Human & Veterinary Chiropractor

17/09/2022

4th jab today, the new Moderna. Absolutely no side affects at all. None whatsoever except an almost perceptible sore left arm, if at all… and only if I touch it. Which I did just now unconsciously…

29/09/2019

It’s all about the posture

20/08/2019

20/08/2019

Wonderfully sensible advice

5 minutes of exercise per month of age: that's the routine advice for growing puppies to prevent physical problems during development. So for an 8 week old puppy, that means 10 minutes of exercise per day. However, like most generic advice, I always think this is a bit prescriptive. Whilst it gives us a rough idea to keep in mind not to overdo it with our pups, there is a HUGE difference between relentless ball throwing for 10 minutes with an 8 week old puppy versus a 10 minute mooch most of which is stationary to watch the world go by.
Our pup is now 5 months old, so if sticking rigidly to the rule this means she should be getting 25 minutes of exercise per day.
Here's what our 'exercise' schedule actually looks like (varies hugely day-to-day):
- Walk(s) which usually consists of a mixture of on- and off-lead, varies in length between 15-50 minutes...
- Periods of rest within our walk, sitting & watching the world go by and learning to settle whilst out-and-about.
- Training constantly incorporated into walks - rewarding voluntary check-ins, practicing heelwork and stationary exercises such as sit-stay.
- Lots of sniffing, including scatter feeding as a reward.
- Play with other dogs in the house (this is generally low-key and well self-regulated).
- Set-up retrieves (this means the toy has come to a stop before the dog is released, so no leaping or twisting in motion which has risk of injury).
- Toy games at home including tug and search games.
- Trips out where we might just sniff around a carpark or settle in a cafe.
In other words, there is very little running around, no charging around with unfamiliar dogs, and her environment is generally set-up with her physical development in mind - this should not just be about restricting exercise.
The other side of that coin is to bear in mind that first experiences of the world for small puppies will be hugely mentally tiring. So expecting them to be able to do 10 minutes of traditional exercise ('going for a walk') when everything is so novel can result in both a physically and mentally tired puppy - resulting in lead grabbing and jumping up at the owner (effectively asking for help! Pick them up, they are probably tired or overwhelmed!).
So my advice - get rid of the notion of a traditional dog walk, not only during puppyhood but also as your pup grows into adulthood. Lots of sniffing, taking to different places, making being with you far more valuable than being with other dogs, slowing down the pace of your walks, stopping and take 5 minutes (after all most of us want this ability to settle outside of the house in our dogs), and getting rid of the ball thrower 😉

16/04/2019

This demonstrates how important the riders ability is.

This is why your turn does not come from pulling on the rein. Note the riders hand and leg position and hip angle in each sketch. Note the development of the horses muscles in each sketch. Note the shape of the horse in each sketch. A truly supple, truly bent horse is working through their entire body. It is OUR job as the rider to guide the horse to become soft, supple, and through in all movements.

Rider one is pulling the nose around, and trying to push the haunches in, with a following outside rein offering the horse no balance, and a hardly supportive inside leg to wrap around. This has created a rigid, stiff horse that will surely be back sore, weak in the hind end, with front end bulk in all the wrong places. This horse has every opportunity, and will likely be so uncomfortable that it will try every time, to run out of his right shoulder.

Rider two is pushing the horse from his inside leg to his outside rein. The outside rein is providing a balance point for the horse, allowing him to be both comfortable and willing to carry himself. Because the riders rein is supportive and blocking the shoulder, the horse can not blow out the shoulder, and can only become truly bent along the entire length of the spine.

In order to build the athlete you want, and to allow your horse the opportunity to have a long, successful, and most importantly SOUND career, it is important to understand how we ride, even in seemingly simple tasks such as the walk or trotting circles, is effecting each muscle in your horses body. Not all muscle is good muscle!

07/04/2019

17/03/2019

By trying to reduce inflammation, you could also be interfering with the process of repair.

07/11/2018

Interesting reading

Official Post from The Horse's Back: Cow hocks are commonly perceived to be a relatively harmless conformation fault in horses. Without a doubt, many function absolutely fine with cow hocks and never experience a problem, particularly if the angles are mild. In many heavier breeds, cow hocks are vie...