Skelton Equine

07/03/2026

Coupled Nervous Systems and Leadership in the Horse–Human Relationship

Our nervous systems are highly coupled through sensory, emotional, and physiological attunement. Horses continuously read the state of the humans around them—not through intention or emotion alone, but through posture, timing, breath, muscle tone, and consistency of movement.

Because of this coupling, the human nervous system becomes part of the horse’s environment.

A nervous, flighty, or inconsistent human creates unclear information. Subtle hesitation, conflicting signals, or emotional fluctuation leave the horse unsure whether leadership is present. When this happens, many horses attempt to fill the gap—becoming vigilant, reactive, or overly controlling—not out of dominance, but out of a need for safety.

In these situations, the horse is not “misbehaving.” The horse is compensating for uncertainty.

By contrast, a quiet, calm, emotionally stable human provides coherence. Clear timing, steady presence, and predictable responses allow the horse to relax into the relationship. The horse knows when guidance is available and when initiative is appropriate, which reduces the need for hypervigilance or self-management.

Confidence here does not mean force or authority. It means internal regulation. A regulated human nervous system offers a reliable reference point that the horse can organize around.

Consistency matters just as much as emotional tone. Even a calm human who is unpredictable creates confusion. Horses learn patterns rapidly, and inconsistency—changing expectations, fluctuating responses, unclear boundaries—keeps the nervous system on alert. Stability over time is what allows trust and softness to develop.

The relationship between horse and human is therefore less about control and more about clarity. When the human nervous system is regulated, decisive, and consistent, the horse does not need to choose between leading or following. The roles become clear without force, and cooperation emerges naturally.

In this way, leadership is not something we impose on horses. It is something they perceive through our nervous system.

https://koperequine.com/how-horses-experience-touch-the-three-neurobiological-pathways-that-shape-their-response/

07/03/2026

Dont share a technique someone somewhere will say they invented it 😄
So a reel came across my page and yep I recognised it because i do something similar and I was taught by someone who did something similar and they were probably taught something similar (you get my drift).

The video was lovely, very eloquently put, great for something that owners could try at home, free, i will say that again FREE.
Yet over 10 methods claimed it was their technique, invented by them and she should credit everyone, I mean c,mon she would run out of ink writing all those who claimed it was theirs, and how could 10 different people invent the exact same technique

It wasnt dangerous, it wasnt done badly, it was simply someone saying "hey i have something to show you", then she was corrected on her anatomy,, then chastised like a child for not following the written rule of the equine professional world."dont show anything for free"

Yet I bet probably most of the "inventors" had this similar technique monetised and squirreled away only to be released if you paid so many dollars🤔

Look honestly there are only so many ways you can move a body, if you move a limb guaranteed someone will have done something similar simply because we are limited by a range of motion, we are all doing the same just a little differently, you ain't that special😅

I see stuff that I made up on the spot for a video banded about almost immediately as someone elses technique they have done for years and I am like I only made it up yesterday 😅😇

Dont get precious even if someone steals your technique they are not you, they are just copyng what they think you are doing with the technique and often its done so badly that do you want to be associated on making a claim on crap work.

At the end of the day she was just doing something nice which the horse really liked, owners really liked and I bet she now feels like s**t, back off bullies you didn't invent the horse
Peace out!!!

Pic of me years ago doing "you will relax" technique 😅😅😅
Ps I was really soft in the pic it just looks like I am trying to dislodge her head 😅

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

24/02/2026

You've changed???

Be prepared if you learn and understand more and then you change your opinion on things that you once thought were true, as an equine professional you will be constantly reminded that back in 1989 you put a post out saying something different to what you believe in now😅😅

As professionals we should be changing our views , it should come organically as our knowledge grows yet often some dweeb will remind you that you once believed something different,.and often in the comment section you will hear a squeak saying but 30 years ago you thought differnt, erm yes but I also thought I would be married by the age of 25 but hey that didnt happen (not because I dont have a partner but the cost of a wedding is similar to the cost of buying a horse and of course the new horse arrived but not the wedding cake😄) and also euwww 1st dance nah I dont do that stuff 😆.

I mean we dont want to jump from one way of thinking to another without taking the time to understand and more importantly put into practice our new theories because success for the horse is long term health and if we keep coming back every four weeks with something new we will never know if the old even worked, so dont change methods like you change your knickers, unless you change your knickers once a year which is not advisable 😅

Progression is having the ability to move forward even if we feel comfortable with the old, it means moving forward if the horse gets the benefit, it means we have the ability to embrace the new but valuing the old, allowing ourselves to feel a little trepidation as we begin to change our thoughts pattern but not so much it keeps us firmly stuck in the past.

