Kelner Equine Services

01/10/2026

If you see a winter horse person…
Please fuel with tea / coffee / gin / or a mocktail

Look after this fine specimen.
They are running on:

caffeine

adrenaline

and sheer determination

They are cold.
They are damp in places that should never be damp.
They may smell faintly of hay, wet dog, and regret.

Be gentle.
They have battled mud.
They have wrestled rugs in horizontal rain.
They have questioned all life choices before 7am.

They are not lost.
They are simply trying to reach the portal that takes them to spring.

Until then…
Offer warmth.
Offer snacks.
Do not ask “why don’t you just stable them?”
Or “have you thought about selling?”

This is a seasonal creature.
Handle with kindness.
🍸🐎

01/09/2026

Many horse people carry a quiet sense of not quite fitting anywhere ....
and it isn’t imagination, drama, or social awkwardness.

It’s structural.
It’s neurological.
It’s ancient.

Between nature and civilisation

You might move between:

mud, breath, weather, seasons

and emails, meetings, noise, deadlines

Between:

bodies that speak honestly

and systems that reward pretending

Horses anchor you in:

sunrise and dusk

hunger and rest

nervous systems, not narratives

So when you step back into the human world, it can feel:

loud

rushed

disconnected

strangely unreal

You’ve touched something truer ....and it’s hard to unfeel that

Between words and non-verbal truth

We learn fluency in:

posture

breath

energy

intention

micro-shifts

You learn to listen without language.

That can make human conversation feel:

performative

indirect

exhausting

Because you’re used to relationships where:

congruence matters

what you feel matters

and honesty is immediate

You’re not aloof.
You’re tuned to a different frequency.

Between survival and softness

Horses teach you:

responsibility

vigilance

consistency

They also teach you:

tenderness

attunement

humility

So you become someone who can:

hold grief and joy

strength and gentleness

competence and vulnerability

That combination doesn’t always have an obvious social home.

Between past and present

Horse culture carries memory.

Not metaphorical memory ... bodily memory.

Working with horses taps into:

ancestral rhythms

older ways of knowing

pre-industrial nervous systems

So sometimes it feels like:

you’re living in the modern world

with a body that remembers something older

That can feel lonely ...but it’s also grounding.

Between belonging and solitude

Yards are communal.
Horse people are often not....

You share space, labour, weather, silence ..
without needing constant explanation.

That creates a sense of:

deep belonging

paired with deep independence

You’re comfortable alone with something —
which can make purely social belonging feel thin.

Between healing and harm awareness

We can often:

notice regulation and dysregulation

feel emotional shifts quickly

sense when something isn’t safe

That awareness can make the world feel sharp.

You see things others miss. You feel things others gloss over.

So you hover between:

empathy

and self-protection

This isn’t a flaw — it’s a role

In folklore, people who lived between worlds were:

messengers

guardians

translators

healers

watchers at thresholds

We often hold similar roles .... quietly.

You bridge:

body and mind

instinct and reason

care and courage

You don’t belong less.

You belong differently.

If this resonates

You’re not lost. You’re not odd. You’re not failing to integrate.

You’re standing at a threshold
with one foot in the human world
and one foot somewhere older, quieter, truer.

And horses meet you there
because they’ve always lived there too. 🐎🌒

01/05/2026

The value of a good walk

How much walk do you really do with your horse?

Not just walking - but walking with awareness?

If a horse struggles with relaxation, posture, balance, lateral work, stability, core engagement, or alignment in the walk, they will almost always struggle in the other gaits.

Many horses feel better in trot because it requires less spinal motion and uses diagonal limb pairs, making compensation easier. Speed can also be used to create balance. But if the walk isn’t optimal, brace is still there - it’s just hidden.

