Wind Rider Equine Rehab

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

Paige Poss dissection helps identify common hoof discomfort

12/19/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1M3JkbkbnS/

I'm stealing a photo from a prominent, outrageously loud and outlandishly uneducated cult on Facebook. And I am going to be harsh because it needs to be called out. Without seeing the radiographs, everyone of those hooves presented very well maybe laminitic feet. But you want to know the bigger shocker, and the one that takes all the weight out of their argument against laminitis. Everyone of those hooves is neglected. Thats nine examples of neglect, not of professionals failing but of owners failing. Endocrine based laminitis is an owner caused condition, its a failure of management by the owner. Then once this management failure happens, its a failure to alter management and apply appropriate care. The professionals involved in the care of these cases are limited to what they can do by the owner. Laminitis cases are expensive to manage and treat, they also never fully heal. No ethical professional has left any of those hooves in that condition by choice. These happen because owner wants to push trim/shoe cycle, avoid radiographs to ensure we are taking both enough and leaving enough, the diet has never been properly addressed and so on. This cult wants to preach the blame falls on the hoof care provider and veterinarians because owners don't want to hear the truth. These horses are suffering because the owners neglected and failed their animals. You want to resolve laminitis... take better care of your animals. And that doesn't mean feed them the best supplement or most expensive hay, it means learning about what an equine needs or doesn't need. No animal does well in state of obesity, so stop killing your horses through kindness. Laminitis is on the rise not because of failure of the professionals but because owners are not taking responsibility for the animal in their stewardship. I would encourage owners to take a nutrition course. Take a hoof care course. Even take a basic husbandry course. Pony clubs are disappearing and even then it's cruel to have those kids pick stalls and learn husbandry to earn time riding. Laminitis will continue to rise until owners start taking responsibility to provide proper care for their equines. Neglect needs to be called out and this group has been showing the world examples of neglect labeling it professional failure. These aren't failures of the professionals, these are all failures of the owners who needed someone else to blame. So yes, I suspect these are laminitc hooves but I also suspect that every one of them is also neglected and not receiving appropriate care. Failure by owners who want to pass the blame.

Rant over.

Dr J Alltop, DVM CBT APF-II

12/07/2025

From Poll to Sacrum: The Dural Sleeve and Dural Fascial Kinetic Chain

1. What the Dura Mater Actually Is

The dura mater is the tough, collagen-dense outer membrane surrounding the brain, spinal cord, and emerging nerve roots.
It behaves like fascial tissue, meaning it:
• transmits mechanical tension
• responds to load and stretch
• influences neurodynamics
• affects posture and movement

In horses, the dura anchors firmly at:
• the base of the skull (occiput)
• the upper cervical spine
• the sacrum

These anchor points give the equine dura significant biomechanical influence.

2. The Dural Sleeve

As the spinal cord travels through the vertebral canal, the dura mater extends outward around each spinal nerve root.
These tubular extensions are called dural sleeves.

The sleeves:
• protect emerging nerve roots
• allow nerves to glide during movement
• transmit tension between the central and peripheral nervous systems
• integrate with surrounding fascia

When the sleeves glide smoothly, the horse’s nervous system can move freely with the spine.

When restricted, you may see:
• nerve mechanosensitivity
• localized or referred discomfort
• protective muscular bracing
• asymmetrical movement
• changes in stride rhythm or proprioception

Because the sleeves form a mechanical and neurological bridge, restrictions here easily produce widespread compensations.

3. The Dural Fascial Kinetic Chain

The dural fascial kinetic chain is the entire tension system formed by the dura and its fascial connections from the poll to the sacrum.

It links:
• cranial membranes
• cervical fascia
• thoracic and lumbar fascia
• pelvic fascia
• the sacral dural attachment

Mechanically, this chain:
• influences spinal mobility
• shapes topline tone
• guides neuromuscular sequencing
• transmits tension through the horse’s core axis
• integrates movement between forehand and hindquarters

Because it is continuous, tension anywhere in the chain can create whole-body effects:
• poll restriction → lumbar tightness
• sacral fixation → neck bracing
• dural irritation → global muscle tension

This is why releasing one end of the chain often improves movement throughout the body.

4. Why This System Matters in Horses

The dura and its sleeves are richly innervated and highly sensitive. Their state influences:
• spinal motion
• topline elasticity
• coordination
• balance and rhythm
• muscle tone and flexibility
• emotional regulation

Horses with dural fascial tension often present with:
• difficulty stretching forward/down
• inconsistent or fussy contact
• topline rigidity
• uneven hind-end engagement
• hypersensitivity at poll, withers, or sacrum
• guarded or anxious behavior

These patterns often get mislabeled as “attitude,” when they are in fact biomechanical and neurological.

5. The Big Picture: Anatomy Meets Behavior

The dura and its fascial extensions form the deepest structural and neurological line in the horse’s body.
Because this system connects the poll, spine, and sacrum, it influences:
• posture
• movement
• behavior
• proprioception
• the horse’s ability to relax or brace

When this inner chain moves well, the horse moves well.
When it’s restricted, the horse compensates — physically, emotionally, and behaviorally.

Myofascial Network Notes - https://koperequine.com/myofascial-network-notes-how-fascial-lines-stabilize-support-and-transmit-power/

12/07/2025

Insulin dysregulation, often underdiagnosed in sport horses, may increase the risk of developing laminitis after intra-articular injections of corticosteroids.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2ymt644j

12/07/2025

12/04/2025

Let them grow.

12/01/2025

Fascia hears before the brain does.

Fascia is one of the most sensory-rich tissues in the body — packed with far more nerve endings than muscle.

It contains:
• Mechanoreceptors that sense movement, pressure, and loading
• Nociceptors that detect discomfort or pain
• Interoceptors that track the horse’s internal state and safety

Equine fascia is constantly reading the environment. It detects tension, stretch, compression, shear, vibration, temperature, and internal shifts with incredible speed and precision.

These receptors fire faster than conscious processing.

Because of this massive sensory input, fascia acts as the horse’s predictive and corrective system, adjusting posture, balance, muscle tone, and protective responses before the thinking brain ever engages.
It’s why horses react instantly, fluidly, and sometimes explosively — their fascia responds first.

The fluid layers within the fascial network also behave like a biological antenna, transmitting and receiving subtle mechanical and energetic information through wave-like patterns that travel across the whole body.

Your horse’s fascia is always listening — and responding —
long before the conscious mind catches up.



https://koperequine.com/where-horses-feel-it-most-common-soreness-zones-in-muscles-and-fascia/