Horsempower

07/11/2025

Goodbye my dear little sweet Leo, you were adored by so many children! Just about to turn 30 so a might fine innings!

The vet was confident that a lipoma had caused a severe onset of colic. A lipoma is a fatty growth/tumour that is attached and hangs down from the mesentry that attaches the intestines to the abdominal wall and can wrap around the small intestine, they are a common cause of colic in older equines.

He was a seemingly happy chappy and very hardy little pony, this came on suddenly and very severely, very difficult to see him go through it 😢 I have never been so relieved to see my vet Clara from Golden Plains so grateful for her prompt response and expertise 🙏🙏🙏
RIP little man
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

07/11/2025

How good is this!
A friend made it for me!

06/11/2025

Great catching up with Dr Claire Wade and Anne Marie Cowell two exceptional fellow EBT practitioners and more at the recent Thirza Hendriks clinic!
Thirza is like a human AI !! Ask a question and you get an essay!
She is all about functional movement. Hip function, energy transfer and diaphragm mobility were a focus in this MC. Brain and breath work to access the body for training and body work for the more unsettled ones featured as well and I saw some amazing demonstrations!

There was just so many ah ha moments! and rabbit holes to explore!
So much to know so little time 🤪
If anyone attended her and Emma Loftus two day assessment clinic yesterday and today please tell me all about it 🙏🙏
I just couldn’t do it after my Osteopath MC and this one, I am broke but hey I am rich in inspiration and new knowledge that my old brain is still processing away 🤪🙏Feeling blessed, grateful and that I know nothing 🤣🤣

03/11/2025

I worked in the racing industry for nearly 10 yrs in another life and the breakdown of babies was rife! I often heard this mentioned that it’s good for these babies to race to strengthen their bones!!
This comes from a fundamental principle in anatomy and biomechanics that describes how bone adapts to the loads placed upon it called wolffs law! This is all very well but what about the growth plates 🤷‍♀️

Way too many horses die in racing.
I pray for the safety of all horses tomorrow and hope they all make it across the line safely!

01/11/2025

So agree with this!! I witnessed this over and over as a trainer and would often encourage owners to be that “ rock” for their horse! I think validate, understand any past trauma then help them be their best self!

Are you guilty of making your horse a victim of a circumstance that we can never really understand ?

How much damage do we do by living in what we perceive is a horses traumatic past and therefore never allowing it the chance to move on and grow.
The first most important part of.dealing with a horse that may have been through something is to not treat it like it is a victim or else we end up only feeling sorrow and pity and they need to know that we are not reliving their past and are now paving the way for a less emotionally charged future.

We have all done it when we meet a horse that we may have had a bad start or rescued from a situation and the first thing we do when we hear the stories is we change our posture, our voice becomes softer we try to become smaller to not pose a threat and most of these actions can amplify the fear in the horse rather than offer them comfort, and we like to touch the horse a lot as we perceive that is what we would do with another human, but for some horses that touch association is not what we perceive it to be.

But horses are not us they don't think like us, they don't process situations the same as us and we therefore how we react and offer comfort for a human in trauma is not how we can then project the same onto horses. If we always feel sorry for the horse, then they become trapped in our emotions and react accordingly so if you keep perceiving your horse as a victim then how can it be anything but

What about the joe bloggs down the road who just gets on with it, and we recoil in horror as people say well don't, they know what that horse has been through?? They probably do but just getting on with it does that mean they don't take into consideration how a horse maybe, I am sure they do.

Reassurance is much more productive than pity, and if studies show that horses perceive us by our facial expression and our energy levels can you imagine how hard it would be for them if we come with a face down to the floor and the emotion of sorrow every time, we meet them it must be blummin exhausting for the horse.

As a therapist I never allow my emotions overrule my practicality when working I don't think it is fair to the horse if I bring my baggage of what I perceive the horse has been through into a session, I acknowledge it and move on. I am soft in the touch but I am not feeling sorry for the horse, I often see that when people discover the power of the softer touch the dialogue changes and I have seen some emotive words and soft hands yet the horse is still saying no but no one is listening then the horse calms not because of the effectiveness of the touch but because the horse has nowhere else to go. A soft hand can still be a restraint if not used properly.

