Elite Performance Therapies - Equine Myofunctional Therapy

26/05/2023

Wow what a response we had to raise money for a very special friend who is fighting cancer! Thankyou to everyone who participated and made this possible & what lovely horses I got to work with 💜

03/05/2023

FUN RAISER: 100% of all equine massage bookings and a donation if you wish to go to a very special person. A dear friend & young mother with a beautiful 5 year old boy, is facing her toughest battle yet with metastatic cancer. For the month of May I'm renewing my Equine Myotherapy skills to service the Pakenham to Trafalgar area. My aim is to raise $1000. I'm a qualified Equine Myofunctional therapist each horse is $100 and if you want to make a donation on top of that it would be greatly appreciated. This beautiful lady has dedicated her life to horses, her son and others. She's selfless even when battling this hideous disease. Thankyou and hope to see you booking you equine partner in for a treat💜

12/03/2021

Great read!

RIDER AYSMMETRY - DOES IT MATTER TO THE HORSE?

Riders attempt to be positioned on the horse symmetrically; however, this is sometimes challenging due to the rider’s skill level, functional asymmetries, perception, and pre-existing or historic injuries which the rider may have. Previous blogs have highlighted the effect that tack, and equipment have on quine locomotion. In the case of the rider what effect does rider asymmetry have on equine locomotion? As previously discussed, horses will develop a locomotor strategy to compensate to alleviate any discomfort and/or imbalance, in this case caused by the asymmetric rider.

Previously we have demonstrated the immediate effect that rider asymmetry has on the equine locomotor system when in trot. This was achieved by shortening one stirrup by 5cm which induced a measurable about of rider asymmetry (1). Using motion capture and inertial measuring units, the horse’s limb and back movement was quantified. Horses will develop a locomotor strategy to compensate and alleviate any discomfort. As a result of the asymmetric rider, this compensation strategy was evident with changes in back movement and limb loading (1). With the asymmetric rider the horses back movement altered with an increased range of motion which could be an indication of instability as opposed to dynamic stability. In addition to the changes in back movement, limb loading (derived from fetlock extension) front and hind was increased (overloaded) – interestingly, only the limbs on the opposite side to the shortened stirrup were affected therefore, one side of the horse has increased limb loading compared to the other (1).

Rider asymmetry not only affects equine locomotion but also saddle pressure distribution (2). In sitting trot, riders who collapse through one hip have been shown to increase saddle pressures beneath the saddle on the opposite side to the collapse (i.e. collapse of the right hip = increased saddle pressures beneath the left side of the saddle) (2) and riders who lean too one side with their trunk, result in an increase in saddle pressures on the same side as the rider is leaning too (2). Riders who lean forward, as maybe expected will increase saddle pressures in the front region of the saddle (3).

Rider asymmetry influences equine locomotion (1) and saddle pressures (2) which may lead to locomotor compensation strategies. It is accepted that humans (and horses) have some degree of asymmetry, laterality and handedness however, attempts should be made to help optimise rider biomechanics / symmetry in order to optimise the horse-saddle-rider interaction. It is appreciated that some riders are asymmetric as a result of skill level, functional asymmetries, perception, and pre-existing or historic injuries, in these cases, it is essential that the horse+rider are managed as a team in order to monitor and manage any locomotor compensation strategies which if left could manifest into long term compensations strategies.

Please like / follow our page for more blogs and please share to raise awareness 😃

Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Centaur Biomechanics
www.centaurbiomechanics.co.uk

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1. MacKechnie-Guire R, MacKechnie-Guire E, Fairfax V, Fisher M, Hargreaves S, Pfau T. The Effect That Induced Rider Asymmetry Has on Equine Locomotion and the Range of Motion of the Thoracolumbar Spine When Ridden in Rising Trot. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2020;88:102946.
2. Gunst S, Dittmann MT, Arpagaus S, Roepstorff C, Latif SN, Klaassen B, et al. Influence of Functional Rider and Horse Asymmetries on Saddle Force Distribution During Stance and in Sitting Trot. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2019;78:20-8.
3. Unpublished data from Mackechnie-Guire et al., 2021

11/02/2021

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke and Dr. Ina Goesmeier offer tips at the New England Dressage Association Symposium.

