SonoVet Equine Therapy in Eudlo, Queensland | Physical therapist

SonoVet Equine Therapy

Locality: Eudlo, Queensland

Phone: +61 438 235 488

Address: Eudlo Rd. 4554 Eudlo, QLD, Australia

Website: https://sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

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• Medical and health
• Physical therapist
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22.01.2022 Very well written Fox Run Equine Center :-) This might be very useful for many of our readers who struggle to give their horses oral medication

22.01.2022 Thick saddle pads food for thought? Many riders use extra thick saddle pads, multiple pads, numnahs , gel pads, raisers you name it Despite the best intentions this can seriously backfire and create more problems instead of helping. A well-fitting saddle used with a thick pad can become too narrow around the shoulder/whither area and hence put pressure on the vulnerable long back muscles, the triceps and the connection between shoulder and thorax, it can also cause the sad...dle to tilt backwards putting pressure on the back muscles behind the rider’s seat. When using multiple pads like a cotton saddle pad plus gel pad or numnah this construction can slip and slide easily and then rub and it prevents the saddle from sitting close and in the right position remember you communicate with your horse also via your seat bones do you think any signal would go through a thick heap of padding? A new fitted saddle is quite an expense hence it is understandable riders are looking for cheaper ways to make a saddle fit but judging by the number of horses with severe movement restrictions and scar tissue due to ill-fitting saddles I see as a therapist and knowing the amount of work (and money) that needs to be put in to get the horse sound again (and motivated and trusting after a period of discomfort and pain ), it might be worth consideration whether a saddle fitting or even if needed another saddle wouldn’t be the cheaper and safer option in the end.

22.01.2022 Our weekend training suggestion for you :-) You need 12 poles and 2 cavaletti/low jumps canter exercise... Have fun :-) www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

21.01.2022 In need for a DIY idea? How about this easy and relatively cheap to build round yard?

21.01.2022 With the wet season approaching quickly you might think about how to protect your electric fence unit and keep it dry - this is such a simple, cheap, yet effective way to protect the unit (or e.g. halters you'd like to have ready near the paddock etc) Just a storage box attached to a post - some holes drilled for the cables to go through and the back (where it is attached) sealed with a bit of silicone

20.01.2022 Things you might consider adding to your FIRST AID KIT (Today is the last day of our special free express shipping Australia wide if ordered with invoice/direct deposit, special not valid for website orders/cc payments) animalNaturpoathics Wound Wash a powerful antiseptic solution (CONCENTRATE to be diluted) with styptic action to help ease bleeding 30ml A$ 45... animalNaturopathics Pain Relief 30ml A$ 45 or 100ml A$ 65 MSM Recovery Gel with MSM, Devil’s Claw, Menthol and more OR (if you are competing and your horse subject to FEI regulations) BioCina Herbal Liniment deeply penetrating gels with fast cooling action, anti-inflammatory and circulation boosting properties to help with soreness, strains, sprains, swelling, tight muscles and more. The MSM Recovery Gel comes in 200ml for A$ 45 or in 500ml for A$ 88.50, BioCina Herbal Liniment comes in 250ml for A$ 40 or in 1L for A$ 125 Iceepak Leg wraps cool your horse’s legs safely and quickly, the wraps are soft and comfortable for the horse to wear, stay cool for long and safely stay in place. Great too as support when traveling on those hot summer days too A$ 125 per pair

19.01.2022 Creating your horse’s favourite place to rest, self-groom and relax the sandpit Rolling is one of the basic needs of every horse. They love to roll, whether t...hat’s in sand or mud. Rolling serves many purposes: it massages the skin, increases blood circulation, tightens the connective tissue, eases mental and physical tension, mobilizes the spine, cares for skin and coat and last, but not least, it is pure joy! Accumulated sweat itches, especially in areas that had been covered during work like the saddle area and where the girth and bridle sit. Offering a sand pit allows your horse to follow its basic need to scratch, stretch, roll and sleep whenever it feels like it. It’s also much easier to groom a sandy horse, than one that is covered in dried mud because it didn’t have a choice between dry sand and mud. Also, especially during changes of season you will find that you have much less shedding coat to remove when grooming your horse the sand already did that for you What matters regarding safety and effectiveness? The area needs to be soft and dry sand, cover at least 25sqm per horse and a round or hexagonal set up is better than a square. Ideally the area is framed by thick logs to keep the sand in and the sand is filled higher towards these logs than it is in the middle, this prevents the horse from rolling towards the outside and accidentally rolling onto the hard logs. Control the area every now and then, moving sand back towards the outer areas, and refill sand when needed. Wood chips or wood shavings can be an alternative to sand but they rot and need to be cleaned and replaced more often and cannot offer the grooming /massaging effect of sand. sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

