Equine Release

13/12/2025

Bladder Meridian

I will often use red light along the Bladder Meridian line.

Sometimes hands can be just to much ☺️

Iv sped the video up otherwise it would be far to boring 🥱

But if you’ve a red light use it along this line ☺️

13/12/2025

I stumbled across this fabulous page.
Please give her a follow.

This right here resonates with me.
I’m sure it will with many of you.

Hope you enjoy reading it

Have a great day everyone 🙏

The moment you share anything about your life, your work, or your opinions, you sign an invisible contract. Someone, somewhere, will decide they know better.

Judgement is part of the landscape when you work online. You can be thoughtful, curious, willing to learn, and genuinely open-hearted, and there will still be people who arrive determined not to understand you. Not because you’re wrong. Not because you’ve done anything terrible. Simply because they weren’t here to listen in the first place.

It took a long time for this to land.
Me and Flick spend our days trying to collaborate, to stay open, to grow both personally and professionally. We work from the assumption that we will never know everything and people will always have something to teach us. Most of the time that brings rich conversations and good connection. Occasionally, it brings walls.

This is where the Mel Robbins Let Them Theory makes sense.

If someone wants to misunderstand you, let them.
If someone wants to judge you, let them.
If someone is determined to take offence where none was intended, let them.

Not in a careless way. Not in a dismissive way. In a self-protective way.

The point is simple. You cannot control how another person interprets your existence. You can only control how deeply you allow it to take root in you.

Let them think what they think.
Let yourself keep learning, keep reflecting, keep growing.
Let the right people stay close and the wrong ones drift.

The truth is steady. You will never please everyone.
And you shouldn’t aim to.
Aim to stay grounded, thoughtful, and open.
The rest is noise.

11/12/2025

Combining a ridden assessment alongside my bodywork builds a more accurate picture of what’s going on.

Especially when a rider is still feeling something isn’t quite right.

It also gives me the opportunity to discuss the consequences of the riders actions that impacts the horses body.

All the usual boxes were ticked

Hoof balance ✔️
Teeth ✔️
Saddle ✔️
Bodywork ✔️
Vet ✔️
Sheath clean ✔️

So the next logical step was to look at the rider & pony interaction under saddle.

Its a very common pattern seen in lots of children and many adults
doing their best with the aids they’ve been taught.

Traditional V classical way of riding?

I’ll always go for the classical approach.

I’m bringing the rider back to a neutral position with clearer aids that are no longer conflicting.

No heels down 👎
No pulling back on the reins to stop the pony 👎
No kicking to go forward 👎
No shoulders back 👎
No using the reins to steer 👎
No forwards & backwards movement on the saddle 👎
No gripping with the knees 👎

Walk walk & more walk 👍

Everything was broken down in little easy to understand pieces. So Soph could make the connection with my words & how she was feeling in her body.

This kind of change is challenging for any rider never mind a 12 year old .

Now we know the root cause.
Soph has everything she needs to build a new, clearer, more effective way of riding her pony. And im hoping their ridden work develops into the same level of partnership they already have on the ground.

We are doing some visualization work here ☺️

09/12/2025

Then .. 200 followers 🙌
& now .. 4835 followers 🙌

If I can create change for one person & their horse out of the 4835 followers. Thatl do me ☺️

When I first created my business page on Facebook, I was terrified to post anything. I questioned whether anything I had to say mattered at all.
Because I know I waffle & go off on a tangent 😬 with the odd rant.

I even sent my posts to a couple of experienced therapists I trusted, just to proofread them before I dared to share.

I did that out of fear of being ridiculed & rejected from anyone who cared to go on my page.

Imposter syndrome weighed heavily on me, making me doubt every word, every idea, every thought & every post.

I still suffer with the syndrome & I hope I always will.

My page has become more than a business platform. I try to create a space for awareness, education, welfare for our horses and empowerment for the owners.

