CK Equine Performance Therapy

10/06/2022

Ally update!
We have our first Ally transformation post ☺
So happy with her progress, her weight coat condition and muscle development have improved massively 🌟
Photo 1 - 2nd May
Photo 2 - 18th May
Photo 3 - 7th June

27/05/2022

My 3rd year of university studying Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation is over ❤
Had my dissertation poster presentation yesterday, after 8 months of hard work.

Pre-competition massage is a modality that is employed by therapists in industry. However, there is very little supporting research on horses and human research is currently contradictory. I decided to focus my dissertation on this topic and investigate the effect of manual massage on the equine forelimb stride length over a 10 day period.

Method:
- Recorded each horse trotting up
- Manual massage techniques applied to the horses protraction and retraction muscles of the left forelimb
- Recorded each horse trotting up again immediately after massage
- Recorded each horse again on day 3, 5, 7 and day 10 post massage.
- Performed stride length measurements
- Statistically analysed measurements

Findings:
I found that manual massage had an immediate effect on the horse with Increases in stride length.
The stride length of all horses increased further on day 3.
There was a gradual decline in stride length over day 5, 7 and 10, however, the stride length never returned to the original measurement.
A longer study would be beneficial to determine when the stride length returned to the baseline.

Conclusions:
The results of this study suggests that manual massage creates an immediate improvement in stride length.
Day 3 is suggested to be the optimal day to perform manual massage prior to competition to have the biggest impact on stride length.

15/05/2022

Posts like these are great for helping to train the eye on equine biomechanics.

14/05/2022

Fantastic news 👏

FRENCH GOVERNMENT ASK FOR AN OVERHAUL OF EQUINE WELFARE FOR OLYMPICS 2024

I'm a bit late with this news but wanted to share it in case you'd missed it. The French Parliament have produced a lengthy report asking the organising committee of the Olympic Games for a complete overhaul of the rules regarding equestrian sport (completely bypassing the FEI!). Their aim is to make Paris 2024 the Olympic Games of equine welfare.

The report has 46 recommendations to improve welfare across all disciplines. There is a section on the use of equipment, including banning the use of draw reins, the use of gag bits in the cross country and elevator bits being used together with martingales. They are asking for a review of nosebands (including cranks and grackles) and for noseband tightness to be checked using the ISES taper gauge. They would like a ban on riders using hyperflexion anywhere on the showground, referring to hyperflexion as 'any head and neck position where the nose is behind the vertical'.

The report also recommends a ban on use of the whip more than once per event and more than twice during the warm-up. They want to prohibit an overly constrained posture and authorise riding without spurs in dressage.

Are the recommended changes really enough to improve horse welfare in sport? Will this report change anything? If the recommendations are put in place, will the rules actually be enforced? This is a remarkable step for a country's government to take, but there were so many concerns about horse welfare at the Tokyo Olympics, I think this move was absolutely necessary if the public is to continue supporting equestrian sport.

The report has been translated by the brilliant team at Horses and People (thank you!) and is well worth reading. You can read the report here: https://horsesandpeople.com.au/french-parliament-calls-for-horse-welfare-overhaul-at-paris-2024

17/04/2022

Big news today!
Newest member of the family is Ally. She is a 3 year old TB, soon to be 4 in May, and a bit bigger than expected, especially since she's still growing 🙈
She was too slow to make it as a racehorse and is recently out of training. She is very much a blank canvas, so can't wait to see what she looks like with some weight and muscle on. Bring on the transformation posts ❤

10/03/2022

What a horse this was 😍
He had to deal with kissing spine and a chronic SI injury and he happily pranced around the feild on a daily basis loving life.
Correct care and targeted exercises make every bit of difference to a horse and their ability to perform and enjoy their work.
When this photo was taken he was only undertaking small amounts of long reining and static exercises.
Always take the time to carry out static and in hand exercises, they are small changes that can make a big difference ❤

09/02/2022

Availability this week!
I am in Beverley on the 11th and Bridlington on the 12th with space for further bookings. As I am in the area multi horse discounts are available. PM me for more info or to book an appointment.
If you have another date in mind send me a message to arrange something.

09/02/2022

It's been so long since I last posted, with a busy few months, but now that semester 1 exams are over I'm hoping to post more regularly again 🥳
I've also been busy completing my canine case studies and will hopefully qualify as a canine massage therapist with the AIAT this summer. If your interested in your dog being used as a case study PM me for more information as I still have room for a few more case studies.
Picture of my own puppy after his monthly massage session 🥰

23/09/2021

Does your horse need a session?