19.01.2022 Whether you are agisting somewhere and want to make sure your horse gets its daily supplement mix or whether you want to become more organized and premix the daily rations for a week, we think this is a great DIY idea Simply screw the lid of the container to a timber bar/the top of your gear storage etc

16.01.2022 Something for the weekend :-) Brain Training Use poles, soft materials, big rocks, whatever handy, put all in a heap so that distances between objects, thickness and heights vary, then patiently and on a long lead ask your horse to find its way through the maze... The calmer your horse will approach this task, the better are its coordination skills which are being controlled by the cerebellum, the more nervous and rushing your horse approaches this task the less developed this part of the brain is. Flight instinct sets in earlier if the horse’s ability is challenged by the task because the situation decreases its ability to escape in case of danger. Calmly and patiently ask your horse to go through the maze a couple of times especially if it struggles with the task or becomes worried and nervous. Improvement should show with every repetition as new connections in the cerebellum are established each time. If the horse struggles to calm down, reduce the number of obstacles until the horse feels safer. Once your horse masters the task without worry or hesitation you can ask the same to be done in trot (you might want to increase distances between the obstacles a bit for that though)

16.01.2022 DIY cavaletti - easy as... :-)

13.01.2022 New range of naturopathics now available from SonoVet Equine Therapy I would like to introduce these 2 products of our new range of naturopathics to you: Pain Relief - A combination of analgesic and anti inflammatory herbs have been used to ease conditions which result in pain... 30ml $ 45 , 100ml $ 65 - with naturopathics you only need a few drops each time, so these will last a long time Wound Wash - antiseptic solution with styptic action to ease bleeding 30ml $ 45 Also in our range: Detoxify Allergy Move+ (great for horses suffering movement restrictions caused by tight muscles, wear & tear, arthritis etc) Please check out the range and product descriptions on our website www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

12.01.2022 DIY hay feeder :-) love this idea! Cut out the top so hay can be easily put in and keep the cut out to create a lid which can be secured with a bar running across and pushed under 2 sides of the top rail of the crate

