Cape Equine Bodywork

18/02/2017

Sunbird thoroughly enjoying her first time on the Sure Foot Pads 💛

07/02/2017

As I work more with the Surefoot pads I am fascinated how it calms the horses.

It seems to provide new information to the balancing portion of the nervous system thus calming the horse.

Note the sleepy looking in Spirit's eyes and the loose wobbly lip, if he had relaxed anymore he would have fallen asleep 🙈

18/01/2017

Do you notice the difference?

Do you notice the difference?

Sometimes, what looks like muscle atrophy isn't muscle atrophy. With chronic injuries, fascia can get "stuck" causing restrictions, dysfunction, constrictions and chronic pain.

The picture on the left is of a thoroughbred gelding before treatment and the picture on the right is taken 25 minutes later.

10/01/2017

Do you cross train your horse?

This is a great article that outline the benefits both mentally and physically that cross training brings.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34300/cross-training-sport-horses-for-body-and-mind

Cross-training is a "central pillar" to athletic success and longevity, one veterinarian says. Learn why.

04/01/2017

One of my goals this year is to get myself fitter and stronger.

Improving your own fitness and balance will hugely help your own horse's body and movements.

http://dressageridertraining.com/ Here are 6 leg exercises to help improve your rider balance and stability. Great for bringing awareness to certain areas th...

18/12/2016

Fascinating to see the difference between the two!

Ringbone

The leg on the right shows a horse with high ringbone, whereas the left shows a normal leg. Amazing to see the difference.

15/12/2016

As riders we should continually educate ourselves and question are we doing the best we can for our horses.

This is a very informative short video on saddle fitting tips and well worth the watch.

02/12/2016

Karena having a seat analysis on Travis the mechanical horse.

This was a fascinating exercise on where the rider puts their weight and strength (or lack of) when riding.

The rider then gets given a number of strengthening exercises to do at home, based on their body awareness.

29/11/2016

A recent study discovered a link between poor saddle fit and rider back pain, lameness, saddle slip, asymmetry and rider crookedness.

http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/health-update-25824

A recent study discovered a link between poor saddle fit and rider back pain, lameness, saddle slip, asymmetry and rider crookedness.

22/11/2016

Equine Gym 💪🏻

22/11/2016

We are very excited to be incorporating the Surefoot Balance pads in with our bodywork!

These pads are an unique way to improve a horses balance, stability, co-ordination and performance.

06/11/2016

This article sums up nicely some of the many benefits of equine massage. If you want a happier, healthier horse, give us a call today.

http://equinemassage.com.au/new/benefits/

Increased Range of MotionA better moving horse, less wear and tear on joints, ligaments and tendons. The dressage horse who is flexible looks and feels better, is happier with their work, is easier to ride and will therefore achieve better results. The race horse with the longer stride wins the rac...

29/10/2016

If you watch nothing else, watch this!

24/10/2016

Wow today's muscle Monday is a goodie!

There are so many great muscles being activated in this exercise but we have to pick only one, so let's go with the trapezius muscles as this exercise utilizes these muscles superbly!

Muscle action: To draw the shoulder forwards and backwards

Problems: Most noteably a shortened range of movement of the forelegs, girthiness when saddling / tightening the girth, losing ability over jumps and striking off on the incorrect lead or struggling to change the canter lead.

This video clip shows a brilliant exercise to work this set of muscles. Contact us if you would like to teach your horse this exercise and have a full bodywork assessment to pinpoint any muscle tension.

Thank you Maryse and Apache for modeling this exercise to nicely!

20/10/2016

Numnahs have been around for more than a century and originated from the Urdu word numdah - a thick felted rug originating from India and Persia usually made of pounded goats' hair.

The numdah was placed under a saddle to protect it from sweat and to provide some padding for the horse's back. Today numnahs (as we now know them) come in all shapes, sizes and colours.

Cape Town based saddle fitter and thermographer, Dinah Curling, is passionate about making horses as comfortable as possible. She doesn't just look at how well your saddle fits your horse, but also at what your numnah is doing under your saddle.

Because so many numnahs pull under the saddle and end up putting pressure on the spinal vertebrae and fascia, Dinah has gone on to design a range of numnahs aptly called True Comfort. These numnahs are anatomically designed to follow the curve of the horse's back correctly while the slit at the back provides relief over the spine. For a good comparison, think about wearing crumpled or tight socks under a snug fitting pair of shoes!

For more information contact Dinah Curling 0827843352.

19/10/2016

I had a great conversation this morning with a client about when the correct age is to start riding our horses.

It reminded me of a brilliant article written by Dr Deb Bennet, where it is discussed in depth the rate of skeletal maturity in horses.

If you haven't read it yet, grab yourself a cup of coffee and settle in, it is really a worthwhile read and will certainly have you re-thinking the approach to starting horses too young.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

17/10/2016

Muscle Monday

Muscle: Longissimus Dorsi

Action: Back extensor and produces lateral flexion

This muscle is such an important one, for both horse and rider! It is one of the muscles that the saddle and you essentially sit on and it plays a huge role in lifting the back and therefore providing engagement of the hindquarters.

If there is issues with this muscle, it will affect your horses power and performance and is often one of the first muscles to develop problems. This is also usually the first muscle to be negatively affected by a poor saddle fit.

