equine
wellness Your natural resource!
Total bodywork out A 4-step program to equine well-being Crush thrush
. . .for good!
Ride like a kid again!
Understanding
Insulin Resistance
How a bareback pad improves balance
Mustang miracle
Cracked up
Must-see photos!
6 solutions for dry hooves
When
CANCER
How to prevent a
surfaces
BAD BACK in your horse
Acupressure points
July/Aug 2008 Display until Aug 19, 2008 $5.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4
every rider should know
www.EquineWellnessMagazine.com
equine wellness
contents
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features
38
equine wellness
14
Back it up!
18
Mustang miracle
26
Total bodywork-out!
30
Ride like a kid again!
How to keep your horse’s back healthy and strong
A Sorraia’s surprise appearance marks the start of many firsts
36
Material world
38
Crush thrush – for good!
42
The return of Excalibur
50
TTouch for performance horses
Follow these shortcuts for better wellbeing
Improve your balance using a bareback pad
9 types of therapeutic horsewear
Getting to the root of a smelly problem
The amazing story of a remarkable Mustang
Helping Winston overcome his show nerves
58 18
Click on this icon to visit featured links
58
When cancer surfaces
62
Acupressure points every rider should know
A closer look at skin cancer
Try this simple healing session on your horse
65
69
Groundwork for riders
72
All cracked up?
Three pre-ride stretches for every equestrian
6 causes and solutions for dry hooves
Understanding insulin resistance Veterinarian Dr. Frank Gravlee shares his expertise
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Total bodywork-out! by Van Harding
Follow these shortcuts for better wellbeing
With all the therapy hype and new modalities out there these days, deciding which ones will benefit your horse the most can be confusing. Many owners and trainers want to do everything, but there is naturally a limit when it comes to time and resources. As a professional horse therapist, I find the challenges are the same. In this article, I will reveal the shortcuts I have developed over the years to get maximum results from several modalities in the least amount of time. 26
equine wellness
My top five therapeutic modalities are acupressure, myofascial release, craniosacral, stretching and nutrition. I regard nutrition as a therapy for horses because the demands of athletic activity increase nutrient demands. A deficiency of specific nutrients affects muscle relaxation and the body’s ability to remove wastes from the interstitial fluid, causing stiffness of the fascia tissue. (The fascia is like a net or mesh structure and is
the major connective tissue that holds the body together and establishes its shape. For example, a deficiency of magnesium causes muscle tightness. Simply put, when there are mineral and vitamin deficiencies there is a lack of Qi (energy) production. Without good nutrition and supplements, the body’s tissues remain tight and filled with toxic metabolic waste by-products.
Fascia tissue network
So when we relax muscles, loosen the fascia and encourage the Qi to move, we restore healthy physiology and increase performance!
•To stimulate the 12 major meridians, apply Acu-magnets along the coronary band in any Ting Points that are recessed.
A four-step integrative program
This program incorporates a variety of modalities. (If you don’t have acu-magnets, skip the second step.)
Warm-up Begin by warming up your horse. Hand walk him for five to ten minutes to establish a kind and casual demeanor. This gets the Qi and blood circulating.
Combining acupressure and craniosacral
Acupoints and meridians
•Apply Acu-magnets at Yin Tang and atop the Sacrum or on the tip of the tail. These acupoints stimulate Qi flow along the spine and nervous system, and open the vertebrae.
Ting Points are found along the coronary band.
•Apply the Acu-magnets along the Shelf of the Ribs, in the deeper depressions between the ribs.
The other four modalities are interrelated and can be applied in conjunction with one another. For example, the flow of Qi along the meridians (channels) happens within the fascia and interstitial fluids surrounding the muscles and under the skin. When this tissue tightens, it reduces the “range of motion” of the muscular skeletal system and may apply pressure to the nerves that pass through it, causing pain and impacting the function of the acupressure points in the skin. It also restricts cellular metabolism and the flow of Qi.
Apply Acu-magnets to acupoints. Place hands at opposing ends of the Shelf of Ribs, sink in gently and push outward; hold for 120 seconds.
Ying Tang releases anxiety, frustration and anger.
•Let the horse hang out in the Acu-magnets for ten to 20 minutes so the systems
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