Lesley Prest Equine Therapist

A slightly different view of the horse's back and where the rider sits......

What is deep-tissue-laser-therapy???

What is Deep Tissue Laser Therapy? - Aspen Laser Deep tissue laser therapy uses high-powered red and near-infrared lasers to promote musculoskeletal healing deep inside the body.

Pelvic Instability in Horses

In canter your horses hind outside leg, at one phase of the gait, is the only leg in contact with the ground. It takes the horses full weight in that moment.

- The horse in the photo is an example of how the hind outside leg is taking the entire weight of the horse and rider at one phase of the canter.

Any pain, imbalance or instability will show up when your horse is on the opposite rein to the hind leg with the issue i.e a problem in the right hind will show up in canter on the left rein.

A horse who is sore or unstable in the hind end may have trouble with maintaining an even rhythmic canter, disunite, struggle to perform collected movements, rush or stop at jumps especially as the height increases, frequently break/trot in canter work, prefer to work on the forehand, drop/trip/glitch/catch or catch in the hind end.

Usually, if the horse struggles with canter on the left rein (because of a right hind issue) it will struggle on the right rein in trot, when the sore/unstable leg is on the inside. (The same pattern happens in reverse).

This instability and imbalance can be caused by many different issues

- SIJ dysfunction
- Pelvic stabiliser tears/strains
- Pelvic stabiliser muscle atrophy
- Improper training and strengthening programme
- Unfit, overweight or underweight horses
- Compensatory patterns coming from issues/pain in other regions of the body
- Rider imbalances
- Old scar tissue or gelding scar pain
- Incorrect saddle fit
- Incorrect or poorly managed hoofcare

🔸 How to we prevent pelvic instability?

It’s important to incorporate pelvic stabiliser strengthening exercises into your riding regardless of what discipline you ride. Lateral movements and trotting poles are the best for this, as well as collected work, lots of transitions and hill work.

When doing this sort of conditioning with your horse you need to be mindful that, because these muscles are weak and underconditioned, it will take time to build and re-strengthen them. These exercises should be incorporated into your training scheduled and should be added in slowly. Horses will feel muscle soreness the same way that we do when they start using muscle groups that they haven’t used in a while.

💢Your horse will not be able to perform these exercises correctly if they have restrictions and soreness in their bodies - it’s best to have them treated by a qualified professional first and then continue with a strengthening and conditioning programme.

If you are a jumper, you must not ignore your flat work! A horse with a strong and stable pelvis will jump in a much more balanced and controlled fashion due to the power they are able to generate from their hind end.

If your horses hooves are not trimmed/shod correctly - long toes, low heels or unbalanced levels etc - your horse will be unable to work in a way that is biomechanically correct and will not be able to strengthen the correct muscles for normal patterns of movement and stability. Just like with who you choose to treat your horses bodies, you should be carefully choosing qualified professionals for your horses hoofcare.

How to Build Up the Hindquarters of a Horse
By Karen S. Johnson

Your horse's hindquarters include several areas such as the pelvis, hip, buttocks, thighs, croup and quarters. The hindquarters must be strong enough to carry his entire body forward with impulsion in everyday riding, but several sport disciplines require significant hindquarter strength. In both Western sports and show jumping, your horse's hindquarters must be strong enough to carry his entire weight during the quick stops and turns that characterize these sports. Strong hindquarters are also essential for collection work.

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Many riding sports require horses to have significant hindquarter strength.
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Riding up and down hills helps your horse physically and mentally.
Step 1
Walk up and down hills. This is one of the easiest ways to build your horse's hindquarters and it offers the horse a break from regular arena work. It also strengthens your horse's abdominal muscles, which helps him utilize his hind end. As your horse's strength progresses, you can add other gaits, focusing on your horse's balance at all times. Ride with a soft rein and make sure you adjust your weight as your horse traverses both up and down. Add more diversity to your horse's exercise regimen by doing hill work on trail rides.

Step 2
Trot over three to five ground poles, set about 5 feet apart. If this is new to your horse, begin by walking over them. Trotting over ground poles is good for overall balance, encouraging your horse to round his back and strengthen his abdominal muscles. Stay in a two-point position so you are off his back and use a loose rein so he can stretch down as he goes over the poles. Once he has mastered this, raise the poles or use adjustable cavalettis that you can set at different heights for even greater conditioning.

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Doing walk/trot and walk/canter transitions helps strengthen your horse.
Step 3
Ride transitions. When your horse has to transition between gaits, he has to get his hind end underneath him and carry himself in a rounder frame. Start with trot to walk and back to the trot, then proceed to canter to walk and back to canter. Make sure you are riding with a soft hand and relaxed seat so that your horse can relax his head and back to get the most out of this exercise. You can also work on transitions within each gait, asking your horse to intermittently lengthen and then shorten his stride.

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Show jumping horses in partiuclar need to strengthen their hindquarters.
Step 4
Set up jumping gymnastics. This is a requirement if your horse is in any type of jumping discipline, as he must learn how to jump with his hind end, rather than throw himself over the jump with his front end. Start small by using a trot pole set about 7 or 8 feet from a small cross rail jump. Set another small jump 18 feet from the cross rail, and then put another pole 17 feet on the other side of the last jump.

Enjoy

Tally .....getting Faradic treatment!

Equine Massage and Faradic Impulse Therapy, will enhanced blood circulation help to relieve muscle tension, reduce bruising and relieve pain, build muscle and encoourage faster recovery.