Head To Tail Equine Therapy in Spreyton, Tasmania | Professional service
Head To Tail Equine Therapy
Locality: Spreyton, Tasmania
Phone: +61 400 967 070
Address: Melrose Rd 7310 Spreyton, TAS, Australia
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25.01.2022 Just 3 of yesterdays 8 horses that I managed to get pics of! I was reminded that every single horse is different in the way they react to and then respond to bodywork. Being a practitioner is such a blessing but with it comes great responsibility. I have to be aware of my own energy, my intent and my mindset when working on horses. Yesterday I saw 8 horses each react differently, process differently and respond differently. It reminded me to always be present, always be watching for the subtlest of cues from the horse. The way the horse blinks, the way its mouth twitches, the nostril heights and many many more signs that I was reminded of! I love days where I leave feeling like I have been learning aswell as working!
25.01.2022 **!!! Pink Goop !!!** These photos show why I am so in love with Pink Goop! I use Pink Goop as a gel to help apply my cups for cupping. The beauty of this product is that it will froth/foam when applied to an area that is inflamed. This horse presented lame 3 days ago with a shoe severely bent at the heels but still attached to his hoof. It seemed he had maybe got his shoe caught in something and in the struggle to get free has bent the shoe and hurt himself. When working... on him his shoulders were very reactive, not tight, just reactive to the gentle Equine Touch moves. I decided to follow his session with some cupping to help those reactive shoulders. As soon as I applied the Pink Goop it started to go white and frothy! Almost instantly! This poor fella has some inflammation and possible bruising under there! Just for reference I have added a picture of where I have applied Pink Goop to his neck and rubbed it in.... No frothing there! Again this shows why it is important for me as a bodyworker to LISTEN to what the body is telling me. This boy was telling me he needed some extra help and that he was so very sore there! He should have some more mobility and freedom in those shoulders now! See more
24.01.2022 **What is in a yawn?** We often see pictures of horses yawning during bodywork treatments. As a bodyworker it is sometimes seen as the pièce de résistance of "processing" signs. Some may say that it is a sign that the horse is very relaxed. However the reality is actually a little different. It signifies that the horse has just been feeling stressed, maybe for a prolonged period of time. Yawning happens when the body goes from the Sympathetic nervous system to the Para Sy...mpathetic nervous system. Sympathetic being the "fight or flight" system and Para Sympathetic being the "rest and digest" system. Sometimes it is just sleepy pony syndrome though The picture you see here is just one of MANY yawns this horse let go today. He has been in a stressed state of mind and body for some time. During his first session with me he fiddled, fidgeted, had his head in the air, couldn't stand still and just tried to pretend I wasn't there. He did not yawn, get soft in his eye or lick and chew. I did not push him to accept more bodywork than he could cope with and used a "Less Is Best" approach. This would be enough to trigger his body's ability to begin healing and next visit he would allow more. Today was his second session. He started off the same as last time but within a few minutes I released one spot which triggered his move from sympathetic to para sympathetic at last! Once this happened it was amazing to feel the difference in body and his willingness to accept being touched. His entire body softened, his head went down further and further and his eyes became soft and relaxed. When he walked off after his session today there was a swing to his body that wasn't there before... Wow just wow! I can't wait to see how this beautiful boy feels next time I see him!!
24.01.2022 A lovely crisp morning up at Cradle Country Adventures today! My job takes me to some very beautiful places like this one and I get to meet some of the most adorable horses! All 4 horses enjoyed their sessions and lucky Danjoo even had some cupping done today! #lovemyjob #horses #ponies #equinebodyworker #headtotailequinetherapy #trailriding #happyhorses
24.01.2022 Just to keep everyone in the loop, dressings on my hand came off today! All is looking good and healing well! For all those who are wondering what happened... I had multiple benign giant cell tumours removed from my flexor tendon sheath. I am looking forward to this being all healed up so I can get back to work!!
