Equine Therapies Wales

26/02/2022

Did you know toe dragging, forging, over-reaching, difficulty performing precise actions could be signs of proprioceptive deficit?

Why does proprioception start to fail?

Although proprioceptive deficits are mainly a consequence of discomfort, it may also be due to a long list of neurological disorders. In the case of pain, compensations are created.

Studies suggest that horses have Central Pattern Generators. Basic rhythmic activity patterns that are generated by central circuits called central pattern generators (CPGs) (Bucher 2009). However, these CPG's become modified by feedback from peripheral proprioception.

We know that horses will adapt their gait in response to pain, when this adaption becomes chronic, this imprints onto the CPG,s (Rombach 2020) and they require rehabilitation to unlearn those movement patterns as although the foot (or any other anatomy) may not be giving the same nociceptive (pain) in put, the higher (wider) musculature has entered an automatic cyclic rhythm.

Read more at this link...Edward Busuttil DVM introduces you to proprioception

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/proprioception-how-do-our-hoses-know-how-to-put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other

For a mind blowing webinar on proprioception and posture from Dr Gellman follow this link...

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

03/01/2022

Nominations are open for the Equestrian Business Awards.
If anyone has a spare few minutes, click on the link below and have a look. There are many amazing categories, why not give your favourite equestrian small business some love this new year by showing your support. 😉❤️

⭐Nominations Open!⭐

Head to www.equestrianbusinessawards.co.uk/nominate

Categories include:

-Farrier
-Retailer
-Horse Transporter
- Event Venue
-Saddle Fitter
-Equine Dentist
-Equine Therapist
-Livery Yard
-Riding School
-Equine Service
-Riding Instructor
-Behavioural Trainer
-Vet Practice
-Charity
-Diversity in Business
-Equestrian Tech
-Social Influencer
-Groom

02/01/2022

Happy new year to all my amazing clients old and new! Xx

24/12/2021

I’d like to wish all my clients a Merry Christmas! I’m always so grateful for all your continued support over the years! Couldn’t do it without you! 🥰

14/12/2021

Vouchers available this year if you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas! Please get in touch if you’d like one.

04/12/2021

By Budiman Minasny, PhD

What is fascial unwinding?

Professionals should be able to accurately explain a term to a client. If we can’t then it can be seen as voodoo or mystical and we can lose an amount of trust.

So if you’re a professional using a term, make sure you can also explain it.

Touch, stretching, and manual therapy can induce relaxation in the parasympathetic nervous system.

Fascial unwinding is when a manual therapist uses touch and movement to relax muscles and fascia to release musculoskeletal pain and improve range of motion through communication with the nervous system

There are mechanoreceptors that live in, and just under the skin that communicate specific messages to the brain such as touch, pain, and pressure.

By using specific strokes and holds, we communicate messages to the mechanoreceptors that encourage relaxation in the fascia.

By using specific movements and placing certain muscles on stretch we can communicate to different mechanoreceptors that live in the actual muscle tissue.

The cool thing about tape is that is simulates touch to the nervous system.

During a direct myofascial release (MFR) technique, the myofascial tissue restrictive barrier is engaged for the myofascial tissues, and the tissues are loaded with a constant force until tissue release occurs.

In contrast, during indirect MFR, the dysfunctional tissues are guided along the path of least resistance until free movement is achieved. This is fascial unwinding.

Here is an excerpt directly from the article:

“During fascial unwinding, the therapist stimulates mechanoreceptors in the fascia by applying gentle touch and stretching. Touch and stretching induce relaxation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. They also activate the central nervous system, which is involved in the modulation of muscle tone as well as movement. As a result, the central nervous system is aroused and thereby responds by encouraging muscles to find an easier, or more relaxed, position and by introducing the ideomotor action. Although the ideomotor action is generated via normal voluntary motor control systems, it is altered and experienced as an involuntary response.

In conclusion, fascial unwinding occurs when a physically induced suggestion by a therapist prompts ideomotor action that the client experiences as involuntary. This action is guided by the central nervous system, which produces continuous action until a state of ease is reached. Consequently, fascial unwinding can be thought of as a neurobiologic process employing the self-regulation dynamic system theory.”

