Lowcountry Equine

12/17/2025

Great info here. If your horse struggles with the farrier this is something to consider!

Our next question on the Equine Cervical Neck -
How does arthritis in the neck affect hoof handling of both front and hind feet? Thank You, Monique L

If your horse struggles with their farrier work or afterward, there could be a reason unrelated to the trim/shoeing.
• Pain with sustained positioning.
Farrier work requires the horse to hold a limb up and often slightly flexed for several minutes at a time. For a horse with lower cervical (neck) arthritis, this prolonged positioning acts like a long flexion test, stressing painful joints and surrounding soft tissues.

• Nerve involvement (especially in the front limbs).
The nerves that supply the front legs originate in the lower neck and brachial plexus. Arthritis can irritate or compress these nerves. Vibrations from rasping and hammering travel up the limb and can amplify nerve pain, making hoof work very uncomfortable.

• Shoulder girdle strain.
Lifting and holding a front leg requires stabilization through the neck and shoulder girdle. If the neck is arthritic, this effort can trigger pain that persists for days after farrier work, sometimes mimicking lameness caused by the trim or shoeing.

• Hind feet are affected too.
Although the hind limbs are not directly innervated by the brachial plexus, holding a hind leg up requires the horse to brace through the neck and back to maintain balance. Neck pain makes this difficult, so the horse may resist, fidget, or become sore afterward.

• Delayed soreness after farrier work.
Horses with cervical arthritis may appear fine during trimming but become lame or stiff for 2–4 days afterward, leading to farriers being blamed for issues like “taking too much off” or nail pain, when the real source is cervical discomfort.

Bottom line:
If a horse consistently struggles with farrier work—front or hind—especially with signs of soreness afterward, resistance to holding legs up, or sensitivity to vibration, the neck is an important place to investigate, particularly for arthritis or nerve-related pain.

12/09/2025

Let’s talk alternatives. And yes, this one is for the people who had very strong feelings about my last post on correctional ports.

It’s clear that many riders were surprised to learn how traditional correction ports actually function and how they affect the horse’s mouth and body. That reaction is understandable. Bit mechanics often get overlooked, even by experienced riders and trainers.

So instead of focusing on the “problem bit,” I want to shift toward a positive option that is more mechanically clear, kinder, and easier for the horse to understand.

➡️ You are allowed to step down in your bit setup.
Sometimes the answer is not “more control “, it is actually “better communication.”

Here’s why I prefer the bit shown here as an alternative:

✨ It allows full tongue mobility.
When a bit traps the tongue, the horse cannot move thru their hyoid, VFC and subsequently the hind end. That creates tension through the entire front of the body, especially the TMJ and poll. A bit that gives the tongue room helps the horse release through the jaw so the rest of the body can follow.

✨ It avoids the sharp rotational action of a correctional port.
Correctional ports often rotate in a way that creates sudden bar pressure combined with tongue restriction. This can make the horse brace.
The alternative setup has smoother mechanics that create pressure in a clearer, more consistent way.

✨ It supports better posture and balance.
A horse that can relax the jaw is a horse that can lift the back, breathe easier, and find real self carriage. Stepping down often improves responsiveness because the horse is no longer preparing for sudden pressure.

✨ It is completely acceptable to change your bit when you learn something new.
Growth in horsemanship is a good thing. There is no shame in choosing new equipment as your education changes.

If yesterday’s post made you rethink your bit, let this one reassure you that alternatives exist and your horse may feel the difference in just one ride.

Follow for more clear bit education, gentle biomechanics tips, and real world alternatives that put the horse first.

12/08/2025

Amen. Not to mention all the study conclusions shared like wildfire without any dive into the actual study methods, statistical analysis, population, etc

Context Blind Commentary. The Modern Epidemic of Not Reading Before Responding

There is a growing problem on social platforms. People are responding to complex educational posts without reading them fully, and without opening the linked article or wider body of work behind them. This behaviour is called context blind commentary.

Context blind commentary happens when a person reacts to a small fragment, a headline, or a single sentence, and then feels confident enough to disagree, correct, or criticise. The issue is not disagreement. The issue is that their response is disconnected from the actual information being shared.

Research in cognitive science explains why this is so common.

• The Illusion of Explanatory Depth
Rozenblit and Keil (2002) showed that people routinely believe they understand topics in far more detail than they actually do. This illusion makes them feel qualified to comment after only a quick skim.

