Chloe Reid Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Student.

15/10/2021

The blood vascular system of the hoof... I just can’t get over how intricate it is ♥️

26/08/2021

We have to be the voice of our horses, their welfare is more important than anything else ❤️

The horse in the picture looks well, doesn't he........ or does he?

I'm currently decompressing after another intensive, full horse, 3 day dissection with the internationally renowned Sharon May-Davis and her team Zefanja Vermeulen, Tina Fitzgibbon and Thirza Hendriks, organised with incredible efficiency by Lindsay Holder of Whole Horse Health.

Dissecting horse is not new to me - in fact it's a slight obsession! Why?
❗ Because as a rider, I used to spend most of my time trying to work out how to make the horse straighter, more athletic, jump cleanly, better.
❗ Because as a student Animal Physiotherapist, I pored over anatomy books, trying to remember muscle attachments, function, innervation.
❗ Because as an Animal Physiotherapist, I spend my life trying to work out the correlation between the horse's behaviour, movement, history and impact of owner/rider/management/equipment in order to make the correct decisions to improve the quality of life of the horse in front of me.
❗ Because EVERY horse's quality of life can be improved, whether that be by easing a ni**le, adjusting the exercise routine, or referring to a vet to investigate a suspected more serious problem.

This time was different. The horse was on the table was one that I have known well for 6 years. Teddy was bought as a hunter. He was already seriously compromised and only lasted 2 seasons with the new owner before being retired due to unsoundness. In the vet's words: "his body wouldn't cope with the amount of steroid needed to keep him comfortable". That's him in the picture, on summer holidays 4 years ago, just before he was retired.

I spent a lot of time just trying to keep him comfortable to do his job. We discovered that he had serious kissing spine and ringbone and sidebone in one forefoot. Other problems were evident, although not diagnosed, and he was retired. Recently it became evident that he was deteriorating and becoming very uncomfortable, so the decision was made to relieve him of his pain. His owner was kind enough to agree to allow us to investigate in the only way that truly exposes all the problems held within the body.

Teddy had numerous physical issues - this is a brief summary:
❌ On one side of his mouth, he had 7 upper and lower molars. The upper back one was horribly overgrown and eroding the opposing tooth. Horses should have 6 molars on each arcade. His mouth had been checked regularly by both EDT and vets - no-one had picked it up. With 6 molars on the other side, this already sets him up for asymmetry throughout his body, even if the overgrown one had been addressed
❌ Misalignment of C6 vertebrae and evidence of osteoarthritis and bony changes of the cervical vertebrae
❌ Joint erosion and inflammation of EVERY limb joint that was opened up
❌ Ruptured muscles, partial ruptures of tendons and ligaments
❌ Fused overlapping (lipping) of 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae bilaterally
❌ Significant pelvic asymmetry
❌ Sub-chondral bone cysts
❌ Ruptured hip ligaments - in the words of the very experienced lead dissector - the worst hip joints she's ever seen

The majority, if not all of these problems were there before the latest owner bought him, yet he continued to do his job with good nature and willingness.

I have retained his head, neck and pelvis, which will be cleaned and investigated thoroughly for asymmetries and bony changes.

It is through investigating like this that we truly become aware of the painful and performance-limiting conditions that our horses can carry, while trying to do all we ask of them. It is what opens our eyes to recognising dysfunctional movement patterns and recommending further diagnostic tests. It is a sharp reminder to never ignore abnormal behaviour, gait or posture.

Thank you Teddy, for being so good natured despite everything and helping us to understand why you couldn't be comfortable.

Teddy was 15, retired at 12. The average age of horses competing at the Olympics - at the top of their game - this year was 15. It looks like he was born with some asymmetries that were always going to limit his ability, but it is also apparent that he had suffered trauma at some point, and also been subjected to very poor management and riding, that had exacerbated his injuries.

Our horses welfare is our responsibility.

10/01/2021

After a long week (happy 2021 everyone 🎉), Bounty is home from Rossdales and on a strict regime and will take a few weeks to rehab back to her usual self!

I will be posting some updates on here over the next few weeks showing how I rehab her after a few weeks off due to colic. Including her groundwork routines, feed and hay changes and anything else that happens along the way!