Many a time I turn up on a yard and I’m met with an emotional owner. Whatever the reason is for them to be emotional. I am there for you aswell as your horse.

We are all on a journey & if we can offer genuine non judgmental support for one another that’s in a safe space then that is all we need.

Every post I share is intended to spark curiosity, to encourage people to question everything, and to think for themselves. I hope that anyone who interacts with my page feels inspired to trust their instincts, question assumptions, and make informed choices for themselves and the horses in their care.

I do not pretend to be something I’m not. I never use veterinary terminology. Why would I talk in such a way when even I don’t understand it 🥴 blimey I struggle to string a sentence together in layman’s terms 😂

The wonderful amazing clients that seek me out via word of mouth.
As I never advertise & I don’t want to.

Each & every one of you are a gift to me. Because I wouldn’t want to do what I do for the horses if you didn’t ’get me’ & by your acceptance ( some of you may say tolerance 😂) of my craziness I am able to help your horses in the way they should be helped.

So thank you to everyone for engaging with me.

🙏

07/12/2025

The hock

Is complex because it’s not just one joint. Instead, it’s made of several smaller joints stacked together, all working as a team. So if one of the team members gets injured the rest of the team suffer.

If your horse has hock issues try a simple hand placement over the area because this creates warmth, and warmth increases circulation, which helps to reduces joint stiffness and can ease the discomfort in arthritic or overloaded hocks.

Now add some acupressure at BL60, intention, visualization & some energy you’ve got a nice little healing sesh going on.

Not only does this help the hocks but because everything is connected your also helping many other body parts like the stifle and the entire hindquarters through the major myofascial lines. Indirectly helping the front end.

Try cupping your horses hocks (keep safe) & watch how they accept the natural pain relief you’re offering.

As always this is not a replacement for your vet.

Let me know if your horse enjoys it ☺️

06/12/2025

😂😂😂😂
I love this 😂😂

I just had to share

I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did 😂

THE ENDLESS BATTLE BETWEEN HOLISTIC, CLASSICAL, NATURAL, FUNCTIONAL, CORRECTIVE METHODS…

…AND “I JUST TRIM THINGS.”**
(A geopolitical conflict fought exclusively on Facebook at 2am.)

Welcome to the hoof-care landscape, a place where adults with professional qualifications behave like rival cult leaders fighting for control of a small island nation made entirely of frogs and coping mechanisms.

Every method has followers.
Every follower has opinions.
Every opinion is defended with the ferocity of a starving terrier guarding a stolen sausage.

Let’s meet the factions.

THE HOLISTIC HERETICS

Float into the yard like a barefoot druid performing an exorcism on a pastern.
They trim by moon cycle, planetary alignment, and vague “energetic feedback.”
Will confidently announce your horse’s hoof is experiencing ancestral trauma.
Horse yawns.
Owner weeps.
You stare into the distance, reconsidering your life choices.

Their followers post things like:
“Science hasn’t caught up to us yet.”
Yes. Because science is busy.

THE CLASSICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

Everything they know was chiselled into stone tablets by a dead cavalry officer in 1872.
Believe the hoof should be “exactly 52° because that’s what the book says.”
Have never met a horse who read the book.
Own compasses, rulers, and calipers that could measure tectonic plates.
Say things like:
“The toe should align with the cosmic axis.”
Nobody asks what that means because nobody wants the 40-minute explanation.

THE NATURAL EXTREMISTS

Your horse must live exactly as horses lived in the wild…
…except in the UK
…on clay soil
…in February
…in rain that can dissolve metal.

They will insist shoes are the root of all evil, forgetting that their own horse is currently 3/10 lame because the track turned into custard overnight.

Their mantra:
“He just needs movement.”
He can’t move.
He’s stuck in the mud.
He’s been in the exact same place for two hours.

THE FUNCTIONAL ENGINEERS

Do not see horses.
Only algorithms.