23.01.2022 Following on from my post about Monty's stomach ulcers, let's now talk weight. This was the second thing we really noticed as we removed his guts. Monty did not look fat, in fact some might suggest he needed more weight/condition on. However as you can see by the pictures, yes they are a little confronting, he is carrying a lot of fat. He had a lot of internal fat. Some fat is normal but this is an amount of fat you can call obese. I did send these pics off for an exp...ert veterinary opinion as I wasn't sure what was normal having only done one dissection prior to this. I think these pictures need to make us aware that extra condition on a horse is not always healthy. It looks better to us and makes us feel better but what is best for the horse? Feeding horses can seem like a mine field at times! so if in doubt remember that horses evolved on high fibre/low fat diets :-) See more
23.01.2022 Yawn sequence the lovely Bob yesterday having some good releases after his Equine Touch Session!
21.01.2022 Last week was such a busy week that I had not the time to even look at the pictures I took until today!! Many of last weeks clients headed off to competitions over the weekend and what beautiful weather they all had!! I am enjoying a rare day off today before I hit the road again in the morning, ready for yet another busy week helping your horses feel better and perform better
20.01.2022 So I finally have some free time to share some more pics from Monty's dissection! As I have mentioned previously, we will not know if there is any issues with his spine, cervical, thoracic and lumbar, until his skeleton has been cleaned up. That may take a little while so please be patient while nature takes its course there! Before I share pictures though let's hear a bit about his history. Monty is a 17yo Thouroughbred gelding. He raced, having 12 starts. His owner ha...s had him in her care for 9 years in which time he has been lightly ridden. After quite some time off he was recently brought back into work by an experienced rider with the intention of selling him to someone who would have the time he needs to become a ridden horse once again. Unfortunately Monty showed that he was not open to being ridden again in the way of violent bucking when he was being asked for a little more under saddle. It was decided that he was unsuitable to be ridden and at 17 may be hard to rehome as a companion horse. Therefore the decision to euthenaise was made, which is where I came into the picture. Upon investigation I did find some issues which would have been making Monty very uncomfortable. His muscles were in good health but he did have some asymmetry that we may see some reasons for in his skeleton later on. Some of these are graphic and may be confronting but I feel some of these issues need to be talked about and shared so we can all be made aware of ways we can help our horses live long, healthy lives. As always, thank you so much to Monty's owner for this learning opportunity for us all xxx
20.01.2022 Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE my Brumbies.....this little Brumby mare is just the sweetest, cheekiest, most loveable little girl! Last session she was unsure what to make of this bodywork business. Today was a different story though! If I stopped she told me clearly to stop standing around and get on with it
19.01.2022 A very Merry Christmas to all my wonderful clients! This year has seen lots of regulars continue to support my little business and many new comers too! Your continuing support through what can only be described as the most bizarre of years is truly appreciated xx
18.01.2022 Bliss just loved her Equine Touch session today!! She is the kind of girl who tells you EXACTLY what she likes and doesn't like! So much sass! However in moments like this where she turned her head in to me, checking in on what I am doing, it just makes my heart swell with love I could imagine doing any other job than this!
17.01.2022 The Equine Forelimb! What a fascinating piece of machinery it is! Joined to the trunk by soft tissue only it takes an enormous amount of force on a daily basis! So many muscles in the front half of the horses body overlapping and working together, it is sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees! All credit for these cool pictures has to go to my dad who did all of the knife work, he is not on facebook but let's give him a huge shout out! He has never undertaken such a task but did an amazing job! The first pic is looking from top down, withers at the bottom of the photo and hoof at the top.
16.01.2022 Wow what a weekend I have had!! I was told that I would feel like I have run a marathon and yes that's about right! Silly me back to work today feeling very very tired!! However, what a truly rewarding yet emotional experience!!. We did not get as much muscle off as we had hoped so we will all have to wait for nature to take its course before Monty can tell us if he had spinal issues. He did offer us many insights into his overall health and some reasons why he may have ...been unsafe to ride. Over the next few posts I will share some pictures of the few things that we did find and also just some wondrous beauty that is inside the equine body! The hero of the weekend though has got to be my Dad. He admitted to me afterwards that laying Monty in his final resting place was by far the hardest thing he had ever done and for his bravery and selflessness I will be forever grateful. That he would do such a thing to enable me to carry out something so important to me is very humbling. However, he has also said that despite his reservations that he learned a great deal about our beloved equines this weekend and he was surprised how much he loved the experience.....but please don't ask him to do it again!! So stay tuned for some new posts as Monty tells us his secrets xx Just to get us started.... Have a look at this beautiful picture of a muscle I often talk about...the marvelous cutaneus trunci, commonly known as Fly Shaker! Look at all those fibres and vessels...no wonder it is a sensitive muscle!! See more
15.01.2022 First pics from Monty's dissection last weekend have got to be about that incredible web of connective tissue that hold everything together... Fascia! There are many pictures out there to look at but nothing beats seeing this with your own eyes! The amount of vessels and nerves that weave themselves into this is just mind boggling. There are different types of fascia but all are connected together perfectly. The fly shaker muscle you can see, has come from Monty's abdomen..., cutaneus trunci, it is the very first layer under the skin. You can see the intricate weaving of vessels throughout this muscle. You can now understand why some horses are sooo hyper sensitive over their backs because in some horses this muscle reaches almost to the spine. Monty was very sensitive behind his shoulders where the gullet/pommel of the saddle sits, this muscle covered that area. I also have wondered whether horses can experience myofascial pain similar to Fibromyalgia in humans and whether this muscle may be impacted in that way? Does restriction, hypersensitivity cause a horse to be cold backed? All questions that maybe one day research may give us some answers to! See more
15.01.2022 As part of my service I can check your saddles to see if they may be causing your horse issues. However, I am NOT a saddle fitter so if I see an issue with a saddle fit I will recommend you see a qualified saddle fitter who can go through all these very necessary steps to make sure you and your horse are happy!
