Equusential Therapies in Bairnsdale, Victoria | Pet service

Equusential Therapies

Locality: Bairnsdale, Victoria

Phone: +61 400 852 426

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25.01.2022 <3 happy to be supporting Gippsland Super Horse Challenge - I participated in their clinic/jackpot last year and had the BEST time! <3

25.01.2022 Happy TUESDAYWONDERFUL people!! I hope you all had a great EASTER break! <3 Love this! Adrian Buckaroogirl! <3 https://www.facebook.com//a.10151647020/10157120956642957/

20.01.2022 Just cleaning and airing my bits in the lounge room! #equusential #bitkit #cleanbits #bitbank #micklem #myler #bombers #neueschule #trust #eldonian #stubben #wtp #pony #cob #horse

19.01.2022 Fabulous couple days travelling across Gippsland (and beyond!!) Helping horses with massage and bit fits! Tired but happy!! Fabulous couple days travelling across Gippsland (and beyond!!) Helping horses with massage and bit fits! Tired but happy!!

18.01.2022 <3 love this <3 cromwellandlucy! I'm still this kid at heart! <3 :D

17.01.2022 some fabulous bitting options here - contact me if you live in Gippsland and would like to find the perfect size and best match for your horse! <3

16.01.2022 First day back at work.. if you can call it that ;) Massages, beach trip, bit-fits, happy people , happy ponies in the sunshine! Finished off with pub meal at Bruthen Inn Hotel and drinks with my boo <3 Just like the Dandy Warhols say "every day should be a holiday" and it is -.. when you <3 love <3 what you do!! <3 <3

14.01.2022 BIT FITTINGS NOW AVAILABLE! taking bookings for * ridden assessments ($60 p/horse), 45-60min * static assessments ($30 p/horse), 30min and ... * group/ club sessions (contact for quote). -- travel fees may apply subject to booking size and distance -- discounts apply for multiples and group bookings Accredited with Bit Bank Australia- For Horse Bits

12.01.2022 Happy FRIDAY everyone! Here is some INSPO! <3 love to see the older horse so well cared for that it is still beating the young bucks at comps!! :D <3

11.01.2022 Big day of bit-fittings and massages in Mallacoota! Met lovely horses, ponies and humans <3 Thanks for inviting me to your little slice of paradise! <3 #equusential #bella #bitfits #massage #EMT #havecarwilltravel #mallacoota #fareast #eastgippsland #summer #roadtrip #horses #ponies

08.01.2022 ** BIT FITTING DAY @ROSEDALE PC/ARC GROUNDS** * Fri 19 Feb 2021 * ! $10 Discount Applies for current Rosedale ARC/PC Members ! Rosedale & District Adult Horse Riding Club Rosedale & District Pony Club Inc - Australia ... Ridden Assessment or Static Assessment Available PM this page to book your time! WHAT TO BRING You, Your Horse (obviously!) Bridle with current bitted options, quick change style bridle preferred (non-stock, screw options) Gear and Tack for Riding (if ridden assessment) $60 for ridden assessment (allow 45 - 60 mins) / $30 for static assessment (allow 30 mins) Bits available to try include Neue Schule, Bombers, Stubben, Myler, Trust, Sprenger and more! LET'S FIND the BEST fit and bit option for you and your horse!! Hope to see many of you there!

06.01.2022 Some great tips here https://thehorse.com//diagnosing-and-treating-equine-musc/ send me a PM if you think your horse might need a massage!

