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Baringa Creek Equine Therapies

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24.01.2022 Beautiful isn’t it

24.01.2022 Here is a radiograph of an almost two year old horse. It is that time of year when people get excited about getting their two year olds to a trainer to get star...ted under saddle. Here is a perfect example of why not to be in such a hurry. This horse will be two in May and when we sent these radiographs of his knees/carpus to a specialist at a university. We were told this horse should not be started in a training program for another 10-12 months because his growth plates in his knees were not closed enough. Starting a horse that is not physically mature enough can have long term effects like osteoarthritis and chronic lameness issues. If you have any doubt, you can always have radiographs done to see if the growth plates are closed enough for the work required by a training program. See more

22.01.2022 Excellent visual of the shoulder movement under saddle. Look how far back it moves. Correct saddle fit is so important.

22.01.2022 WHEN IS IT TIME TO CALL THE VET In my job as a bodyworker and trimmer I am often asked to see horses that are having recurring body issues and lameness. Sometim...es I can help these horses if their problem falls within the realm of my training but more often than not if these problems fail to resolve after one or two sessions, I will often refer the horse onto a vet for a proper diagnosis. It is important to remember that I and most other bodyworkers are not qualified to diagnose or treat any horse unless they are a vet and in fact we could get ourselves into big trouble if we did. Of course I am happy to work in with your vet once a proper diagnosis is made to help to relieve tight muscles from compensations or help rehab lameness through trimming but for the best outcome for the horse, the sooner a diagnosis is made often means the best outcome for the horse. You wouldn't go to a massage therapist or podiatrist and ask them to diagnose a medical condition so if your horse has recurring body issues or lameness it is time to call the vet. See more

22.01.2022 Stay vigilant people!!

21.01.2022 Proud to be associated with the ETAA Servicing within an hour of Toolleen VIC. Happy to travel (travel fees and current COVID restrictions apply)

20.01.2022 Another week, another muscle. Today’s spotlight is for the Brachiocephalic. The Brachiocephalic is a mainly superficial muscle located in underside of the hors...e’s neck. It is quite a long muscle that is actually incompletely divisible into two parts: the Cleidocephalicus and the Cleidobrachialis. The Brachiocephalic has two main origins. The first origin attaches at the mastoid process and nuchal crest of the skull. The second origin attaches at the Omotransversarius, the wing of atlas and the transverse processes of C2-C4/C5. From there, the Brachiocephalic passes over the Biceps Brachii and Brachialis before inserting with the superficial pectoral onto the deltoid tuberosity and crest of the Humerus (shoulder joint). The Brachiocephalic has multiple functions: - It laterally inclines the head and neck to the same side of contraction - It draws the front limb forward when the head and are fixed - It extends the head and neck when the limb is fixed As such, the Brachiocephalic is extremely import for proper shoulder and front limb action as well as lateral flexion. By doing so, the Brachiocephalic acts as an antagonist to the Trapezius Cervicus see previous post. Furthermore, it also has an interesting relationship and action with the Cutaneous Coli which adheres to the Brachiocephalic. Interestingly, the Cutaneous Coli seems to potentially acts as part of the thoracic sling upon landing. As such, horses that jump or often work downhill might show pain upon palpation where it adheres to the Brachiocephalic muscle. In quite a bit of horse’s the Brachiocephalic appears to be under quite some strain. The muscle can feel hard and show up bulging. So what could cause this phenomom? 1 POOR POSTURE! A horse with poor posture often uses its neck to balance. So horses that lack proprioception or generally struggle with self-carriage often develop the neck ‘upside-down’ ewe necked - as they’re contracting the lower part of the neck muscles to balance. Especially self-carriage is a really important factor here. Poor posture can be derived from anatomical abnormalities, caused by improper training or the result of trauma and/or neurological deficits. I will elaborate on some of these causes in the next points. 2 Anatomical variations and abnormalities As mentioned in my earlier post, the Trapezius Cervicus acts as an antagonist to the Brachiocephalic. In some horses, the space between these muscles is narrowed (anatomical variation) and this limits the so-called ‘freedom of the shoulders’ and front limb mobility. Abnormalities in the vertebral column also often cause strain and hypertrophy of the brachiocephalic. These range of these issue include C6-C7 malformation, arthritis, scoliosis, recessed ribcage / rib trauma, kissing spines, transitional vertebrae and inverted rotation. Finally, elbow instability (arthritis) and unbalanced feet especially the front hooves can also play an important factor. Please keep in mind that anatomical abnormalities especially when they’re asymmetrical will ALWAYS affect movement and posture as logic dictates that asymmetric form comes with asymmetric forces. As such, most of the times the question is now whether we can ‘fix’ these horses, but how we can manage them the best way to enhance their welfare. 3 Discipline use Since the Brachiocephalic acts as an anchor to extend the front limb, it becomes under quite some strain in most disciplines. Think jumping, dressage, western disciplines and harness horses. However, that being said, the way the horse is being trained in those disciplines - balanced and in SELF-CARRIAGE or not - makes ALL the difference. So while strain on the Brachiocephalic might lie in the nature of many disciplines as they require lots of lateral flexion and front limb movement, this is not by any means an excuse for poor training practices, which brings me to my next point. 4 Poor training practices Rider’s that lean on the reins or hold the horse back will compromise the horse’s freedom in and self-carriage in the front end. The thoracic sling can’t engage properly, the front limbs can’t provide a vertical incline against gravity and as such the Brachiocephalic is under a lot of strain and the horse’s neck will develop ‘upside-down’. Since the horse’s neck is essential for proper neurology and balance control, you risk quite a lot of potential injuries by applying poor training principles. The key to any good training is balance and lightness in SELF-CARRIAGE. A ‘handy’ rider can use some ‘tricks’ to keep the horse between the aids in a mechanical balance, but that doesn’t create self-carriage. To work on self-carriage, remember that you are basically working with the horse’s brain. So train intelligently. Train smarter, not harder. 5 Trauma Finally, the Brachiocephalic can become impaired because of a pull back on the halter especially at the poll. Furthermore, kick and or bites could also result in quite nasty scars and tears in this muscle. Please do NOT underestimate scars. They can be very sensitive and painful. Thanks for reading, I hope it provided some insight. Like these posts? Than like this page for more updates or check out my website for plenty of articles and an online program!

