Equine Bodyworker, Sports massage and Groom services
Information of CPD courses attended
Kinesiology Taping
Georgia participated in training via a CPD course to have the skills to apply k-tape. This 1 day course was designed to get a better understanding of kinesiology taping, and what benefits it has in terms of muscle development, training and strengthening. Along with how taping can be used as a healing benefit and assisting in the recovery of injury to both equine and equestrian. Applying k-tape can lessen pain response, improve function, create postural awareness and increase Proprioception.
"Improving Welfare, soundness and performance."
Fascial edge tool
Did you know Fascia is the largest organ of the body?
Fascia is also known as skin. The fascia of the horse is developed in the early stages of a mares pregnancy, and throughout life is a mixture of cells and nerves forming a complex design of webs, set out to protect and stimulate the body. It is often overlooked as an area that could have problems or tension, but fascia is an incredibly sensitive organ. Its constantly folding and reforming itself to be able to protect and provide.
Fascia is always under tension. Its the first part of the body that's emitted to strain. Its so incredibly strong, it can take up to 200lbs of pressure per square inch of horse.
Fascia is also a pain receptor, responding to such issues from a simple graze to an arterial bleed. Fascia is the first to stimulate a response to the nerve cells, then to receptors in the brain. The release of tension in the fascia can result in relaxation, rehydration of the skin and muscles, changes to metabolism, tissue tone and nerve function along with reduction in pain and inflammation at the response time.
The tool..
The long design has been created to mimic the movement and pressure of your ulnar of the forearm, and the rounded narrower end to stimulate such pressure as the thumb. This design allows Georgia to feel the kinetic pathways of the horse, and get a feeling of what is going on under the skin. This works well with a set routine of palpation, to get a true representation of tissue structure and formation to then find any friction or knots. The tool is a great concept which has also given Georgia the chance to explore the concept of tensegrity (where one part of the body overcompensates for other problems of the body) and why pain will often be found in the weakest part of the system.
Centaur of Biomechanics short course
Georgia attended an informative CPD course on an Equine Biomechanics and saddle fitting, run and taught by the incredible Russell Guire and Mark Fisher. Designed for anyone with a keen interest in the welfare of the horse, whether it be from a professional point of view, as Georgia was, or as a horse owner simply seeking more knowledge. The course covered aspects in gait analysis, the efficiency of the gait, the reasons behind poor performance; as it could be tack related, general pain, behaviour or training issues. The course allowed Georgia to use some of the equipment designed to measure such patterns, and see the paucity of evidence taken in different trials and what impact this has on the horse, and the horse owner. There are many factors that have to be considered when evaluating the horses gaits; the surface that you are watching them (horse) move on is a significant factor, along with handler aids; is the walk or trot being forced? The weather, the length of space allocated to the assessment, the shoes, the boots worn, are all factors that need to be taken in to consideration.
Diagonal pairs; common practice in walk and trot ups is looking for the diagonal pair of legs and if they move correctly, producing similar footfall patterns and beats. Taking the above factors in to consideration, horses have a disassociation between each pair, and that loading limbs between hind and fore differ. The percentage of front limb load is 58%, and hind limb load is 42%. This suggests that if the horse were to roll back to front in diagonal pairs this would consume the least amount of energy but would load the hocks dramatically.
The importance of knowing what the horse you're treating does is very important. A good example is in show jumping. Jumping a 1.60M fence and landing exerts 3x the horses bodyweight vertically down one leg, thus resulting in hyper extension. Knowing this type of information gives the professional therapist the relevant start into problem diagnosis; could it be hock issues, or suspensory ligaments?
Your saddle fits, but does your bridle?