15.01.2022 A little therapy for myself tonight! As many of my regulars know, I have 6 tumors in my hand...my right hand...my main working hand! 6 weeks of full weeks have taken its toll, resulting in a very sore, over compensating wrist and arm! Out comes the red light pads, pink goop and cups Don't worry though it's business as usual for me dodgy hand or not I
13.01.2022 Another afternoon where I am thankful for indoor arenas! These 2 half brothers, Bo and Nibs had check up treatments today . Bo has recently been started under saddle so his very proactive owner had him looked over to make sure there were no underlying niggles from that process. Pleased to be able to give him an A++ report card! He was a little wary as it was his first session, he had to figure out what to do with himself while he was feeling so strange! Nibs has been in light work and just needed a check up to make sure he is ticking along ok. Notice the vessels in his face becoming more visible as his blood flow is moving from the bodywork! He is clipped so it is more noticible. These two boys are such a delightful pair to work on!
12.01.2022 Oh my goodness sooooo tired tonight!! Feel like I've been running at full steam for weeks and now hit the brick wall! Work has been crazy busy for the last few weeks with sooo many new clients jumping on board and Monty's dissection thrown in there too! Thank you so much to all those new clients who have entrusted their horses into my care. I look forward to getting to know you and your horses as we go on this journey of "un-peeling the layers of the onion" together! Yes horses bodies are just like onions with sooo many layers and just like onions they sometimes make us cry Right now I think it's time for a glass of Lager and a rest! See you all next week!
12.01.2022 I have many people ask me what it is that I "do" it would take too long to share in one post about all of the things that I "do" and why So over the next few days I will go into a bit more detail about all the different mediums I use and why I love them! Today I kick it all off with The Equine Touch. My first love, the modality that started it all off! In late 2012 I attended my Level 1 Equine Touch clinic. I knew on the first day that I had found what I wanted to do wi...th my life!! The Equine Touch is a non invasive, non diagnostic, holistic form of bodywork. The aim of an Equine Touch session is to bring about a state of homoeostasis in your horses body. It is in this state of homoeostasis or deep relaxation that your horses body is able to reset and begin it's own healing process. The Equine Touch uses a very specific vibrational move in a sequence over acupuncture points, meridian lines, trigger points, ligaments and fascia. It it holistic, always working on the whole horse and not focusing on any 1 area until a complete balance has been given. It is only then that a practitioner may return to areas that were particularly reactive. In many cases upon returning to the painful area it will be found to have released on its own thanks to the wide area that a balance covers. It is the power of that vibrational move which enables release to happen DEEP into the muscles and fascia! I love that this modality never forces the tissue to be a certain way, it suggests quietly that the tissue begins to make changes. I will never get tired of seeing horses relax and melt away their body aches and pains, emotional scars and fears during bodywork treatments. This is what I will do as long as I am able to and as long as you keep asking me to!!
11.01.2022 This is what I call well cooked this lovely girl has had her bodywork session and then went to sleep for a good half hour or so afterwards, untied, while I continued to work on horses nearby. Not a usual occurance for her I am told! It is so nice to be around to see this kind of relaxation after a session. This is exactly what an Equine Touch session aims to do because in this state of deep relaxation or "homeostasis" the body can begin to facilitate it's own healing reaponses
11.01.2022 Many of my clients will have heard me talk about c6/c7 malformation, if you have some spare time I HIGHLY recommend you watch this video! Yes it is long but anyone who is breeding, competing or just owning horses needs to be educated about this issue for your horses wellbeing and your own safety when riding horses that may present with symptoms.