You cant claim success just because somethimg worked in the immeadiate, like a successful operation does not always mean a long term success it just means in that moment in time everything was good, so look to long term successes when you are thinking of looking into somethimg new, ask about see what other people are saying about the journey you are about to embark, I have lost count the time my ass has been saved and my bank account not drained by receiving a private message saying simply dont do it.

We dont want to be who we were years ago, it doesn't have to be we have to change everything it simply means we understand more and can adapt our ways of working .but as long as we keep our morals and ethics close to our hearts we will bring a better change for the horse.

23/02/2026

🐴💩📣𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓📣💩🐴

We’re halfway through February, which means it is nearly March, which means it is almost “autumn”, which means it's time for this annual post, to catch you all before you drench your horses on the 1st of March.

Mid - late autumn is the No. 1 time of year to worm your horses, because it ties in best with breaking the bot-fly life cycle. A bot fly’s lifecycle is 12 months, so treating just once a year will break that lifecycle (and overtime decrease bot fly populations). By mid-autumn/early winter, the entire population of bot flies will be inside your horse, which means you can target all the bots on your property with a single dosage of a boticide dewormer (ivermectin, abamectin, moxidectin).

If you deworm your horses too early in autumn, you will not be targeting all the bot flies as they are often present well into autumn, laying eggs on your horses coat. If you deworm on the 1st of March, there will be bot flies, and subsequently bot eggs and larvae that come after the treatment and will remain within your horse for the year.

Therefore, hold off on the autumn deworming a little longer, if your horses are in good condition. Wait until the nights cool down and the bot flies disappear before deworming – and make sure that the dewormer you purchase is active against bots, otherwise it will all be in vain. If your horses need to be treated now, do so, but make sure you target bot flies again in early winter. The “first frost” method simply means it is cold enough that the bots will be finished. Australia frosts are not cold enough to actually kill any worms in the ground – these need consistent days of below zero temperatures (think Northern European/American winters)

So that’s my bot-fly spiel. Normally I write about strongyles (my favourite), and so I shall of course make a mention of them here too.
I always recommend a mid-late autumn deworming for ALL HORSES because it a) cleans out any bots and b) all horses really should have a strongyle clean out once a year as well. I may be against deworming for the sake of deworming, however that is only if you are doing it 3 or 4 or more times a year.

Strongyles can have a lifecycle of as little as 6 weeks. In addition, at any one point, about 90% of the strongyle population is living on the pasture, not in the horse. Therefore, the concept of using chemical dewormers inside the horse to break the lifecycle of strongyles would not work. At all. So, we chose our annual deworming-clean-out to line up with as many other parasites as possible.

All boticide dewormers are also effective against strongyles so deworming in autumn is a 2 for 1 type deal. You should also consider using a dewormer that also contains praziquantel to treat for tapeworms to get a complete clean out, just in case tapeworms are present. WormCheck does offer a tapeworm specific FEC now, if you wanted to check beforehand to avoid the overuse of praziquantel. (There have been some scary reports of praziquantel resistance in Europe.)

Lastly… wait, second lastly.. this is a topic too complex to get into here, but: this time of year is key for larval cyathostomins, where encysted larvae have mass emergences from the intestine wall, in response to changes in weather (e.g. in VIC as it cools and becomes wetter again). Deworming and removing adult populations of worms can act as a trigger for larval re-emergence, which is also why I often baulk at deworming horses now. The larvae may slowly re-emerge coming into the cooler weather and treating in mid-late autumn may be a safer bet to remove adults and emerged larvae. The research on this is sketchy as best, however these are patterns shown in cattle and hypothetically should translate over into horses.

And lastly (pat on the back for reading this far): just because I’m recommending deworming all horses does not mean I am not recommending FECs in autumn. A FEC will tell you important things about your horses health, and pick up anything odd that may be happening (e.g. a spike in EPG in a horse that is usually a low shedder; this is a sign of an impaired immune system, e.g. EMS, cushings). Doing an autumn FEC will also allow you to test drug efficacy. Autumn should be a key time for everyone to do a FECRT (faecal egg count reduction test), where you get FECs done before and after deworming to make sure that it worked. If you only deworm once a year, then you’ve only got one chance for a FECRT, and you cannot, I repeat, you CANNOT do a FECRT without a FEC before to compare to.

