Eggert Equine Therapy

Eggert Equine Therapy providing bodywork for horses of all competition levels, from racehorses to pleasure horses.

05/13/2026

Join Clifford and I to chat about the stifles! Where they are, what they do, how to keep them strong! What are your go-to exercises for strength in this area?

Does your horse pin their ears when you tighten your girth or even while you groom him behind his forelegs? Chances are...
05/07/2026

Does your horse pin their ears when you tighten your girth or even while you groom him behind his forelegs? Chances are, he has sore posterior (caudal) pectoral muscles. The first thing many owners think is, "Oh no! My horse has ulcers!" While that may be true, there are number of other reasons your horse may be sore or reactive here.

Does your horse ride on forehand?
Does he struggle to engage the abdomen? Does he have sore feet?
Does he have arthritis somewhere in the forelegs?
Is there a saddle or girth fit issue?
Have your workouts been placing extra strain on the thoracic sling area?

These are all ideas to talk over with your bodyworker at your next appointment.

Aside from correcting medical or tack fit concerns, how can you help between professional appointments? Walk raised cavaletti, back your horse up a slight hill with a level head (shoot for 10-20 steps when they're strong enough), work on lateral movements in hand and under saddle, and practice turns on forehand to work on abducting those muscles.

Hope this helps! Got questions? Let me know!

05/04/2026

Let's talk about balance pads! Are these something that you use in your horse's exercise routine?

Check out my full length video on YouTube for more details on using this great tool with your horses. Let me know if you need the link...I'll be happy to send it your way!

If you have a horse that struggles with straightness in the arena, here's a simple fix for their mindset. Try taking th...
04/30/2026

If you have a horse that struggles with straightness in the arena, here's a simple fix for their mindset. Try taking them out on a trail where you can ride longer distances on a straight path. This idea will also work in a field, or even in the alleys between pastures if you don't have access to trails. All gaits apply!

This idea is simple and will get your horse thinking of moving out straight rather than getting goofy on all the circles in arena work.

I do a lot of driving for my business...which means I do a lot of thinking too. Here's one of my thoughts for today: I...
04/28/2026

I do a lot of driving for my business...which means I do a lot of thinking too. Here's one of my thoughts for today: I wonder if there has ever been a study done looking at the incidence of tendon injuries in horses who are stall kept vs. those who live outdoors?

We know that long warmups and cooldowns are essential to tendon injury prevention, as is gradual buildup of their workload. Inadequate conditioning and lack of endurance are also risk factors. A horse living outdoors walks an average 5-15 miles per day, depending on which study you are reading and the size of their pasture. That's a big difference from a horse who is sedentary other than their daily workout. If the horse is constantly moving, or has the ability to do so, I'm curious how that would affect the risk.

I do not have an answer, nor did I find any studies online in my brief search this afternoon. (It would be near impossible to perform without any confounding factors!) But, it is definitely food for thought!

04/23/2026

A little bit about the postural muscles in your horse. Keeping these muscles strong are key in preventing compensation and lameness!

Like the author, I am not against spur use when they're used as a refining training tool. This is quite eye opening tho...
04/17/2026

Like the author, I am not against spur use when they're used as a refining training tool. This is quite eye opening though to the lasting effects when used in a harsher manner!

Today, let's take a look at sickle hocks.As you can see in the photo below, in sickle hocks, the cannon bone angles forw...
04/16/2026

Today, let's take a look at sickle hocks.

As you can see in the photo below, in sickle hocks, the cannon bone angles forward under the horse due to the angle of the hocks. To be clear, this is conformation, not anything caused by the owners. Now, how does this affect the horse?

Sickle hocks can predispose the horse to hock arthritis (and possible fusion in later years). It can also put excessive strain on the tarsal plantar ligament and flexor tendons of the hind limbs.

Can you see the overdevelopment of the hamstrings on this horse up near the tail? This is something I commonly find when hocks come into play. Consequently, this mare struggles with stretching her hind legs forward during bodywork. I also consistently find tightness through her tail, which is also quite common with tight hamstrings and hock issues.

What might you see as the rider? You may see shortened strides and difficulty with high performance work, including tight turns.

While that may sound like a lot, sickle hocks may not be detrimental to the horse and can typically be managed well. However, these are definitely things to watch out for in keeping your horse comfortable. As with many conformation faults, with correct training, maintenance and consideration, these horses can live well!

Please note: if you are not on my current schedule rotation, expect about 4-6 weeks to get an appointment. I'll do th...
04/10/2026

Please note: if you are not on my current schedule rotation, expect about 4-6 weeks to get an appointment. I'll do the best I can to find you a sooner appointment, but that's about what we're looking at. Thanks for your patience!

"Your best self is NOT a perfect version of you. It’s who you are when you're grounded, fully aware, and happily aligne...
04/09/2026

"Your best self is NOT a perfect version of you.

It’s who you are when you're grounded, fully aware, and happily aligned with your heart. It’s the authentic and unique you - your true spirit - all your favorite thoughts, visions, and feelings. It feels like you have the world by the tail!" ~ Barbra Schulte

I love this!

The easiest way to check if you're bringing your best self? Go hang out with your horse! As a prey animal, they can tell before you even get near them what kind of energy you're bringing to the table today. So take a breath, let go of that worry or thoughts of an argument you just had, and be present with them.

Do you notice how much calmer and more focused your horse is when you bring that "best self"? How your partnership excels together? Do you notice the struggle of a ride you might have when you're rushing or keep those outside stressors going?

It's not always easy, but working with your horses will surely bring more self awareness to this aspect of where you're at!

03/07/2026

Ammo loves his bodywork sessions! Such an expressive boy 💕🐎

Address

Lebanon, PA

Telephone

+17178138529

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Eggert Equine Therapy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Eggert Equine Therapy:

Shortcuts

Share

Category