Whispering Horse Therapies

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Love the term 'float begging' 🤣 How many, many times have I seen this over the decades. I've had to do a lot of 'float wrangling' as a result of people not doing the distance with adequate 'float training' and it's not a desirable experience. Never used brute force, just had a number of tools up my sleeve to coax a horse on board depending on the particular horse's circumstances but also gave it time.

Float Training, Float Wrangling and Float Begging: Three Very Different Sports 😎

There is a peculiar phenomenon in the horse world.

A horse refuses to get on a float.

Suddenly a committee forms.

Someone produces a flag. Someone else produces a bucket of feed. A third person suggests lunging the horse. A fourth person suggests not lunging the horse and using the lunge behind the horse. There are three spectators, four opinions and varying levels of confidence.

The horse, meanwhile, watches the entire discussion with the calm confidence of someone who has realised they are the only individual present with a clear plan.😎

Eventually the horse gets on the float.

The owner sighs with relief. Someone films the final ten seconds and uploads it to social media.

Everybody goes home convinced they have just witnessed float training.

Unfortunately, they have not.

In many cases they haven't even witnessed float wrangling - they have witnessed float begging.😆

"Float begging" is the fascinating process whereby humans stand around a float with a bucket of feed attempting to negotiate with a thousand-kilogram prey animal that has absolutely no intention of entering the suspicious metal or plastic cave on wheels.

The distinction matters because float training and float wrangling are not the same thing...and float begging isn't in the same realm.

Let me explain...

What I consider "float training" is the process of systematically teaching a horse to calmly and confidently approach a float, load, travel, wait quietly and unload. It is about building understanding and confidence over time. The process is broken down into small achievable steps, allowing the horse to gradually become comfortable with confinement, movement, noise, travel and new environments.

Good float training requires patience, consistency and foundations. A horse that leads well, ties up well and responds calmly to handling already has many of the prerequisites needed for success. When you chip away at the process over weeks or months, horses will often amaze you with how confident and reliable they can become doing something that is completely against their natural instincts.

Float wrangling, however, is a different skill set.😬

"Float wrangling" is what happens when you need the horse on the float within a limited time frame. You do not have days or weeks.

You may only have hours or even minutes.⏱️

There is no opportunity to slowly build confidence. The objective is simply to get the horse loaded safely enough to travel.

It is a genuine skill. It involves influencing the horse, reducing options, managing pressure, reading behaviour and making good decisions under time pressure.

The challenge is that when time pressure increases, the risk of stress also increases. Even if you successfully get the horse onto the float and shut the door, that does not necessarily mean the journey will be calm, the unloading process will be safe, or that the horse has learned anything positive from the experience.

If that raises your heckles, I am sorry but that is the reality.😬

In fact, some horses develop an extensive collection of "float files" over the years. They learn a deck of evasions and objections that appear the moment they see a tailgate because they have come to associate floats with fight, conflict, stress or discomfort.

Do I wish every horse owner invested time in proper float training? Absolutely.

It reduces risk, improves safety and makes life considerably easier.

But life is rarely that simple.😅

S**t can happen. Horses slip on tailgates. They get injured. They travel uncomfortably. They associate the float with veterinary procedures, needles and unpleasant experiences. Even thoughtful, patient owners can sometimes end up with a horse that becomes difficult to load.

This is why I believe both skill sets are important.

Float training is always preferable.

Float wrangling is sometimes necessary.

And sometimes, you need both in order to help a horse that has develop a serious deck of touch evasion cards!😱

The mistake is assuming they are the same thing.

Next time you attend a clinic, read the fine print. There is a good chance it says that if your horse will not load onto the float at the end of the day, assistance may not be available or may incur an additional fee.

Why?

Because many horse professionals, including me have found themselves wrangling a super difficult horse whilst it is getting dark and you need to get to the airport.🫨

There is also risk involved. Float wrangling is one of the most dangerous activities you can engage in with a horse. People can get hurt. Horses can get hurt. Floats can get damaged. Questions about responsibility can become very complicated very quickly.🫣

Personally, I try to reduce the likelihood of float problems before a clinic even starts. Participants have access to float training resources through my Society membership before attending. I will give them advice and support prior the event.

