JL Equine Sports Therapy

The only pictures I remembered to take today! 🤦‍♀️

Who remembers Danny from last year? 30 and definitely still flirty! 😂 What a cheeky chap he is, and looking absolutely fab, love him! 😍

And Harry processing his session in the sun, he's a sensitive soul but very sweet and so handsome 🥰

Heading up to Moray for the day to see some lovely horses and their humans 🥰🚗

This cup was a gift from a friend and it sums me up perfectly 😂

𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪🌞

What a fab day! 8 lovely horses and ponies seen in the wonderful weather of today 😍

I'm knackered but delighted with how they all were with me, some returning clients and some newbies. Great bunch of people too, I love being able to have a good chat and giggle with owners while I work (and maybe the occasional bit of abuse... Julie, I'm looking at you! 😂).

Thank you all for having me to see your beautiful beasties, they were all very sweet all day 🥰

𝔽𝕦𝕟 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪!

Not about horses so a wee bit off topic, but fun all the same!

Did you know that before I had this "best job ever", I also had a previous "best job ever", working with reindeer?!

I was over collecting something from their Mum this morning, so got to go and see them and say both hello and goodbye before they head off to pastures new as their owners are moving 🥺

This is Thor, posing expertly like the good boy he is. How handsome is he?! His brother, Freddy, is in the background having a snooze. He got bored of my visit pretty quickly 😂

I'll be forever grateful for my time working with these wonderful animals, it's not something that everybody gets to have on their CV! 🦌❤

𝔸𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕?

With competition season fast approaching for some, and having already kicked off for others, I thought I’d ask you all what your preparation involves?

We all do the usual bathing/preening/plaiting the day or so before a show, but what comes before that? Obviously the fittening up (for both horse and rider!), in the run up is a key element. Do you all have lessons in preparation? I know I’d certainly need a kick up the bahookie before I tried to venture out anywhere with a judge!

Does your horse get a pre-season MOT? Dentist, saddle fitter, bodyworker? If the answer to that is no, it should be yes! We all know horses can change drastically in a fairly short space of time, whether that be their weight, topline, sharp edges appearing on their teeth, or anything else, these things should really be checked out so your horse has the best chance of performing well for you come competition time.

Make massage part of that pre-season routine and pop me a message to see how I can help your horse to put their best hoof forward! 🐴

Practiced what I preach today with a long overdue visit to see S Milne, Sports Massage Therapy.

It's important to look after yourself as well as your horse, if you're wonky then your horse will be too!

This included a chat about something that could be very exciting... Watch this space! 👀

𝔾𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥

Some of you will have seen that my most recent CPD course was on Balance Pads and Proprioception Training, it was really interesting, I love learning about different techniques that I can use to help your horses (mine are the guinea pigs so they get to benefit while I learn!).
I thought I’d pop on and give you a quick insight as to what balance pads are and how they can help your horse.

So, first off, what is proprioception? Basically, it is your horse’s awareness of where their body position and movements. It is them being aware of what to move and how to stop them falling over or bumping into things. So, if your horse is a bit clumsy, there is plenty you can do to help them to improve their proprioception (consult your vet if you are concerned about your horse i.e. if they are regularly bumping themselves and it could potentially be eyesight related etc), and balance pads can be one of those things to incorporate into your routine.

Now that we’ve briefly covered proprioception and what it means, onto the balance pads!
So what do they do? The clue is in the name! They mimic uneven ground and encourage your horse to focus on balancing, this means they’re actively thinking about what they need to do to maintain that balance. It engages their muscles and their brain in equal measures! Once your horse has gotten used to the pads, you can start to introduce asking them to shift their weight and also some basic stretches, this really engages their core muscles and also their thoracic sling so it really does bring a whole host of benefits to your horse.

Balance pads can now be incorporated into your horse’s massage sessions with me and I can also give you exercises to do with them, if you’d like to purchase them yourself, and add them more regularly into your routine with your horse.

That's another little CPD course done, the next one is in the pipeline.

I love being able to add to my knowledge and techniques 🥰

Keep your eyes peeled for a post on the use of balance pads and how great they are to incorporate into your routine with your horse! 👀

Outing myself as a bad pony mum with this one 😬

My Cal pony is the most stoic beast I have ever met, so for him to react like he did in the first clip means he must have been pretty sore!

Thankfully I checked him as part of his pre back-into-work MOT, and just look at him after a single session!

Keep your eyes peeled for more next week on bringing your horse back into work after time off 👀 And please consider getting them a bodywork session before you do so, imagine how uncomfortable my lad would have been if I'd just plonked a saddle on his back and jumped on! 😭

Before and after a massage session, incorporating @optimus.therapy.tech red light therapy. I think we can all see the difference, he's a much happier boy now! 😍

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕞?

I think the picture pretty much speaks for itself on this one!

I realise that in last weeks post it may have sounded a bit like I was picking on chiros (I wasn't, I promise!), so I thought I'd pop on and explain how important the whole team effort is for you keeping your horse in peak fitness.

How many people do you trust to keep your horse going? There are no right or wrong answers, it is of course individual to every horse, but we usually all have at least a few of the same answers.

Vets - They're right up there. Your first port of call for medical issues and absolutely invaluable in the care of horses.

Farrier - No foot, no horse! Farriers are sometimes not well enough recognised as a critical part of the basic care of your horse. Regular visits mean that potential issues can be picked up on before they cause any trouble. Plus, who doesn't love a pony with pretty toes?! 🥰

Dentist - This could be your vet, but is often a specialist EDT. Important for any horse, but especially the ridden ones!

Saddle fitter - Absolutely crucial to any ridden horse is a correctly fitting saddle! Please get them checked regularly (by someone reputable and qualified, not just your pal down the road that "knows their stuff"!), I cannot count the number of people who I've advised to get their saddle checked just by what I find when I massage their horse and, usually, I get feedback saying I was right and the saddle needed adjustment or replaced altogether.

Bridle/bit fitter - Now, this is a fairly new concept and I know a lot of people haven't used one yet, but bit and bridle fit is so important! There are so many nerves and muscles on the face, having a well fitted bit and bridle can relieve unnecessary pressure on these and keep things so much more comfortable for your horse.

Nutritionist - Another one that I know not everyone uses, but they play a vital part in the health and management of a lot of horses. You get out what you put in, and if your horse is happy and healthy on the inside, it really helps in keeping them that way on the outside!

Coaches/Instructors - They do more than just boss you about while you ride. They're often very experienced horse people and can pick up when things maybe don't look quite right from the ground, which means you can get help for your horse before it becomes an issue.

Other bodyworkers - As much as I'd love to be out to every client every few weeks and keep them all to myself, massage is not the only bodywork that most horses require. Physios/chiros/osteos all play a crucial part, along with your massage therapist. If you swap between which type of bodyworker you're using, your horse will reap the rewards from them all so much more. If you routinely only use one type of bodyworker, try switching it up and booking another and see if you can see the difference!

This isn't, obviously, an exhaustive list but it does give a little insight into how many people can be involved in making one horse tick, and I am always so happy to play even a small part in all of your horse's lives!