Integrative Veterinary Services

12/12/2025

12/05/2025

Rope Chewing: A Love Letter to Stress and Coping Mechanisms😅

Every trainer eventually meets the horse who, when faced with the simplest request, decides the only logical response is to grab the lead rope and chew it like it like life depends on it. Some people allow it, even encourage it, insisting it “helps him calm down.” Which sounds sweet, but it is a bit like believing you can handle stress by stress eating half the pantry. Comforting, yes. Helpful, absolutely not.

Rope chewing does not mean anything cool. It is not healthy self regulation. It is not emotional intelligence. It is a stress behaviour. A flashy little signal that says, “I am not okay doing this and my brain has left the building.” Once a horse is coping like this, the learning part of the brain quietly packs its bags. No horse can absorb new information while simultaneously trying to swallow the equipment.

My approach is simple. I do not punish it. I am not trying to create a villain with a dramatic backstory about “disrespect.” I just calmly interrupt the chewing and redirect that frantic energy into purposeful movement.

Movement helps the nervous system settle, brings the horse back into its body, and gives me a chance to make the task clearer. Movement is a horse’s natural way to cope with stress, and rope chewing only becomes an option when they feel stuck, restrained, or unmotivated to move. So help them channel the stress the way nature intended. Once the horse understands the task and feels safe doing it, the rope immediately loses its appeal and the horse settles.

But rope chewing is not always about confusion in the moment. Sometimes it is pointing to something deeper. When a horse turns to the rope, the real job is to look at the whole picture. You consider whether the horse is confused, whether the task is fair, or whether the horse is physically struggling in a way that would make even simple things feel impossible. Often it is not a training issue at all but a pain or soundness problem simmering underneath. I see this regularly in horses with chronically sore feet.

Ignore that sign and you might end up with an ulcered, sore, emotionally explosive gelding who now firmly believes lead ropes are the most important thing in their life.

The rope is never the problem, and it is definitely not the solution. It is simply the messenger telling you something is not sitting right for the horse.

When you help the horse understand the task and feel physically capable of doing it, the need for coping fades, the behaviour disappears, and the rope lives to see another day. And that is how you remove stress from your horse’s life and keep your lead rope out of its mouth.👄

This is Collectable Advice 96/365 of my personal challenge to post each day good ideas and insights for you to hit SAVE or SHARE but please dont copy and paste! Curious of my teachings, see comment below :)

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to our valued clients & patients. Grateful for the opportunity to care for your horses! 🦃🍁

10/11/2025

Lots of acupuncture yesterday! From helping sore backs & necks to improving gastrointestinal motility & immune function, acupuncture can support your horse in many ways. These small needles inserted into specific points can aid in: 
• Relieving back, neck & muscle pain
• Improving flexibility & movement
• Supporting gut health & recovery from colic
• Reducing stress & balancing hormones
• Boosting healing & immune function
Acupuncture helps your horse move and feel better!

09/10/2025

Backwards walking isn’t just reverse action 👇

The ‘back-up’ is a key exercise used in rehabilitation and now we have new evidence to support its effectiveness!

Eldridge et al. (2025) found unique hip extensor muscle activation and increased stifle and hock flexion with backwards walking.

This results of this study support the clinical use of this exercise to improve hind limb strength, stability, coordination and range of movement 👏👏

08/30/2025

08/23/2025

We had a great day at Trademark Farm yesterday providing chiropractic care to support the health and performance of these incredible athletes.
This kind of care plays a vital role in:
✅ Improving mobility and alignment
✅ Enhancing performance and recovery
✅ Preventing injury

It’s always rewarding to help equine athletes feel and perform their best. Thanks to Trademark Farm for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated team and top-tier horses!

08/06/2025

Huge thanks to Dr. Krista for visiting our four-legged athletes today! 🐴💆‍♀️ Jasmine loved her adjustment and is feeling her best just in time for CHJA Finals next week! 💪✨

Our Summer Riding Academy students even got to watch and learn as Dr. Krista worked her magic — a great opportunity to see how chiropractic care helps keep our equine partners happy, healthy, and performing at their peak. 🐎❤️

08/05/2025

Why Stretch Your Horse After Chiropractic Care? 🐴
Stretching helps lock in the benefits of chiropractic adjustments by improving flexibility, boosting circulation, and retraining movement patterns. It reduces muscle tension, supports healing, and keeps your horse feeling balanced and relaxed.

✅ Helps prevent re-injury
✅ Increases range of motion
✅ Encourages proper posture and body use

Add stretching to your horse’s routine! 🐎

06/29/2025

06/06/2025

When it comes to equine back pain, the causes can be:
1️⃣ primary within the back itself, or
2️⃣ secondary to another injury.

⚡️ Regardless of the cause, the horse’s back is an area that is predisposed to pain and to dysfunction for an endless number of reasons.

🏇🏻 For any horse that is ridden, it is essential that we maintain the best possible health and function of the back, and for an athlete, a strong, healthy and supple back is a non-negotiable. It is imperative to their functionality and performance over the long term.

This week's block is written to be shared with your clients, helping them understand back pain and the strengthening exercises that can be done to reduce pain.

Read more here: https://onlinepethealth.com/strengthening-your-horses-back/

05/13/2025

Great podcast!