06.01.2022 Rode and walked to the nearest creek today for a splash few km down the Rd. Just what the doctor ordered, did us both good! #equusential #squirrel #squirrelfitness #laminitisrecovery #walk #lovewhereyoulive #eastgippsland #trailride #clydiex

05.01.2022 HAPPY FRIDAY #letitgo #friyay #newdawnnewday #ApplyTheMethod - Downunder Horsemanship

05.01.2022 Proud to Sponsor the Australian Stockhorse HighPoint Junior U13 Y/O ring at the Orbost show <3 It's awesome to see all these great events coming up for the horsey community to enjoy in COVID safe times <3! #equusential #orbost #showing #stockhorse #ASH #horseshow #sponsor #community #australia #victoria #eastgippsland #lovewhereyoulive

02.01.2022 Kissing Spines - also known as Spinal Crowding Syndrome Both horses in the photo below have kissing spines. The top one looks like the classic picture of a ba...ck that may have kissing spines, the bottom one has a back that looks better than many horses I see that are out competing at local shows and he also has kissing spines. Kissing spines refers to a condition in horses where two or more of the spinous processes (the flanges of bone sticking up from each vertebra in the spine) are positioned so that they touch or rub against each other. A horse with kissing spines may develop back pain, bone cysts, arthritic changes, and other problems (Kentucky Equine Research). Kissing spine is often secondary to another issue and is often the end of a problem, not the start of one. For a horse who has not been ridden or strengthened correctly or has another chronic (long term) complaint that they have been compensating for, kissing spines are the end result of a larger, more complicated picture. The good news with this, is that it can be reversible when managed correctly. A horse with kissing spines will be reluctant to flex its back, therefore it will not use its body to the fullest extent. The horse will tend to alter its posture and way of going to compensate, which creates imbalances that put undue strain on certain muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. Causes of Kissing Spines - Congenital/conformational - Incorrect rider/horse weight ratio - Weakness and instability in the multifidus muscle group - explained in detail below and how to rehab this - Incorrect riding/training - Lack of core strength - Lack of postural stability - starting horses too young or too much/too soon Signs and symptoms of Back Pain in horses - Cold backed - Fidgeting when being groomed or tacked up - Nipping or kicking out when having the girth tightened - Misbehaviour under saddle (bucking, rearing, kicking out, head tossing) - Dragging one or both rear toes - Inability to get the correct canter lead on way - Awkward in gait transitions - They have shifting lameness - Stiff to one side - Inability to flex or collect I am aware that lots of these are symptoms of other biomechanical dysfunction but the most important thing to note here is that if your horse has been having regular bodywork (with the appropriate qualified professional), saddle fits well and it is still not improving, then there may be something more going on - this requires a vet and x-ray to diagnose. A note on cold backed horses - 99.9% of the time there is always a reason. You cannot simply say - 'my horse just does this'. No, they don't. They will have a degree of discomfort somewhere which may be related to muscle tightness, restricted vertebrae, pain in the ribcage, ulcers, incorrect saddle fit, kissing spine, shoulder pain, incorrect rider-horse weight ratio or that they are simply not strong enough through their backs to perform what is being asked of them. Diagnosis Diagnosis of kissing spines needs to be done by your veterinarian and can be made based on history, physical examination, thermography, and radiography. The affected vertebrae can be in the thoracic or lumbar region but are often those that are positioned directly under the seat of the saddle. Sometimes four or more vertebrae are involved. Treatment Physical Therapy As osteopaths our approach is a holistic one. To manage kissing spine, we'll need a treatment and management programme that involves manual techniques as well as a rehab programme. To manage kissing spines long term, this rehab programme will be what you will have to do with your horse for the rest of its career. It is important to make sure that the horse is functioning its best in all areas of its body so that there is no extra loading or unhelpful compensatory patterns happening over the top of the spinal problem. This will require a combination of spinal mobilisation, myofascial release, specific soft tissue techniques, stretches, cranial and rebalancing techniques. The Multifidus System and Carrot Stretches There is a complex system of muscles that run under the spine called the Multifidus System. These are the body’s ‘core’ muscles and need to be strong and short to counteract spinal dipping and keep the gaps between the processes open when carrying the rider. Simply asking the horse for more forward effort in an effort to engage the quarters will not build the Multifidus system, particularly if the spine has learned already to dip as the horse is working against himself. When our horses become more mature and we ask for work in a more advanced outline, the muscles over the spine can