EquiFlexx Therapy

30/10/2026

When you ask ChatGPT to give you a new template for treatment reports with ‘detailed’ anatominal drawing and this is what it gives you!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Had a good laugh today with this. I don’t think my clients woyld be too impressed if I gave them this after their session 🙈🙈 always check AI for mistakes! 😜

29/10/2026

🎃 Things that scare me - part 2

👻 You know what scares me? How easily we can become accustomed to an abnormal movement pattern simply because we’ve seen it for years.

👻❌ Protein does NOT make your horse fizzy.
Protein is essential for muscle maintenance, tissue repair and recovery. It’s made up of amino acids that your horse needs to support normal bodily function. Energy and protein are NOT the same thing

👻 A correctly fitting saddle….but the topline is poor.
You can have the best fitting saddle in the world for your horse but, if there is not enough muscle mass to support the weight of a saddle of rider, it’s never going to work. Without the support and protection across the back, the forces from the rider will be transfered directly to the spine, causing potential injury

26/10/2026

👻🎃 Spooky series - Things I see as a Musculoskeletal Therapist that scare me!

👻 1. The saddle fits perfectly… but it’s sitting in the wrong place. 💀
The saddle fitter did their job. The human didn’t.
A correctly fitted saddle can still cause problems if it’s positioned too far forward, restricting the shoulder, or placed incorrectly relative to the horse’s natural saddle-bearing area.

👻 2. Thousands spent on tack, training and veterinary bills… but nobody’s looking at the feet. 😭
The horse has a five-star wardrobe and a questionable foundation.
Hoof balance influences how forces are distributed through the limb. Hoof imbalance may contribute to uneven loading and affect movement, comfort and performance.
The takeaway: Hoof care is not an optional extra. Your farrier and vet should work together when hoof balance, lameness or conformation raises concerns.

👻 3. A training aid being recommended as a shortcut to rehabilitation. 🚩
Because apparently, the best way to fix a problem is to make the horse work around it?
Training aids can have a place in certain training programmes, but they don’t automatically address the reason a horse is struggling. If pain, weakness, restricted movement or poor coordination is involved, adding equipment without understanding the problem may be counterproductive.
Time and time and time again I see vets prescribing training aids after veterinary treatment….lets be very clear…training aids have been proven to NOT do what thet say on the tin….they do NOT engage back muscles, they do NOT engage abdominal muscles, they do NOT increase stride length, they do NOT improve topline musculature versus training without.

20/10/2026

20/10/2026

“My horse is injured and is on box rest, what now?”

When your horse is injured or has been diagnosed with a degenerative disease, it can be an overwhelming and uncertain time for horse owners.

So many times I see the correct veterinary treatment but, there is a lack of a structured rehab plan. After all, treatment equates to 2️⃣0️⃣%, rehab is 7️⃣0️⃣%. Rehabilitation is an important part of the recovery process, yet it is an area where many horse owners feel they lack guidance and support.

You may be unsure how to support their recovery, when to introduce exercise, or how to help them regain the strength and fitness needed to return to work.

🔵My horse has been treated, but what happens next?
🔵My horse has had a joint injection. How do I support their return to work?
🔵My horse has had months off and lost all their topline and core strength. Where do I start?
🔵My horse is on box rest or restricted exercise, and I’m worried about what happens when they start moving again.

My aim is to help owners feel less alone in the rehabilitation process, with practical guidance and an individualised approach that puts the horse’s comfort, welfare and long-term soundness first.

🤝 You are not alone 🤝

If you are navigating an injury, musculoskeletal condition (Osteoarthritis) or getting ready to return to work after time off, reach out to plan your horses’ next steps

12/10/2026

MUSCULOSKELETAL MONDAY

🦴The pelvis is made up of three main bones on each side
Ilium – the large, wing-shaped bone that forms the upper part of the pelvis.
Ischium – forms the caudal (rear) part of the pelvis.
P***s – forms the ventral (underside) part of the pelvis.

🦴 When a horse pushes off the ground with its hindlimbs, forces travel through the hindlimb joints and pelvis into the trunk.

🦴The pelvis provides attachment sites for many muscles involved in locomotion and postural control - Gluteal, Hamstring, Deep pelvic muscles, abdominal muscles

🦴The bony prominences you can see on either side of a horse’s hindquarters are called the tuber coxae, commonly known as the points of the hip.
The actual hip joint, or coxofemoral joint, lies further back, where the head of the femur fits into the acetabulum of the pelvis.

🦴 The sacroiliac joints are strongly stabilised by ligaments and surrounding tissues. They allow only small movements, but those movements help accommodate forces passing between the spine and hindlimbs.

🦴 Pelvic asymmentry does not automatically mean pelvic displacement

🦴A difference in the height of the tubera sacrale, sometimes called a hunter’s bump, can occur following trauma involving the pelvic or sacroiliac region

🦴 The sciatic nerve is a major nerve supplying the hindlimb. It travels from the pelvic region through the greater sciatic foramen and continues through the deep tissues of the hindquarter.

🦴 Pelvic problems can be difficult to diagnose-
The pelvis is covered by substantial muscle mass, and much of its bony anatomy lies deep within the hindquarters. This makes some structures difficult to assess through palpation alone

08/10/2026

Reporting Equine neglect & abuse in Ireland

I had to do this several months ago. The process was delayed, simply because I had never had to do this before and I was met with some barriers along the way.
📲 SAVE this post for future. Hopefully you never have to use it!

🔵 Observe horse from a safe distance. Physical condition, access (or lack of) essential provisions
🔵Take as many photos or videos as possible
🔵Pin location
🔵Email photo evidence to DAFM [email protected]
🔵Contact local equine rescue, make them aware
🔴Do not enter private property

In my case, I had initially contacted local cat & dog rescue but they did not have equine experience, they were however, very helpful in pointing me in the right direction and sent their own inspector out to help. I contacted the local dog warden, in some cases they are able to assist in equine cases. In this instances, the warden rung me and said they do not have the expertise in dealing with horses and it would be refered to DAFM, which I already had done.
A Department vet was onsite very quickly after I had emailed the images, the vet agreed with myself and the animal inspector that the horse was suffering and needed to be removed.
In the meantime, I had also sent evidence to a well established equine rescue organisaton, they were on the road straight away with a jeep & trailer.
All authorities worked together as a team and brought the horse into their care.

I have heard stories of authorities not doing anything in these cases or acting too late. In my experience, this was not the case, everybody acted really quickly and took the case with utmost seriousness.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a horse or pony, don’t assune someone else will report it. Take as many photos as you can, I think this is what made the difference in this case that prompted everybody to act quickly!

06/10/2026

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 only working with the best