If you’d like to organise FECs and FECRTs for your horses this autumn, check out the website (link on the FB page) for postal submission and drop off points/events.

23/02/2026

23/02/2026

I’m going to do a series tackling some of the main hind end joints starting off with the STIFLE!!

The equine stifle is arguably one of the most biomechanically complex and misunderstood joints in the horse’s body.

Up to approximately 40% of sport-related orthopedic injuries involve the stifle.

The stifle is anatomically comparable to the human knee. However, unlike the human knee, the equine stifle must stabilize and generate propulsion for a 1,000+ lb animals!! It is an incredibly important structure to not only understand, but also appreciate its role. The stifle connects the femur to the tibia, meeting with the patella.

𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 -
𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑟 + 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎
𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 -
𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑟 + 𝑇𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑎
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 = 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 / 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦
𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 -
𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑟 + 𝑇𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑎
𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 = 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 / 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒

𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐫
𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑒
𝐓𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚
𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘
𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚
"𝐾𝑛𝑒𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑝"

𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙, 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙
𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑎𝑙
𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙
𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙

There’s a lot to it. Let’s break this down a little bit.

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈
The menisci absorb shock and improve congruency (how well the joint surfaces fit together) between the femur and tibia. Overall, they are super important in distributing force and reducing friction.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 -> 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 -> 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 -> 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧

The medial meniscus is less flexible, leading to increased susceptibility to injury than the lateral meniscus.
Ultrasonography and radiology is limited on its full capability to view early soft tissue stifle lesions.

Incidence of meniscal injury ranges from about 35-70% of horses evaluated arthroscopically. (e.g., Walmsley et al., 2003; Cohen et al., 2009, Equine Veterinary Journal).

Those numbers matter.
But understanding why stifles are frequently missed is just as important. We’ll come back to this.

𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
These cross inside the joint like an “X” preventing forward or backward sliding of the tibia relative to the femur.

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
These run along the inside and outside of the joint and prevent instability from side to side.

The stifle does not function in isolation. It is mechanically linked to the hip and hock through the reciprocal apparatus.

Basically -
Flexion of the stifle = flexion of the hock
Extension of the stifle = extension of the hock

Hock pathology can overload the stifle. Stifle instability can present as hock soreness. This is why hind end lameness can be so difficult to isolate. Because truly, they all work together. Overtime they all become somewhat affected.

How often do you need to inject both hocks and stifles?
It’s two of the most commonly injected joints. Because they work so interconnected.

𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐬 -> 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐥𝐞 -> 𝐇𝐨𝐜𝐤 -> 𝐅𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 -> 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐟

Instability or pain of one redistributes load throughout the chain.

Restriction or pain at the stifle can create compensatory tension patterns moving up to the sacroiliac (SI) region, lumbar spine (low back), hocks…all the way to the front end.

Okay so what’s happening in motion?

𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊
• Some flexion and extension

𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐓
• Increased flexion
• Higher compressive forces of femorotibial

𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄
• Peak flexion during swing phase
• Peak extension during push off
• Significant forces across menisci and cruciates

When a horse turns, especially at speed, the inside hind has to do more work than the outside. As that inside leg plants and pushes off the ground, the lower leg (the tibia) rotates slightly inward compared to the upper leg (the femur).

In simpler terms, the lower leg twists inward under load while also asking it to support more weight AND be a huge part of the powerhouse of the hind end. This entire process creates significant additional stress on the medial stifle, such as the menisci and cruciate ligaments.

The medial femorotibial joint is therefore the most commonly affected in performance horses. Barrel racing, cutting and reining are great examples. Repetitive compressive loading combined with rotational torque leads to progressive strain on cartilage, menisci, and supporting ligaments.

The surrounding muscles are extremely important to support the stifle. I talked about how important this is in the long trotting post and TFL post. This stifle NEEDS the support from the surrounding muscles.

Dynamic stability of the stifle depends heavily on the quadriceps and hamstring groups. The primary stifle extensors (straighten the leg) are the quadriceps femoris, while the primary flexors (bend the leg) include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and gastrocnemius.

When muscular function decreases, whether from fatigue, atrophy, weakness, delayed neuromuscular firing, or pain inhibition… the joint loses active stabilization.

Lets circle back around to this cycle -

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 -> 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 -> 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 -> 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝑹𝑬𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑻.

**Add in an increased susceptibility to arthritic changes, bony changes, cartilage damage, and/or soft tissue injury**

Remember how connected the hind end is?

