Anderson Equine Sports Therapy

All resources are available on BETA’s social media to make your winters a little easier and a little healthier.

A big thank you to the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) for having me.

Not long till spring now! 😍🌷🌱

Thank you to everyone who got involved in our BETA Winter of Welfare and Well-being!
We ran this campaign for the first time this year and the support that we got showed how important the issues that we talked about are for the equestrian community.
All resources are available on our social media so you can come back anytime for tips and advice from our experts.

Let’s all keep working to improve our and our horses’ welfare and well-being!

Westgate Labs Kristy Hodgson
Bedmax Tim Smalley
Tracey Cole NLP & Hypnotherapy Dr Tracey Cole
Activate Your Seat Maeve Sheridan
Anderson Equine Sports Therapy Isy Anderson
Olivia Turner Animal Behaviour Consultant & Equine Bitting Specialist Olivia Turner
Tricia Nassau Williams
Ready to Ride Louise Towl
Horse Riding With Confidence Scotland Jane Brindley
Simple System Horse Feeds Ellen Lincoln
All_the_kings_horses_ Dr Diane Fisher
Dengie Horse Feeds
Easibed
Jeffries Saddlery
EQU StreamZ
KBF99

We shared a story earlier today where talked about the effectiveness of therapies promoted on SM, and how it was “marketing” as opposed to “proof”. We shared our own thoughts and the feedback we received prompted us to follow up with this post.

I’ll preface by saying there is nothing wrong with using SM for marketing, we do it!

This is more to remind everyone of the “Instagram v reality” concept…

Now in the image above, there is no way I can convince you that it’s a before and after shot - it’s clearly a different horse!

But if it were the same horse, I could say I’d done x treatment to that horse and immediately their posture changed, pain had resolved and they were symmetrical again. And I would “prove” it by showing 2 pictures side by side. It could only be what I had done to the horse that had caused that change, right?

Well, it could be. But it also could have been a number of different variables, and perhaps a combination of them.

The horse could be standing differently.

The camera angle could be different.

The horse could be more relaxed as their friend is now standing next to them.

They could be more comfortable in my presence in general - regardless of what treatment technique I chose.

Before and after photos/videos taken weeks or months apart I can get behind, as opposed to the same session ones. Those that discuss that change takes time, and that while passive treatments may help short term, long term changes come with a holistic, whole horse approach.

Because in the “reality” version of those photos, the next day the horse may be standing back the way they did in the “before” shot, as while the treatment they had yesterday resolved their pain short term, it’s back again after work today as they still need a saddle fit, or change in their training program.

Practitioners let’s not promote false narratives that a particular treatment is some kind of miracle cure and what you see in one photo or video is reflective of the whole rehab journey- let’s be real about the reality of therapy and rehab, it’s up and down, it takes time and it’s often not simple. By doing this we are better able to set our clients up for success.

🥵🥵☀️ pleasekeep your horses comfortable and safe 🐴

You can follow this link for a clearer view of this information:https://drdavidmarlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DM_HeatwavePoster_A4_EN.pdf

Myth: Protein makes my horse “hot”.

Fact: According to researchers, rapidly fermentable carbohydrates cause so-called “hot” or excitable behavior, not protein. Examples of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates most commonly found in horse feeds are corn, oats, wheat, barley, and milo/sorghum. The body uses protein to maintain and replace tissues and to function and grow. Protein is rarely used by the body as a source of energy. If your horse has a tendency to get “hot” or excitable, look for feeds low in starch and sugars (22% NSC or less is a good rule of thumb).

IS YOUR HORSE FIT ENOUGH FOR THAT FUN RIDE OR CLINIC?

You can't feed for fitness that isn't there.

Getting your horse physically fit for a fun ride, clinic or event will reduce the risk of injury, limit the amount of soreness afterwards (and during), improve their welfare and make it more fun for you both.

It is not fair to the horse to use clinics or fun rides as the reason to get you riding, unless it is very low intensity exercise.

And you will get so much more out of it if your horse is properly prepared.

As a Nutritionist I often get asked about feeding for clinics, fun rides and events, but unless the horse's diet is short/deficient, it is physical conditioning (fitness) that is key.