That said, I will not leave someone stranded who respected my training skills enough to come to one of my clinics. I tried leaving before the last float left once, and ended up having to get up at 4am the next morning to drive 2 hours back to the venue to save one of my good clients.😆

If a horse will not load, I will help where I can. I will be honest about the time available, seek local assistance if necessary and explain to anyone watching what they are about to witness.

Because what they are seeing will not be what I consider - float training.

It is what I call float - wrangling.

A different objective.

A slightly different skill set.

And it might not look pretty.

And has a lot more risk.

And a distinction that every horse owner should understand.

07/06/2026

Here's an effect of saddles that are too narrow.

When I've come across this, the physical and emotional trauma I've felt in the horse has been sickening. The physical damage is done - you can't put back what's gone.

The emotional distress can be enormous and I sincerely believe it's emotional trauma that has built up over many months and/or years, as an unprotesting horse continues to do as asked, despite the problem being exacerbated whenever the rider's weight hits the saddle.

Perhaps they become numb to it over time, and it's only with deep and gentle work that the problem is revealed. I hope that enough of the distress is released for the horse to continue its ridden career with renewed heart.

I've usually been with a new owner when we've come across this, thankfully not that many times, and we've taken heart that the horse knows its needs (and pain) are seen and heard. Sometimes we can't change what's there and what's been done, but we can certainly help with the horse's response to it.

This isn't a new observation - there's a reason Balance Saddles call this the 'junction' - but it's always worth building awareness and *empathy. (Please excuse the limitations of images - it can be hard to find what I need!)

- Dr Jane Clothier

01/06/2026

July is winter health month! We understand the costs of general horse health can add up so we are providing complete packages for those wanting to get back to date ✅

28/05/2026

👅 The grass muscle!
The most sensitive part of the tongue!

😋Also referred to as the Ta**us bulge, grass tongue, its the genioglossus muscle.
🍴Basically its job is to move grass around in the mouth. It connects the tongue to the hyoid apparatus and jaw, playing a vital role in both chewing and stabilising the upper airway during respiration and exercise.

🐎It varies in thickness, height and position in every horse and because it is highly sensitive it can very much control what bit pressures a horse will tolerate.

😝Many bits will use tongue pressure as a means of controlling the horse and generally horse's with a larger grass muscle will not like this style of pressure.
✨️They will react in various ways to avoid having pressure on the tongue
- head high, head too low - hollow frame.
- inconsistent head carriage
- open mouth
- rolling tongue around
- withdrawing tongue
- tongue sticking out
- tongue over the bit
- rushing on / not going forward properly.
- head tossing
- stiffness throughout the jaw / neck / poll and body.

🤔 Most people's typical reaction to a horse getting its tongue over the bit is too lift it higher but you are in actual fact lifting it closer to this sensitive area which will make the horse more uncomfortable.

🐴 In over 90% of the cases I see as a bit fitter the horse is reactive to some form of tongue pressure. 👅

Thank you to a client for the photo x

28/05/2026

Beautiful to see comfort taking priority 💗

28/05/2026

Equine Insulin
Brian S. Burks, DVM
Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners®
394 Fox Road
Apollo, PA 15613

(724) 727-3481
www.foxrunequine.com

Glucose, the simplest sugar molecule, is the energy currency of the body. Although horses derive free fatty acids from the forage consumed and digested in the colon, there are many cells in the body that require glucose to function, particularly brain and renal cells. Without glucose, these cells cease to function and the organ will die. This molecule requires help getting from the digestive system into the bloodstream and then into various organs and cells.

Insulin is secreted by the pancreas when glucose is ingested, ensuring that it gets into the cells; without insulin and glucose, the cells, and ultimately the body, cannot survive. If the body signals for too much insulin, things can go awry quickly. In some horses, this is a genetic trait, such as Arabians, Morgans, ponies, and some Warmbloods, that causes insulin overproduction.

Horses, like humans, that are insulin resistant continue to overproduce insulin in response to insensitivity, but in humans the pancreas eventually wears out and shuts down insulin production, which is Type 2 diabetes. Unlike humans, horses have a much greater capacity for insulin production, making diabetes rare in horses.