Carry iPads, graphs, overlays, and software that could run a satellite.
Trim according to lines drawn by a man in Ohio who hasn't touched a horse since 2014.
Say things like:
“If you just zoom in, you’ll see what the hoof should have done.”
Meanwhile, the horse steps in a bucket.

THE CORRECTIVE WEAPONISED BRIGADE

Arrive in a truck the size of a warship.
They have forges, anvils, welding equipment, a full Iron Man workshop.
If a problem can’t be solved with steel, wedges, or fire, they are uninterested.
Will attach more metal to a horse than the average Victorian bridge.

Their motto:
“Better living through hardware.”

AND THEN THERE'S YOU

Covered in hay, mud, regrets, and yesterday’s coffee.
You’re not here to join a faction.
You’re not here to recite scripture.
You’re not here to perform interpretive spiritual hoof theatre.

You just… trim things.
You show up, look at the feet, use your brain, use your tools, fix what needs fixing, and leave before someone corners you with a printout.

When asked for your “method,” you say the most triggering words imaginable:

“I use whatever works.”

This phrase alone could start a civil war.

THE COMMENT SECTION WARFARE

The battlefield.
The arena.
The place where hope goes to die.

Someone posts a frog.
Within six minutes:

A Natural Extremist says it’s thrush.

A Corrective Specialist says it needs a bar shoe.

A Holistic Practitioner suggests grounding exercises and Himalayan salt.

A Classical Purist quotes a cavalry manual from 1904.

A Functional Engineer draws 19 red arrows.

Two people start fighting about diet.

Three more argue about trimming cycles.

Someone blocks someone.

Someone reports the post.

An admin says “Ladies please.”

A rogue chiropractor enters the chat.

You turn off notifications and lie face down on the floor.

THE OUTRO — THE REAL TRUTH (WHICH THEY’LL ALL IGNORE)

All the factions — every last one — are absolutely convinced they’re doing what’s best for the horse.

They’re all right sometimes.
They’re all wrong sometimes.
And none of them, not one, has ever improved a hoof through Facebook combat.

Meanwhile you’re in the stable, being the quiet, unfashionable heretic who just… works.

You are methodless.
Factionless.
Religionless.
Faithless.
But your horses are sound.

And that, ironically, is the only doctrine that ever mattered.

03/12/2025

While Hank was having his feet trimmed today, I offered some cranial work at the same time.

It makes the whole process so much easier for him helping him to stay balanced, relaxed and comfortable while each foot is being lifted. He has a few issues so offering some gentle hands on makes a huge difference.

When they are in the sympathetic state, they brace, lean, fidget, and find it harder to balance while a foot is being lifted.

If they shift into a parasympathetic state, we will see softer muscles,
better balance, less reactivity &
more cooperation

This helps especially when he’s having a flare up in his stifles. Like he is at the moment.

Cranial techniques influence the vagal system and craniosacral rhythms.
So it really helps the horse to be in a calmer autonomic state.

Helping your hoof care provider aswell 🙌

30/11/2025

The stomach

Seeing a stomach in real time really puts it into perspective at how small it actually is compared to the rest of the digestive system.

Horses are designed to eat little and often & not big buckets of feeds.

So when a horse isnt holding weight, the usual response is to increase the bucket feed or add many different ‘conditioning’ feeds.

I did a post ages ago about the ingredients in these commercial feeds, these feeds are often high in starch, full of fillers, and not species appropriate.

In my personal opinion

These types of feeds tend to move through the stomach too fast & often don’t get digested properly and end up causing more trouble for the stomach & hindgut.

If the microbiome is already out of whack then the horse simply cant absorb what you’re feeding anyway.
Including supplements.

So giving more feed doesn’t fix the problem it usually makes it worse.

A lot of weight issues come from the gut not working properly.

Teeth issues, worm burden, acid splash, microbiome imbalance, pain, stress, toxin build up, all of this affects how the horse processes its food.

If the digestive system isnt functioning, you can pour as much feed in as you want and the horse still wont gain weight.