Doing exercise that we - or our horses - are not accustomed to or trained for makes it much more physically difficult, uncomfortable and can cause significant soreness afterwards, and even injury.

Use that fun ride, clinic or event as your goal, preparing your horse and yourself for it. You'll both have much more fun and gain lots more out of it.

Feel free to share! 🐴🍏

TOOL USE CONFIRMED IN HORSES

A new German study has confirmed that horses do use tools, however the researchers say this is a rare phenomenon.

Scientists once considered tool use one of the features that set humans apart from other animals and a sign of higher cognitive abilities. A ‘tool’ could be defined as any object manipulated by an animal in order to perform a specific task. Use of a tool can be very simple, for example manipulation of a stick to scratch the animal's back, or an animal waving a stick at another to chase them away.

Tool use has never been shown in horses, but research has found many animals use tools quite adeptly – including birds, elephants, primates, rodents and dolphins.

Equine behaviour scientist Konstanze Krueger and her colleagues have identified 13 unambiguous cases of tool use in equids by twelve horses and one mule. As this subject is difficult to research with conventional methods, the team used crowdsourcing to gather data.

From 635 reports, including 1014 actions, the team found 13 unambiguous cases of tool use. Tool use was associated with restricted management conditions in 12 of the 13 cases, and 8 of the 13 cases involved other equids or humans.

The most frequent tool use, with seven examples, was for foraging, for example, equids using sticks to scrape hay into reach. There were four cases of tool use for social purposes, such as horses using brushes to groom others, just one case of tool use for escape, in which a horse threw a halter when they wished to be turned out, and one case of tool use for comfort, in which a horse scratched his abdomen with a stick.

Krueger said it is important to be aware of possible biases in owner reporting when crowdsourcing. “Collecting data with crowdsourcing methods may introduce biases into the data set. We took care to exclude unreliable or biased reports.” The horses’ current or previous caretakers may have unintentionally reinforced behaviour which may not be obvious to those reporting. “Therefore, we take our findings at face value and provide interpretations that would be appropriate for an unbiased data set.

The team concluded “that horses have the potential to develop behaviour involving tool use, particularly to improve their situation when management conditions are restricted, for example for foraging and improving social contact; however, this remains a rare phenomenon.”

I’m sure we’ve all seen horses that take brushes or feed bowls into their mouths and manipulate them, however for this behaviour to be considered tool use it would need to be used to perform a specific task, without the horse having been trained to do this. Is this something you have seen your horse do?

The study is free to access and very interesting, well worth a read: Krueger, K.; Trager, L.; Farmer, K.; Byrne, R. Tool Use in Horses. Animals 2022, 12, 1876. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151876

“HEATSTROKE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY”

I’m compelled to keep posting this. I’ve learned of a number of dogs that have died of heatstroke in the recent heatwave.

If you see a horse or person or dog with heatstroke, then cool them down by hosing/spraying water from the outside or house water supply (usually 10-20°C). It doesn't have to be ice-cold to be effective as long as you put a lot on. You may well save a life!

And yes, I know there is a lot of advice about cooling horses, dogs and people which goes against aggressive cooling and advises ice packs in the groin or armpit and using tepid water! It's outdated and ineffective and if you follow it your horse/dog/person is more likely to suffer permanent injury or worse!

If you don't believe me, then listen to the people who do this for a living with people...

"Active cooling via Cold Water Immersion (CWI) is now the standard of care and should be done immediately. This is a Grade IA recommendation.5 The patient should be immersed in ice water 1 to 3°C." http://www.emdocs.net/heat-related-illness-how-to-cool-em-and-what-to-do-after/

An old post but still very relevant.

The original poster is in fact now a qualified veterinary physiotherapist (congratulations 🥂).

P.s If someone comes out to treat your horse with a mallet… scream and run for the hills!!!! 😱😭

“The Back Man”

I heard, and used, this term a lot when I was younger. I remember having a back man out to my first pony who said her pelvis was “out” and yanked and pulled and prodded and hit her just above the tail with a mallet to put it back “in”.

Knowing what I know now this horrifies me.

