Vale Cranial

04/02/2026

So much better than strapping them down with drawreins ect ..... They learn to use their core muscles!

Equine Balance promote the natural and progressive development of the ridden horse so that they can achieve greater comfort, maintain soundness, and increased athletic performance what ever their chosen discipline.

Equine Balance Bands have been developed specifically for equine use and are designed to provide an optimum level of stimulation on the body to gently support and encourage the horse to engage the core muscles, activate the hind quarters and help develop healthy posture and muscle tone.

🟨For ground work, lunging, long reining
🟨For ridden exercise and pole work
🟨Recommended by vets and physiotherapists to help build supporting muscle and tone during rehabilitation following injury
🟨For young horses, leisure horses, competition horses and older horses in training to maintain back health and condition

Equine Balance promote the natural and progressive development of the ridden horse so that they can achieve greater comfort, maintain soundness, and increased athletic performance what ever their chosen discipline.

Please visit Equine Balance Bands for more information and to access FREE training and resources.

02/02/2026

The Poll is such an important area. If it is restricted it will slow the exchange of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Which removes the waist matter from the brain. As well as compress important nerves and vessels exiting the brain.

Having dysfunction in this area, will transfer restrictions and tension lines throughout the whole body.

I will always treat and decompress the poll with craniosacral therapy in every treatment I do with horses, humans and dogs.

Read the article here: https://open.substack.com/pub/doctorangel/p/poll-decompression-in-horses-the?r=1791qu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

02/02/2026

Just shows that horses can suffer from the same conditions we do !

06/01/2026

CranioSacral Therapy: Supporting Trauma Recovery Through Mind-Body Connection

📖 Learn more about the role of CST in trauma care:

Read here:https://www.iahe.com/storage/docs/articles/Combining-psychotherapy-with-craniosacral-therapy-for-severe-traumatized-patients-1.pdf or Upledger.com Searchable Article Database

This study highlights the integration of CranioSacral Therapy (CST) with psychotherapy in treating severe trauma and PTSD. This innovative approach reduces physical symptoms, allowing for deeper emotional healing and improved therapeutic outcomes. CST helps alleviate physical pain, enhance self-care, and increase emotional tolerance, paving the way for meaningful recovery.
This research also emphasizes the importance of collaboration with trained psychotherapists to ensure patient safety and maximize benefits.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

So true

Okay — breaking down one of my most common reasons for physiotherapy treatments.

Often times, owners or riders will say “I feel they’re tight on the left side of their body”. When I ask why, the response is usually “they really struggle on the left rein”.

When a horse struggles to bend either way, it is usually because the side of the horse’s body on the outside of the bend is experiencing dysfunction and tightness.

The outside of the body is then “shortened”, meaning the horse will fall in on turns, &/ find one rein significantly easier than the other. Other symptoms are; difficulty cantering one way, feeling like one of the riders legs is pushed out, poking of the jaw, asymmetrical hoof shape and more.

An important note here is that neither bend will be correct until your horse is symmetrical to bend each way. Just because they’re easier to bend one way, doesn’t mean that the body is actually functional; it will be likely due to the inside of the horse being more contracted and therefore positioned for “bend”.

Skipping over how I treat these cases (I will return at a later time with a post on this!), a few points on how exercises can help horses that experience one sided stiffness (of course after the cause has been investigated, identified and treated!!):

🐴 Instead of forcing the bend, counter flex your horse on their easier rein and yield the ribs inwards. This will help mobilise the ribs on the outside of the body, increasing flexibility and improving straightness.

🐴 Mobilise the pelvis — so many people reach for the neck, but if the pelvis can mobilise symmetrically to each side in quick succession, it can provide a basis for straightness and suppleness. Use transitions & & renvers on a figure of eight, progressing to counterflexing in each transition.

By trying to ask the horse to bend more, you will often be met with more bracing, so instead use gentle mobilisation work to loosen up and improve symmetry and function to both sides of the body.

20/12/2025

Some horses are sensitive to touch. In equine craniosacral therapy, I always work at the horse’s own pace, listening carefully to their body and allowing them the time they need to feel safe and supported.

Lancing Equestrian

15/12/2025

Equine Craniosacral Therapy - Allowing the horse to self correct and release their compensation patterns Lancing Equestrian