become very tense as they further attempt to defend the spine from the potentially uncomfortable twisting of an active gait, while the increased impulsion and muscular tension creates a critical counter force leading to further compressions of the processes. At that stage, there is a possibility for kissing spine to develop, where the vertebrae have become kinked by the strong Longissimus Dorsi muscles in spasm, and the spinal processes start to touch/rub one another. A secondary effect of the spine losing elasticity is that kinetic force is thrown forwards towards the shoulders as it can no longer be absorbed through the horse’s centre. This pushes the lowest part of the cervical section of his spine, the base of the neck, downwards between his shoulder blades and robbing him of forehand ‘suspension’, plunging him downhill, onto the forehand and heavily into the rider’s hand making straightness and balance physically impossible It is likely that advanced cases may have spinal interference in the C6, C7, T1 which contribute to the bracing resistance found in the rein contact of affected horses (Visconte Simon Cocozza - https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//help-horse-kissing-spine-goo/) Carrot stretches are the best exercise to engage the multifidus system. Carrot stretches are dynamic mobilisation exercises that create spinal mobility and core stabilsation in which the horse is trained to move its chin to a specific position by following a piece of carrot/treat. The positions you need to do 5 times a week for a horse with kissing spine and weekly for prevention are - 1) Chin-to-chest in which the chin was moved as close as possible to the chest bone 2) Chin-between-knees in which the chin was moved as far back as possible with the bottom of the nose at the level of the knee 3) Chin-between-fore fetlocks in which the chin was taken as far down and back as possible between the fore fetlocks 4) Thoracic/Sternal lifts - pressing your fingers into the sternum of your horse and asking it to lift and hold its back in flexion 5-7 preformed on both the left and right sides of the horse 5) Chin-to-girth in which the horse stretched laterally (to the side) until the chin reaches the level of the girth 6) Chin-to-hip in which the horse stretched laterally with the chin moving toward the point of the hip 7) Chin-to-hock in which the horse stretched laterally toward the hock reaching as far back and down as possible The horse should encouraged to hold each position for 5 seconds and then be rewarded with the piece of carrot. For a rehab programme each of these exercises should be repeated 5 times, 5 days a week for 3 months. This programme is the human equivalent of around 45 abdominal crunches per day. Gymnastic exercises In less severe cases where you are still able to ride (as well as do your ground work), gymnastic exercises will help to maintain top line and abdominal strength. - Long and low leg yield with the horse bending its neck down and away from the direction its yielding - encourages the hips to rotate in the opposite direction from the shoulders - Bend and stretch at walk on a small circle - encourage lots of inside bend and a lowered head position - Turn on the forehand - builds the lateral and rotative pelvic control muscles, as well as simultaneously lifting the spine and separating the spinus processes. Start with quarter turns and graduate to full turns - Walk pirouettes - develops the thoracic sling range of motion, encouraging the horse to carry his thoracic spine higher between his shoulder blades. Start with half pirouettes and graduate to full. Changing or refitting saddles is helpful for many horses with kissing spine. Make sure you check your saddle fit regularly as the fit will change as your horse develops and changes its way of going. Medical treatment Unless the Kissing Spines are very advanced, most veterinarians will likely recommend starting with a conservative, medical approach to the treatment of this condition. These are methods to control the pain and inflammation and therefore break the muscle spasm cycle. One of the most common methods of pain and inflammation management is corticosteroid injections, as well as, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, veterinary acupuncture, therapeutic ultrasound and shockwave therapy. Veterinarians may recommend surgery for Kissing Spines as the first treatment option or after an unsuccessful course of medical and physical therapy. Prognosis While every case is different, the majority of horses with Kissing Spine that are diagnosed, treated, and rehabbed appropriately are able to return to work. Some will be able to perform at their previous level while others may need a step down in order to remain comfortable. While the formal physical therapy program may have ended, trainers and riders should continue schooling horses in a frame that encourages a rounding of the back, self-carriage, and balance as well as maintaining multifidus strength with carrot stretches - just less regularly than in the rehab program. Links to sources https://ker.com/equinews/kissing-spines-horses/ https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//help-horse-kissing-spine-goo/ https://www.paulickreport.com//kissing-spines-a-manageabl/ https://thehorse.com//exercises-to-strengthen-equine-back/