?
🐴 Do they have access to a natural water supply with banks that requires a balancing act to drink from.

I am happy to say that where I currently keep my horse he has all of this. Sadly, yards with 24/7 turn out like this are few and far between.

24/01/2023

How do I know when a training method is working for or against a horse?

Simple, I can tell with my hands (and eyes). I can see and feel muscles that are over developed, or under developed, with predictable patterns of palpable restrictions, pain and muscle spasm.

For example, compare the shoulders of these three horses.

🐴 Picture 1 is a well bred and professionally trained dressage horse.

🐴 Picture 2 is a TB who suffered a traumatic injury (he ran into a traffic light) to his shoulder causing paralysis of the supra scapular nerve (sweeny shoulder).

🐴 Picture 3 is a semi retired TB.

I want you to notice the shoulder area, in particular the muscles over the scapula. Picture 3 shows normal muscling over the shoulder. Notice the similarities between picture 1 and 2 with atrophy of the infraspinatus and supraspinatus muscles.

The supra scapular nerve innervates these muscles, which is why they are missing in picture 2 (due to traumatic injury to this nerve). But why are they atrophied in picture 1?

This is a consequence of a training method that is not working ‘for’ the horse. The training will be, low, deep and round, draw reins, and restrictive/ backwards hands. When the thoracic sling (the group of muscles that attaches the thoracic limbs to the trunk) is prevented from working functionally the result can be impingement of the brachioplexus, a network of nerves (including the supra-scapular) nerve, that innervate the shoulder region.

These horses will also typically show up tight on palpation through the pecs, serratus, lower brachio, subvlavius, and lat dorsi.

19/01/2023

Off the back of my post yesterday, I though I would share..

Firstly a picture of me free falling because life can feel a bit like that sometimes 😅😅😅

But more importantly, a list of people (on Facebook) who I feel are talking about some really good and important things in the equine world currently. Please comment if you have any other recommendations.

Science Of Motion
The Equine Documentalist
Celeste-Leilani Lazaris
Tami Elkayam Equine Bodywork
Educated Equine
Encompass Equine Solutions
The Trust Technique
The Apex Trim Method
Touching Wild with Bonny Mealand
Equi-Biome
Confident Rider
Sound Equitation
Hara Horses
Steph Bloom saddle fitter