As an equestrian community we have evolved over the years, advice has changed, we’ve discovered the truth behind old myths (such as riding on a full stomach causes colic) and adjusted our horsemanship to improve our horses’ quality of life. So why is the back man still a popular choice?

What is his qualification? Is he insured incase of causing expensive damage to your horse? Is your vet happy to have your horse treated by him? A quick google will tell you all you need to know... if you can’t find their contact details, business website/page, qualifications or any information other than the odd Facebook post from a third party organising a visit or an equine forum discussing them then the chances are they are to be avoided.

The problem with therapy is that the titles we use are not protected. I am a certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist, however I could call myself a Veterinary Physiotherapist if I wanted, I don’t because I am not qualified to do so. Not everyone has the same professional integrity. Anyone can call themselves an ESMT, Manipulation Therapist etc but you need a suitable qualification to gain insurance so please, please, please check out who you are going to use is suitably qualified for the therapies they carry out.

Most therapists will cringe when you say “his pelvis/poll/vertebrae was out”. Where has it gone? The pelvis can’t go anywhere and the force it takes to actually put a pelvis “out” is huge. If a pelvis, vertebrae or poll was actually dislocated your horse wouldn’t be standing.
Hitting with a mallet/hammer or indeed jumping from the rafters, yes you read that right, is not an effective treatment for a dislocated pelvis. Furthermore, after working with, and learning from, a qualified equine osteopath I know that to achieve a true realignment the horse should ideally be sedated and several helpers are required to achieve the desired effect.

Time and time again I go behind “the back man” and am heart broken to find he has undone the good work the owner and I have achieved over a number of sessions, or I go out to a new client whose horse he has made sore. Quite often he misses something significant. Sometimes, luckily, he has made no difference at all. Occasionally, there is a miracle story.

Just because someone you respect has recommended this person does not always mean they are qualified and able to do the job they claim to do. Word of mouth is useful when picking a therapist however you must also do your own research, this is how unqualified professionals (farriers and dental technicians included) can be so popular.

I am not writing this post to gain more clients, to shame anyone who has used one or point fingers. I am writing this to try and educate people for the sake of horse welfare. There are excellent, qualified and insured physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths in the field and these therapies work hand in hand with mine.

There is nothing more rewarding in my job than making a difference to the comfort of a horse, we should NOT be causing discomfort and lameness. In the, very unlikely, event that I do cause damage to your horse please rest assured I am insured for this.

COPING WITH A HEATWAVE 🐴🌞

With summer temperatures set to rise here in the UK, here's some info about how to adjust your horse's management, exercise and diet:

> Horses (like us) can struggle to adapt when temperature quickly changes by more than 10 degrees, so this sudden change can be harder for them then a gradual increase up to full summer heat
> Turnout overnight ideally, and consider stabling in daytime if your horse's field lacks shade/shelter. Brick or block stables are cooler than wooden
> Don't assume its only exercise that can cause heatstroke - horses with thick coats can overheat outside without shade
> Take your horse's temperature if in doubt - if over 39 deg, you need to cool them, if over 40 they're at risk of heatstroke and you need to cool 'aggressively' with plenty of cold water over the big muscles, states vet Karen Coumbe
> Ensure clean fresh water is available at all times
> Exercise your horse during cooler periods e.g. early in the morning or late in the evening
> Adjust your horse's exercise routine with reduced duration and possibly intensity too if you're unable to exercise them during cooler periods
> If your horse gets very hot during exercise, cool them with - ideally iced - cold water sloshing or hosing without scraping off (Thermoregulation expert Dr David Marlin has studied the research and concludes that scraping wastes time when aggressively cooling and its more beneficial to keep sloshing cold water onto the horse, not scrape off the hot water, which will run off anyway)
> If you are due to compete in the middle of the day, you'll need to adapt your horse to this but do it gradually
> Use sun protection cream for pink noses/legs
> Consider clipping very hairy horses, especially if you find them sweating standing still
> You may need to increase your horse's salt intake in the feed if they are sweating more
> Watch out for feed and/or supplements going off - especially those with a high oil content - which can reduce palatability
> Don't forget to look after yourself too, with suncream, plenty of fluids and shade!

Please feel free to share.
🐴🍏🌞