Equine Nutrition Australasia (ENA)

21/08/2025

Koper Equine Thanks

🧠✨ Gentle Touch, Big Impact: How Face & Neck Massage Could Support Your Horse’s Brain Health

A groundbreaking discovery in neuroscience found that gentle massage of the face and neck in mice and monkeys tripled the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the vital fluid that clears away waste and harmful proteins linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

🔬 Researchers discovered a network of lymphatic vessels just under the skin of the face and neck — much closer to the surface than previously believed. By lightly stroking this area for only one minute, older animals showed fluid movement similar to much younger ones.

✨ Why does this matter for horses?
• Horses, like humans, rely on CSF flow to “clean” the brain.
• If similar pathways exist in equines (which is very likely), gentle massage of the head and neck could support neurological health, mental clarity, and recovery.
• Many equine bodyworkers already observe that horses become deeply relaxed, soften their eyes, and “let go” when these regions are gently worked. Now we may have a scientific explanation why.

🌊 CSF Flow & Brain Health
• CSF acts like the brain’s detox fluid, clearing waste and harmful proteins.
• If gentle touch can triple CSF flow, then therapies that influence the head, neck, and fascia (like massage, myofascial release, and craniosacral therapy) may do far more than relax muscles — they may directly support neurological resilience and longevity.

🐴 Nervous System Balance in Horses
• Horses are prey animals, always tuned to their environment. A buildup of waste proteins or restricted CSF flow could influence stress responses, learning ability, and even physical soundness.
• Gentle work around the poll, TMJ, and upper neck may encourage parasympathetic dominance (rest and digest mode), allowing the horse to truly relax and recover.

💆 The Role of Craniosacral Therapy (CST)
• CST already focuses on enhancing CSF flow through subtle, hands-on techniques.
• This discovery provides biological validation: even light touch on the skin and fascia may stimulate lymphatic vessels connected to CSF drainage.
• That means CST may not just balance cranial rhythms — it could help detoxify the brain and support long-term neurological health.

🧩 Whole-Body Wellness Implications
• Cognitive function: Sharper focus, learning, and memory.
• Aging: Restoring youthful fluid movement in older horses.
• Injury recovery: Supporting brain and nerve healing after trauma or stress.
• Sleep quality: Enhancing the brain’s natural nighttime cleansing process.

✨ Bottom line:
This groundbreaking research gives scientific weight to what equine bodyworkers have long observed — gentle, intentional touch to the head and neck doesn’t just relax the horse; it may help keep the brain itself healthier and more resilient.

21/08/2025

Emotional Horsemanship by Lockie Phillips Thanks

I would like to rewrite the game around recreational horses, and horse ownership.

For every other discipline is treated seriously by the industry. And by industry I mean everybody from trainers, to breeders, feed suppliers, vets, hoofcare providers down to the conversations had in barn aisles.

"What do you do with your horse?"
"I'm an Eventer."
"I practice Dressage."
"I train for Endurance."
"I am a Hunter Jumper."
"I am a Reiner."
"I am into Western Pleasure."

But when it comes to the majority of horse people, for whom the discipline is not the sport, but the discipline, the primary interest is the Horse for the purposes of Horsing, there is not enough credence, respect or specificity offered to us.

We get the horses that have been chewed up and spat out of other disciplines. Horses whose behaviour, age, illness or temperament flunked them out of ambition, and they were sold down the river to us. We spend years picking up the pieces, putting these horses back together.

We get the horses with inferior breeding, or difficult characters, or prejudiced breeds.

Then, when we seek support in training, riding and handling them, we have access to methods designed for disciplines that do not reflect us.

The rules we train a competitive Dressage horse by, may overlap some in a Recreational home, but there will be many instances where a totally different rule should be applied.

The rules we train a Ranch Horse by, may overlap some in a Recreational horse, but frequently we should use rules that apply ONLY to a Recreational home, and that do not apply to a Ranch horse.

But this would require the industry to take us seriously. To treat us as real and valid equestrians with talent, resources, property, ambitions, skill and abilities. Not as lesser than someone within a performance discipline.

It is my opinion that no home other than a Recreational Home can put AS MUCH DEMAND on horses. Truly.

To train and care for a horse in a private Recreational home presents unique challenges, that call for methods of training tailored specifically to these homes, with the same finesse, focus and respect that Olympians often get alone.

