WA Racehorse Bodywork | Product/service
WA Racehorse Bodywork
Phone: +61 481 468 820
Reviews
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20.01.2022 Hi Guys, Just a quick note to say how sorry I am to have had to cancel sessions in the last few days... I have had tendonitis in my thumb, much much better with a few days rest and some cortisone Back to it next week!
18.01.2022 DOES YOUR HORSE HANG? Whilst there are MANY reasons a horse can hang, today I want to talk about one potential cause...... UNEVEN HEELS Have a look at your horse's feet.... does the near side look the same as the off side? Or is one heel high and one heel low? HIGH HEEL/LOW HEEL...the lowdown Often one heel will be higher than the other. Obvious enough for an average person to see. It is 'generally' not the high heel which is the problem, but the low one. By having one heel significantly lower, the angles of the major joints in the leg are changed considerably, causing all sorts of potentially performance destroying chain reactions through the horse's body. My personal experience of training riding horses over the last 25 years has taught me that if I feel a horse leaning or grabbing one rein, with a neck that sometimes refuses to bend in one direction, the problem most likely STARTS with a low heel. With pacers, the horse who hangs consistently in all work (jogging and fast work) particularly around the bends consistently in one direction, has a high heel / low heel issue. Explaining some of the main effects of HH/LH for the riding horse and the pacer.. *The low heel side of the horse straight away has more weight on all of the joints, increasing uneven wear and tear *The low heel side joints are in general, more 'open' meaning tendons and ligaments are now put under more stress as they are in a more stretched position and under more pressure *The low heel side is almost always accompanied by a bulging shoulder, trapezius, and base area of the neck *The horse almost always will want to bend AWAY from the low heel... which in many (but not all) cases will mean pronounced hanging. DEALING WITH HH/LH Pay attention to your farrier's work. Bring it to his attention. Toes should be the same length (SHORT!!!!!!!) and heels should also be as close as possible to the same. If there is a big difference, make a gradual change. This HH/LH issue starts in the FOAL. Get your foals trimmed regularly and properly! If a horse is left until they are mature to start working on HH/LH, you may make a little bit of a positive difference, but by now, the joints, tendons, ligaments and muscle have been pretty much negatively affected forever, never able to be FULLY normalised. This should not prevent you from still gently evening up the hooves over a number of shoeings, and getting body work to help relieve tension as required. For the riding horse, flexions under saddle can be IMMENSELY helpful in keeping the 'stiff' low heel side more supple and creating meaningful changes in the horse's muscles on the low heel side (see riding picture for example of flexions. Note the poll is level and the nose is not bent around to one side). For the pacer, shoeing is absolutely the most important thing you can pay attention to to get maximum performance and straightness from your horse.
14.01.2022 Hi All, Just a quick update. As some of you know I have had issues with tendonitis in my wrist which has meant I had to stop treatments for some time.... I'm back feeling good and treating my own horses, so I am happy to do treatments again around Byford Trotting complex. Please note there is a 2 horse minimum, $25 per horse. Text or phone Bec 0481 468 820(leave a message I'll get back to you) or grab myself on the trotting track to discuss
09.01.2022 MUSCLE OF THE MONTH THE HAMSTRINGS (biceps femoris, semitendinosus & semimembranosus) The three muscles that make up the HAMSTRINGS play a huge part in driving the horse forward through his hind end.... Hock soreness can affect the hammies, causing them to tighten, which then causes a chain reaction through the hind end and back. If you get your horse's hocks jabbed, consider that in order for this treatment to be as effective as possible, it is likely that his hammies will need treating through massage and stretching too... Tightness in this muscle group ultimately effects things like action and stride length...two hugely important factors in pacers. I can help with loosening tight hammies, improving circulation, start the process of repairing muscle tears with red and infrared light therapy and also stretching. Book a treatment now! Bec 0481468820
08.01.2022 HARD TRACKS CAUSE MORE THAN JOINT ISSUES..... Summer means hard tracks...and that is most commonly associated with a higher level of joint pain, hoof problems, and studies also suggest, soft tissue strains. Simply put, if your horse is fast working and racing on a hard track, you can expect compensation to happen through the soft tissue of the horse as a result of concussive forces through the hoof, bones and joints.... Regular treatments will help identify and manage muscle soreness, tightness and help prevent tears and other injuries. Call or message Bec to book a regular visit to your team...treatments are just $20 per horse. 0481468820
