Equine Performance Therapy

03/14/2025

Howdy! We have been very busy with life and not very active on social media, but I am happy to be back to working to help your animals overcome the winter stiffness! Send me a message if you’d like to book a treatment.
Fernie-Invermere is our services location! 😊❄️🌸

05/03/2024

HEADACHES 😵‍💫

Yep, even our horses get those miserable headaches…
But how to tell if it’s a headache vs something else.
A few sure signs are a sudden reactiveness to touching the poll when this previously hasn’t been an issue.
Hard time focusing, training, or seem off their game.
Difficulty framing up or collecting. Stumbling or bumping into things.
Dazed, out of it, eyes look glossy or concerned.
Headaches come in similar ways it does for humans, meningitis, poll trauma, cervical vertebrae issue especially in the atlas, TMJ issue, jaw trouble, and over extension or collection which can make a horse stiff and throw them out!

Best course of action for a headache are acupressure points, adjustments and corrective stretching!
One of the best places I test for headaches during assessments is the upper gum known as GV26, this point blocks the release of adrenaline and activates parasympathetic response which will cause the horse to lean in relieving the pressure in the head. If a horse is fighting with a headache I can typically hold this point until the horse is almost asleep. If no headache is present usually it will be a battle to stay in the mouth!

If you suspect a headache present it’s a great idea to get it assessed and treated to keep your horse on top of their game!!💪

04/01/2024

Invermere, Cranbrook, Golden!

April is here! 🌼I’m staying local for the month of April, book in to get your spring riding off to the right start!! And don’t worry I didn’t add the 23% carbon tax into my prices 😉

03/18/2024

Who else is taking advantage of this weather?!? ☀️

Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system which causes horses to go into a deep state of calm. Before a ride I like to massage a few points on a horse to relax them, especially in early spring to help them keep a level head. Even a massage a few days before you plan on riding can bring your horse to a more level place for these early spring rides!

After a long winter our horses can come out a little sore from slips, not much movement over a long period of time, so massage can be very beneficial to get the winter rust off!! 🦄💖

03/07/2024

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/buying-selling-olivia-sword-lpvbc

03/04/2024

Let’s talk buying new horses🦄

Buying a new horse can be kind of stressful, there’s the time and energy it takes finding the “right” one and then everything that comes afterwards - pre purchase exams, test rides, travel, hauling, etc.

Let’s look at the red flags 🚩 of horse buying:
- horse is already saddled when you arrive
- horse is sweaty and seems like they were just worked prior to you arriving.
- they seem lethargic or dazed
- they have poor feet, malnourished or look nothing like the photos.

The above are absolute red flags when buying a horse, these are typical signs that the seller is hiding something about the horse they don’t want you seeing.
Already saddled could mean the horse is cinchy, dodgy, or sore.
Sweaty could mean the horse was heavily worked before you arrived so you don’t see bucking, hard to catch, or bad habits that are worked out before you see them.
They seem lethargic or dazed could mean the horse was given a sedative before your arrival for many different reasons usually indicating the horse is reactive.
If the horse is in bad condition with poor feet, malnourished or look nothing like the photos, this should have been disclosed before you made the visit, all of these are indicators the horse is not taken care of and the seller is lying about the horses condition.

Although buying a horse can be exciting you should always bring a reputable horse person with you, get your horse a pre-purchase exam, and do a test ride or have the seller ride the horse for you once you’ve seen them caught, saddled, bridled, feet picked, ect. (Unless otherwise disclosed, horse is green, unbroken or a rescue) so of course there are exceptions as long as you are aware and know exactly what you’re getting into!

We offer pre purchase exams & buying support when looking for a new partner! We want you to have ease when buying a new horse and the best chance at a long successful partnership with your horse! Feel free to reach out with more questions on finding the right horse for your goals!

03/01/2024

Happy March! We have entered the month of Spring! Winter is finally coming to an end!! 🌼 we’re so excited about summer 2024 and can’t wait to help make your goals a reality!