11.01.2022 Next Monty post!!...... This time let's talk joints!!! A few years ago I attended a master class in bodywork with Sharon May Davis, her last one ever...how lucky am I! At this clinic she talked about elbow arthritis and how to spot the signs in our horses. It's actually really easy to see if you know what to look for! It is important to understand that it is a very common if not a dead cert occurance in ridden horses. Interestingly, according to research done by Sharon he...rself through many dissections, non ridden horses do not seem to develop it. How to spot it? Watch the slow motion video of Monty at a walk (video in comments). When going downhill, even slightly, the elbow will have an almost double or slipping action....think ker-clunk! On the flat or uphill this action is not visible. The photos show clearly the wearing in the elbow joint between the humerus,radius and ulna. Monty was 17, had raced, and was lightly ridden so this was not an unexpected find. It is very interesting to see and know what it presents like in our living horses! This arthritis does not seem to cause lameness or soundness issues but I would think a good joint supplement for all ridden horses to be a good idea! See more
10.01.2022 So following on from my First Love post about The Equine Touch, today is about my second love, Red Light Therapy! Just about every session will see me whip out my little Red Light to work on some points. What led me to Red Light Therapy was the fact that some horses are just too sore, traumatised, or fearful to be touched during their first bodywork session. The Equine Touch is a very gentle move but for some horses even that is too much. Enter Red Light Therapy and we ...have a tool which can work on Equine Touch move placements without even having to touch the horse. I have had horses which have needed their first two or three sessions to be done using a combination of Equine Touch and Red Light Therapy before their bodies are ready for a full hands on session. These are rare occurrences but they do happen! Red Light Therapy works by penetrating the skin and stimulating haemoglobin to release nitric oxide. This is an important signaling molecule that dilates the blood vessels which increases circulation, blood flow, and therefore oxygen to the tissues. This enables a faster tissue regeneration and healing. I use a combination of my small red light for targeted points or my larger Red Light Therapy pad for areas such as the sacroiliac region, poll, shoulders etc. Red light therapy is also a great tool for horse owners to work on points easily and safely before and after riding to help keep their horse in tip top shape between bodywork sessions! See more
10.01.2022 A massive congratulations to sponsored rider Lucinda and her family on a very successful weekend out at the 2020 Tasmanian Eventing Championships! Lucinda on Peppa (Lethal Charm) taking 1st place in eva80, mum Carole on Moe (Lethal Choice)1st eva65, and niece Sophie on Missy (Lethal Kiss) taking out 6th eva65! These guys put in a great deal of work to prepare their horses both physically and mentally for competition life. To say I am proud of them all is a huge understatement!!! Well done Lethal team, you guys are amazing and I'm honoured to be sponsoring you xxx
09.01.2022 My last clients before my operation! Bob was energy thieving to the maximum! I think he was cooked before I even started on him Rover loves having his neck treated with the red light pad! Vagus nerve (rest and relax) travels up to the ears which is maybe why this is such a relaxation inducer for many horses!
09.01.2022 A beautiful winters morning treating horses @cradlecountryadventures7304 Today! 4 horses feeling very relaxed and sleepy by the time I was finished!! #equinebodyworker #equinetherapy #theequinetouch #lovemyjob #horsesofinstagram
09.01.2022 Yes! Yes! Yes! Don't be in a hurry, allow your green horses time! Not just young horses but all newly started horses need time and lots of it to learn how their bodies need to work in order to carry a rider.
08.01.2022 You know you've got awesome clients when they meet you at your car on a crisp morning with a hot coffee! #equinebodyworker #equinetherapy #theequinetouch #bestjobintheworld #lovemyjob #bestclientsever
08.01.2022 Anyone with off the track TB's, TB's unraced, Warmbloods, actually all horse owners please read this!! If your horse is showing signs of instability this is a definite possibility! I have attended clinic's with renowned Equine Scientist Sharon May Davis, who found, researched and documented this terrible malformation and have seen affected vertebra with my own eyes. It is not a pretty sight! This is an issue that all horse owners need to be more aware of.