You may experience behavioral issues instead.

Because the vegus nerve that controls the stomach influences ( directly & indirectly) the diaphragm, heart, lungs, ribs, liver, the back & many more, So when the stomach becomes irritated or inflamed, that nerve sends stress signals up and down the pathway = tight ribs,
a sore or stiff back.
Aggression when rugging up ( fastening front straps)
reluctance to bend, shallow breathing/coughing &
tension through the abdominals and flank etc = unhappy sore horse.

The real answer ( my personal opinion & I know it’s not that easy) to weight loss is sorting the gut out first. Support the stomach, balance the microbiome, reduce stress on the digestive system, and feed a species appropriate diet.

Let’s try & support the digestive system so it can do its job properly.

Big bucket feeds dont put weight on a horse with a compromised gut.

A healthy gut fixes the weight.

Always a Whole Horse approach 🙌

30/11/2025

🙌 Therapist of the year 🙌

A huge congratulations to this fabulous lady Magique Hands

A woman after my own heart who is also a bit woo woo 😂

Thoroughly deserved 🥳

Well done to the finalist’s aswell because you all looked beautiful in your evening gowns 🙏

Hopefully next year will be your year 🤞

Equi-Flex

Equiflex Therapy PEMF

J varley veterinary chiropractor & massage therapist

🏆 Equine Therapist of the year 2025🏆

I only went and bloody did it!!!

I am at an absolute loss for words currently and that never happens 😂

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who took the time to nominate me. I have been lucky enough to receive the comments and my gosh you lot are the biggest hype gang going! Someone must be cutting onions in here because my eyes are weeing 😂 thank you so much, your words mean the world to me ❤️

Thank you to my amazing clients and their wonderful horses. Without them, there’d be no fluffy horse bums for these Magique Hands to work on! You guys embrace my slightly unorthodox style, stay curious and open-minded, and remain patient with my shall we say 'developing' admin skills. 😂 It's such an honour to be a small part of your individual journeys, and you are just all absolutely mint to be honest!

This award is incredibly meaningful as my style of bodywork has faced scepticism over the years, and it’s taken time, growth, and a lot of trust in myself to become the therapist I am today, and I am so damn proud of myself. I also feel like this isn't just a win for me—it’s a win for every intuitive, alternative therapist who dares to work differently. Your worth and potential are not defined by others opinions.

I also wanted to give a special mention to the other finalists in my category- please go and follow their socials and take a moment to look at their work, because they are utterly incredible humans.

Equi-Flex
Equiflex Therapy PEMF
J Varley Veterinary Chiropractor and Massage Therapist

It was a genuine pleasure to have met you yesterday. You are all such inspiring and strong ladies, who run thriving and successful business, with your passion and love of horses at the very heart of it. Keep doing what you are doing ladies because you are all absolutely killing it!

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the Equestrian Business Awards for hosting such a gorgeous night, and for making this all possible.

I am back home now nursing- as I predicted- the mother of all hangovers, but still smiling from ear to ear over what was just the most insane night of my life so far.

❤️❤️❤️

27/11/2025

Therapist of The Year 🥳🥳

A huge shout out to the 4 finalists

Equi-Flex 🙌

Equiflex Therapy PEMF 🙌

Magique Hands 🙌

J Varley veterinary chiropractor & massage therapist 🙌

Go check out their pages & read about all the amazing work that they do 🙌

The more awareness we can create collectively, the better it is for the horse world.

I’m so looking forward to seeing the pictures of you wearing your beautiful dresses 🥳

Thank you Equestrian Business Awards

for highlighting the importance of celebrating the people in the equestrian industry.

Equicantis
For being the sponsor of this category

Have a great evening at the awards 💃🥂

27/11/2025

‼️ Strangles Awareness ‼️

I’m reading about strangles outbreaks on a few yards now.

Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection in horses. It’s such a painful disease 😢

Even horses that appear healthy can be silent carriers.