• The Dunning Kruger Effect
First described by Kruger and Dunning (1999). People with limited knowledge often have inflated confidence. In online discussions this produces bold challenges to content they have not properly read.

• Shallow Processing and Digital Overload
Studies like Ophir et al. (2009) on media multitasking show that digital environments push people toward fast, surface level processing. The result is instant reactions rather than careful reading.

• Context Collapse
Marwick and boyd (2011) describe how online spaces compress multiple audiences and remove the cues that help people understand context. A single sentence gets treated as if it stands alone.

These patterns create a culture where snippets are judged as final statements, and educational posts are met with comments that address arguments nobody actually made.

Why full context matters

When a post contains a link to a full article, a research paper, or a long form breakdown, the post is not the full story. It is a doorway to the full context. Responding only to the doorway while ignoring the room behind it leads to misinterpretation, misinformation, and unnecessary conflict.

Reading the whole post, understanding the argument, and then checking the linked article is how online discourse becomes more accurate and more useful for everyone. It also respects the time and effort put into producing educational content.

The takeaway

Before commenting, pause. Read fully. Open the link. Engage with the entire argument rather than the surface.

Better discussions come from context, not reaction.

12/03/2025

Really great synopsis of equine neck issues! So much more common than we probably realize and something a lot of owners may not suspect. The nuchal ligament has evolved over the years and no longer attaches to the lowest cervicals. This increased instability increases the risk of dysfunction and injury in this area. Does your horse show any of the signs below?

12/02/2025

Me: do not buy anything else
Also me: we bought it 😂

Red light therapy coming soon to a session near you 🙌🏻💆‍♀️‼️

11/30/2025

Counting my blessings and counting each client twice. If only every horse had a mom like you. I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of lots of turkey, naps, pony snuggles, and long trail rides in the sun. Grateful for each of you!

11/29/2025

So fascinating!

11/23/2025

Before you put your horse on a foam pad, here’s what you need to know:

You have probably seen them popping up in rehab programs, groundwork sessions, or social media clips: horses standing on foam pads in simple or complex configurations.

So… what are balance pads? And are they worth using?

Balance pads are soft, unstable surfaces — often made of dense foam — that challenge a horse’s postural control when they stand on them. They come in different shapes and firmness levels, and they're typically used under one or more hooves for short periods of time.

💡 Why They Work

Balance pads create just enough instability to engage a horse’s deep postural and stabilizing muscles. When used thoughtfully, they can help:
🤸‍♀️Improve proprioception (body awareness)
🤸‍♀️Strengthen core and stabilizer muscles
🤸‍♀️Encourage weight-shifting and limb-loading awareness
🤸‍♀️Support balance and coordination in rehab or fitness programs
🤸‍♀️Increase parasympathetic nervous system tone (helping the horse relax)

It’s a simple tool — but when paired with good observation and handling, it can be incredibly effective.

🚫 What Balance Pads Are Not

Let’s be clear:
❌ They are not a magic fix for lameness or poor posture
❌ They won’t correct major asymmetries on their own
❌ They can’t replace movement, bodywork, or a proper training program
❌ They’re not suitable for every horse, every day — and using them incorrectly or expecting them to solve issues that needed deeper treatment can cause more harm than good

Balance pads are a tool in the toolbox, not a solution on their own.

🐎 When Might They Be Helpful?

Balance pads might be a good fit when:
✔️ You’re helping a horse recover from injury (with guidance from your vet or therapist)
✔️ You want to improve your horse’s proprioception in a low-impact way
✔️ You’re incorporating core stability and balance work into groundwork or postural training
✔️ You’re supporting an older or arthritic horse in gently activating underused muscles
✔️ You’re deepening your horse’s mind-body awareness in a calm, regulated state

Start slow. Use one pad at a time in the beginning. Watch for signs of fatigue, tension, or avoidance and allow the horse to step off the pads if they want to. Sessions might last just a few seconds to a few minutes — and that’s OK. Less is more when it comes to nervous system-based work.

✅ Takeaway:
Balance pads are a useful, affordable way to build postural strength, awareness, and calm focus — when used with intention and integrated into a bigger picture of thoughtful training and care.

As always: seek help from trained and qualified professionals before you think you need it and observe, adjust, and listen to your horse.

11/21/2025

What a good day.

10/27/2025

LCE is on the map!! So excited to announce the launch of our stunning new website designed by . Over the moon with how it turned out and super excited to feel a bit more official. Find us @ lowcountryequine.com!