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Equi-Align Equine Body Therapy

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25.01.2022 Informative read.

21.01.2022 This is a good read.

17.01.2022 A number of years ago I had an interesting lesson with a student. The rider was struggling with getting a constant contact with her horse. After watch both of ...them move around the arena for a while and seeing the mare, chomp, and fiddle with her tongue and bit I asked the rider where is your tongue sitting in your mouth? To this the rider stopped the horse and said how the hell did you know that so it turns out that this rider has a gap in-between one of her upper molars and she has a habit of twisting her tongue to place the tongue in the gap. When I asked her to place her tongue softly onto the top of her mouth the horse became quite in its contact and as the lesson went on the horse began to move freer in the shoulders, the rider’s tonal quality of her arms into her hand and fingers became a soft tone. So why is this so, I asked myself, and did some research. Why would the riders tongue affect the horses tongue so much? Well from what I have researched the hyoid bone is part of the tongue movement apparatuses as the omohyoid muscle origin site at the superior border of the scapula and can vary in location and in size, and at times the muscle also originates from the superior transverse scapular ligament. The attachment of the central tendon can be only to the clavicle or to the clavicle and the first rib. Wow I thought so when her tongue curls up a whole tension goes from her tongue down to her shoulder which must create a tension down her whole arm to her hand. This in turn puts a tension onto the rein and bit which travels onto the horse’s tongue, so guess what this also affects the horses hyoid bone and his omohyoid muscle into the shoulder causing the tight steps and fussy mouth. It’s a circle of tension. Along with this is the TMJ joint of both parties again the hyoid bone, which is located in the throat latch area in the horse and upper throat of the human comes into play, as the hyoid connects to the larynx, pharynx and tongue and articulates with the temporal bone. With the horse it’s more complex as the TMJ also has the ear movement involved so mouthy horses, head shakers or sensitivity in this area could be a having tension in this area, if the rider is tight in the hyoid or TMJ it should be checked out. If a rider is constantly clamping the jaw I often get them to chew gum to help prevent this. I was so fascinated by this I asked Sharon May Davies to show me the hyoid of the horse on my last course with her. I was amazed how big it was and yet frail it was. And so when the rider asked me how did I know that, it was a simple answer the horse told me but I did tell them the next day exactly why it was affecting her mare after doing some research. It’s all part of looking outside the box, to find a solution which works for the horse and can carefully guide the rider into a better place. Sometimes the rider makes the coach look deeper as to the why something worked. Your gut feel can’t always be enough information for the rider. Also by having hard facts it takes away the mystical element of the lesson. View and follow my blog posts https://annmontgomery.com.au/can-the-riders-jaw-affect-the/

12.01.2022 For those people who still insist in tying their horses mouth shut!!! The Temperomandibular joint (TMJ) is The joint with the most proprioceptive nerves in the... horse’s entire body". When the horse’s lower jaw cannot move, it cannot, therefore, ‘transmit’ accurate positioning data to the horse’s body, which results in poor movement and performance. TMJ dysfunction reaction in horses are as follows: Balance may be impaired Ability to perform lateral movements will be impaired Range of motion of the cervical vertebrae will be impacted Contraction of the long hyoid muscles can put other muscles into spasm and tension The horse wants to ‘go behind the bit’ to relieve tension in the muscles between the hyoid and the scapula and/or the sternum It sets the stage for a hollow back It shortens the horse’s stride STILL Want ot tie the horses mouth shut?

10.01.2022 Very interesting article

09.01.2022 While giving my retired TB mare her regular Emmett treatment today, I had time to reflect on how this therapy is ideal for horses with previous physical or psychological trauma. Ginger came to me with a long history of trauma requiring a lot of medical intervention and many associated anxieties and as she gets older, some severe lymphatic issues.she is one of the bravest horses I have ridden but just the smell of an alcohol wipe or of antiseptic would stress her. She could no...t tolerate massage or any treatment that required therapeutic tools, ie red light, ultrasound etc. After initially being quite wary, she has learnt to enjoy the gentleness of Emmett. She is very sensitive so even light pressure produces amazing results. And her huge release responses can be quite hilarious with her yawns and facial expressions being best described as ‘gooning’! It is a wonderful feeling to know that, with Emmett, I can make her retirement so much more relaxed and pain free. She deserves it!

