DOOM & GLOOM VS HOPE & EFFORT
Doom & Gloom VS Hope & Effort
It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of doom and gloom about the physical health of horses.
I remember thinking I could help any horse. Then I met tricky ones and discovered they weren't sound. Fix the soundness, and the tricky behaviour disappeared.
But then I got better at seeing soundness issues, and before long, I could see broken horses everywhere.
At some clinics, I'd be scratching my head about what I could do with certain horses and had to change my whole structure to a lesson on - "how to work out your horse needs to go to the vet".
Pointing out there's a problem is one thing, but I discovered I needed to know what to do about it and how to prevent it from an owners perspective.
That's what this post is about...because there are things we can do!
I have to admit that every time someone puts up the spine of a horse that has been dissected and we look in horror at what we find...I wonder about the reaction to mine.
I've had several serious falls that have injured my back, and I have arthritis, disc issues, scoliosis, spinous process fractures...and much more.
But the restriction and pain from these injuries depend on the care and management of myself with exercise and diet. The bones haven't changed, but I can change the condition of the supporting structures and the level of inflammation in my body.
It's only simple things I do each day that determine the impact of my injuries.
That's why I've been drawn to the work of Tami Elkayam Equine Bodywork. She has a way of making you appreciate that the body is not just bones or muscle but one incredibly layered structure that can be tapped into.
Tami's modality isn't one where a practitioner comes out and treats the horse each month. Instead, she hands the approach over to owners and gets them to incorporate them into their routines.
On 26th December 2023, Tami posted a blog sharing 5 of her techniques...all simple things...to incorporate into their routine with their horses. All up, the 5 techniques might take around 15 minutes to help support the horses' backs.
I shared the post with my membership group and encouraged them to experiment.
These two images are just an example of the results...
My client has been diligent and was really surprised at how her mare responded to such simple things she has incorporated into her routine just days ago.
Look at that change in posture....that is significant!
Therefore, I am officially out of the doom and gloom rabbit hole. I'll still keep talking about soundness as it's a major root cause of behavioural issues, but my attention is now turned to what I can do about it and how to prevent it in the first place.
This is just an example of 5 simple things incorporated regularly into a daily routine.
If you are keen to read that post of Tami's with her exercises, check this out: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3584711858510876&set=a.1414326562216094