21/08/2025

World Horse Racing Thanks

21/08/2025

Equus Magazine Thanks

21/08/2025

Good Horsemanship & Ross Jacobs Many Thanks

BENDING IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF LATERAL FLEXION

I think almost everyone wants their horse to be a willing partner in whatever pursuit they follow. To describe someone's horse as “unwilling” or "obedient” is sure to offend almost every owner. I have offered definitions of willingness and obedience in previous posts, but to make sure everyone understands where I am coming from, I will repeat how I define willingness and obedience in horsemanship.

A willing horse does something because it believes it is a good idea.
An obedient horse does something because it believes NOT doing it is a bad idea.

In other words, when a horse has an idea to do something, it does it willingly. However, when it does something that is not its idea, it does so only from obedience.

Good horsemanship uses feel to encourage the horse to adopt our idea. It doesn’t matter which aids we use or how much pressure is applied. Training teaches a horse to change its thought to each question we pose.

Very recently, somebody sent me a photo of a horse being trained to laterally flex its neck in response to a feel from the inside rein. They asked what I thought. You can see it below as photo C.

Before commenting on photo C, let’s look at photo A.

In photo A, the horse is flexed to the left. Nothing I am doing is directing the horse to think to the left. The horse is responding to an idea it had to look left. Something drew its attention, and the brain then directed the horse to look left. Notice that the eyes are focused to the left and the head is perpendicular to the ground (the ears are close to being level).

This is how a horse uses its body when it wants to look and take an interest in something off to the side. When it’s a horse’s idea to take an interest in something to the left (or right), the brain directs the body to respond in this way. The brain is telling the body what to do and how to do it. Where a horse is looking and how its body is shaped are key indicators of a horse’s focus and what they are thinking.

Now look at photo B. This was taken very long ago, and it was the horse’s second ride (the first time out of the round yard). This time, the horse is flexed to the right. Notice the horse is looking to the right, the neck is flexed right, and again its head is close to perpendicular to the ground (ears are close to being level).

However, in this photo, the horse is responding to a question that I am asking. I apply a feel with the right rein. The horse’s brain registers the feel of the rein, and it triggers the idea to think to the right. The horse thinks looking and flexing to the right is a good idea. It willingly follows the feel with its thought, and that thought changes the horse’s posture.

This is the process of teaching a horse to mentally “go with” a feel. When it is the horse’s idea, there is a minimum amount of resistance or anguish. You have a horse that is working “with you” and not just “for you.”

But what about photo C? The difference between photo C and photo B is huge. In photo C, the horse is clearly not thinking to the left. Notice the twist in the neck (ears are far from being level) and the horse is glancing to the right. This horse is thinking to the right, despite the flexion to the left. The left rein has not directed the horse to think left. This is a perfect example of a horse that has been trained to be obedient rather than willing.

In cases like this, a horse is learning to avoid the feel of the inside rein by flexing without leaning on the rein. However, it is not good training because there is conflict between the rider’s intent and the horse’s idea. The rider wants the horse to prepare to turn left, but the horse is thinking it wants to turn right. That conflict creates ill feelings in a horse and makes it impossible to have a horse that works with the rider. This is just obedience training, not good horsemanship.

Lateral flexion is one exercise that most horsemanship trainers incorporate into their program. Usually, the aim is to teach a horse to give to the inside rein and not lean on the contact. That’s certainly important. However, this focus on teaching a horse to yield physically to the rein is such a small part of what is important. If we focus on making sure any feel we present elicits a change of thought, lateral flexion takes on a much larger role of preparing a horse to willingly try to go with us, no matter what question we ask.

While I have targeted lateral flexion in this post, the principle applies equally to any question we might ask a horse. If a horse is obedient, but does not change its thought to go with our idea, we are only creating a disgruntled employee, not a willing partner.

21/08/2025

Fox Run Equine Center Thanks

21/08/2025

Many Thanks to Dr. Shelley Appleton

📓 Insights from a Horse Trainer’s Notebook

Entry 2: The #1 reason people get stuck with a horse? 🐴

The number one cause I see again and again is this: the horse doesn’t feel secure with their person.

Most of the time it comes down to communication. Without it, horses get confused, then anxious, then reactive. They need proof you’re not a threat. Without that, trust collapses — the horse doesn’t trust you, you don’t trust the horse, and worst of all, you stop trusting yourself.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me sooner: I wasn’t actually good at communicating with horses until I was in my 30s. Yes, I had ribbons and trophies, but that was only because I rode tolerant horses who put up with me. Then I met one that didn’t - and suddenly I was stuck. Frustrated. Blaming the horse, when the real problem was me.

When I thought I was “training,” I wasn’t training at all. I was just using aids. That’s not communication. It’s like saying you know how to build a car because you can drive one. Cars don’t build themselves - and neither do horses.