Understanding the Process of Fascial Unwinding

Fascial or myofascial unwinding is a process in which a client undergoes a spontaneous reaction in response to the therapist’s touch. It can be induced by using specific techniques that encourage a client’s body to move into areas of ease. ...

27/11/2021

THE FRONTAL LOBE OF THE HORSE’S BRAIN IS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.

How does this apply to schooling/training? Frontal lobes are involved in higher mental functions such as reasoning. This means that horses cannot reason or plan to be naughty. They cannot be blamed for bad behavior or poor performance. They cannot recognize future consequences. Horses simply react to the situation. They learn through conditioning and memory.

I see and hear so many riders anthropomorphize their horses instead of finding better training tools. Phrases such as, ‘he just likes to be difficult’ or ‘this pony is so naughty’ or ‘he understands or knows what I want, but won’t do it’, or ‘he moves his hindquarters at every halt just to irritate me’. Horses do not know what we want unless we explain it in a manner that they can understand immediately.

A few months ago a rider told me how her horse ‘just does not want to co-operate’. It started with overt flight behavior and then became a subtle ‘snatchy’ movement of the nose. I asked her whether it could be due to discomfort. She answered, ‘no, she is just naughty’. It turned out that the horse was suffering from laminitis and was in severe discomfort! It made me want to cry.

At the moment I am training a young horse from scratch. I also used phrases such as, ‘she has a short fuse’ and ‘she challenges me every step of the way’. Then I realized that everything I was doing on this horse was completely new to her. I realized how frightening that must be for an animal with no reasoning ability. She was actually trying hard to understand me, but when new instructions were a tad confusing, she showed me in no uncertain terms that she did not understand it. The horse’s reactions to learning new skills all depends on personality. This particular horse is extremely sensitive and an introvert. Utopia, my older horse, is less sensitive and a complete extrovert. She can deal with much more pressure than the youngster. The message for me is that I must train each horse with the kind of pressure which they can deal with. Each horse has a different tolerance for pressure. Us riders have to be adaptable to each horse’s ability to deal with pressure. Personally I find that most behavioral problems stem from confusion, discomfort and too much pressure. Photo is the equine brain in front of the human brain.

Thanks to Karin Blignault for the info!!

22/11/2021

Your Saddle Fitter should: stage 2

11/11/2021

08/11/2021

An INCORRECT outline.

❌ Back is hollow
❌ Hind legs are trailing out behind and not talking any weight
❌ Head is behind the vertical in hyperflexion/rollkur

To the untrained eye, people can think this looks "pretty," when in actual fact, it's painful.

Try it yourself... Go on your hands and knees, tuck your chin into your chest, arch your back, and move your knees out behind you. Then imagine a weight being placed on your back and having to move around for 30-60 minutes.

Aside from the discomfort, the horse will show signs of tension, be unable to over-track and develop self-carriage. The rider will have limited ability to bend the horse correctly, thereby making it very difficult to teach the horse higher-level movements, such as lateral movements.

Instead of this, check out this post - https://www.facebook.com/HowToDressage/posts/1062440337840157

08/11/2021

Hi all,
I’l be going through my diary this evening to arrange dates for your appointments. If you have messaged me please don’t panic I’ve seen them and promise to reply by the end of today.

Anyone thinking about booking in for an appointment before new year, please get in touch ASAP as appointments are filling up fast.

Thanks as always for your continued support
Aimee 😁😁

08/11/2021

07/11/2021

Here is one of my clients benefiting from some red light therapy! I find it fascinating how the horses respond to this therapeutic treatment.

16/09/2021

Brilliant short write up explaining what fascia is and it’s importance.
When deep tissue / body work, passive stretching is being carried out. It’s mainly the fascia we are working with.
Fascia consists of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. It provides internal structure of the body, and has many nerve endings.
It really is a fascinating specialised system, which can really affect our muscular skeletal system negatively when it is compromised.