Resilient Equine

09/01/2025

Is your horse afraid of the chiro? Try an osteopathic approach instead.

Many owners have shared with me that their horses, who are anxious about the chiro and don't respond well to the forceful 'thrusting' involved, are much more relaxed and comfortable with osteopathic techniques. In my experience, the gentle yet powerful osteopathic approach is very effective for all horses, but especially for those who are prone to being more sensitive or nervous.

This is likely because an osteopathic approach to treatment uses a wider range of techniques to improve mobility and function in joints, bones and vertebrae, the nerves, the internal organs, the muscles, fascia, ligaments and tendons, and bodily systems — all without the ‘need’ for forceful adjustments. There is no hammer or rubber mallet involved, so if your horse is sensitive to the more intense chiropractic techniques and tools involved, they might find the application of osteopathic techniques to be a far more comfortable and positive experience.

Some horses can have trouble tolerating the short-lever HVLA (high-velocity, low amplitude) techniques that chiros use. HVLAs can be utilised in an osteopathic treatment session too to engage the restrictive barrier, but if your horse does not tolerate this technique well, there are many other osteopathic techniques that can be employed such as LVHA (low velocity, high amplitude) techniques; long lever techniques; Balanced Ligamentous Tension; Functional Method Technique; Fascial Unwinding, cranial osteopathy; craniosacral; pumping techniques and lymphatic pump; vibratory force techniques; soft tissue manipulation, visceral manipulation – all aimed at restoring overall whole-body balance, mobility and functionality, and to reduce any pain and discomfort.

After a thorough case history and assessment, I take into account not only what your horse needs physically, but also what will work mentally and emotionally for your horse too. If your horse has been afraid of the chiropractic techniques, I will take that into account and choose a technique that will deliver the desired results while also keeping your horse calm. I work with your horse and want them to have a great experience.

An osteopathic approach to treatment also has a broader scope and focuses on the whole body and the interconnectedness of the systems; and in helping to restore the horse's natural ability to self-heal and self-regulate towards homeostasis (by removing the barriers to health, mobility and function). While the practice of chiropractics stems from the early beginnings of osteopathy (the founder of chiropractic, Daniel David Palmer was a student of osteopathy's founder, Dr Andrew Taylor Still), osteopathy differs in its philosophy to that of chiropractic. To put it in very simplified terms, chiros tend to centre around the alignment of the spine, and how it affects the nervous system while in osteopathy, the guiding principles acknowledge that the body functions as an integrated whole, and disturbances in one area (local) can affect overall (global) health. How the muscles, joints, joint capsules, tendons, ligaments, bones and vertebrae, nerves, fascia, viscera, fluids and systems of the body all inter-relate and communicate is of importance. Osteopaths understand that structure and function are reciprocally interrelated and that a change in one will affect change in others. Mobility and function are important, as is the body’s innate ability to heal itself if the barriers to health are removed. The practitioner trained in osteopathy is that ally to help identify and facilitate the removal of those barriers.

So, if your horse doesn’t respond well to chiro treatments (and if you find yourself having to have the chiro out very regularly to make adjustments), and you're looking for a gentler way to help your horse feel their best for longer, let's chat. Send me an email at: majestichorse@outlook.com.au or text me on: 0466077561. You can also contact me through my website: majestichorse.com.au 💙

08/29/2025

Blessed to learn from Janek!

In this episode of Echoes & Embers, we sit down with internationally recognized osteopath Janek Vluggen to explore the deep science, philosophy, and practice...

07/18/2025

✌🏼

There’s an old world dying out right now, and they are mad about it.

Hating change, they know how to brand anyone whom are not cut from their cloth, as ridiculous, incompetent, untrustworthy. It’s not the truth. It’s their way of comforting themselves as they experience the disintegration of unsustainable horsemanship, in real time.

You know, these crusty posts going around moaning and bitter about modern horse people and attempting to frame us as the enemy? Give me a break. Get a grip guys!

What they are actually saying is:

1. I’m scared
2. The world is different now than the world I first saw, and I don’t like change
3. I don’t know how to keep up
4. I’m angry that I might be irrelevant
5. Anyone not like me, is bad

Meanwhile, what’s really happening is that a new faction, a new era of horse people have emerged from the shadows. You see, we have always been here. We have always been questioning tradition, we have always been waiting for change, we have always been doing our thing… but usually disguised from or hidden away from folks we deem unsafe.

