Physio for Fours

18/01/2017

We continue to add to Horse Side Vet Guide almost every day, and those of you with the app continue to have a resource that gets better and better!

We just added two new muscle images to QUICK REFERENCE. That means that these images are always on your phone, with or without Internet, for your reference!

Here is one of the new images. In this image, I try to show you the most important muscular and tendinous structure of the horse's leg, when viewed from the side.

Please give me some feedback. Do you like this image? Any suggestions?

To learn more about the world's best equine health app, click here! http://horsesidevetguide.com/the-hsvg-smartphone-app

06/10/2016

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Editing to preface this post with wise words from Caroline Larrouilh of ProudHorse Connections and Georgia Lillie of Wolbunya Equine:

"Read, think, agree or disagree, do more research, take an anatomy course or read a book...all food for thought!"

"FACT: You need to be aware of this information; how you act upon it is entirely up to you."

I was holding off sharing this one until I could write a longer piece, but with too many other things to do, the time never arrived. I'm sharing it anyway, in the hope it encourages others to learn and decide how they can apply these things in a way that works for them.

The post was inspired by the mare these bones belong to, who demonstrated how late even an average size horse can have open growth plates through the base of the neck. Just shy of her eighth birthday, she had caudal physes still open to varying degrees, all the way from C5-T3.

Along with several others in my bone library (and another post in its own right) she also demonstrated how asymmetry and crookedness can impact upon the lasting shape of the bone by warping the plates during closure. Asymmetry breeds further asymmetry.

Read the poster however it applies in your world and take what you wish; just keep it civil, please! These statements are not intended to be read any particular way; they are meant to make you think about how you can best preserve your horse's soundness in a way that works for both of you.

For the best full length piece out there on the topic of skeletal maturity in horses, please read Dr Bennett's "Ranger" Piece - the link is below, and you will find a wealth of free resources on anatomy on the www.equinestudies.org home page!

"All horses of all breeds mature skeletally at the same rate... No horse on earth, of any breed, at any time, is or has ever been mature before the age of six (plus or minus six months)."

~ Dr Deb Bennett, "Ranger" Piece
(Timing & Rate of Skeletal Maturity in Horses)
www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

"Bones don’t move muscles; muscles move bones.
And if things are not moving properly, muscles will CHANGE bones."

~ The Secret Life Of Bones: Reflections on training, injury, and the equine skeleton as dynamic, living tissue
http://www.foundationsofsoundness.com/secret-life-of-bones/

Further reading:

Low Heel/High Heel Syndrome
http://www.drkerryridgway.com/articles/article-hl-heel.php

Ridgway/Mendez Clinic Report
http://www.foundationsofsoundness.com/ridgwaymendez-clinic-report-integrative-medicine-intuitive-training-accessing-the-mindbody-connection-through-the-fascia/

The Congenitally Crooked Neck
http://www.foundationsofsoundness.com/congenitally-crooked-neck

29/08/2016

Carrot stretches for horses are easy and fun to do.
Best to try to get your horse to try and hold the stretch for 8 seconds and repeat 3 times each side.

24/08/2016

28/04/2016

Here is our Quick Reference image of the bones and joints of the hind limb. 15 other images like this are always on your phone when you have the Horse Side Vet Guide Smartphone app, with or without Internet. Learn more here. http://horsesidevetguide.com/the-hsvg-smartphone-app

07/02/2016

MYTH: Time heals all wounds.

REALITY: Not quite...

A triceps tear in a 12yo gelding diagnosed with wobblers syndrome. While he exhibited instability in the shoulder and elbow joints of both forelimbs, the inability to activate the triceps adequately on the right side exaggerated gait changes in the right forelimb, with the scar tissue visibly shifting and straining during movement.

A skilled bodyworker can assist in the healing process by addressing areas of compensation in posture and soft tissue, speeding up healing by improving circulation to the area, and reducing the development and restriction of scar tissue - which, in turn, will reduce the impact of secondary restriction (or instability) in the joints, soft tissue and fascia.

04/02/2016

Montreal Botanical Garden. So beautiful

04/02/2016

We love these anatomy charts from Horse Side Vet Guide.
Here's a diagram of a horse's hind-end bone structure. Find it on our 'Horse Health' board at pinterest.com/hrsrdrmag.

01/02/2016

"Just a kink in the neck, or something more? What is it that we are really seeing and feeling in our horse’s bodies?"

What clues do you think you might find in a horse with changes like these? What might they have difficulty with in training? Can you think of any possible inciting factors?

There are no wrong answers - this page is intended to make you think and question, so that you can do the same as an advocate for your own horses or clients.

There are many facets (pardon the pun) to this particular case, which will be revealed piece by piece... But this is a good place to start, because it is a troublesome area in many performance horses

Hint: I find issues here most commonly in a) dressage horses and b) harness racing horses...

"Is a bulge in the neck just “out” or temporarily misaligned? Is it a muscle that is overdeveloped, or stuck in contraction? Or, are the bones actually in bigger trouble than we might think?

In becoming aware of what we are really feeling underneath the skin, we can make informed decisions about how to manage the problem..."

To see another case of changes in this area that correlated to palpable issues on the surface, check out this piece: http://www.foundationsofsoundness.com/just-a-kink-in-the-neck-or-something-more-what-really-lies-beneath/

31/01/2016

Good-quality ultrasonography is reasonably reliable for detecting PSD, but it underestimates the presence of adhesions.