03/01/2024

Golden!
Planning a trip your way MARCH 9th (weather pending) PM me to grab a spot!! 🤠🦄

02/26/2024

Little Update: we have updated our phone number so everyone who books via text or phone, please email or private message us to get our new number or feel free to just book through pm or email!!
Thanks so much 🤠

02/16/2024

02/11/2024

Happy Sunday 🤍
Spring is in the air! If your starting to get your partner prepped for riding adventures let’s work together to get your horse in shape for a summer of success!! 🦄

02/08/2024

It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life 🤎

02/06/2024

Planning a Cranbrook trip February 24th, I have room for 3 more horses! Shoot me a message to book in your horse before spring!! Invermere to Cranbrook area! 🦄🐴

02/05/2024

Let’s break it down!
If they have trouble picking up a lead or struggle getting into a different gate or you notice they have a short stride - lead and gate problems usually stem from muscle stiffness or soreness, it can also be a scapula misalignment restricting the horses front end movement.
If your horse took a fall or trip - depending on the severity, although sometimes even a small misstep can throw your horse off. If you notice after the fall or trip they just seem off, not moving out as normal it’s a safe bet they may need some massaging or chiro to aid any pulled muscle or strained tendon!
Noticeable sore spots or lameness - The most common reason people will call is the obvious limping, sore points, sudden behavioural changes or a sudden refusal. In any of these cases it’s a good idea to make arrangements with your body worker. Typically these signs are rooted in muscle injury or misalignments so the best way to find the cause is by massage and chiropractic work to get your partner back to their normal self!

01/30/2024

I’ve been seeing a lot of “finished” horses lately, which reminded me of this.
I’m noticing a pattern of 4-9 year old horses being advertised as finished and although they might be phenomenal horses, finished is based on experience for a horse. I believe finished refers to a long career in a specific discipline where the horse is sound and secure and knows the job, is good at the job or is an all around well trained horse with miles & experience. However, when I see a 5 year old “finished” horse it’s extremely questionable how that horse became finished in the span of MAX 3 years!
This pattern of young horses being pushed to their max so you have a competitive horse by 4-5 years old is a great idea but not sustainable. This is why we are seeing a huge increase in injectables by time a horse hits 7/8 years old, we’re seeing more muscle injuries, arthritis, and preventable ailments in young healthy horses. Now this isn’t all because a horse is started too young but I believe it is a factor.
You absolutely can have a broke horse by 4/5 years old. But not a finished one. The goal for a horse is to have them sound and able for as long as possible not to rush the process for a quick buck, or to have for a season or two. We need to focus on the long run - how can I keep my horse sound and healthy so we can have a long sustainable future together!? Or for their next owner. Remember a horse isn’t in their prime until 10-15 years old, the golden age!! Getting a horse to this point not battered and broken is a huge win. They should not be retiring at 12 years old due to “old age” thats code for used too hard to young and it’s caught up to them in their prime. This is an age where they should be peaking in performance and ability!
Let’s not use them, but work with them for a long successful future! 🦄

01/30/2024

We are going to be here giving pre run work ups for all competition ponies! If you’d like a little muscle and joint warm up to help shake the winter rust message us with the time you’ll be arriving and time you’ll be running (once you know) and I’ll come around in order of your race time! 🐎🤠
If you’d prefer a post race cool off then just let us know your preference!
(All work at this event is donated so you won’t pay a cent) 🩵🤍❄️

Get 'Em before they are gone!!!!
Get your Ponies & Planks Skijoring Fundraiser tickets online and get 'em EARLY!
Tickets are live on our website. YEEEHAWW

www.freeequine.com/skijoringfernie
or
Link in our bio.

This is a crowd you are going to want to be part of!
🥳 🐎 ⛷️ 🏂

20$ Adults
10$ 10-17 years
Under 10 FREE

THERE WILL BE NO TICKETS AT THE GATE!

01/25/2024

Below Is the link for our survey on the acuscope and myopulse therapy! We’d love it if you filled it out, you can stay anonymous but your feedback would be greatly appreciated! 🤠

Equine Performance Therapy is branching into an exciting new chapter! We will be introducing the Acuscope and Myopulse technology to our practice. Below is a survey/information on the machines and to gauge interest in having this therapy done on your horse. This type of therapy is currently being us...

01/10/2024

Happy New Years everyone!
We are so excited for what 2024 has in store! 🐎

For those I haven’t reached out to yet, we are👏. FINALLY👏 settled in our permanent location in The Columbia valley! This means all my local clients (elk valley & Columbia valley) my books are open! Send me a message to book in!
The weather is supposed to get pretty cold coming up so after this cold snap I’ll be making some rounds to Cranbrook and area!
My inbox is always open for inquiries or to catch up!

Thanks so much everyone and can’t wait to see you all again!! 🩵🦄