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Is Your Horse A Pain In The Neck?

By Sue Palmer on March 30, 2023

Neck pain in horses is complicated. It might manifest as lameness, poor performance, or a behavioural change. Changes in behaviour can vary from the downright dangerous, such as rearing or bolting, to the “he feels slightly off.”

’Brain, Pain, or Training?’ Chapter 1: How To Use This Book

By Sue Palmer on March 30, 2023

You know your horse better than anyone else. You are his strongest advocate, his ‘best expert’. This book is about helping you to make the most of your time with your horse, as opposed to making your horse do the most. To achieve success with a horse in any sphere you need to understand him and he needs to understand you, because good communication is key in any successful relationship. Understanding horses comes through education and experience, and leads to improved welfare, safety, and enjoyment.

Observations during showjumping warm-up

By Sue Palmer on March 12, 2023

Alternatively, I could say that I was promoting the concept that comfortable horses are ‘happy’ athletes and providing evidence that they are likely to perform better than horses experiencing discomfort. I also had the opportunity to spend several hours watching the warm-up arena for the showjumping competitions and was struck by a number of observations, some of which I will discuss.

Does thoracic outlet syndrome exist in horses? Part 1

By Sue Palmer on March 5, 2023

First of all, what is ‘thoracic outlet syndrome’? And secondly, how does this relate to horses? Thoracic outlet syndrome is a condition in people where the nerves and/or blood vessels are compressed in the thoracic outlet. This can lead to pain in the shoulder, numbness or tingling in the affected hand, swelling, and more. The thoracic outlet is the space between your collarbone and your first rib. A horse doesn’t have a collarbone, so I guess strictly speaking he can’t have ‘thoracic outlet syndrome’. But could he still suffer from a syndrome where the nerves and blood vessels are compressed in this region?

Core stability and strength exercises for the non-ridden horse: Introduction

By Sue Palmer on March 4, 2023

How can we help our horse to maintain core strength if he can't work? Perhaps he's on box rest following injury or surgery. Maybe it's as simple as the ground is frozen for several days and it's not safe to ride. There are plenty of reasons we might not be able to exercise our horse. This blog offers suggestions on how to keep some level of fitness, at least in terms of core strength

The ABC of Horse Massage (Horse Massage for Horse Owners with The Horse Physio)

By Sue Palmer on February 25, 2023

Think of the online course 'Horse Massage for Horse Owners' as a recipe. I’ve written it as an ‘ABC’ of Horse Massage. The ingredients of massage are explained and taught separately – anatomy and technique – and then mixed together in specific measures in a specific order with specific timing to create a simple, effective, enjoyable massage routine.

How To Massage (Your Horse): Effleurage

By Sue Palmer on February 22, 2023

Place your hand, palm down, onto your forearm just above your wrist. Apply a little pressure, mostly through the heel of your hand but keeping the whole of the palm of your hand, including the pads of your fingers and thumb, relaxed and in contact with your forearm...

How to understand what your horse is telling you

By Sue Palmer on February 21, 2023

I know that I will look back in ten years, and wish I knew now what I will know then about how horses communicate. Even when we do our best to understand what our horse is telling us, I suspect we could know more.

The rider size debate and the welfare of ridden horses

By Sue Palmer on February 16, 2023

All riders must take ownership of their responsibilities for their horse’s welfare. None of us wants to do a horse harm, but through lack of awareness, we sometimes do so. Food for thought.

23.1.2023 Max and Zen

By Sue Palmer on January 23, 2023

Max and Zen - a guest blog by Hilary Moses, documenting Max and Zen's journeys

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