But recently, we emerged from the shadows.

Social media gave us a chance to find our people, because we are literally hundreds of thousands strong and we are everywhere, but we are not That Horse Trainer Down The Street (unless we are). So we needed a time in history where a tool helps us connect with others like us.

So this is our time for our voice to be heard. And there are people who are mad, so mad. Because we were often glimpsed at but never heard before. Now we are loud. Now we are reaching critical mass. Where we could effect widespread change.

Change such as using different language to describe how we work with horses… because how we work with horses is different, and requires different words to describe it. This doesn’t make us ridiculous. It makes us different.

Change such as redefining the role horses play in a human world, our oldest animal partnership besides perhaps dogs and hair lice, horses have been long overdue for a HR overhaul and we are the ones putting in the leg work. Not our fault that many traditionalists have been asleep at the wheel for literally centuries, still using steel and lashes to harm horses into our forms and calling that resilience and art. Wacky stuff. So our legwork, our boots on the ground, our labour don’t look the same as some of our compatriots not because we are desperate to sound lofty or superior… but because we are literally trying to raise what is a pretty low and crappy standard of medieval practices that we believe should not be considered normal. So our work looks different. And we are working that with weird tools that only recently were invented. Because we were waiting for this time.

Dinosaurs gotta die and that’s fine. Not everyone is coming to the future.

07/15/2025

He wasn’t naughty
He wasn’t an a**hole
He wasn’t “just being difficult”

He was however so skeletally compromised that a comfortable ridden life was never going to happen and time was against him. Not every horse is suitable to be ridden just the same as not every human is compatible with being an athlete. We need to normalise that behaviour is communication. We need to accept that there are many things in a horses body that make riding super hard for them.

This horse went through two breakers before his owner very diligently persisted with positive reinforcement training. He did make excellent progress, that is to be commended! But here’s my issue, positive reinforcement sometimes still masks these issues. It became obvious to his owner that he was becoming more internalised and less happy even in the paddock. Horses will try harder if you ask them nicely and there’s rewards for good behaviour. I’m not saying positive reinforcement is bad, it’s a great tool….im just saying it can mask serious issues. The biggest give away was how seriously assymetric he was. This is something I have felt many times while ridng these types. Asymmetry is normal but riding a horse that has wildly different left and right reins is not normal.

This is so complex on so many levels, so many.

Ever met a horse that was odd from birth? I believe inherited trauma is also a real factor, if you haven’t read the study on mice and how it took many generations to stop passing along, I suggest you do. It’s now well documented in humans too. Link below.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fearful-memories-passed-down/

This guys story is available on patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/1606429in

06/25/2025

One product I don’t talk much about, because I HATE “selling” things…is Stage 1. I have been carrying this product for years now. It is a wonderful kidney and spleen detox. It will decongest mild liver congestion as well. I actually feel CONSISTENT results from it in my osteopathy work.

Safe for horses, humans and dogs!

Stage 1 is made by The Herbalist out of Seattle, Washington.
Each single herb is extracted in its whole form, with its interested chemical balance unaltered to insure a high quality, medicinal extract.
It is a blend of artichoke leaf, milk thistle, dandelion root and golden rod.

A few basic symptoms of kidney or spleen congestion:

🔸 Hind legs stocking up
🔸 Anxiety/ Spookiness
🔸 Constant tension over lower back
🔸 Bilaterally tight through rib cage
🔸 “Lugging out” in a run
🔸 Increased water intake/ increased urination
🔸Decreased immunity

💥I highly recommend a kidney flush on any horse that runs on Lasix, twice a year. 💥

Pricing (Shipping not included):

4 oz bottle: $50
(Typically enough for 1 horse)

8 oz bottle: $100

06/07/2025

It’s not that far of a reach when you look at the plain and simple interconnection between systems!

🦴🤲 Frozen Shoulder... From the Gut?

A 2020 study explored how Visceral Manipulation (VM) helped people with adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)—and the results were remarkable:
🔹 Decreased pain
🔹 Increased shoulder mobility
🔹 Improved daily function

By addressing visceral restrictions—especially in the liver and stomach—the study showed how manual therapy can influence joint health from the inside out.

📖 Read the full research here:
https://www.barralinstitute.com/docs/articles/Effect-of-visceral-manipulation-on-pain-mobility-and-fun.pdf

05/06/2025

One of the hardest and most confusing things horse people are dealing with right now, is separating the PRACTICES from the PEOPLE.

