D B Equine Therapy

29/10/2025

You never stop learning
Love my job

29/10/2025

Having attended the BETA Bits,Bridling & Saddlery Conference 2025
Gillian Higgins did 2 fantastic talks on Anatomy of the head related to Bridle Fit& Design on day one
Day two - Saddling from the inside out- the horses back.
This is so important to learn from her knowledge and the way she explains it helps you to get a better understanding of your horse.
In my work as Equine Sports Massage Therapist doing Myofascial release I get asked what can I do to help my horse in between visits.
This is why I spoke with Gillian as she has a Pilates book for horses which I will be stocking to give to my customers to help them improve their horses posture and strength.
Don’t forget to look at the Horses Inside Academy #







products
Schule
of London
Saddlers Company
Company

28/10/2025

This is so much part of my myofascial release therapy to get the sympathetic and parasympathetic system to function properly and heal itself through through good muscle memory processes to improve function

🐴🧠 Neurodynamics & Neuroplasticity in Horses

When we think equine rehabilitation, we often focus on joints, muscles and tendons. But the nervous system - and how it adapts or mal-adapts after injury - is a powerful force in movement, compensation and recovery.

Here’s what every equine rehab practitioner should understand 👇

1️⃣ Neural communication runs through more than nerves
Beyond the obvious nerves and spinal pathways lies a dynamic network of neural control: spinal reflexes, peripheral nerve mechanosensitivity, neural gliding, and central motor-pattern systems. These pathways respond to injury, loading, posture and movement. When a limb fails, the nervous system rewires. When posture shifts, neural tension often follows.

2️⃣ Neuroplasticity = the nervous system’s ability to change
In horses, injury, pain or chronic compensation triggers structural and functional changes in the nervous system. That might include altered timing of muscle activation, modified reflex thresholds, or sensitised neural tissue - meaning the “system” now runs on a new, less efficient program. Recognising these changes can explain why an apparently healed limb still under-performs.

3️⃣ Neurodynamics = how the nervous system moves with the body
Neural tissues don’t sit still. They glide with motion, respond to stretch, and adapt to posture. A tight dorsal sling, rotated pelvis, or chronic head carriage can place abnormal strain on neural pathways, limiting mobility, altering gait, and contributing to hidden dysfunction. Mobility limitations that seem musculoskeletal may actually be neurodynamic in origin.

4️⃣ Why this matters in rehab
When you see persistent gait asymmetries, subtle head nods, or rider-induced stiffness, ask: is the nervous system locked into a compensatory program?

⚡️Standard “stretch & strengthen” may fail if neural control hasn’t readjusted. You might need neural mobilisation, proprioceptive re-education, and spinal pattern retraining.

Movement becomes therapy not just for tissues, but for the nervous system - re-teaching the body how to control motion rather than simply doing motion.

✅ Takeaway
Rehabilitation isn’t only about bones, muscles or fascia. It’s also about rewiring the nervous system’s software to restore efficient, symmetrical, pain-free movement. When you think neuro-plasticity + neuro-dynamics, you step from reactive rehab into strategic movement design.

26/10/2025

Another reason why you can improve your skills and learning it’s a fantastic platform that’s sharing so much knowledge and information through research and application

25/10/2025

Fantastic learning resources CPD training can’t wait for this years summit to get a greater understanding

🐎🔬 Lameness assessment is more than watching a horse trot in a straight line.

To truly understand why a horse is moving the way it does - and how to change that - we have to look deeper than surface-level gait observation. That means examining structure, forces, neuro-control, and adaptation together.

Here’s what every equine rehab professional should keep in mind 👇

💪 1. Structure shapes function
The conformation and musculoskeletal design of each limb determines whether it’s built for load-bearing (absorbing impact) or propulsion (driving movement). The forelimbs, for example, act like shock absorbers, dissipating vertical forces as they land. Hindlimbs, by contrast, are powerhouses, producing forward motion and lift. Subtle structural differences influence how forces travel and where overload occurs.