Horses that are overfed carbohydrates can develop laminitis. Insulin activates a cell receptor to allow glucose to enter the cell. There is similar receptor with a different function called insulin-like growth factor (IGF). There is evidence that the lamellar cells in the hoof grow too fast because this cell receptor is accidentally activated and cellular attachment is disrupted, leading to laminitis, a most devastating side effect of insulin dysregulation.

Insulin anomalies do not change equine activity levels, but excessive insulin can damage other organs and can lead to obesity. This may lead to benign fatty tumors/pedunculated limpomas that can twist around the intestine, causing strangulating incarceration and intestinal death, requiring colic surgery. Excessive weight also stresses bones and joints.

Horses with insulin dysregulation are best fed limited carbohydrate diets. Additionally, horses require exercise, medications, and endocrine testing. This typically means avoiding lush green pastures and supplemental concentrates. Severely affected horses should have their hay tested for ethanol soluble carbohydrate (ESC) and starch concentrations, which should not exceed 10% of the daily ration.

Exercise is important to improve insulin sensitivity in both horses and humans. Daily lunging or riding at a trot or canter is required, not just turn out to wander in the pasture. They need to break a sweat. Of course, horses with laminitis may not be able to exercise due to compromise of the feet.

Horses that cannot exercise often benefit from synthetic thyroxine to speed up metabolism and reduce development of fat deposits. It also improves insulin sensitivity.

Older horses are at risk for diseases such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s disease). Age and body condition will affect insulin concentrations, so an annual test would be wise in a previously diagnosed case.

Radiographs of the feet can also be quite helpful. Laminitis can be quite insidious and the horse might not be overtly lame, but radiographic changes can be significant.

28/05/2026

🐴 The 5 Diaphragms of Equine Osteopathy

The word diaphragm does not simply mean “breathing muscle.”

The term originates from the Greek meaning:
“to divide” or “partition.”

Osteopathically, diaphragms can be thought of as key transitional zones or “compartments” within the body…

…areas where pressure, tension, movement, circulation, nerve function and fascial continuity all interact.

And when one loses adaptability, the effects rarely stay local.

One restriction can begin influencing:

- movement
- breathing
- thoracic sling function
- pelvic mechanics
- lumbar stability
- circulation
- nervous system tone
- and compensation patterns throughout the horse.

One of the biggest shifts in osteopathic thinking is moving away from seeing the horse as isolated body parts…

…and instead understanding the horse as a connected system of pressure regulation, load transfer, fascia, neurology and compensation.

This is where the concept of the 5 diaphragms becomes so important.

Not simply “breathing diaphragms”…

…but integrated regions that influence:

- movement
- circulation
- pressure regulation
- load transfer
- proprioception
- compensation patterns
- and even the horse’s ability to relax and organise movement efficiently.

When one area loses adaptability, the body rarely compensates locally.

A restriction through one diaphragm may begin influencing:

- rib mobility
- forelimb loading
- hindlimb engagement
- pelvic organisation
- breathing mechanics
- spinal tension
- autonomic nervous system tone
- and overall movement quality.

This is one of the reasons some horses:

- never seem to “hold” treatment
- continue compensating despite strengthening work
- become chronically tight
- struggle with transitions or canter
- brace through the thorax or pelvis
- appear reactive, tense or unable to soften properly
- or keep developing recurring patterns elsewhere in the body.

Because the body is constantly redistributing pressure, force and tension through the entire system.

The 5 diaphragms are often described osteopathically as including areas such as:

- the pelvic diaphragm
- the respiratory diaphragm
- the thoracic inlet
- the tongue/hyoid complex
- and the cranial/tentorial region

but the important thing is not memorising names.

The important thing is understanding that the horse functions as one integrated system.

Not separate compartments.

This way of thinking completely changes how you begin interpreting:

- movement
- posture
- breathing
- asymmetry
- compensation
- “behaviour”
- recurring rehab failure
- and chronic performance issues.

This is a huge area within osteopathic thinking and something I’ll be expanding on much more in future posts, webinars and courses.

If you’d like me to do separate posts explaining each of the 5 diaphragms individually and how they relate to movement, compensation and the nervous system >

Please comment

👇 5 diaphragms

28/05/2026