Northern Lights chiropractic 2.0

06/03/2026

Work hard.
Play harder!!
Work even harder behind the scenes.
Remember to get adjusted to stay at the peak of optimal performance.

06/02/2026

Sweat marks and dry spots. What can we decipher from them.

Here are two pictures comparing saddle fit. Picture on the left indicates the saddle is too narrow and perching on the back which is why the dry spinal channel is so wide. The bars were not angled wide enough for this back which means there was less contact.

Picture on the right shows a better fitting saddle. Spinal channel is still dryer but shows better bar contact.

Now are sweat marks and dry spots always an indication of good or bad fit?

They are a tool. A tool to guide us where there could be too much or no pressure. Or Maybe the saddle sat quiet there. Or maybe that horse has damage to nerves and may never sweat there again.

Sweat occurs where there is friction first. Typically occurring under the pad where it moves. Then we see it appear on the back, usually the last to sweat. The spinal channel is usually dry but depending on the pad can also be sweated up.

Sometimes the pad does an excellent job and wicks moisture. Sometimes the pad makes sweat worse (neoprene).

Sometimes the way we ride might give a great sweat pattern one day and a funky dry spot pattern the next.

So really, they help assess fit and are worth looking into, especially if they are new, and double checking but in the end it’s always the horse that determines if it’s a good fit.

05/30/2026

FYI: State Hwy 128 is closed through at least July!!! If you are coming to Topline Equine Veterinary Care from the East come in through Boyceville or if from the West you can take 63, or County Road D to 130th and go East until you reach Topline Equine.

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

Check out this quality gear!

Price sheet for pulled wool pads

05/25/2026

Memorial Day!
Thank you to those who gave everything.

05/20/2026

HORSEKEEPING MISCONCEPTIONS
Here’s what I consider the 2 biggest horse-keeping misconceptions and 2 of the biggest benefits track living provides:

MISCONCEPTION 1:
Horses get enough “exercise” during limited turnout and work.

TRUTH:
Feral horses move up to 20 miles a day, stalled horses only freely move up to a mile and track horses can move up to 11 miles or more.

MISCONCEPTION 2:
Horses can be on grass 24/7/365

TRUTH:
Much of the average pasture is not suitable for horses in unlimited quantities.
Most horses CAN tolerate it in short well managed times.
Lush, thick, green grass is too high in sugar and starches for horses to process.

My favorite nugget from Amy Dell's book:
https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Track-Systems-Guide-Healthier/dp/0993504841
“This way of keeping horses has caused many health and behavioral problems that are now so common they are rarely questioned. Equine obesity, laminitis and stomach ulcers are on the rise and yet it’s normal to see a horse kept alone with no hay, or weaving/cribbing at a stable door”

WHY am I so passionate about this topic?
Because so much of the “normal” body soreness contributors with horses are directly due to their environment.

All things that can be addressed to give the horses a better quality of life.
I hope that I can inspire just one owner or facility owner to see the value in this concept!!

05/18/2026

Your horse hates the girth.

But maybe it's not ulcers.

Maybe it's what happens AFTER the girth goes on. Maybe, it's YOU.

When a rider braces through their core (different from engaging their core, by the way), the horse's ribcage has nowhere to expand. Every breath becomes slightly restricted. The intercostal muscles stay hypertonic. The Diaphragm can't fully descend.

Over time, this creates localized discomfort that the horse associates with the girth area.

But here's the deeper issue: A horse that can't breathe properly can't digest properly. The diaphragm and gut are intimately connected. When diaphragmatic excursion is limited, gut motility slows down. Food sits. Water doesn't get absorbed. Fermentation patterns change. The microbiome shifts.

Deb (Optimal Posture): Most riders don't even realize they're bracing. They think they're "engaging their core". Alexander Technique teaches the difference between bracing (holding, gripping, ridigity) and true support (dynamic stability that allows movement).

Steph (Indigo Ancestral Health): I can't tell you how many "girthy" horses I've worked with where they scoped clean, and digestive support or microbiome rebalancing wasn't enough to resolve the issue. The missing piece was the rider.

Know a girthy horse? Share this post.

Like and Follow Optimal Posture for more tips, tricks, and access to virtual evaluations!

05/18/2026