Back2Balance Equine Therapy

28/09/2025

When something just doesn’t feel right!
It probably isn’t. Don’t ignore your instincts.
You know your horse

Why does my Equine Athlete need Bodywork?
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60% of the horse's body is made of muscles, 700 of which are skeletal muscles and form the most prominent body mass! When one muscle contracts, the other releases. The release gives motion, tight muscles do not allow for release. The power of motion starts at the hind leg pushing the energy over the back into the poll. The flow of energy is interrupted if there is muscle tightness. The 3 major causes of tightness are overuse and/or incorrect use, injury, and lack of oxygen. Does your horse lack power, have sore or spasmodic muscles, lack flexibility or range of motion, or just not feel that great?

28/09/2025

Lizzy Gray Lizzy Gray Equestrian
Main discipline Showjumping
Many gorgeous horses on Lizzys team🩵

28/09/2025

Sophia Sutton aged 14, main discipline Dressage.
Sophia’s ponies are Mettie, Nifty, Potter & Jimmy🩵 Training with Andrew Gould @ Priory Dressage

22/09/2025

21/09/2025

RIBS

“My horse is stiff and cannot bend around my leg”
This is one of the most common statements I hear.

When it comes to recognising dysfunction and pointing out the problematic areas in the horse's body, the ribcage is often overlooked.
Equine ribs attach at two main locations: the thoracic vertebrae and the sternum. True ribs (first eight pairs) attach directly to the sternum via cartilage, while false ribs (the next 10 pairs) attach indirectly by forming a costal arch. Each rib has a head and a tubercle that articulate with the thoracic vertebrae.
We talk about the thoracic sling, about the pelvis and the back, but the ribs are hardly ever mentioned. But we shouldn't forget that the ribs are directly attached to the spine itself. We shouldn't forget that the diaphragm (which attaches to the ribs) shares an attachment to the psoas muscle, influencing the hind end. And we shouldn't forget that the first few ribs are very, very closely connected to the base of the neck and the thoracic sling. So, if we want the body to function well, the ribcage needs to function well too.
The function of the ribcage is to protect the sensitive inner organs, and even though it might seem like a structure with little to no biomechanical implications, it does actually need to be able to move. As the horse breathes, the ribcage expands and contracts. As the horse bends his spine, the ribcage needs to bend with it, otherwise bending is impossible.

Rib movement plays an important biomechanical part in the horse's ability to bend through the body. The movement of the ribs gives us riders the feeling of the horse bending around our inside leg. When riding a circle the ribs come closer together on the inside of the bend and wider apart on the outside, and the whole barrel of ribs swings more to the outside.
There are many reasons why we see a limited range of motion in the horse's ribcage, including breathing problems, pelvic dysfunction, rib fractures, poor saddle fit and chronic stress... If your horse has ever had a psoas issue, chances are, the diaphragm will have problems too. And if the diaphragm is tight, the range of motion of the ribcage will be limited. A similar thing can be said if your horse has ever had a back issue. Whatever the problem is, the ribcage is to be addressed too.

21/09/2025

Please don’t ignore a pull back, no matter how trivial you think it was

🧩 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 & 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀🐎
An anatomical structure far more clinically relevant than many realise‼️

🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁?
Myo = muscle
Dural = dura mater (protective membrane around the spinal cord)
👉 The myodural bridge = a direct link between the re**us capitis posterior minor muscle and the dura mater.

📍 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻:
Atlas (C1) & Axis (C2)
Atlas & Occiput
⚠️ This region is one of the few places where the spinal cord is not fully protected by bone.
Also — the greater occipital nerve runs through here → vulnerable to irritation & strain.

⚡ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁?
Because of its proximity to the brainstem, dysfunction here can affect:
Hearing 👂
Swallowing 😮‍💨
Eye control 👀
Muscle tone 💪
Chronic irritation = hypersensitivity to sound/light, swallowing issues, abnormal muscle responses.
This explains why horses with poll trauma or pull-back injuries can show long-term behavioural and physical problems that seem disproportionate to the original event.

⛔️ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲!
If your horse (especially a young one 🐴):
Pulls back while tied ❌
Shakes its head immediately after ❌
👉 Call a qualified equine osteopath within 1–2 weeks!
And never teach young horses to tie to something solid. 🚫

💥 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲:
𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺: spooky, noise-intolerant horses after poll injury
𝘖𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴: tracking problems, blink changes, head-shy behaviour
𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴: sudden bit resistance, choking, tongue thrusting
𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭/𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯: guarding even at rest
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴: anxiety, head tossing, hypersensitivity at the poll

⚠️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴:
Halters & bridles lie directly over this region
A single pull-back = potential trauma to spinal cord + brainstem
Some dressage “techniques” (like the nuchal ligament flip) can strain this area → long-term dysfunction, pain & instability

🚫 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
Disturbance of the CO junction & myodural bridge isn’t “just muscular.”
It creates a cycle of neurological stress, pain, and sensory overload.
👉 Prevention > cure.
Avoid hard tying & training aids that compromise this region.
✨ For horse health, behaviour, and performance → protect the poll.

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: https://helenthornton.com/contact

13/09/2025

Although horses can sleep standing up thanks to their unique stay apparatus, REM sleep is only possible when they are lying down, when their muscles can truly relax.
Many factors can prevent a horse from getting enough quality sleep and lead to signs of sleep deprivation.
One huge factor includes pain and discomfort.
While sleep depravity is still poorly understood, horse owners should be aware of the signs of sleep deprivation and take action to improve their horse’s sleep quality.
If horses are physically unable to lie down or choose not to for any reason then sleep deprivation occurs, causing a substantial impact on their health and wellbeing.
Sleep deprivation can cause serious injuries as often the individuals will fall into paradoxical sleep while standing, resulting in complete muscle relaxation causes them to collapse.
If you have a suspicion that your horse is suffering, A BIG DEEP BED is essential to encourage them to lay down.
Always seek veterinary advice and ask a certified therapist to come along to alleviate any aches and pains.
Your horse will thank you for it.