Prime Equine

Equipod is on sale y’all! You all know how passionate I am about the results I have seen and experienced with my Equipod, as have many others. Last week I found even another use for it, with the pain management setting and the farrier.

Bear has EPM and some issues in his back, which can make him fidgety for the Farrier when working on his hinds. I decided to try the Equipod during his reset and the Farrier without knowing what the machine did said “wow he is being so much more settled today and easier to work with his hind feet”

I use the Equipod multiple times a week on my horses and if I skip sessions, I can definitely feel it in their bodies. I also use it as a body worker with horses who are in a lot of discomfort, it seems to take the edge off, so I can do better work with my hands.

In addition to my affiliate discount, Equipod is also offering an additional $50 off and an extra bottle of gel. every barn should have one, they are so simple and easy to use, I’ve had multiple microcurrent machines in the past, but this one takes the cake!

https://www.myequipodusa.com/product/equipod-therapy-system-korband-affiliate-only-bundle/ref/adellestewart/ 

I saw a post a few weeks ago that was giving out tips & tricks for a horse who has a “difficult lead”– of which none of the solutions resonated with me.

While it’s true a lot of horses naturally have a preferred “side”– it’s not to the same degree we experience as humans.

Biggest reason - We move on two legs, horses move on four.

This creates a completely different baseline of balance and preference. Horses may still show preferences from one side to the other, but they are not naturally (or should not be) as uneven as we tend to be. With that being said- sometimes the rider’s own patterns can amplify that preference, or create the issue entirely.

But when a horse struggles immensely on one lead under a very balanced rider or out in the pasture, that tells a different story. They can lope off smooth and balanced to the right, but the left - the head pops up, the body braces, the back inverts. Maybe they rush into the lope or launch into it instead of stepping through.

If nothing changes at the hands of the rider, maybe the message gets louder. A head shake, kicking out, & if they need to yell– maybe a buck.

That is not attitude. It is the body saying something is stuck.

Having recently attended a dissection it has become even more clear that restriction can start or show up from anywhere.

Fascial pull. Hyoid tension. Rigid ribcage. Stuck sternum. Braced diaphragm. Medical diagnostics can’t pick this up on imaging but trust me, it’s there.

When one piece of the horse’s body is restricted, they are magicians at reorganizing their body around the limitation.

So when a rider “collects them up,” disengages, side passes, reverse arc’s, takes their head to the outside, changes bits, drags them into a stop or adds any other gimmick– they are creating even more dysfunction for the horse to work around.

Inability or “attitude” is simply the horse trying to speak to us. And: the answer to a difficult lead is rarely more loping.

When I have a problem at the lope, I usually find the issue in the walk. Most of the time they need to open and lengthen at the poll, find lateral flexion at the AO that makes the spine fall in line. Maybe sprinkle in some gentle abduction & ensure they have access to all the important points in their body to do a lead departure. My list goes on, & will never include punishment for not picking up a lead

If you want to know how to use the walk more effectively in your workouts, comment “walk” to be the first to know when my new course “Work the Walk” launches early next year!

This all day on repeat, for reasons mentioned plus a million more.
Stop disengaging the hindquarters if you want more sound horses

Take care of the horse's stifles! Even though "disengaging the hindquarters" is a popular technique when training young or unschooled horses, it taxes the stifles and often leads to soreness and dysfunction. Stifles are not designed well for sideways movement of the limbs.They must first be made stable and strong with forward, balanced work. Otherwise, not only is the stifle joint compromised, but the supporting musculature which originates from higher up the pelvis and lower back is also strained. The result is often inflamed joints, diminished range of motion, and poor use of the hind limbs. So, at the risk of being controversial, I would encourage all of us to avoid disengaging the hindquarters in an unfit horse.

"The thoracic sling and the corset system are mutually dependent:
• The sling suspends the thorax, reducing downward load on the forelimbs and axial skeleton.
• This suspension allows the deep abdominal and thoracolumbar corset muscles to maintain tension without being overloaded by unsupported weight.
• If the sling is tight or weak, the corset must compensate, creating overactivation or stiffness in the obliques, transverse abdominis, and spinal stabilizers."

Because horses lack a collarbone, the only bony attachment they have to the ground is the hind end. 🦴

The front limbs act like pillars, while the ribcage hangs suspended between them by soft tissue known as the thoracic sling.

When the sling isn’t properly developed, the ribcage begins to drop. 🩻

Now: add a poorly fitting saddle.

If the gullet is too narrow or the bars are at the wrong angle, the horse may respond by sinking their ribcage even further to relieve the pressure and pain. Over time, this becomes their default posture.

It’s one of the most common things I see in horses labeled “no withers,” “mutton-withered,” or “bum high.”

This posture is common – but not normal. The horse has lost the ability to lift through the sling and ribcage.

The first step to helping them isn’t a new pad or more shims. It’s a wider gullet, a broader bar angle, and exercises that build sling strength from the ground up.

When the ribcage lifts, everything else - posture, comfort, and performance, starts to follow.