Connected Equine Bodyworks

07/29/2024

This is so true!!

If all you’re doing with your horse is chiro and/or PEMF then you aren’t taking care of your horse’s musculoskeletal system. You may think you are, but you aren’t.

You’ll also find that each individual massage therapist, and other types of soft tissue workers, will differ in their approach, and so will vary in their effectiveness.

Function will follow form which means if the muscles are tight, imbalanced or set in a particular functional pattern, that’s how your horse will go. To interrupt the set in their ways muscle (and neuromuscular) patterns and help your horse move forward towards a more functional, higher performing ambidexterity, find yourself an effective, experienced massage therapist, preferably one with a solid sport horse background. Even your backyard horse will benefit from it.

Why Hands On Massage Is The Best Way To Care For Sore Muscles - https://koperequine.com/why-hands-on-massage-is-the-best-way-to-for-sore-care-muscles/

The Box Analogy – (And Why You Need To Know It) - https://koperequine.com/the-box-analogy-and-why-you-need-to-know-it/

04/29/2024

Foggy morning. I’m titling this one “triangle” 😜

04/09/2024

There are many subtle signs of PPID. Read more here: http://bitly.ws/DvcC

04/04/2024

If anyone's horse is in need of a Sports Massage before any of these events, shoot me a message or text!

04/03/2024

Not a joke...

Have you ever wondered why you can have a 15 acre field and part of it is chewed down to nubs and the other part has grass a hand high, But your horse is constantly grazing in the chewed down part?

Grass 6 inches and taller has less sugars than grass under 6 inches.

For every inch drop below 6 inches, the fructan (sugar) content rises.

Grass under 6 inches is stressed like it's a Monday morning with a project deadline. It uses sugar to repair itself.

Stop mowing your fields short.

Stop grazing your chubbys on chewed down grass. (this is why grazing muzzles are so touted...they keep the horse from being able to get much short grass)

(We aren't saying let your fields be 3 feet tall, by the way. The optimal thing to do is keep them 6-8 inches tall and graze them in small areas there)

03/18/2024

02/27/2024

Tongue out Tuesday from Jax!

12/06/2023

This!!

I often see people posting about their horse having muscle knots and being muscle sore, talking about having the chiropractor out, Pemf and red light, kt tape, vet’s been out and still the horse is not better, why?

My question is; why are you doing everything you can think of to help your horse feel better EXCEPT the one thing that actually addresses those sore, tight muscles directly?!

Other therapies are NOT stand-ins or substitutes for massage - they do different things for the horse.

Massage is the only one of these therapies that physically manipulates the muscles, fascia and skin to ease tight, sore muscles lengthen and supple myofascia, free painful nerves, improve circulation, increase range of motion and bring balance and biotensegrity back to the body to improve performance and soundness.

An equine massage therapist …

Learn more about how massage can benefit your horse -

https://koperequine.com/why-hands-on-massage-is-the-best-way-to-for-sore-care-muscles/

10/23/2023

If a horse is asked to overuse his muscles, to do more with them than he has the strength for yet (very common in OTTBs like this one), fascia will develop adhesions to help stabilize the structure and provide extra support. While this does enhance the stability of the underdeveloped muscle it also reduces the elasticity of the muscle and hinders the growth of proper, healthy muscle tissue. Here you can see a line of tension where adhesions have reinforced the fascia and a spot at the end where a hole in the fascia has developed. Just like the fabric of your clothes, fascia can separate or “tear” at a stress point where reinforced and less elastic areas meet unreinforced and more elastic areas.

Time off alone is unlikely to improve remodeling. Manual massage is needed to relieve uneven tension and restore more normal, correct muscle and myofascial function in areas that have been built up incorrectly.

Strong, supple muscles have a smoother, more homogeneous appearance like the horse in the commentary.

Massage aids in muscle recovery post strenuous exercise and promotes proper development of strength and flexibility.

Learn more about fascia and how it affects your horse here -
https://koperequine.com/10-most-important-things-fascia-does-for-your-horse/

10/02/2023

I'm dealing with this right now! Unfortunately I got one horse too late to reverse years worth of damage but we will try to maintain him. Listen to your horse, your trimmer/farrier, vet and your own intuition. I didn't "listen" for a while until he really showed pain and that's on me. But now we have a game plan and will do our best to keep him happy and pain free (and yes, still barefoot!!).

"He was always so sound, I don't know what happened!"

"She was fine, and then just foundered out of nowhere."

"I swear the feet didn't look this bad a few days ago!"

As hoofcare providers, we hear a lot of statements like this. A horse "suddenly" has navicular issues, or "randomly" comes up lame. The horse always had nice feet and then "suddenly" they have all kinds of issues and are a mess.

The truth is, subtle symptoms of issues are usually present long before we might recognize distortion or pathology.

That navicular diagnosis? It likely came after months or years of subtle improper biomechanics or hoof landings, and weak heels and frogs giving clues to an impending issue.

The "sudden" laminitis? Probably happened after months or years of unnoticed metabolic concerns or dietary imbalances and sugar and starch excess, with maybe some footsoreness on stones giving clues along the way.

Sometimes we just don't know enough to realize when our horse's feet and movement are giving us warning signs.

And yes, sometimes our horses experience a trauma that causes issue in their feet or lameness. But more often than not, soundness issues are more like a repetitive strain injury- little insults building up over time until it's finally impossible to ignore.

We can educate ourselves to be aware of healthy movement and hoof appearance, so it doesn't progress to something that's unhealthy.

Are you watching for what your horse's feet and movement might be telling you?