You make a friend. They can look you in the eye, listen, laugh, understand. You share stories. You build rapport. You go out for lunch, a movie. Share life events. They become a friend. Someone who you think is a GOOD person. Kind, smart, good.

Then one day you see them do something to a horse. It might not be a serious sign of harsh handling. But you see this friend use enough pressure to force a horse. Enough "energy" in their tools to intimidate the horse to respond. You see them teach horses not to be close to them and "respect" (fear) the repuercussions if they do. You see them ride hard. Or pull. Hard.

It is deeply confusing to see your friend engage in practices that feel incongruent with their nature. Because you're close to this person, your brain economises what you saw. And you connect the practices you saw to this friend you love.

These practices usually are a problem in the horses eyes, not a problem in the persons mouth. The words coming out of your friends mouth are words telling you how this practice is good, correct, necessary. The only way. The kindest possible option. But your eyes (and your heart) looked in the horses eyes and body and saw, felt that the horses experience was less than optimal. Learning was not optimal. Memory formation was not optimal. Safety not optimal. But the human story says something else.

This internal conflict in us creates a big question in our bodies that never gets answered. Soon enough, you too find yourself engaging in this practice. Because your friend does. And your friend is a good person.

One day, we are doom scrolling, or listening to a different person, and you are exposed to someone discussing the practices that your friend engages in. But you hear a different story. You hear this practice spoken about critically. Someone uses their discernment and explains why this practice is a problem for the horse. They can also explain why this practice is sub-optimal for the human too. Deep inside your body, a practical inner child starts jumping up and down...

"Yes! I knew it! I'm not crazy for seeing what I am looking at!"

But then equally as fast, your adult pre-frontal cortex hammers down on that inner child voice in your belly...

"Shut up. Our friend does that practice. And they are a good person. And you did that practice too. And you're a good person. We cannot be associated with bad practices. Because we are good people. What would that look like. What would we have to admit if we admitted that practice was a poor practice."

We would have to challenge ourselves.
We would have to questions not who our friends are. But what our friends are doing.

I will say that again.

We would have to question WHAT our friends do.
Not, WHO they are.

Because good people are capable of engaging in poor practices and capable of finding a captivating story to explain why it is necessary.

I know lots of good people.

Though I am critical of poor practices, including (especially) my own, I do not know of many truly bad people.

But maybe some people who needs some friends brave enough, loving enough to hold them by the elbow, and ask them plainly...

"Do we still need to do that to horses? I think we have other options."

04/26/2025

What a stunningly beautiful filly, lost far too soon.

04/17/2025

🧠🐴 Let’s Talk About Welfare-Focused Horse Keeping 🐴🧠

We recently received a comment questioning whether our grass-free track system is psychologically disturbing or even “cruel” because horses are being kept from grazing lush grass. While we understand where this concern comes from, it’s important to take a closer look at the facts around equine welfare, digestion, and natural behaviour. Our goal has always been to support horses’ physical and mental well-being, not just for the short term but for their long-term health.

🐴Track Systems: Designed for the Horse, Not Human Convenience

Track systems are inspired by how wild horses live — roaming long distances daily in search of forage, water, shelter, and social interaction. Horses are meant to move frequently, eat slowly, and interact socially. Our track system encourages just that: movement, mental stimulation, and choice. In fact, horses on our track system often walk 10-15 km per day, compared to just a few hundred meters in a small paddock or almost no movement when confined to a stall.

🌱 Why Not Lush Grass?

Grass may seem "natural," but for modern domestic horses — especially easy keepers, seniors, and metabolic horses — it can be dangerous. Today's cultivated pasture grasses are nothing like what wild horses encounter. They’re often high in sugars (NSCs) that can trigger laminitis, insulin dysregulation, and digestive upset. Many horses can't safely graze on rich pasture without serious health consequences.

In theory, pasture grazing can be part of a healthy horsekeeping system (for some horses) if it's managed carefully. Unfortunately, most boarding barns do not rotate fields, test their grasses for sugar content, or adjust turnout based on seasons or weather conditions. This often means horses are turned out on stressed, overgrazed, sugar-spiking pastures with no safeguards in place. Overgrazed or unmanaged pastures are one of the leading contributors to laminitis and metabolic crashes — especially in spring and fall when sugar levels are highest. A grass-free system with tested hay offers predictable, stable nutrition, which is essential for at-risk horses.