12.01.2022 Power-exercises :-) STRENGTHENING THE HORSE’S BACK A strong back is key for the ridden horse. So let’s talk about some targeted exercises that will help you str...engthen your horse’s back, and keep it fit and healthy. The first step to riding a horse is targeted muscle building in the areas that are key to supporting the rider’s weight. If we put a rider on a weak, untrained back, then as soon as the rider’s weight comes down the horse’s back gives way so to speak. In the absence of muscles to support the weight, the horse’s back and abdominals will lower toward the ground, like a suspension bridge. Over time, this posture leads to significant tension and pain, leading to a horse that’s not just unwilling to perform, but in fact unable to perform. So it’s essential that we look after our horse’s back, and build the topline so it can support the weight of the rider without damage or pain. Below some exercises you can use to build strength through your horse’s back. TRANSITIONS Transitions generally are absolute gold for the back provided they are done well. That means maintaining a fluid forward movement, and really getting that power flowing from the back end (the motor) through the body. In contrast, transitions that do more harm than good are those that are performed against the rider’s hand, that don’t maintain a good forward movement, and that are riddled with tension and anxiety. Elasticity in transitions is key. When warming up and or riding green horses, start with the more simple transitions between gaits, like walk-trot, trot-canter, etc. Later, you can incorporate more complex transitions, like walk-canter, halt-trot, etc. as well as transitions within the gaits (lengthening and shortening of strides). By lifting the back, transitions build strength through the lumbar area and through the hindquarter; they help stabilise the chest and shoulders, relieve strain on the neck, and also build strength through the abdominals. Transitions will also help your horse learn to keep more weight on the hindquarters, giving them more push and freeing up the shoulders for that beautiful expressive movement. REINBACK The reinback helps increase the horse’s ability to collect and strengthens the hindquarters. To realise these positive effects, focus less on the number of steps taken, speed, or frequency, and more on correct execution. The horse has to move backwards in a two-step diagonal rhythm. The horse has to stay relaxed and supple whilst following the aids. Keep in mind, by nature horse’s will seldom walk backwards more than a couple of steps, so approach the reinback with patience and consideration. And when your horse does perform the exercise well, make sure you are giving lots of praise and recognition. When your horse gets comfortable and strong in the reinback on the flat, try doing the reinback up a gentle slope. This will give you maximum strength training for the back. Be careful though! Keep in mind this is a very intense exercise, so be sensitive and feel your horse’s limits, and don’t overdo it. Once your transitions and your reinback are on track, and you and your horse are feeling confident, you can move on to trotting on straight from a reinback. This exercise is a challenging combination of collection and forward impulsion. When performed correctly this is gold for the horse’s strength throughout the hind and lower back in particular. During this exercise the horse has to really sit on its hindquarters, and push its own weight and the rider forwards and upwards. In human terms, think of doing a really low squat, and then jumping forward and up from that position. This is a great workout for strengthening the hindquarters, lumbar spine, and abdominals, and also helps balance, impulsion and suppleness. BENDING EXERCISES Any bending and flexion shortens the muscles on the inside, and therefore of course one side of the long back muscle, and lengthens those on the outside. In this way bending improves the mobility of the joints in the hindquarters, as well as improving suppleness and load bearing abilities. In the long run, this will also help you with collection and straightness. When trying to build strength through the back, make sure you are frequently changing the bend, to change up the side that is bearing the bigger load, and where the muscles are being worked harder. By alternating this, you are always allowing one side to rest a little bit, whilst pushing the other. This is a safer and more effective way of building muscle. Depending on strength and education levels, start with big loops and circles, figure of 8’s, etc. Over time, move to smaller ones, serpentines, and eventually lateral work. The lateral work will then also help mobility through the shoulders. CANTER WORK Many horses do nowhere near enough canter work. But the canter is so important for the horse’s back! The natural locomotion of the canter means that there is a point where all four legs are moving upwards toward the rump. This is unique to the canter. This means the abdominals are automatically being engaged and the back is lifted. This means both the abdominals and the back are getting a fantastic workout, without really having to do any sort of mentally or balance-wise complex exercise. To maximise these effects, make sure you are getting a rhythmic, forward and supple canter from your horse even if that means letting go of this idea of it being pretty, and just letting the horse enjoy a nice, forward, natural canter on a longer rein. CHANGING HEAD & NECK POSITIONS Try and get lots of variety in the frame you’re asking for. Alternate between shortening and lengthening of the neck, long-and-low work and more of an upright frame, etc. This will not only encourage suppleness, and help you ensure you’re building up the neck muscles evenly, but also help build muscle through the back. By alternating the muscle groups being worked, you can help avoid over-doing it on one set, and causing damage or excessive tension. If you are always looking for the forward and down posture, you run the risk of the horse moving too much weight onto the forehand, and over time this will prevent the horse from stepping under with the hind, and move the centre of gravity toward the forehand rather than the hind where we want it. In contrast, always riding in a more upright frame will excessively strain the neck muscles, which will make the long back muscle compensate. This will lead to an overworked long back muscle, causing tension, pain and back problems. Therefore it’s important we work our horse in different frames, but we need to be sensitive to the horse’s ability and fitness. Of course some frames will be physically and mentally harder than others, so we need to ensure we are conducting our training in alignment with the horse’s ability. Educated and fit horses can maintain the more upright frame for longer periods of time, but young or unfit horses need more time in a longer and lower frame to be able to build muscle, with just short intervals in the shorter more upright frame. If you notice your horse suddenly tends to fall behind the vertical, avoid the contact, grind their teeth, or swish their tail, these can be signs that the muscles are getting tired and it may be time for a break. A break can be active (continuing to work but in a longer, more relaxed frame), or passive (walking on a long rein). By alternating between different frames, you help prevent overexertion of, and damage to, muscle groups through tension, lack of oxygen, or excessive acidity. Further, you encourage and increase the circulation throughout the back muscles, and mobility throughout the spine. CAVLETTI Going over cavaletti invites the horse to stretch gently forwards and downwards toward the contact. Further, the horse must lift the legs more actively as they go over the cavaletti, and bring the hind further underneath them toward their centre of gravity. This means the horse has to lift the entire topline, and move much more actively through all its legs, and through its shoulders. In that way, cavaletti are a great allround workout, and a really simple and gentle way to strengthen the back and increase elasticity. GYMNASTIC JUMPS All horses should, at least occasionally, be ridden over small obstacles. Not only does this provide some variety in their training, but it also encourages looseness throughout the back. Green or unfit horses should not be jumping too high though, as this can easily overexert a number of muscle groups, especially during the landing, and that will be counterproductive. Small obstacles, ridden in an active but calm, rhythmic canter, are a great gymnastic exercise for horses in any discipline. Watch out that your horse stays supple and relaxed in the approach, gets a nice bascule over the jump, and follows on from the jump in the same rhythmic pace and gently on the contact. In this way you can maximise the positive effects of the jump on the horse’s muscle building. HILL WORK For horses with back issues, or simply to help prevent back problems, trail riding and specifically a lot of uphill and downhill work is ideal. Uneven ground and going uphill and downhill strengthens and encourages flexibility in muscles, joints, and ligaments, in a way that is hard to achieve in our normal arena work. Going uphill, the horse really has to move weight onto its hindquarters, and actively engage them to push its body weight and the rider forward. During this, the horse will automatically lower the neck and position itself in a more stretched out frame over the topline. This is excellent strength training. Going downhill, in contrast, the horse will instinctively adopt a more upright position, and move its hindquarters further underneath itself toward its centre of gravity, so as not to fall forwards. With all of these exercises, keep in mind your horse’s ability, strength, and physical health. Be sensitive to their needs and make sure the challenges you’re setting are mentally and physically well aligned with them. Happy Riding! www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