The amazing thing? Once a horse understands, the difficult behaviour melts away. Confusion turns to calm. Resistance turns to willingness. They feel safe, you feel capable, and progress becomes possible again.

👉 Ask yourself: am I truly effective at creating clear communication and understanding with my horse?

REMINDER: I’m doing a self-challenge: every day for a year I’m sharing insights from my (very full, very loved) notebooks. Collect them, save them, share them - only the best ideas make it into my notebooks! ❤

21/08/2025

Amy Skinner Horsemanship Thanks

Is stress free training possible?

You love your horse and you want what’s best for them. That’s admirable and a quality to never lose.

I want you to consider how we’re wired for a moment -

A newborn foal is born, and feels the first pains of life- cold, hungry, thirsty. It is driven to the first and most important task of life: standing on brand new wobbly legs to seek the comfort of mother and food. Stress drives the foal to seek comfort and growth.

We want to care for our children, but the stress that drives a baby to walk is probably a maddening amount of frustration- their desire for doing something or getting something is limited by their physical ability to move, and so begins the frustrating endeavor of trying to make their uncooperative body match their desires - days and weeks of frustrating falls are part of this process of growing new skills.

I watch horses integrate into a new herd - the newbie is driven off hay and water- it’s hard to watch, but their desire for safety forces them to display acceptable behaviors to the herd to be allowed in. Interfering with this can lead to diminished social skills and reading of expression- an essential skill for wellbeing in a horses life.

Do we need to put unnecessary stress on the horse? No. Do we need to be rough and unfair? Of course not. We can guide them fairly, with confidence and clarity. We don’t have to make them twist in the wind when we could provide support and help -

But don’t forget that the nature of growth requires some stress, by design. It’s a healthy and essential part of life. Our attitude toward and mindset makes all the difference.

I love my son dearly, I don’t want him to suffer, but I understand he has to develop - but he wants to lift this flake of hay to help more than anything. Should I interfere and lift it for him, reducing momentary stress? Or does his frustration lead him to developing ability, self reliance, and self confidence ? Wouldn’t avoiding momentary stress lead to the long term greater stress of lacking skill, lacking confidence, and lacking the ability to problem solve?

Here he figures out how to lift smaller pieces at a time - because of his frustration and stress, he develops a way forward.

You can’t avoid stress - you can only choose between short term pain and long term pain - the pain of having no confidence or skills - which is much more stressful, and much more harmful.

20/08/2025

The strategy at DECRON is to find the best possible solution to managing hoof, leg & wound issues.
Available from Mitavite Asia in Malaysia 🇲🇾
OSMOTIC DECRON GEL Combining a drawing agent with all-natural oils this natural approach can manage various equine complaints, alleviate pain & help horses get back into training & competition as quickly as possible.
HOOF GEL is a petroleum based moisturiser to assist hoof health. Natural oils have been added to aid the prevention of hoof related issues.

20/08/2025

Equitopia Center Thank You

Classical training, as outlined in Steinbrecht’s Gymnasium of the Horse, is far more than a method of riding—it is a philosophy that places the horse’s welfare and development at the very center.

True horsemanship begins with the recognition that training is not about forcing results, but about cultivating a deep understanding of the horse: mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Every rider and trainer must take responsibility for building this depth of knowledge.

This is not a skill that comes easily or quickly—it requires patience, humility, and a lifetime of study.

To develop a training system that does no harm, we must learn to see the horse as a whole being.

This means understanding hoof balance and saddle fit, recognizing how a rider’s posture influences the horse’s ability to move, appreciating what “self-carriage” really feels like, and refining our perception of what true elastic contact is.

It also means studying equine anatomy to understand how our actions directly affect the horse’s body, and developing the sensitivity to notice when something is “off” before it becomes a problem.

A responsible rider does not just seek solutions in isolation but considers every aspect—the horse’s physical state, emotional well-being, and mental readiness—before deciding how to proceed.

Owning, training, and riding horses should never be taken lightly.

It is NOT easy, and it should NEVER be pursued at the expense of the horse’s welfare.

Horses give us their trust and their effort; in return, we must commit to a path of continual learning and thoughtful action.

Let us embrace the responsibility of horsemanship: to create a horse-and-rider partnership grounded in respect, understanding, and care. Never compromise horse welfare for ambition. www.equitopiacenter.com

20/08/2025

TheHorse.com Thanks

Arthritis-related lameness can range from subtle slowing to obvious limping. Veterinary evaluation helps guide management to keep horses comfortable.

20/08/2025

Dressage Today Thank You

Dressage Excellence Part 1: Olympian Sue Blinks examines the qualities that contribute to rider success at every level.