Problems: Struggling to engage and finding it difficult to step underneath himself, stiff, inflexible and reactive back, loss of ability over jumps, resists lateral work and a general lack of power from the hindquarters, difficulty striking off on the correct canter lead, may not want to be saddled, bucking.

As you can read, problems with this muscle can cause a multitude of behavioural and physical problems. If you have any concerns, drop us a line to find out how bodywork and a stretch programme can alleviate these issues.

15/10/2016

Duke’s Diary

Duke is a 14-year-old Appaloosa Gelding who has been out of consistent work for a couple of years. A few years ago he was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma or in other words, The Big C – Cancer. Specifically, on his eyelid.

It was around that time I really noticed a change in his well-being, his coat was a bit dull, his general demeanour was flat, his hooves were not in a healthy state and he was overweight. He also had mysterious tail loss; which for an appaloosa with a dreadfully short tail, he really couldn’t afford to lose any tail hair! I was convinced that his immune system was under major strained.

Beside his two eye ops to remove the cancerous cells, a long journey followed for us both. I proceeded to get his diet analysed, blood tests done, found a new trimmer to name a few changes. What resulted was some big changes in his diet, living environment and trim, which yielded fantastic results and we are finally and gratefully at the stage of getting back to work!

We have started with groundwork and are at the stage of incorporating some polework into his routine. I have noticed that he lacks some awareness of his hind limbs so have included some Kinesio taping skills to bring awareness to his hind limbs.

Pole work stimulates a greater increase in joint flexion, so together with some kinesio tape, they are great team players in helping to bring proprioception to the limbs, strengthen muscles and increase joint flexibility. All this groundwork is also proving to be great exercise for myself, which will only be benefit when I am back in the saddle!

Follow our progress for some practical hands on ideas on how to improve your horse’s fitness, all the while considering the whole horse.

Happy riding!
Bianca

10/10/2016

Do you have a 'naughty' horse?

This is a great article that sums up why you don't!

If your horse is showing 'naughty' behavior, chances are there is a problem that is causing the behavior.

Firstly and most importantly pain needs to be ruled out. This can be done by consulting with your vet, followed up by treatments from your qualified bodyworker.

If you are unsure what the cause may be, call us for a chat and we will be happy to guide our clients towards the appropriate care.

http://www.bethbehaviourist.co.uk/articles/your-horse-is-not-naughty

Recently I have become quite distressed at the amount of posts I have seen online asking for public suggestions of what to do with their ‘horse from hell’. You will know the kind when you see...

17/09/2016

Take care of your head! We'll help you take care of your horse.

Tomorrow (17 September 2016) is the seventh annual Riders4Helmets International Helmet Awareness Day and to mark the occasion, the campaign's Lyndsey White shares 10 important messages that all riders should remember on a daily basis

13/09/2016

This is a wonderful opportunity to attend a workshop with Kevin Ovenstone on the beautiful Hemel en Aarde Farm.

Very exited for my next workshop on the 8th of October, this time in the Hemel-and-Aarde valley of Hermanus. Get ready for some theory on horse cognition and behaviour, demos and practical sessions, but most of all fun in a beautiful surrounding! See you all there!!

09/09/2016

*Welcome to our new Cape Equine Bodywork page!*

We hope this will be a platform where we can share some interesting insights into horses and how their bodies work.

We have some exciting ideas lined up in the form of articles, photos and videos and will be bringing in some fascinating equine experts in their field to share their views and ideas. Saddle fitters, trainers, trimmers and human personal trainers to name a few!

Please feel free to share, engage and contribute as we strive for education and collaboration to give our 4 legged partners the best life possible.

08/09/2016

Tokai Pony Club Evening

Karena Du Plessis and Bianca Said organised for the Tokai Pony Club to spend some time with Dawn Jones's skeleton aka Boneseno that has been erected by artist, Lynne Eatwell in her studio in Noordhoek.

Orthopaedic surgeon, Deon Engela, explained how putting the horse skeleton together was a like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle and that the bones revealed a lot about the horse's life.

Looking at the length of bone, it was in all likelihood a Thb racehorse who ended up with kissing spine as can be seen by the two spinous processes rubbing together. Riders often forget that the position of the horse's head when in work has a huge impact on the health of the horse's back. Soft tissue work and rehab can help keep your horse comfortable but choosing to train more sympathetically with biomechanics in mind, will make the biggest change in your horse's posture.

Also the age of the horse when you start them under saddle also makes a huge difference to their long term well being and soundness. Unfortunately, too many horses are started in serious work before their bones have had a time to mature and this puts the horse's skeletal system under enormous stress. {An excellent article for further reading on growth plates can be found herehttp://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf }

Gavin Mcdermid and Robert Bateman from OTS {https://www.facebook.com/OutTheSaddle }
training also attended the talk. The OTS guys are passionate about getting riders to ride in a more balanced way so that horses don't bear the brunt of unfit of skew riders.

08/09/2016

Where in the world is Skelly?

Animal Physical Rehab horse skeleton has been on loan to Lynne Eatwell, a Noordhoek artist who has been creating some incredible works of art based on the skeleton. This photo shoot really shows the beauty in the anatomy!

Tomorrow Skelly is off to a primary school - where the kids are learning about mammals. Looks like he has a new career as an educator :)

Wonder where he will go next....

Horse Anatomy Photo shoot