The shoulders and front legs of the horse are not attached to the rest of the body through a bone because they don't have a clavicle (humans do and it attaches the shoulder to the axial -body- skeleton), so it works like an independent suspension system. Instead the horse's axial skeleton is suspended from the shoulder and legs by the pectoral and the ventralis muscles, these 3 muscle groups are also known as the Thoracic Sling. These muscles allow the body to rotate and elevate without disturbing the front legs, and with limits visa-versa. Any contraction holding pattern in these hard working ..read more

Lame horses always need to be seen and evaluated by your vet. But I thought it would be helpful to go over some guidelines for lameness, because for owners and riders it's important to catch the lameness before it gets out of hand! Early detection and treatment is key to your horse's recovery and well-being. There are 5 grades of lameness defined by severity of movement: Grade 1: difficult to observe, not consistently apparent Grade 2: difficult to observe at a walk or trot in straight line, but consistently apparent under a certain circumstance, like circle, incline, hard surface Grade 3: con ..read more

With my educational class about Young Living 100% therapeutic-grade oils coming up September 27, I thought it would be appropriate to write this month's blog about one of my favorite therapies, the E.R.T. or Equine Raindrop Treatment or Technique. WHAT is E.R.T.? Equine Raindrop Treatment or some will say technique, is a hands-on massage using different massage strokes and a variety of specific Young Living's 100% therapeutic-grade essential oils on the horse's meridians (the acupuncture energy pathways) to physically and emotionally strengthen the horse's body. WHY do an E.R.T. on your horse ..read more

This month’s blog is quite emotional for me as my own show horse suffered a major tendon injury and bone bruise in her left front leg due to a trip and fall in some kind of wild animal hole in one of the pastures. It was recommended that putting her to sleep was probably the best option for her. Well, guess what, she and I had been together since she was 1 and decided it was not time to say our goodbyes just yet! We took a different route and ended up with a totally sound and happy horse, that I can now ride for fun! Her injury made me study and get certified in holistic equine therapies, incl ..read more

10 Basic Stretches for your horse’s benefit Why should I stretch my horse and what am I stretching on my horse all explained below! STRETCHING HAS MANY BENEFITS : Increases flexibility and range of motion Improves posture and lengthens muscles Enhances the sensory nerve endings that communicate to the brain Strengthens muscles and maintains suppleness and elasticity Reduces soreness Decreases risk of injury and aids in the recovery from an injury Horses love doing stretches and will deepen your bond SAFETY AND GUIDELINES: Before you start a stretching program with your horse consult with y ..read more

RESPIRATORY CONSIDERATIONS FOR HORSES IN SMOKEY ENVIRONMENTS ,By:  Dr. Sylvia Ouellette, DVM DABVP (Equine) ,Sr. Veterinarian, ,,Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services Image Design by: Alta Equine Sports Medicine Dr. Sylvia Ouellette, DVM wrote a very informative article about caring for your horse in smokey environments given all the wildfires in Oregon, Washington, California and other places in the US (and around the world), and resultant poor air quality.  Let's continue to pray for all the people and horses affected . Thank you Dr. Sylvia!! Due to all the wildfires in the region, w ..read more