20.01.2022 The myofascial system is a newly explored phenomenon in the horse. Studies into its complexity show us just how interconnected the whole anatomy of the horse is.... Note how many of the lines go all the way into the hooves. Considering every anatomical point along a myofascial line directly affects every other point, and the position and orientation of each point will affect the position and orientation of every other through the concept of bio-tensegrity, we can see that the hoof will be subject to the physiological state of the body and vice versa. As we further investigate these concepts and relationships the compartmentalising of the hoof and the rest of the musculoskeletal system will be replaced with a more holistic outlook. . Read and watch for more info. https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com//myofascial-trains- . https://youtu.be/3MluJpAy0Zo See more

17.01.2022 Grumpy or in pain? Horses may not be able to say how much it hurts with words, but researchers show their face tells all. Learn to recognise the signs of the equine pain face, also known as the equine grimace scale...

14.01.2022 Your horse’s behaviour, even basic behaviour like stance at rest, are huge indicators to their overall wellbeing.

12.01.2022 COVID19 Currently, I’m still able to offer your horses massages providing social distancing and hygiene practices are maintained, and no one in the household has been sick. If I’ve seen your horse before then I’m happy to see them without you and report back. I will only be accepting bank transfer payments during this time. ... If your horse is out on agistment then I will expect to follow their guidelines for property visits, whatever they may be and generally work with everyone to maintain health and safety. I will continue to maintain my own hygiene process between horses and before starting a session. Stay safe everyone

11.01.2022 On the road today and made a new friend Very friendly, gave me a smooch. I wonder what it’s like to massage a camel

10.01.2022 Matchy matchy or tendon damage?

10.01.2022 This is a good reminder as I’m bringing my own horse back into work. It takes time.

09.01.2022 Grooming is a fabulous way to give your horse a daily little massage. It helps to stimulate circulation, care for their coat and boost the bond between yourself and your horse

08.01.2022 Need stretches?

08.01.2022 Interesting view of how the horses back moves. Imagine this under the saddle.

07.01.2022 This exercise looks fun AND beneficial!

04.01.2022 Happy Birthday to all the Horses in our lives

01.01.2022 Worth watching. Excellent analysis of the use of training aides.