The Osteopathic Vet

19/10/2026

Really interesting conference hosted by TriDent Equine Dentistry.

It was held on Saturday in Doncaster at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Lots of great speakers and great to catch up with everyone.

Another great conference hosted by Martin Brookes.

TriDent Equine Dental Conference

16/10/2026

What a week working through the South West.

Sunday and Monday I was working through Hampshire, Dorset and Devon.
Monday night was the lovely talk with Tina Fitzgibbon (biomechanics superstar).

The rest of the week has been slowly working my way up to Wiltshire via Somerset, Bath and Bristol where I also met up with the super talented Sara Lentini (barefoot trimmer magician).

I will next be in the area mid to late January.
If you would like an appointment please let me know.

11/10/2026

Get them curious whilst they're young....my boy William.
He's absolutely edible 🥰

09/10/2026

A crisp Autumnal week in The New Forest.

Our Whole Horse Team worked together at Coppermead Equestrian BH25 5TT.
Mark Bailey (Equine Podiatrist) worked on balancing the feet, Fiona Pimm addressed dental balance and I worked osteopathically on the body. Lorraine Dearnley assisted with dietary help.

We will next be back at Coppermead on Mon 11th January and working around The New Forest that week.
Oh and we are in the process of arranging an evening talk that week too....

Next stop...Devon and the South West!

02/10/2026

☆super cool evening talk....in Devon ☆

I'll be joining Tina Fitzgibbon of Equichanics together to talk about The Importance of the Equine Lower Back for Performance, and how Poles and Jumping can promote Postural Health.

7pm on 12/10/26 in Cheriton Bishop Village Hall, EX6 6JA.

More details in the link below but some of the aspects we will be discussing are centred around the concept that the equine lower back acts as the crucial bridge that transmits power from the hindquarters to the front end during movement.

Problems in this area directly limits stride length, lateral bending, and engagement, often masquerading as “behavioural issues” or poor performance.

Healthy posture is a state of musculoskeletal balance that protects the supporting structures of the body against injury or progressive deformity. Poles and jumping can help with this when you look at the structures they affect, and how changes in presentation create different outcomes for those structures.

Arrive at 19:00pm for a 19:30pm start. Talks will finish at approx 21:30pm. There will be a 15 minute break between talks.

The Importance of the Equine Lower Back for Performance, and Poles & Jumping for Health. opens on 12th October 2026. This South West based horse event will take place at Cheriton Bishop Village Hall, Yeoford Road, EX6 6JA.

02/10/2026

A lovely week through Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Southern Yorkshire.

I started the week at Valley Farm ST18 9FB then on to Overnewbold Equestrian S41 9RP. Both treatment venues had some great cases.

Then up towards Sheffield before making my way back down south.

I'll next be in the area the week of 5th January. If you'd like an appointment, please let me know.

26/09/2026

A lovely week working throughout Kent then finishing up at the monthly treatment venue in Warwickshire (Featherbed Stables CV37 9UQ) with Dan Wain.

Great cases and some wonderful results. The beautiful grey mare below has come on leaps and bounds through her owner's dedication.

Also pictured is a new case at the Warwickshire venue. A sweet young gelding needing some help.
Dan Wain and I work together on our cases. Dan looking at the inhand and ridden biomechanics whilst I assess and treat osteopathically.
I look forward to seeing his improvements.

I will next be in the Kent area from 14th December.

Our next date for the Warwickshire venue is Friday 30th October.

To book an appointment please get in touch.

19/09/2026

Lovely week through South Yorkshire.

Two days were spent at our treatment venue (Riverside Equestrian DN11 9EX) with Gill Liggins and Michaela Preston.

It was amazing to see how quickly the grass had bounced back and also how many horses were showing gutty symptoms....

• girthy
• upset in canter or trot
• flank sensitivity
• sensitive back
• tail swishing during exercise
• kicking, bucking, biting
• gassy
• loose droppings

All needed their back, pelvis and neck freeing up as part of the management plan.

I'll next be in the area from Mon 30th Nov. If you'd like an appointment, please let me know.

11/09/2026

A lovely week working in the Channel Islands. Starting in Guernsey and finishing in Jersey before heading home.

As always, it was great to see everyone. So many great cases, including the lovely Harley who has come on leaps and bounds! Well done young man!

There was even enough time for a swim in the granite sea pools.

I'll next be on the islands from Mon 7th December. If you'd like an appointment please let me know.

20/06/2026

Reverse Kissing Spine

Part 3 of 3: Visceral Relationships + Management

So far in the previous articles we have discussed what reverse kissing spine is, how it is formed, how it relates to kissing spine and also about some of the other mechanical issues that it can create elsewhere in the body.

In this final part we will discuss the visceral (organ) relationships of reverse kissing spine and also how it can be managed.

Visceral/Organ Relationships:

Reverse kissing spine tends to form from lumbars 1-4. These are incredibly important vertebrae when it comes to most of the organs.

The key relationship is that the spinal cord runs through these vertebrae. From each of the vertebrae, branches of spinal cord come off and supply the following organs:

Hindgut
Ovaries + Uterus/Testicles
Small Intestine
Kidneys
Spleen
And indirectly the stomach and liver.

Problems in the vertebrae create problems in the spinal cord and can lead to an increased chance of issues in the related organs.

Some of the common visceral findings of horses with more advanced reverse kissing spine are:

• Sensitive digestion (almost like IBS) – bloating, colic, sensitive to dietary changes especially with forage such as grass, hay/haylage.
• Strong seasons in mare and overly frequent
• Regular bouts of gastric ulcers

Do NOT underestimate the role of the organs on spinal tension patterns.
Upset organs create very restricted vertebrae which can then create limb tension and even lameness.

As was mentioned in Part 2, the diaphragm attaches to the lumbar spine too. It has a key role in breathing. However, due to its pumping motion, it also has a role in squeezing old blood out of the organs in the abdomen.

When the spine is restricted (due to reverse kissing spine) then the diaphragm can’t move as well. This not only affects the breathing efficiency but also causes the
organs to be more congested with old, stagnant blood.
This increases the chances of these
organs being upset further.

Managing Reverse Kissing Spine:

• First and foremost it is important to evaluate the WHOLE HORSE to determine how it started (the initiating factor), how far it has spread, what else is being affected in the body and to what degree.

This is the most important step as if you don’t know what is going on, you will just be shooting in the dark wasting time, energy and money.

• Depending on what is causing the reverse kissing spine, you will likely need to manage a number of factors more effectively than what you are at the minute.
This will no doubt include….posture and exercise regime, foot balance, dental balance, saddle fit and also diet/organ supplementation.

Everything will be centred around reducing the initiating factor as best as possible.

Also, depending upon the severity it could be that the reverse kissing spine may need
medicating.

Likewise, some of the related areas may need medicating especially if the problem is deep rooted and has been spreading its issues for a long time.

Horses with reverse kissing spine can go on to perform well but they require tight management.

Once again, you need to make sure the whole horse is considered when creating a management plan. That plan starts with a thorough, whole horse evaluation.

If you feel that your horse may have any of these issues, please seek advice from a qualified professional sooner rather than later