11.01.2022 For those of you living on the Sunshine Coast An awesome workshop you don't want to miss :-) Learn about anatomy and biomechanics in a fun workshop - and gain deeper knowledge and understanding about what is happening inside when you are riding, why a horse might struggle with a task for example or which factors can limit or increase the horse's performance. More details see flyer attached as comment

10.01.2022 Remember the post we did about using potties as cavaletti risers? Kimberly came up with a great idea - making them much more stable (much less stack-able though for storage). She filled the potties with gravel or rocks and covered the top with plaster Erin just commented that you could make little sand/rock bags that you can take out when you stack them - fabulous idea! Thank you Erin <3

08.01.2022 Stable DIY Hay Steamer Steaming hay prior to feeding is important for horses that suffer dust allergy, have respiratory problems, weak immune systems etc. Hot s...team kills fungi and bacteria and binds the dust - but hay steamers are quite an investment not all of us can afford. Here is a way to build your own hay steamer. What you need is a large bin, a bit of metal material and a steamer (like the ones used by renovators to get wall paper off the walls) - all available at hardware stores like bunnings & Co. build a small metal frame with a grid rost on top to fit into the bin so that it sits about 300mm above the bottom - this is where you put the hay later on. Then drill a hole below, fit a hose connected to the steamer and - TRALAAAA - here's your very own cost effective hay steamer :-) Kelly made a very important point suggesting to add a thermometer to make sure to steam the hay to an internal temp. of > 180 !

08.01.2022 That's what our soaked horses would love right now I bet! DIY horse solarium using infrared breeding lamps :-) What a terrific affordable idea to help muscles relax and so much cheaper than the commercial horse solariums