If the pelvis lacks stability, the stifle absorbs more rotational demand.
Or, primary stifle pain reduces hindlimb protraction (forward reach of the hind limb), which increases compensatory stress in the lumbar spine and sacroiliac region. The rest of the limb will eventually take the fall with the original culprit. The entire kinetic chain adjusts.

We see subtle performance changes -
• Hesitation to move forward
• Reluctance to load the inside hind limb in turns
• Shortened stride
• “Bunny hopping” through a turn
• Uneven hind hoof patterns
• Committing to a turn then running by

As strain progresses, the compensations become more apparent -
• Shortened cranial phase of stride (reduced forward reach)
• Difficulty engaging from behind
• “Flat” in a run
• Cross firing
• Struggles to collect
• Delayed or weak push off

The reality is this many stifle injuries begin as subtle instability, neuromuscular inhibition, or progressive overload. Early imaging can miss soft tissue changes. The stifle is a difficult area to image. And if the surrounding musculature is not conditioned properly to support and stabilize it, the soft tissue structures (including the joint) will take the strain.

If we want longevity, we cannot just treat the inflammation.

We HAVE to build stability before it fails.

#𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

22/02/2026

Why Hands On Massage Is The Best Way To Care For Sore Muscles

I often see people posting about their horse having muscle knots and being muscle sore, talking about having the chiropractor out, Pemf and red light, kt tape, vet’s been out and still the horse is not better, why?

My question is; why are you doing everything you can think of to help your horse feel better EXCEPT the one thing that actually addresses those sore, tight muscles directly?!
Other therapies are NOT stand-ins or substitutes for massage – they do different things for the horse.

Massage is the only one of these therapies that physically manipulates the muscles, fascia and skin to ease tight, sore muscles lengthen and supple myofascia, free painful nerves, improve circulation, increase range of motion and bring balance and biotensegrity back to the body to improve performance and soundness.

An equine massage therapist uses their hands to feel and carefully manipulate the soft tissues to work out tension, knots, kinks and adhesions. Massage manually opens myofascial tissue, softening, stretching, balancing tension, improving range of motion and freedom of movement of muscle, fascia, joints and skin.
Massage speeds muscle healing. The micro tears and trigger points caused by exercise and building muscles heal faster, stronger and with a healthier range of motion when your horse receives regular massage sessions.

Tight, tense and fatigued muscles increase the risk of tendon injuries. Tendons are an extension of the muscle and anchor the muscle to the bone. If the muscle is impaired, the tendon will also be, which greatly raises the risk of injury. Massage can improve the health and function of the muscles and tendons to help ward off injuries.

Massage techniques with different frequencies, amplitudes and intensities can improve athleticism by stimulating the mechanoreceptors and improving the horse’s proprioception (awareness of position) and kinesthesia (movement in the body), helpful when improving the horse’s overall athleticism. This will also help stimulate healing if the horse has suffered a neurological insult.

Massage physically stimulates weak and inactive muscles to help bring them back into action.
Pain and tension interfere with the body’s ability to recover from illness or injury and will extend recovery time. Many veterinarians have begun to incorporate massage therapy into their recovery protocols as an effective, natural way to aid in pain regulation and recovery for both acute and chronic issues. Equine Massage therapists are trained to work on soft tissues to alleviate pain and improve the body’s ability to heal itself.

Massage physically pumps and presses circulation into congested areas, opening them to better nourishment, oxygenation and hydration all of which optimize healing and healthy tissue development and performance.

Massage increases the production of mitochondria, responsible for powering the production of ATP in cellular metabolism. More mitochondria lead to more ATP, which means increased energy to heal. Massage also increases levels of white blood cells which attack viruses and bacteria.

Massage increases the production of cytokines, chemical messengers that work for the immune system to regulate things like fever, pain and inflammation.

Massage releases endorphins which act as a natural analgesic helping to relieve headaches, myofascial pain, muscle soreness, TMJ, and other discomforts and a lasting sense of well-being.

A full-body massage can improve digestion by increasing the release of enzymes essential for healthy digestion and stimulating the motion of the intestine, and its contents, to move along.
Regular massage can retrain the body to move more readily into the parasympathetic state, the state in which the body is able to relax, digest and repair. This can be especially helpful for high strung, spooky or recovering horses.

Massage is one of, if not the, most effective muscle and myofascial therapies available and it can be customized to meet each horse’s physical needs. Leaving it out of your regular care and exercise routine leaves a huge hole and a missed opportunity.

https://koperequine.com/25-of-the-most-interesting-important-properties-of-fascia/