08.01.2022 Thankful for shelter today on a wet Tasmanian winters day! @ashgrove_equestrian_services Imprint and Opal enjoyed their bodywork sessions after both coming back into work from spelling. Imprint recovering from a suspensory injury and Opal after maternity leave! #equinebodyworker #equinetherapy #headtotailequinetherapy #horsesofinstagram #theequinetouch
06.01.2022 What a Friday! 6 horses feeling much better than they did yesterday! The RockPod Cups, Pink Goop and magic Red Light certainly got their workouts today Time to clean them all up ready for tomorrow now!
05.01.2022 When you are working on a horse and look up to see their head almost on the ground, completely relaxed and totally in the R&R zone you know you doing some good! After I had left Cruise proceeded to have many many yawns Thanks to his owner for allowing me to share her photos with you all!
03.01.2022 The day has finally come to get this bugger and 5 others removed!! So as of next Wednesday 18th I will be out of action for a little bit! I am hoping 2 to 3 weeks of convalescing will be enough and I will take take bookings at this stage from Wednesday 9th December Thank you too all clients who have been very understanding in rescheduling bookings at such short notice... I found out today when I have my op so not much time to get organised!! I look forward to seeing you all soon!!
03.01.2022 Ok here we go! .... Straight up is the first thing that we found. One of the first things to do in a dissection is to remove the guts. So of course I opened up his stomach to have a look inside. I wasn't sure if what I was looking at was really bad or just not real good. I knew there were pathologies there but the extent I needed a second opinion on. I sent some photos off to my equine touch instructor who is also an equine anatomy expert and a veterinarian. Among her fir...st words were "too many lesions to count" "grade 4 ulcers". I almost cried when I read that. His poor stomach is a bit of a mess. This would have been causing him incredible pain and his digestion would have been severely impacted. Now, how many of us have heard of and used the acupuncture/acupressure checks for equine ulcers? I for one have, and have told many a client that their horses likely do not have ulcers as there is no positive reactions and vice versa. Please allow me to apologise to both you and your horses xxx Monty did NOT react at all to any equine ulcer points. There was not even a hint of any reaction yet his stomach as you can see is a bit of a wreck. He was on pasture but his hard feed was high in grain content which may have contributed. I think the thing we can take from this is that a horse on pasture 24/7 can still have ulcers! They can still be shiny and putting on weight. If you suspect that your horse possibly has ulcers then please seek veterinary advice xx See more
03.01.2022 **Head To Tail Equine Therapy** is back up and running after extensive hand surgery to remove some benign tumors. It has been a slightly longer road back than expected but has healed well and now feeling good! I am easing my way back into it however, so spots are limited. Please aim to give a minimum week's notice if your horse requires a treatment as the limited spots are filling fast! Thank you all and your horses for your patience in waiting for my return to work, it ...is very much appreciated! Jasmine doing her yoga mid session yesterday love this mare, she always provides some entertainment for us!
03.01.2022 Yesterday I had the pleasure of treating the tallest horse I have seen so far! 18hh Tango, a 4yo Thouroughbred, had his first Equine Touch session! A mounting block was an essential till needed to work on this boy!
02.01.2022 Lots of services offered by Head To Tail Equine Therapy! From Equine Touch sessions, Rocktaping, Cupping, to nutrition advice and much much more! #equinebodyworker #equinetherapy #holistictherapy #foreverlearning #lovemyjob #rocktapeequine #rockpods
02.01.2022 **Dissection post!!** This one was sooo exciting! Nuchal Ligament Lamellar! Did you know that your horse has a wonderful suspension bridge elastic structure which supports the head and neck? Many old anatomy books will show a complete Lamellar (sheet like) portion from c2 to c7, however the reality for the modern horse is that c6 and c7 are missing their part! As you can see here Monty has attachments from C2 to C5 but the area in red is completely missing any Lamellar. Wh...at does this mean for the horse who is asked to collect for long periods of time without correct training to build muscles to support the vulnerable c6 and c7 vertebra? As you can see to the right of the first pic, there is a cord like structure coming from the sheet like Lamellar, this is the Funicular cord part. This runs all the way along to the withers. It is particularly vulnerable when the horse is behind the verticle for prolonged periods of time. It can tear and I have seen it tear during a dissection! Horses that pull back repeatedly can damage the Funicular cord too. Please look after your horses necks! Especially pay attention to young horses, who not only are likely missing this support but also have open growth plates. For the dressage horse paying attention to slow and steady training, building strength and true self carriage is so important to ensure healthy joints and soft tissue for longevity. I hope you find this as fascinating as I did! This was something I was really hoping to see and sooo pleased I am able to share with you! See more