🦄Why the walk is so valuable
- It has the greatest spinal motion, ideally with each segment moving independently
- Each limb must load independently, without help from a diagonal partner
- There should be a continuous flow from nose to tail
- Its slower speed makes it easier to observe clearly

Questions to ask about your horse’s walk
- When the head and neck are free, is there a gentle figure-8 motion side to side (or is it still or up-and-down)?
- Is the tail soft and flowing?
- Can you see motion through the entire spine?
- Do the forelimbs match in motion?
- Do the hindlimbs match in motion?
- Does the ribcage swing in an upward figure-8 pattern?
- Does the pelvis move evenly in a figure-8 through the tuber coxae, or does one side drop or hike?
- Can your horse halt easily without heaviness in the reins or lead?
- Can they transition into walk without falling through the chest, drifting sideways, or bracing the neck?
- Can they lift the shoulders independently?
- Can they engage the hind limbs without twisting?
- Are shoulder-in and travers possible without brace in each directoion?
- Is there changeability within the walk?

✨ The walk offers an incredible amount of information.
And focused, intentional walk sessions often create dramatic improvements in every other gait.

💡 Do yourself a favour:
Schedule 1–2 aware, walk-only sessions this week — and notice what your horse starts to tell you.

Please REGISTER for the FREE Posture & Behaviour Masterclass to gain more insight into why the walk could be a challenge for horses!

https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/registration-fb-jan26

01/04/2026

Appointment includes comprehensive assessment , while helping to identify things like hoof care and saddle fit that might be causing behavior or training issues. I love teaching horse owners how to care for their horse and keep them feeling their best. Also have PEMF and laser treatment options available .
Call to set up your appointment today!

01/04/2026

Do you know how to read when your horse might be tired?
If you don’t , Read on ! If you do , Read on..

TIRED LOOKS DIFFERENT IN PREY ANIMALS!!!
Sometimes riders totally miss signs that their horse is tired, because they don’t understand that it can respond differently than they expect.
When a confident adult (human, dog, or cat) who is comfortable in their surroundings is tired, 🥱 they look tired! They slow down.
Sometimes when children get tired, they get hyper and maybe throw a tantrum.
Prey animals often get nervous abd hyper vigilanant

Tired can mean death.
If they are too tired to outrun trouble, their only chance is if they react early.
Thus, tired horses can be highly reactive!!! 
Tired Horses can be frantic.

And keep in mind that this can be for physical tiredness or mental tiredness.
Horses that are mentally tired might shut down or they might get combative. 
Horses that are physically exhausted might also get combative.

And of course, it’s the higher energy horses that are more likely to hide their tiredness, just like it’s the high energy toddlers and preschoolers that are more likely to be bouncing off the walls when what they really need is a nap.

My stallion is high energy- and when we compete, he does his best if I do “work him down” a little. But I found I have to balance his mental and physical energy. Our first year competing I did a lot of experimenting and got it wrong. Plenty of times until I figured out what prep worked best for him….. if I’m showing and working equitation or Dressage, one of the best things I can do the day before is a jumping school!! we don’t jump a whole lot so it wears him out physically pretty quickly, but he also enjoys it so it keeps him mentally very fresh!! He finds it both invigorating and also takes the edge off of his energy, so when we compete the next day, he’s feeling confident but settled.

If we go to a multi day show and arrive the day before, the long trailer ride is already a little exhausting, and I found it can be so hard to keep his attention that our rides and that scenario often don’t go well…. So instead, I go and walk him. Usually for a good two hours. He gets to see all the things and settle in. It’s not mindless hand walking- I often do a lot of speeding up and slowing down or asking him to lower his head or maybe doing just a little shoulder in occasionally.
And sometimes when he’s really hot, we really do just have to go canter for 20 minutes!!! If the pot is boiling, you don’t want to weld it shut. Sometimes you just gotta go move! But when that’s the case, I have to make sure I’m not expecting him to look tired like I would look if I was tired. There is a fine line between letting them burn off some steam and passing the point where we are now stressing them out.  If we don’t know that our horse sometimes acts chaotic when tired, it is easy to not only miss the early signs, but actually misread those signs and think our horse needs worked more. 🫣
Opps.
Don’t do that.