Harboring the bacteria in their guttural pouches and shedding it intermittently, putting others at risk.

Do you think every livery yard should request a strangles test before accepting new horses?

It’s two strangles tests.
A guttural pouch endoscopy with PCR/culture or nasal swabs spaced 10-14 days apart before moving.

Or would the one test of a swab be enough?

This simple precaution could prevent unnecessary outbreaks and protect the health of all horses on the yard.

26/11/2025

A fantastic read from The Equine Documentalist

Sadly so many horse owners reach out to therapists that are text book trained & don’t have the ability to treat the horse as a whole.

So the symptoms often keep on returning.

Horse owners are given the generic leg stretches to do, carrot stretches or pole work!

It’s a gift to be able to have opened eyes. With no blinkers.

To feel, to actually SEE the horse, acknowledge them, listen, connect, visualise, to be able to empty the mind, have the intuition & be the facilitator that the horse so desperately needs.

Whole Horse approach is very much lacking in the horse industry

🙏

🐴🧠 When Behaviour Changes, Don’t Blame the Gut First! Look at the Whole Horse

One of the problems in modern equine care is how quickly gastric issues get blamed for every behavioural change.

Yes, the gut matters.
Yes, diet, forage access, feeding routines, and stress can absolutely contribute to gastric disease.
And yes, gastric discomfort can absolutely influence behaviour.

But here’s the key point we keep missing:

👉 Gastric issues are often the result of something else going wrong, not the root cause.

The two biggest and most commonly overlooked contributors?

1️⃣ Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain, even subtle, low-grade, or chronic, is one of the most frequently missed problems in horses.

As discussed in one of my old articles

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/recognising-pain-in-the-horse/

When a horse is working in pain:
• Cortisol rises
• Eating patterns change
• Resting patterns change
• The nervous system shifts into protection mode
• And the gut is one of the first systems to suffer

Pain doesn’t just change movement, it changes physiology.
Ulcers may then develop secondary to the stress and compromised function caused by the underlying pain.

2️⃣ Psychosocial Stress

Horses are highly social, highly emotional animals. Their environment shapes their physiology.

As discussed in our ethology series

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/bundles/how-can-the-equine-industry-maintain-its-social-licence-to-operate

Psychosocial stresses such as:
• Inconsistent routines
• Social isolation
• Frequent transport
• High-pressure training environments
• Poor turnout opportunities
• Rider inconsistency or conflict
• Unpredictable handling
• Lack of choice or agency
…all elevate stress hormones, suppress the immune system, and destabilise the gut environment.

These stresses can cause or worsen gastric disease.
And yet, these are rarely the first things examined.

⚠️ The Gut Is Vital, But Often Not the Starting Point

Of course, diet and gut health can be primary issues.
Poor forage quality, long fasting periods, high-starch feeds, dehydration, and certain medications can all contribute directly to gastric discomfort.

But more often than we acknowledge, the gut is the victim of a larger, unaddressed problem, not the villain.

🧩 Behaviour rarely has a single cause

A horse may show gastric symptoms…
But that doesn’t mean gastric disease is the origin of the behaviour.

A whole-horse approach means considering:
• Musculoskeletal integrity
• Hoof balance and farriery
• Saddle fit
• Rider influence
• Workload and biomechanics
• Environmental stability
• Herd dynamics
• Stress load
• Diet, forage access, and feeding rhythm
• And finally… gastric health

🌿 The message is simple:

When a horse changes behaviour, look deeper than the stomach.
Recognise that the gut is part of a wider system, influenced by pain, emotion, environment, and biomechanics.

Gastric disease deserves attention.
But we should never allow it to become the easy scapegoat that distracts us from the real underlying welfare issues.

See the whole horse. Follow the root cause. Honour what the behaviour is telling you.

Join Dr Ben Skye’s and I tomorrow for a delve into gastric disease.

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/egus

Recording will be available!