07.01.2022 Why we choose NervoMag and recommend it for anxious, overly excitable, worried horses Over the past 20+ years we at SonoVet have been working with a clientele s...tretching from the world’s most successful showjumping rider of all times and the world’s dressage elite, such as Ludger Beerbaum, Luciana Diniz, Lars Nieberg and Isabell Werth, endurance riders to young pony club riders and pure leisure riders. We have dealt with horses that have to face enormous stress, traveling the world and being on airplanes more often in a single year than many of us have been in a life time. They are subject to a constant change of environment, strenuous exercise and competition, all of which puts huge pressure on the physical and mental state of horses and creates a constant risk of injury of body and mind. From experience, it’s slow and steady training, keeping in mind the horse’s physical and mental ability, well-fitting gear, good handling and nutritional support which differentiates those very successful horses, horses that stay healthy through all this from those ending their never really started career by the age of 10 due to permanent structural damage or simply because they are deemed as unrideable. In our opinion especially young, inexperienced horses or older horses that have been brought on and driven to perform too quickly, as well as those who have been overfaced and suffer from physical and mental tension, worry and anxiety, need to be brought back into a physical and mental state where re-training can be done successfully. This takes time and often some extra support bear in mind you are not dealing with a blank canvas but with one that has already been drawn on and where you need to erase the damage done. Once the horse has overcome the tension and worry and is able to focus again you will find that re-training is much easier and faster. BioCina products like NervoMag and Joint & Ligament Support have always been a vital part of our treatment plans and always will be. We find that not just the quality and purity of supplements play a major role when it comes to efficacy, but so does the composition, the ingredients and their ratio to each other. BioCina uses only human grade, clean, pure ingredients and they choose natural forms over the cheaper artificially created ones. BioCina does not skip the more expensive ones because it would impact the efficiency of the product. For example if the range of amino acids wasn’t complete, or the amino acids were artificial or of poor quality, the supplements would be nowhere near as effective. Like with everything - in the end you get what you pay for. We are committed to delivering the very best to our customers, so that is what we expect from the supplements we recommend too nothing less will do - and we are here for our customers with personalized help and advice 7 days a week, going much beyond just selling a tub of supplements. NervoMag is exclusive to SonoVet and available at www.sonovetequinetherapy.com.au

06.01.2022 Sage for Horses The name sage is derived from the latin word salvus = healthy and sage is of benefit for digestion, guts, skin, the immune system, and the respi...ratory system. It contains bitters, flavonoids, etheric oils, tannins, and resins. Sage is known for its high anti-bacterial effect and acts as an anti-inflammatory used internally or externally. It can help with excessive sweating, help fight viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It can be fed to help with digestive issues such as gastritis and diarrhea, with inflammations of the respiratory system or inflammation of gums and irritated/ inflammatory skin conditions. Applied to the skin it supports the body’s immune response to skin conditions like greasy heel, eczema, itchy skin, and fungal issues. It speeds up the healing process. But be careful: sage can jump start labour, so should NOT be given to pregnant mares and it might cause stomach upset if too much sage is fed. Like with all herbs, medications etc if your horse doesn’t need it don’t feed it! Suggested dosage Ponies: internal use 25g fresh (or equivalent amount of dried sage) Horses (500kg+ ) 50g fresh (or equivalent amount of dried sage) Tincture: Use 30g sage leaves and boil with 500ml water, let cool and store in the fridge. Apply directly to the affected skin areas. How to make sage-vinegar: Put fresh sage leaves into a glass jar, fully (!!!) cover with apple cider vinegar and store in a warm place for 4 weeks, then filter off the leaves and fill the vinegar into a brown (dark) glass jar. It should be good to use for about one year and being helpful with skin issues and fungal infections (apply 2-3 times per day to affected areas) is a valuable addition to your first aid kit. www.sonovet-equine-therapy.com

03.01.2022 New on our website :D :D :D :D The end of the fly-face :D :D :D I don’t know about your horse, but ours absolutely hate being sprayed in the face whether I try to cover their eyes and ears or not (honestly, can we blame them? I don’t love things being sprayed in my face either). And I am always worried with sprays that some might get in their eyes, cause irritation, sting and hence give them more reason the be scared of sprays. This non irritant Insect Repellent comes in a... bottle with a soft application brush on top. The gel provides highly effective protection for your horse against horse flies, blackflies, mosquitos and midgees. The light cooling effect provides additional wellbeing on hot summer days. The emulsion with natural lemon eucalyptus stays perfectly on the horse’s coat without dehydrating the skin. It provides immediate and powerful protection and lasts up to 8 hours even during exercise. Suitable for performance and competition for horse AND rider. 200ml A$ 35 https://sonovetequinetherapy.com.au//cxevalo-insect-repel/

01.01.2022 Exciting news out of Germany this month! Promising developments in the research of treatments for equine skin cancers. A recent study conducted in Germany has confirmed that active ingredients derived from the bark of plane trees and birch trees has the potential to effectively fight malicious skin tumours in horses. ...Continue reading