🧠Is Withholding Grass Psychologically Harmful?

Not when it’s replaced with appropriate, consistent, species-appropriate forage. Horses evolved to graze up to 18 hours a day — but that doesn’t mean they need grass. They need fibre-rich, low-sugar forage in small, continuous amounts. Our horses have unlimited access to tested, low-NSC hay offered through slow feeders that mimic natural foraging behaviour and prevent boredom, gorging, and long periods without food.

🐎But What About Exercise?

Absolutely, in-hand work and training are valuable — and we do both! But no amount of scheduled groundwork can replace the self-directed movement horses get when they have space, stimulation, and companions on a track. The movement that happens when a horse chooses to go investigate a friend, walk to a new hay station, or wander to the water trough at the far end of the track is far more impactful to their metabolism and mental state than forced exercise could ever be.

🥀Cruel? Quite the Opposite.

Our system is designed around autonomy, enrichment, social connection, and metabolic health. Horses can choose to eat, move, rest, play, or stand in a shelter as they wish. We offer 24/7 forage, shelter, water, and enrichment options — far beyond what many traditional paddocks or stalls provide.

We know it can be hard to reconcile the image of “green grass” with the reality of what’s healthiest for horses — especially those with modern metabolic issues. But this system isn’t about restriction. It’s about freedom within a framework designed for optimal health.

We’re always happy to answer questions, and we appreciate the opportunity to share the why behind our management. Our doors are open to anyone wanting to learn more or see it in action

04/15/2025

03/26/2025

702 reasons to NOT “bring your horse home”…
1.) horses are not meant to live by themselves, so having one by itself rarely ever works. If you have two they get so buddy sour you can’t do something with one without the other going nuts. Three is also inconvenient and gives few options for mixing pairs and preventing issues. So four is really the bare minimum to keep together
2.) Feeding twice a day is a minimum- even if they have access to hay/grass, plenty of water, and get no grain, you need eyes on them absolutely twice a day minimum. What if they are injured? Or a bird drowned in the water tank and it’s hot and the water is now full of bacteria?
3.) Horse care takes way more time than you think. If you think you’re going to save time by not having to drive to the barn, then I know how naïve you are on how much time it’s going to take to care for your own horse at home.
4.) Ever try self board?? Yay! That’s an adorable start, but you ain’t the one fixing fence, hauling out the manure pile, probably not ordering hay, and you ain’t making the tractor payment (doing maintenance on the tractor)
5.) think it’s gonna be cheaper??? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 it’s not. I promise it’s not. Most boarding barns actually subsidize the cost per horse, and they are buying in bulk. Keeping one horse is way more expensive than keeping 20 when you look at the cost per horse.
6.) Do you like having ANY amenities???? stalls if a horse hurts themself, or it’s freezing rain for a week? A hot water wash bay? Or even just an area with lights so that you can even see your horse in the winter?
7.) Do you think you’re just gonna ride out in the pasture? Because that only works for about a month until you tear it up so bad that the footing is absolutely dangerous.
I guess it would work if you only ride twice a month during perfect weather days. Not only does a small basic outdoor arena cost about $30,000, but you absolutely need a tractor and a good quality arena rake if you want to maintain it.
8.) Did I mention Tractor payment? Small tractors that can barely do the job are dangerous. Get more tractor than you think need.
9.) Do you ever go away? Kiss that goodbye. Or expect to drop some serious cash on a quality horse sitter. Want to go out in the evening? You’ll need to schedule that around evening chores.
10.) Right now you might love when you get the arena to yourself, but when you are by yourself ALL the time, its easy to lack direction or motivation.
11.) You’ll miss barn culture and riding buddies, and getting away from your spouse for a couple hours. There’s a reason why time flies at the barn!
12.) Mud.
13.) The tens of thousands of dollars you spend trying to get rid of mud, just to have more mud.
14.) have fun dealing with a manure pile on small acreage. It’s not enough to get anyone commercial to haul it out, but way too much to not have a place to go with it. 
15.) Lack of instruction. It’s hard to get an instructor to come to you.
16.) No one to share farm call fees with…
17.) IF you can even get a vet or farrier to come to you!

I know I’m 685 reasons short, but I promise they exist!!!! This is just a start! (And I’m sure others will leave their reasons in the comments.)

03/01/2025