All horses can benefit from a regular maintenance massage session.
However there are some presenting signs that indicate that your horse may require massage therapy:
- Constant snatching
- Struggling to work on one rein
- Struggling to stretch over a fence
- a change in performance or behaviour
- Girthing problems
- Toe dragging
- Recent injury (to reduce the chance of an altered gait occurring)

An animal will always have a reason for a change in their behaviour or performance.

23/09/2021

New modality avaliable! 🎉

I am now certified and insured to use Photizo vetcare in my massage sessions 😊

This is a non-invasive light therapy that can help with musculoskeletal conditions, wound healing and pain relief.

Common conditions phototherapy can help include:
🔸️Arthritis
🔸️Wounds
🔸️Abscesses
🔸️Chronic pain
🔸️Muscle spasms
🔸️Muscle injury
🔸️inflammation
🔸️Bucked shins
And many others.

This modality does not replace Veterinary treatment and any injured or lame horses will require veterinary permission prior to a massage session.

12/09/2021

My personalised clothing arrived today!
Massive thankyou to J.S Teamwear.
I'm so pleased with the items I ordered ☺

12/09/2021

Finally this is being talked about!
My old horse Bali came off the track with undiagnosed kissing spine.
Bali was also croup high, which most likely occurred due to being broken and raced at far too young an age. This conformation predisposed him to his eventually life ending, chronic sacroilliac injury.
These horses deserve better.

Another day Another bloody 3 year old off the flat with kissing spine....

I am so sick of seeing these beautiful horses ruined before they have had a chance in life.

This lad is a big 3 year old who ran at 2 and was clearly weak and backwards.

Is it hereditary? Possibly.

Do we cause it training young horses too hard before they're mature, with bad fitting saddles and poor riding? Undoubtedly.

Something needs to be done. However there is so much money in running horses at 2 and 3 why would they stop it?

EDIT

Wow I am amazed at the response this post has received. I thought I would just add a few thoughts to share with you.

On the whole trainers love their horses, but some are misguided in their approach.

Racing has become cut throat and disposable. We start training on the whole, because we love these beautiful animals, however love doesn't pay the rent.

The pressure to get results has increased exponentially over the past 10 years, with prize money decreasing, which leads to trainers behaving somewhat immorally in certain situations.

There is no excuse where the welfare of the horse is concerned. However as someone pointed out to me, quite viciously a couple of weeks ago, I don't understand how hard it is as I have it so easy...Seriously he actually said that...

Desperate men take desperate measures and whilst there is a thriving gambling industry and owners who want results quickly, who don't want to pay vast training fees and get no return mean horse welfare will always suffer. The sick, lame and the sorry will be discarded, the lucky ones will find their way to people like me and some of you.

What can we do? Well we can bloody well start to educate owners to understand that pushing horses too early causes these issues.

We can stop breeding from lines that have the genetic predisposition.

We can educate trainers about the damage half tree exercise saddles do.

We can help teach staff and trainers how to ride their horses to give them the best chance to stay sound, how to go in a way they engage the topline, strengthen the lumbar and stop them being crooked.

To learn to change their diagonal, to learn to not ride off their hands, to help the horses who are weak and struggling, to make sure horses can canter on both legs equally...(sounds simple doesn't it??).

Stop the staff hoiking their stirrups up by their ears, putting all the weight on one small area on young backs.

To stop tying heads down with ridiculously tight bungees because this builds "top line"...

Sorry I shouldn't rant but in the end I train horses because I love them, obviously I want winners but I want them more for the horse than I do me...

Racing will be around a lot longer than I will so all I can hope is we can evolve as an industry for the better.

10/09/2021

Very true! It is so important to ask why an issue is occuring and to find the root cause.

01/09/2021

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage has many benefits both mental and physical, including:
- Increased flexibility and range of motion
- Improved recovery after injury or competition
- Eliminates toxin build up
- Helps tissue to regain normal function
- Aids in mental relaxation by reducing anxiety and stress
- Improves performance
- Increases blood flow
- Helps to minimise injury risk
- Reduces pain
- Prevent and release adhesions
- Release muscle spasms
- Improves muscle tone and releases tension
- Reduces stiffness
- Increases energy and alertness

Massage techniques have a direct and indirect effect on the horses body, with the release of endorphins, which reduce the activity of pain receptors.

22/08/2021

I am a Fully insured Equine Integrative Support Therapist offering massage sessions across East Yorkshire and the lower half of North Yorkshire.

Message me for details and appointments.

14/08/2021

Lovely releases from my own horse Tom following his regular remedial massage session 🐴