show jumping - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: show jumping

In hand core strength and postural stability exercises for your horse: Chapters 2-4

By Sue Palmer on October 3, 2024

A lot of core stability exercises are about moving the horse slightly off balance so that he needs to engage his muscles to maintain that balance. The tail pull works by using the tail as a lever to create the imbalance. As with the other exercises, it is subtle, using gentle pressure. There should be no discomfort involved, and you should find that your horse relaxes into the exercise after a minute or two. If he doesn't, perhaps this isn't the right exercise for him. A horse who is uptight will not be engaging his muscles effectively. He will be tensing those movement muscles getting ready to run, rather than using the stability muscles.

Which horses would benefit from stretching?

By Sue Palmer on March 16, 2024

Stretching can be helpful whether your horse is old or young, a happy hacker or a competition horse. Be it hacking, dressage, show jumping, eventing, TREC, horse agility, endurance, working equitation, a growing youngster or a retired elderly companion, stretching could be beneficial. I recommend a stretching programme to almost all my clients at The Horse Physio. Your horse’s physical therapist can advise you if specific stretches would be most beneficial for your horse. The stretches in the online course “Stretching Your Horse: A Guide to Keeping Your Equine Friend Happy and Healthy” have been chosen for their suitability for all.

Award winning film on equine behaviour

By Sue Palmer on January 1, 2023

The 35 minute documentary _[The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain: Shifting the Paradigm of How We See Lameness]_ captured a Winnie Award

Understanding and Using the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram

By Sue Palmer on May 9, 2022

The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) is a list of 24 behaviours, the majority of which are ten or more times likely to be seen in a horse with musculoskeletal pain. Studies have shown that a horse who shows 8 or more of the 24 behaviours listed in the ridden horse pain ethogram is likely to have musculoskeletal pain.