Here’s to a better end to 2021 ❤️

25/11/2020

👏🏼 Great news to wake up to 👏🏼

FEI OUTLAW WHISKER TRIMMING

The FEI have outlawed trimming the whiskers of competition horses in a ruling that will begin in July 2021.

Horses are not allowed to compete in any FEI competitions internationally if "the horse’s sensory hairs have been clipped and/or shaven or in any other way removed unless individual sensory hairs have been removed by a veterinarian to prevent pain or discomfort for the horse.” However trimming for veterinary reasons is exempt from this ruling.

The horse's whiskers, or vibrissae, are so sensitive to vibration and changes in air current they can instantly inform the horse about his environment – for example helping him avoid injury by detecting nearby objects, differentiating between different textures, judging wind direction and identifying food. The horse has a blind spot beneath his muzzle and so his whiskers are a vital aid to his vision.

From the horse’s point of view, removing these whiskers reduces his spatial awareness and leaves him partially handicapped.

We in the UK are still very backward in many aspects of horse welfare and it’s time for us to catch up, we should have made this ruling long ago... I have to say I didn't think we'd see this coming from the FEI first, it is amazing news!

12/10/2020

Interesting read 🐴

Is this what your horse's haynet looks like each morning?

Horse's stomachs are relatively small and are designed to digest forage almost constantly. Without access to forage (even for short periods) the stomach acid begins to build up and without matter to break down the acid starts to damage the stomach lining. This can cause gastric ulcers which are extremely painful and can contribute to the development of behavioural problems.

If there is not a scrap of hay or haylage left in your horse's stable in the morning the chances are that he has had quite some time without access to any food. Consider how you can change this. Some ideas may include:
- Choose turn out over stabling
- Provide increased amounts of forage
- If necessary provide larger amounts of lower quality types of forage to prevent excessive weight gain
- Provide different types of forage so that your horse has a choice
- Consider the use of smaller hole haynets or other methods of slower feeding (but be mindful of anything that may cause frustration)

26/08/2020

Food for thought 💭

29/07/2020

You definitely know it is a good bum scratch and massage session when you see this face 💕

Oh Bounty... you do put a smile on my face after a long day 💕

14/07/2020

To all my Essex/Suffolk and surrounding followers...

Not one to be missed 🐴 whilst lockdown is still going and many still furloughed, why not learn some new techniques and information to try with your four legged friends! 🖤

12/07/2020

New post later with some exciting news!! Keep a look out ❤️

24/05/2020

Very interesting read 👀

CAN TOILET ROLLS TEACH US ABOUT HORSE BEHAVIOUR?

The current coronavirus crisis has changed all our lives. We’ve been forced into situations that most of us will never have experienced in our lifetimes. Some of the human behaviour problems that have appeared as a result can be compared to what we see regularly in our horses:

RESOURCE GUARDING

Yes, it’s that toilet roll problem. At the beginning of lockdown, I witnessed two middle-aged men fighting over the last pack of toilet roll in my local supermarket – they eventually had to be separated by security guards. I’ve never seen anything like this previously in people but of course, we regularly see this behaviour in horses.

If important resources become scarce, individuals will fight over them – especially if they believe it’s a matter of life or death. Now those two men weren’t going to die if they didn’t get the toilet roll, but horses may defend the vital resources they need to survive – like hay piles, their feed, their friends or water troughs. This guarding behaviour is a sure sign their current needs aren’t met or there has been a problem in their past, perhaps they have been food deprived previously and their anxiety hasn’t been addressed.

STRESS FROM CONFINEMENT

Many of us have struggled with being housebound and unable to go outside. Yet naturally, we wouldn’t move nearly as much as a horse would. One US study found Shetland ponies will travel as much as 100 miles in a 24 hour period. However, it is common practice to restrict horses to single stables or small individual paddocks, severely restricting their capacity to move and forcing them to stand for hours at a time.

It is no surprise then that horses barge to get out of the stable in the morning, or are too fresh to ride. This is not just about pent up energy – anxiety and stress are major concerns here.