23/12/2020

11/09/2020

Interesting webinar to join

ECVM Equine Complex Malformation
Is it hype or is it a reality?
Is it something new or has it been around for a long time?

In the Webinar on October 1 at 8 p.m. Dutch time 3 trainers and owners of their own horse will explain what it all details.

Having and daily grooming and training a horse with a neck problem.
Is it actually a problem?
Then what is the problem?

In this webinar they talk about their experiences:
Stephanie Groet Animal Physiotherapist, Chiropractor and Osteopath io.
Tamara Dorrestein Trainer and Management Expert and
Thirza Hendriks Rehabilitation Trainer and Biomechanics Expert

They all have in common one or more horses with complex neck problems called ECVM.

"When I asked them "What does it cost you daily and what does it bring you",
They gave me their short answer, intense and with a lot of love"

Stephanie Groet:

What does it cost me of my life ...

It goes without saying that it is no fun if your own horse has ECVM. It costs you a lot of money in vet costs. But besides that, I paid another price. It has given me sleepless nights.

You want to do it right, but it doesn't work, what are you overlooking.

It has also completely taken away the fun in horse riding and having horses for many periods.

It makes you insecure because there are so many people who say that you should not complain, that there is nothing wrong.

And yet your gut says something different. Fortunately, it has also brought me something.
Much more knowledge and insight into the problem.

I will now recognize it much sooner and thus be able to help other horses sooner. From the moment I have been diagnosed, it also gives me peace of mind.
A little confirmation that I'm not crazy after all.

And the best thing, because of this new knowledge, I am better able to train the horses.


Thirza Hendriks:

Ooh, what a nice question.

What it costs me:

Knowing that it is waiting for an inevitable decline - that it is a time bomb - and having to watch that and often cannot do anything to really fix it, but just try to manage the horse with that question in mind all the time: how far can this go and when do I have to make that difficult choice to save the horse from pain and to protect the environment - both humans and other horses - from potentially dangerous situations.

Because that turnaround will come.

It can come after 1 year, it can come after 5 years, it can come after 15 years, but it happens once and when it happens it happens quickly and it's really hard.

It must be seen that the horse no longer understands life and no longer has control over the body, but is still trying so hard to survive and keep up.

The horse was giving so intensely and well that it can now suddenly become dangerous because it is predictably unpredictable.

That is very difficult and takes an intense amount of energy.

How it has enriched my life: they are very special horses.

They are handicapped horses from birth that normally do not participate in the survival of the fittest in nature but now adapt to the environment in which we have placed them.
These horses are actually so incredibly strong to get through life with such a handicap.
To give people so much, also in the form of performance, while the body is actually not suitable for that because of that handicap.

These horses are top performers and in fact, run the Olympic Games every day.

After my many years of experience worldwide with more than 50 horses with this condition, I have gained so much more admiration for the creature horse, but I hope that through these webinars we can hopefully finally take steps in the right direction not to breed with this disability



Tamara Dorrestein:

It is elusive and unpredictable. It takes resilience, time, and a lot of patience. Every day they teach you that nothing can be taken for granted, and they challenge you time and again to go back to what is now. What could be so different tomorrow?

Do you also want to follow this Webinar or Webinar series?

Then click on this link?
https://www.equinestudies.nl/en/product/horse-stories-all-parts-together/

See you soon Greetings Zefanja Vermeulen

Equine studies

08/09/2020

29/08/2020

Bring on summer!

18/06/2020

😂🐴

12/06/2020

This multimedia book looks in detail at the deep structures of the Iliopsoas muscle group, the sacroiliac ligaments, the sacroiliac joint and lumbosacral junction.It is perfect for anyone who would like to understand more about the anatomy and biomechanics of this region whether this is to get the b...

14/04/2020

helping you at home with stretches for your horses back.

01/04/2020

To all my valued clients as you all are aware we are in the midst of a global pandemic that is Covid19. As most of you know I'm a Registered Nurse and therefore at the forefront of health care in my roll. My patients health & safety are of utmost importance to me as well as my little family & my clients within Elite Performance Therapies. So I have made the difficult but necessary decision to put on hold my equine myotherapy business at this time. I can happily recommend myotherapy practitioners who I trust through pm. Stay safe, stay home & let's pray this pandemic is over sooner rather than later. 🦄🌻