One of my all-time favorite skills to teach to horses is body targets.
Body targets are an extension of the nose targeting that we usually start with when teaching our horses to target a target stick. Instead of the nose touching something, we’re now going to ask different body parts to touch the target. I usually use a raised hand with a flat palm as my “target” here, but you can use anything...
Read MoreI’ve been sitting on something BIG for a while….
And the time has finally come to say it out loud.
I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself - how can I help people at a distance while facilitating *real change* in my clients?
When I talk to you guys some big things come up over and over again…
You want to feel confident that you can pick up on subtle lamenesses, soreness, or unbalanced movement EARLY...
Learning to trim my own horses has been a real adventure. It’s simple and endlessly complex all at the same time.
Even in my PT program, we glossed over the feet because that was “farrier territory” - but I knew it was something I needed to understand more deeply in order to really help the horses in my care.
Read MoreIt’s been the month of stiff low backs so I figured it’s time for a little movement analysis before and after to help train your eyes!
This little mare is a really great example because of her dorsal stripe! It makes it really easy to see what’s going on.
Read MorePause or a moment and try something with me...
I want you to close your eyes, focus your mind on what you love about your horse, and take 10 deep breaths, then come back here.
What do you see?
Read MoreBig news! Two of my online courses are now approved by the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM) for continuing education hours!
The Kissing Spine Masterclass is approved for both skills and general hours
and
The Equine Dental Connection is approved for general hours
Read MoreI’ve heard it time and time again…
“That’s just their conformation”
“Once their back drops that’s just how it is”
“There’s nothing we can do”
I’ve heard it so many times that I started to believe it myself.
Read MoreI probably don’t say this enough…
But the truth is rehab is HARD.
Caregiver burden is real and it’s valid and it can destroy relationships if you don’t make sure to take care of yourself, too.
Your friends are going on a trail ride and you can’t go, so your social life suffers.
The changes are often small and slow, it’s hard to see and feel the progress to stay motivated.
Read MoreDIMINISHED INCLINATION and why it needs to be the first thing you check for if your horse has TMJ dysfunction.
This is a before and after from some top notch work from equine dentist Suzzi Peeler today.
We’ve been looking for a diminished inclination example to add to our online course The Equine Dental Connection and today was the day!
This guy was kept up to date on dentals, but unfortunately as sharp points were taken down, the normal angles of the molars were not restored by the practitioner.
Read MoreRecently someone took a before and after photo collage I shared of Malachi, a horse in my care for rehabilitation, and posted it in a Facebook conformation evaluation group. The poster was questioning my integrity, suggesting these results were not possible and the photos or the way I took them must have been manipulated to achieve the results I was claiming - and ultimately the comments got turned off…
That’s a normal thing nowadays but honestly it was disappointing because some nice discussions were starting to happen around the differences between conformation and posture and what is actually possible in rehabilitation.
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