Its not the softness of the touch it’s the internal softness of your approach, its understanding what and why you are doing what you are doing it’s a continual dialogue between you and the horse

We can often get trapped in a vicious circle of over analysing everything the horse does and we can become stuck in a situation where neither the horse nor the owner can move forward through fear of messing up but how will we ever know what our horses can do if we never try and if something does go wrong your horse will not hate you.

Horses are often called the great healers, but we must also ask the question when do we allow them to heal without the added baggage of our pity. Approach every day like a new day, whatever happened yesterday is behind you and today is a fresh start.

31/10/2025

Good yield from the garden today of equine friendly medicinal herbs/weeds! Comfrey, milk thistle and clevers! A treat for the ponies !

31/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19qULBtZ1w/?mibextid=wwXIfr

27/10/2025

Please sign and share 🙏

The 2021 Draft Kosciuszko Wild Horse Management Plan proposes to kill thousands of horses through a combination of ground shooting, transporting them to knackeries to slaughter and other cruel methods. Join and call on the NSW Environment Minister to reject the Plan and instead provide....

26/10/2025

I am feeling blessed to attend another M/C on the back of my Osteo one which will tie in nicely. I have been to one of Thirzas before and if you havent been I highly recommend it and it’s local!!

Thirza Hendriks is once again returning to Australia - with a new format masterclass. Scroll down below for all relevant information.

23/10/2025

Can We See a Stomach Ulcer from the Outside?

Surprisingly, sometimes we can, either from the all too familiar outward signs of internal discomfort or via the hands we can detect changes in tissue texture. The horse’s body works as an integrated whole, where the musculoskeletal (somatic) and organ (visceral) systems are closely connected through nerves, fascia, and circulation. When one system is under stress, the other often shows compensatory changes.

While diagnostic tools like ultrasound or endoscopy can confirm internal conditions, a well trained eye can often detect early indicators through observation of posture, expression, and subtle shifts in behaviour. Horses communicate a lot through their stance and demeanour if we pay attention, we can often see the body’s internal story.

As owners, we usually know our horses well enough to notice when something feels “off.” They might not come up for feed as quickly, appear withdrawn, or just not act like themselves. These small changes often point to deeper discomfort, even before clear clinical signs appear.

Look for postural changes are they tightening through the abdomen, tucking their pelvis, or bracing their back? These can suggest internal tension or visceral discomfort. Because the fascial and neural networks connect muscles and organs, tension in the body can affect organ function, and vice versa. For example, diet-related laminitis begins in the gut, and long before hoof pain sets in, subtle postural and tissue changes can often be seen and felt over the corresponding ribs ,intercostal and abdominal regions.

Sensitivity around the head or upper neck can also offer valuable clues. A horse that’s reactive to touch around the upper cervical, poll, jaw, or face may be showing signs of dental discomfort, temporomandibular (TMJ) restriction, and irritation of the trigeminal nerve. Younger horses can become bitey or irritable when molars are erupting much like teething in toddlers!! I once found a small encysted hay seed lodged in a horse’s gum that caused inflammation and irritability, once treated, his behaviour completely changed for the better.

Another horse I’ve worked with and known for years always showed extreme sensitivity around the head and face tossing, biting, and reacting strongly to flies. He was recently diagnosed with Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH), a painful quite insidious disease that affects the incisors and cant always be detected until noticeable dental changes appear! Inflammation at the tooth roots can irritate the trigeminal nerve, triggering discomfort and autonomic nervous system imbalance. After the affected teeth were removed, the change in his comfort and demeanour was remarkable. He is fortunate to have a very astute, diligent and observant owner!

Osteopathic and Equine Bodywork Therapy (EBT) techniques can help restore natural joint and soft-tissue mobility, release compensatory muscle tension, and improve the overall communication between the musculoskeletal and organ systems. And maybe detect something that requires further professional investigation. By supporting this connection, we can help the body re establish balance, reduce pain, and promote healthier movement from the inside out.

20/10/2025

16/10/2025

Whenever I see horse poo I think of Dr Leni our local parasitologist and she really doesn’t mind 🤣
This was a last minute thought as I was on my way out of Bago State Forest that maybe she might like some wild horse poo to test! Wish I now had of collected more samples! This one has quite a high EPG but from what I have learnt from Leni probably not a concern.