Saddle fitting plays a big part in achieving optimum performance of your horse, covering aspects of tree types, flocking, and certain focal points (stirrup bars, rails etc) and what suits your horses way of going. Having the correct fitting girth too, and the anatomical design all plays a role in gait function and mobility. Issues need to be avoided/ improved, welfare issues, quality, symmetry, adaptability, adjustability, prices, and weight restriction and performance (this playing the biggest topic) in function. As an equine professional, Georgia is constantly trying to improve the performance and movement of the horse. Your horse might not be feeling their usual optimum self, but sometimes its not always body dynamic's, but giving a plausible reason as to why we get tack checked at regular intervals to rule out external reasons why, in a similar way to why we have farriers/ trimmers dentists and vets. Bridle fitting is just as important as the saddle. There are so many pressure points around the horses face, for example the TMJ joint, ears, nasal bone ridges and atlas. Having ill fitting bridles could lead to uneven pressure and lasting damage.
Equine mobilisation and stretching, incorporating positional release and muscle energy techniques.
The concept of MET is a softer approach, a more accepting massage technique for the horse, minimising the chances of over stretching, straining then causing inflammation. You allow the body to guide you into a stretch, but not taking it to the point of bind then holding for 7 seconds, releasing then holding for a further 7 seconds, then lastly for 25 seconds at the point of bind. The concept allows the body to stimulate its regulatory mechanism to facilitate change, it has a longer lasting effect compared to that of your usual stretching and on studies using this MET method the range of movement has been improved. The way MET works is by stimulating the pain receptors and allowing it to descend through the pathways, increasing blood flow into the area and reducing the inflammatory markers.
Positional release:
As part of the same CPD, Georgia developed her skills on positional release and the concept of strain-counterstain. The way this works is by instead of finding the barrier within the muscle or fascia and adding pressure to remove the issue, instead you remove the restriction within the area into the easiest direction for comfort. Positional work allows the therapist to find a suitable position which dramatically reduces the pain and discomfort in the area, whilst still contacting the place or target of pain.
Trigger point work:
A basic area for any sports therapist to treat is via the use of Trigger points. These are areas across the horse of naturally tightened biochemical reactions in the fascia or muscle body. They occur when the area becomes too acidic, and this can happen in any type of muscle or tendon. Tissue tension compresses the blood vessels and increases the inflammatory markers, issues then appear and eventually a build up of metabolic waste plus a lack of nutrients to the area which then stimulates a pain response. Due to the complex design of connective fibres and tissues the trigger can spread via sarcomeres and then can affect the neighbouring muscles. Georgia uses trigger point release as a way to help lymphatic drainage and the distribution of toxins. Release is seen via licking and chewing, and in some cases yawning.
Infrared LED light tool
Georgia regularly uses the photizo tool in her sessions. Photizo Vetcare LED light therapy has been designed to harness the healing power of red and infrared light at specific wavelengths and frequencies for accelerated healing by activating the pain and relaxing ‘medication’ of the animal’s own body. The tool is 100% safe to use, and with the 33 second timed responses it can be used all over the body, and in the lightweight hand held design of the tool means that it is versatile and easy to use. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are non-invasive, painless, produce a gentle and soothing warmth and do not require recovery time. Photizo Vetcare allows increased blood flow into the area being treated to ensure that any interal toxic waste is quickly removed from the area. The tool has had success in treating many issues such as Skin conditions: wounds, lacerations, abscesses, saddle sores, skin allergies, eczema, etc. Musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis, tendonitis, overuse injuries and muscle spasms as well as Post-op: any area treated surgically, including skin grafts. Georgia Typically uses the tool to target any sore regions located in the session and to help trigger point release.
Equine ride and rehab
This CPD course was focused on exercises to aid performance, through the use of groundwork and in hand exercises with the addition of pole work, and proprioception exercises such as cones and mixed terrain focus. Incorporating pole work and groundwork can have maximum benefit to your horses training and increases their confidence with freedom to move, assesses their ability to understand, and work through where to place its limbs in response to negotiating the obstacles. Adding different types of exercise to your horses routine improves straightness, flexion and bend and in time improves suppleness, increases proprioception and activates muscle engagement. The concept is to improve the horses frame and how they hold themselves, raising the back and engaging the core, and increase strength training through the limbs and length through the neck. Georgia considers 20 minutes of in hand pole work/ groundwork as a mini HIIT workout for your horse as it can be both mentally and physically challenging.