09.01.2022 Does your horse's tail swing? If a horse's tail gets caught between his hind legs he is not using his body properly. If the tail lays flat and listless these a...re clues that energy, messages and feedback from the brain to the body and back may not be traveling up and down his spine properly. If the tail is clamped down, the horse may be in fear or in pain, closing the hindquarters down. This is something to discuss with your veterinarian. If your horse's tail swishes constantly and more so during transitions, changes, or anytime you make a request, your aids may be too loud or he may be frustrated with the work. A little swishing when asked to do something demanding for a short time is different from constant swishing. We must observe and know our horse to figure out what is concentration and what is upset. The tail reflects the health of our horse's spine. As the spine undulates in a slightly serpentine pattern through our horses' body, his tail should carry through this motion. As our horse uses his back and body better and better, as his balance changes and improves, he will use his tail differently. We want to keep an eye on it and note improvements or set backs as they tell us how well the training is progressing or is stalling. We look for a tail that is carried in a soft arch slightly away from the body with the mass of hair rhythmically moving from hock to hock in a pendulum motion. Touching your horse's tail, gently lifting it and rotating it, combing the hair with your fingers, taking segments and gently pulling them in a circular motion while observing your horse will give you feedback about how he feels in his back and body. This should be done easily with no resistance, the tail should have a good weight in your hands and feel alive, not dead. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Stand to the side at first and stay close to the croup. If your horse reflexively clamps down or threatens to kick, do not try to force the issue or become aggressive. Reassure your horse with a neutral touch and your voice. If the problem persist, contact your health care pro, do not insist as you and your horse may get hurt. UPDATE: For additional insights into crooked tail and detailed and extremely well illustrated massage recommendations please check this pdf article which was shared by Debranne Pattillo of www.equinology.com http://www.manolomendezdressage.com//Equinology-Hamstring- Thank you for your endless generosity in sharing educational knowledge with the equestrian community worldwide. UPDATE 2: We read a very insightful post from one reader we wanted to share relating to the potential relationship between a harder tail grooming and washing experience and possible surrounding muscle soreness: Fran Welsby wrote: " Hi, do you find how a horse accepts their tail being washed also gives you clues? We shampoo, condition then use a de-tangle spray thru the tail then using our fingers carefully separate out the hairs from the roots to the ends. I have found that the ponies that relax, give me their tails to do all this generally fall asleep while I work, those that don't often will be the ones with some haunch/ham string issues." An interesting observation. (Repost from 2013 and 2015)

09.01.2022 DIGITAL LOWER LEG PULSE When determining a hoof related lameness, the digital pulse is a very accurate and reliable guide to pinpointing which foot is the probl...em. A stronger pulse than the other leg will always indicate that there is hoof related inflammation ocurring or about to occur. The digital pulse is taken in the digit, which is the portion of the leg above and below the fetlock. The pulse can be felt by placing the thumb and forefinger just above (or below) and behind the fetlock joint, then comparing this pulse with the pulse on the opposite leg. If the lame leg has an stronger pulse, this indicates inflammation within the hoof. If the lame leg does not have a stronger digital pulse, then the problem is coming from elsewhere and is not hoof related. There is also a possibility that the problem may originate from the diagonal hind foot. See more

07.01.2022 When girthing up the horse it is important not to over tighten it. An over-tightened girth may pinch and bruise the muscles - in particular the pectorals. trape...zius, serratus ventralis muscles and latissimus dorsi (see red areas in diagram bleow). An over tightened girth may also cause bruising of the ribs and the intercostal muscles between the ribs. It will also cause the saddle to put more pressure on the back muscles. See more

07.01.2022 "Horses have won wars for us. They carried us on their backs into cannon fire. Horses don't say 'no' lightly, so if your horse is telling you that I can say for sure there is something wrong." - Henk Offereins Are you doing the best job of helping your horse to do his job?

02.01.2022 Loved working with this sweetie

01.01.2022 An informative video I made in 2017 about growth plate closure. In horses the growth plates close for all breeds quite late. Dr Deb Bennett's research indicates... that growth plate closure occurs from the lower limb up with the final closures occurring in the vertebra (at the C7/T1 junction) at an age of 6 years and in Warmbloods six months later. (Some research indicates final growth plate closure may be significantly later than 6.) It's useful to be able to actually see what the bones look like before they fuse. (Editorial Note: You may notice that my brain and my mouth a couple of times during my talking through the vertebra did a poor job of keeping up with accurately naming some parts. When I began naming the Thoracic vertebra, I referred to C1, C2...etc. I should have said T1, T2.... And then when I got to the end of the line and identified the Sacrum, I next said L1, L2 (L=Lumbar), but should have said S1, S2.... Sorry to those of you who I may have confused!) See more