SEPARATION ANXIETY

Have you been stressed because you can’t see your family or friends? Or maybe you are desperate for a hug? We can still speak to our loved ones on the phone, or even see them over Skype or Zoom. Horses are a highly social species that rely on their friends for safety and comfort too (probably far more than we humans do), yet we isolate them from each other regularly and then wonder why they become distressed.

When we return horses to each other they often frantically groom each other on the withers area – this has the same calming effect a hug would have for us.

A survey of UK adults which took place during lockdown, found that one in four people (24%) said they felt lonely during the previous two weeks. When the same question had been asked shortly before lockdown, just one in ten people (10%) said they had these feelings. There are increased calls to su***de hotlines, domestic abuse centres and childlines. We are extremely stressed by these restrictions and we need to learn from this.

It is important to remember that we can understand this situation, we know why we have to be isolated and we know there will be an end to this. Horses don’t. We still have choices – we can still socialise with our friends, we can choose how we exercise and move our bodies, what and when to eat, how we can entertain ourselves, what we will watch, read or listen to. We can decide what we will do next. Our horses often have no choice in their day to day lives.

I hope that some good will come from our feelings of anxiety, anger and frustration at this time and we start to look at the things we do ‘traditionally’ with a new perspective. I hope we start considering what may be motivating a horse to behave in a certain way rather than simply punishing them for doing it.

The good news is I am hearing wonderful reports from many horse owners. They are finally getting to spend relaxed time with their horses and finding their relationships have really improved and behaviour problems have disappeared.

Increased turnout and an enforced break from riding, competition and travel have meant both horses and owners have had the chance for a holiday and to relax together.

It’s okay to turn your horse out with his friends and sit and watch them play, to take your horse for a walk, to graze them in hand, to groom them, massage them, find their itchy spots, collect foraged food for them, make them toys or just to hang out together and enjoy each others company.

We have an extraordinary opportunity to reconsider what we do with our horses, make positive changes and start again.

You can also find this and other articles in the blog on my website here: https://www.equinebehaviourist.co.uk/equine-behaviour-blog

21/05/2020

Who has/is currently using/would like the be involved with ?!?

Bounty has had two sessions and I can already see a noticeable difference.
When Bounty arrived to me, she had very sensitive legs and was a little tender in her thoraco-lumbar spine.

After some time settling and time off, this eased but with the TheraPlate and massage sessions weekly, I have noticed a difference and my ‘chunk’ of a cob has started getting muscle definition!

I couldn’t be any happier! If you’d like some more information, please feel free to message me and I’ll be in touch!

31/01/2020

Can anyone help??

Anyone have any recommendations for a 4ft3in medium turnout rug for a Shetland. Trying to get a good fit for this little lady and struggling. Any makes recommended for the more petite lady with a slightly round belly 🤣 (she’s not really round just doesn’t fit foal rugs)

23/01/2020

First lecture back and this video sums it up....
I feel I have hit a brick wall...

Having so long off over Christmas, working with horses everyday, having fun and admittedly not worrying about too much work...

My brain doesn’t like it 🤣
Onwards and upwards this semester... deadlines are coming in thick and fast and I cannot stop them 😳🤣

17/01/2020

• 17-01-2020 •

Meet Derek 😻 The biggest gentle giant I have worked with standing at around 18hh! I’m sure he assumed my pockets had treats in them - cheeky boy!
He loves a good neck massage... and stretching his neck (which is long enough already 🤣)

The third and final data collection ready for analysis to find if massage has an influence on the stress levels.

We started with six horses on the last two, but sadly after a ponies mischief, only five could be used today.

Now the hard part starts with statistical analysis 🤯

@ Writtle University College Equine Training and Development Centre
PC 📷 Alice Williams

15/01/2020

Fancy helping a fantastic equine charity?!?

REACH are a local hippotherapy and RDA centre working from a yard of their own, and riding schools!

Any support you can give, even just sharing this post will help us as a team and also the many children they help ❤️🐴

Play the Essex Lottery & support a good cause close to your heart.

13/01/2020

On Thursday 9 January, the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) issued an update following the confirmed diagnosis of EHV-1 (Equine Herpes Virus) at an equestrian centre in Hampshire, which has now been named as Crofton Manor Equestrian Centre in Fareham.