01/04/2026

Don’t forget routine stretching will help keep your horses feeling their best .
If you need a little help figuring out a program , please reach out to. I can help assess your horse and put a plan together for both equine massage and stretching.

Enhance Your Horse’s Performance Through Targeted Stretching!

Just as stretching is essential for human athletes, it plays a vital role in maintaining your horse’s muscular health and overall performance. Daily work, training, or even turnout can lead to tightness and restricted movement, increasing the risk of soreness or strain.

Incorporating structured stretching into your horse’s routine helps improve flexibility, circulation, and recovery — supporting soundness and long-term performance.

As a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist, I offer individualized stretching programs tailored to your horse’s specific needs. Each plan is designed to promote proper muscle function and comfort, while ensuring every movement is performed safely and effectively.

Investing in your horse’s physical well-being not only enhances performance, but also contributes to a happier, healthier partner — in and out of the arena. 🐴

01/04/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘺 & 𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴.

So I decided to also re share this [ PART 1] as a strong anatomical explanation, for why no really does mean no when it comes to the Pessoa.

🧩 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 & 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 🐎
This post reached far more people than I expected when I originally shared it, and given the number of horses, particularly performance horses I continue to see affected by poll and cranio-occipital trauma, it is well worth revisiting and now as a further link to that vulnerable area re: the pessoa!

An anatomical structure that is far more clinically relevant than many realise.‼️
🔍 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆:
Myo = muscle
Dural = dura mater, the protective membrane surrounding the spinal cord.

The myodural bridge represents a direct anatomical connection between the re**us capitis minor muscle and the dura mater of the spinal cord. This occurs in the spaces between the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), and between the atlas and the occiput.

Importantly, this region is one of the very few places in the body where the spinal cord is not fully protected by bone.

Alongside this muscular-dural connection, the greater occipital nerve (arising from the dorsal ramus of C1) traverses this region, making it particularly vulnerable to mechanical irritation, strain, or compression.

In performance horses where fine neurological regulation, balance, and sensory integration are critical, disruption in this area can have consequences far beyond the poll itself. Clinical signs I observe can be influenced not only by trauma or mechanical strain, but also by inflammation, environmental factors, and other contributors to nervous system sensitivity.

⚡ 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Because of the proximity to the brainstem, dysfunction at the cranio-occipital (CO) junction and myodural bridge can create widespread neurological consequences.

The brainstem governs essential autonomic and sensory functions, including auditory processing, swallowing, extraocular muscle control (vision), and regulation of muscle tone.

⚠️ Chronic irritation in this region may therefore manifest as heightened hypersensitivity (sound sensitivity, light sensitivity), swallowing difficulties, and abnormal muscle responses.

This helps explain why horses with poll trauma or pull-back injuries can present with long-term behavioural and physical signs that appear disproportionate to the initial event.

⚠️⛔️ 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘
If your horse -particularly a young horse pulls back and shakes their head immediately, I strongly advise having a qualified equine osteopath assess them within a week or two if possible.

𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 🐎
❌❌ DO NOT TEACH TO TIE UP VIA A SOLID OBJECT ❌❌

💥 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
Hearing and sound reactivity; horses that spook excessively or become intolerant to normal environmental noise following poll injury, likely linked to altered brainstem auditory processing.

Ocular issues; difficulty tracking, changes in blink reflexes, or a horse becoming head-shy around the eyes.

Swallowing and bit acceptance; resistance to the bit, increased choking episodes, tongue thrusting behaviours, often associated with disruption of brainstem-mediated swallowing reflexes.

Chronic tension and guarding; persistent bracing of cervical and poll musculature, even at rest, driven by ongoing neurological irritation.