📊 2. Ground reaction forces tell the story
Every stride is a conversation between the horse and the ground. GRFs reveal how much force each limb absorbs and produces, and how that changes across walk, trot, and canter. Altered GRF patterns can indicate pain compensation long before visible lameness appears.

🧠 3. Movement is controlled from the inside out
Locomotion isn’t just a mechanical process - it’s orchestrated by central pattern generators (CPGs), neural networks in the spinal cord that rhythmically activate muscles for each gait. These built-in circuits allow horses to move efficiently without constant brain input, but they’re also adaptable: when pain or dysfunction is present, the body rewrites the “code,” altering timing, stride length, and muscle recruitment.

♻️ 4. Compensation is clever - and sneaky
When something hurts, horses don’t simply limp. They change stance duration, shorten the swing phase, shift weight, or even recruit different muscles to keep moving. These changes can mask lameness and redistribute forces - but they also lay the groundwork for secondary issues if not addressed.

💡 Why this matters:
A meaningful lameness assessment doesn’t stop with “which leg is lame.” It asks:
❓How are forces being managed?
❓Where is the movement pattern breaking down?
❓What compensations are being layered on top?
❓And how can we use therapeutic movement to reprogram the system?

📆 At the Vet Rehab Summit on 8 November, we’ll explore how biomechanics, locomotor control, and neurophysiology all intersect - and how understanding these principles helps us become not just observers of gait, but active architects of better movement.

25/10/2025

Look what’s in 🥰

24/10/2025

Just in this week .... love 😍 how these look even better in real life! Ordered in for one of our lovely clients.

Karben Ultra Grip FX Stirrups - Black

The stirrup is made of ultra-light aluminium, cast for strength, and has streamlined contours. Low-maintenance powder coating provides a long-lasting and appealing appearance.
The foot plate is deep and secure, and the deep grip treads provide great wet and dry traction, making the stirrups ideal for quick work.
The weighted base is secure and stable, and it absorbs shocks to keep legs energised.
The stirrup's angled eyelet allows for more natural hip, knee, and foot alignment, as well as easier retrieval.

To discuss your options or place an order contact Debbie 07762 415122

24/10/2025

New delivery of Velociti Gara Atherstone Girths !!

24/10/2025

‼️ONE TO READ

This fascinating article written by Chris Bates M.Ost DipAOs On the London college of animal osteopathy blog, is a great read.

Talking about Fascia in humans, canines & equines. 🏃‍♀️🐕🏇

London College of Animal Osteopathy provides top quality training to the veterinary and animal care community, osteopaths, and musculoskeletal therapists.

23/10/2025

We love a new product delivery day! Horsewise Elite Water Free Horse Shampoo is a brilliant product that contains tea tree oil to clean and condition your horse's coat, without having to use any water! Perfect for winter!

23/10/2025

📢 New Arrival📢

SHIRES Velociti Atherstone Girths

Avaliable With or without elastic

Avaliable in Havannah & Black

Sizes Rangeing from 34" - 60"

Contact Debbie to discuss your girthing options.

📞07762 415122

20/10/2025

❓️ Did you know we stock Comfort Elite Saddles

The Cadence monoflap is now used by riders at the highest levels of competition in both dressage and eventing, the Cadence Mono-Flap Dressage Saddle has been designed based on comfort elite's experience of fitting Horses, Ponies and their riders of all shapes and sizes, extensive input from their customers, both at Novice and Advanced Dressage, their Agents and their Saddle Makers to give you the ultimate in close contact comfort and connection with your horse.

Available With Tree and Panel Options Designed to fit all Shapes,Sizes and Breeds of Larger Horses and Ponies. From high withered performance horses, be they Irish, Warm blood or Thoroughbred and flatter treed versions specifically chosen for the wider, flatter back catering for our customers with Ponies, Cobs and other wider breeds .