VeeFit

14/10/2025

THIS!!! Even here in Bermuda where we tend to over blanket our horses...the fit is so important to check regularly!!

The hidden damage of badly fitting rugs ❌

Most of us are now clipping for the winter and many horses spend longer hours rugged, but an ill fitting rug can quietly cause significant tissue damage. This is something I tend to preach every year!

Basically tight or uneven rugs create constant pressure over the withers, shoulders, and hips. Over time, this can lead to bruising, fascial restriction, and reduced circulation, causing soreness and really poor tissue health.

If a rug is tight across the chest or shoulders, it can limit scapular movement and shorten stride length. Rugs that slip or twist may cause horses to alter their posture to stay balanced, leading to tension and asymmetry.

🙏 Check & Prevent. Look for rub marks, warmth, or uneven hair growth when removing your rugs. Watch how your horse moves, restricted shoulder action is definitely an early warning sign. A well fitting rug supports free movement, healthy fascia, and muscle balance and makes for a happy free moving horse!

🐎 Have a great winter but keep checking

www.woldsequinemassage.co.uk

10/10/2025

I used to be of the mindset that everything could be fixed with the right kind of training.

Every postural abnormality, every little bit of tension, every unwanted behaviour -

All of it could be fixed with the right exercises, applied in the right way.

The inverse of that meant that, if people had horses presenting with the above, who weren't getting better with the "right training", then clearly they were doing it wrong.

It wasn't that the exercises weren't appropriate, it was that they had a skill issue.

And it's this sort of belief system that gaslights people into thinking they're inept, that they just need to try harder, they just need to practice it more -

They just need to do MORE.

And if the horse was still having a hard time, in the hands of a really good rider (whatever that means) then it wasn't an issue with the training, it was the horse's flaw:

"Oh, they just find that exercise hard."

"Oh, it's because they have bad conformation."

"Oh, this horse likes to be hollow."

Because obviously, as humans with our superior cognitive ability, we definitely have the right to make assumptions about an animal's lived experience -

How they feel in their body.

What's challenging from a coordination perspective vs what is actually really darn painful(!)

And it's this sort of belief system that really, REALLY hurts horses.

At no point during the application of the "right training" was there ever a pause to think -

If we've been fairly consistent, why isn't the horse putting on muscle mass?

If we've been doing the right combination of stretchy trot and sideways, why does the horse still want to move like an inverted banana?

If we really are so superior with our training skills, why isn't the horse improving?

Because maybe, just maybe, the horse that's hollow and can't put on muscle mass, actually has kissing spines,

Perhaps the horse with the upright hindlegs, that braces and runs everywhere but doesn't have any "push" from behind, actually has suspensory ligament desmitis,

What if the horse that finds shifting weight to their hindquarters really hard, despite all the best classical training, actually has sacroiliac disease?

I'd just like to take a minute to say - trying to shove and kick and pull and to be frank, even gently coerce a horse nicely into a posture that hurts is a massive welfare problem.

Even if you have the best intentions.

So please, I beg you, think. With every exercise you introduce to your horse, THINK.

Is this appropriate?

Could there be more happening under the surface and my horse is just trying to tell me?

https://www.yasminstuartequinephysio.com/the-horse-posture-blueprint

05/10/2025

Really interesting read but very sad…,

05/10/2025

Please vote for Benny!!! Thank you! 🥰🐾

Check it out now!

02/10/2025

A must read for horse owners!

🐎 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲?
“𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀”

A strong topline isn’t built by piling on bulk.
It’s not a feed or fitness “hack.”
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 + 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:
🦄 Thoracic sling engagement
🦄 Jaw and poll freedom
🦄 Core-to-limb coordination
🦄 Consistent, functional acceptance of contact - not head-setting tricks

❓️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗱

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦:

A dipped undermuscled back (despite endless hill or pole work)
Sharp withers or hollow shoulders
Weak hindquarters that “trail behind” with the classic over built hamstrings.

𝗪𝗵𝘆? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀:
🐴 Moving before they’ve felt their own body
🐴 Disconnected front-to-back neurologically
🐴 Bracing or compensating from old pain or tension
🐴 Rushed into poles, hills, or treadmills before their posture is ready

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂?
No gluteal muscle?
Overdeveloped hamstrings?
Kyphosis or lordosis in the lumbar spine?
Braced base of neck> over developed braceochephalicus?
Hollow empty withers?
Ear or head shy?
No barrel swing?
Holding their breath?

𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲. 𝗔 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 - 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

⚠️𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲

𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥:
▶️Freedom of movement
▶️Healthy vascularity
▶️Clear neurology
▶️Correct movement patterns
▶️A balanced cranial-sacral system

♻️ 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙮𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙮 - 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡.

✨ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?
If you’d like to be the first to know about upcoming webinars, workshops, courses, and gift vouchers, you can add your email here and I’ll keep you in the loop;
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙣 https://share.google/xM3Rc9pt3mpKNeF3p

📌 Next post will dive into more signs to look out for - and what to do instead!

29/09/2025

Call or message me Bermuda animal owners!! 😉

No needles. No supplements. No fuss. 🙌
Looking for a holistic, non-invasive wellness option for your animal? 💙💛
MagnaWave PEMF helps support relaxation, recovery, and overall well-being—naturally.
👉 Visit https://magnawavepemf.com/ to learn how MagnaWave can help your animal feel its best!

28/09/2025

https://youtu.be/_IdhZKK14wA?si=eGqnzzN0JDM4wtSV

An insightful discussion with Dr. Sue Dyson on the equine sacroiliac (SI) joint. Learn how this critical part of a horse’s hind end functions, what kinds of ...

20/09/2025

12/09/2025

Love this!!

Train Long to Grow Strong: What Science Says About Muscle Length and Performance

Did you know that training muscles at longer lengths leads to greater strength, growth, and athletic performance?

Research shows that when muscles are loaded in their lengthened position — rather than short and compressed — they experience:
• More mechanical tension
• Greater muscle fiber remodeling
• Stronger signals for growth and performance

🏇 What does this mean for horse training?
Exercises that encourage a full range of motion — like hill work, cavalletti, and long-and-low frames — promote:
• Stronger, more resilient muscles
• Better stride length and joint stability
• Improved dynamic performance in sports like dressage, jumping, and barrels

⚠️ Short, choppy movements or always working in a collected frame can limit muscle development by avoiding these lengthened positions.

✅ Want to build strength that transfers to real performance?
Encourage your horse to move in full, fluid ranges — not just for fitness, but for long-term soundness and athleticism.

Follow this link for more interesting info -
https://koperequine.com/articles/

11/09/2025

Please read horse people!!!!!

New research explores what a horse’s posture says about his health. Horses may adopt different stances to compensate for discomfort.