Unexplained behavioural changes; anxiety, head tossing, or hypersensitivity to light touch around the poll.

⚠️ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
This is precisely the region over which a halter or bridle headpiece lies. A single pull-back incident can cause significant trauma, not only to the soft tissues, but to neurological structures responsible for integration and regulation.

These injuries may require long-term, careful management, and this also explains why palpation of the poll can elicit exaggerated responses — the tissue here is not merely muscular, but deeply neurological.

In practice, I have also observed certain training approaches in dressage where riders pursue the so-called “nuchal ligament flip.” This is not a desirable training adaptation, but rather an induced strain on the nuchal ligament and supporting suboccipital musculature. Repeatedly training dysfunction in this region risks perpetuating cycles of instability, pain, and neurological irritation.

🚫 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
Disturbance of the CO junction and myodural bridge is rarely an isolated issue. It can initiate an ongoing cycle of neurological stress, pain amplification, and compromised sensory integration.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 "𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙨".

Prevention remains the best defence against injury in this region as the consequences are not only behavioural. musculoskeletal, but often lead to neurological and systemic.

Evaluation of the Structure of Myodural Bridges in an Equine Model of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes - PMC https://share.google/vjTJFdEy7RmaqVnFk

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝟮 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧
🧩 The Sacral Myodural Bridge:
Another of Many Reasons to Rethink the Pessoa Training Aid 🐴

Original pessoa post : https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C2mfh3YQz/

11/26/2025

Ok don’t cheat and read the comments for the answer!
Who knows how to find the right moment to ask ?? It’s all part of making the mind body connection !

11/25/2025

“Today, a cow got loose at the Walmart just five minutes from our house. They were calling around trying to find the owner when, finally, this woman showed up, on horseback, ba****ck, with her baby strapped to her chest.

She roped the cow and casually took it home like it was nothing. It was straight out of a western movie. I still can’t decide if I should be horrified… or if I want to be her best friend.”

11/25/2025

“It Depends” (A Love Letter to Ambiguity)🐴📝

People hate those two words. “It depends.” They want certainty.

They want clean answers, clear rules, and a nice little box to shove the truth into so they can stop thinking about it.

They want the world to make sense in neat bullet points, preferably numbered, colour-coded, and narrated by someone with perfect teeth.

But life with horses laughs at that sort of thing. Life with horses is a life that comes with a lot of lessons.😎

Ask me any question about a horse and I’ll probably start with “it depends.” Not because I can’t decide, but because reality isn’t a multiple-choice test. My advice depends on who’s holding the lead rope, how the horse feels today, what was learned yesterday, and what might happen tomorrow. Context matters. Always.

When you’re new to horses, “it depends” sounds like an insult. You want someone to tell you The Right Way - capital T, capital R, capital W - so you can do it, feel safe, and get a gold star.

Then, once you start learning a bit, you go through your evangelical phase. You’ve found the light. There is a right way, and everyone else is doing it wrong. Until, inevitably, the horse gods (because they exist) decide it’s time to teach you humility. Usually involving a near-death experience. Usually in public.🫣

Horses are ruthless in their ability to humble - and make the lesson stick.

“It depends” is not indecision. It’s intelligence in motion. It’s the ability to stay creative, curious, and adaptable when everything around you is unpredictable. It’s the quiet confidence of someone who’s seen enough to know there’s more to learn - and why anyone who gets on their high horse clearly hasn’t met many.

So next time you hear “it depends,” don’t roll your eyes. Celebrate it. It’s not an excuse - it’s evolution. You’ve just met someone who’s paying attention. Someone who respects the complexity of horses - and of life. Someone who knows that real progress only begins once you stop pretending there’s one right way to do everything.❤

Share this to honour those two words - "it depends" and the horse gods that make us humble and wise!

This is my Collectable Advice Entry 77/365 of my challenge and series on words and terms used in the horse world. Hit SAVE, SHARE but please don't copy and paste!