Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Three

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Three

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

               We have been discussing core strengthening for your equine partner, and this month’s article will continue learning new stretches and exercises.   For a quick review, core strengthening can improve almost any horses performance, as well as lessening the chance of an injury happening.  Continue to have a safe place to work with your horse, and keep wearing protective footwear and gloves.  By now you and your horse should be getting pretty good at doing the five or six stretches we have already discussed, and you may already be noticing some differences in his topline muscling.  This month we will be focusing on true core strengthening.  Up until this point, we have done stretching and range of motion exercises created to strengthen and to stretch the horse’s upper back and abdominal muscles.  As with all core strengthening exercises, these are best done when the horse is warm (a five or ten minute walking session is usually sufficient to warm him up).  Do these exercises three to six times every day, four or five times per week. 

                The newest stretch is called a wither lift.  The handler should stand by the horse’s front leg, facing toward the horse.  Using both hands, as spread apart as you can make your fingers, apply gentle but firm upward pressure onto the horse’s sternum (or chest).  Your hands should be just in front of the location of the girth, near the pectoral muscles.    The horse will respond by lifting his withers toward the ceiling.  Continue working back on his belly into a belly lift, and transition this into a back lift.  The horse should smoothly raise his entire back, from his withers through his low back, in response to your gentle pressure. 

                It is possible to increase this stretch by asking a handler to lower the horse’s head a small amount while he’s stretching.  If your horse is less than sensitive, and he does not respond to your hands (if your hands lack the strength to hold his move), you can use a pen cap or hoof pick to gently ask your horse to lift his back.  It is common for many horses to resist doing a belly lift when this exercise is first introduced.  He should become accustomed to it as he gets stronger with daily exercises.  However, if his resistance continues past the first week, or becomes more aggressive, please desist doing those exercises.    Consult with your veterinarian or equine chiropractor before re-introducing them.  This holds true for all of the exercises we have discussed.  If the horse displays a marked change in range of motion or in acceptance of a stretch day by day, he may need to be checked out by an equine Bodyworker or chiropractor. 

These six or seven exercises can help you to re-shape your horses back in ways you never thought possible.  Once you have performed these daily for several months, the horse is ready to move onto cavalletti and more advanced under saddle work to continue building and stretching his topline and abdominal muscling. 

Dr. Amber Erickson is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI. She is also a Master Equine Bodyworker, certified by Equinology.  More information can be found at www.elementalequineservices.webs.com.  

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Two

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Two

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

                Last month we began discussing core strengthening for your equine partner, and this month’s article will continue along that theme.   For a quick review, core strengthening can improve almost any horses performance, as well as lessening the chance of an injury happening.  Just like last month, ensure that you have a safe place to work with your horse and that you have protective footwear and gloves.  Continue doing the downward stretches that we began last month, but most horses will be ready to stretch a little more by now.  This month we will be focusing on laterally bending the horse, throughout his neck and back.

                To begin the next stretch, square the horse up along a wall and stand at his shoulder.  You will be facing out, with your back to your horses shoulder.  Gently guide the horses head around your body using his halter, towards his hip. 

You may need a treat to lure him around you the first few times.  Ask him to slowly bend around you, keep the head as vertical as possible.  When he has stretched has far as he is able, ask him gently to hold that stretch for a few seconds.  Your right hand can gently support his neck, but do not let him twist completely from the poll.  His entire neck should be stretching out fluidly, with no abrupt angles in the neck.   Once your horse is bending around you well, ask him to stretch his nose out a little further to get a treat a little further away.  Also ask him to hold the stretch a little longer, each day.

                The next stretch, continue to place the horse along a wall with his feet squared up.  Then stand near his hip, a few feet out from him, facing towards his head.   Proceed to offer your horse a treat or a carrot, but hold the treat back by his hip.  When he begins to follow the treat, slowly lower his head down towards his hind hoof.  Ask him to slowly and smoothly stretch his head as far back and down as he can comfortably go.

                The final stretch this month is full neck extension.  Use this stretch when you have finished all of the previously discussed exercises for the maximum benefit.  This stretch may be more easily performed over a stall door or guard at the height of his neck to avoid him stepping forward.  Without a stall, have a helper apply gentle pressure with a hand on the horse’s chest to avoid a step forward.  Use a treat or a carrot to ask the horse to stretch his neck forward as far as he can comfortably reach.  His head should always stay below his withers, long and low is the best way to do this stretch. 

                Always give the horse his or her treat when the head is in the neutral position.  This will help to avoid bitten fingers!  Some more food aggressive horses may need to learn to wait until the entire stretching program is concluded before they are fed their treats in a bucket.  Use your best judgment to keep your fingers safe. 

                Performing these exercises four or five days a week, doing three or four repetitions per side, per day, has been shown to increase a horse’s back joint range of motion.  These exercises can also help to level out uneven muscling or even to help begin to rebuild atrophied back muscling.  Keep up the good work stretching; there will be more to come next month.

                Dr. Amber Erickson is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI. She is also a Master Equine Bodyworker, certified by Equinology.  More information can be found at www.elementalequineservices.webs.com. 

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part One

 

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

 

Core (or abdominal) strengthening is a popular topic with human fitness experts, but not many people think about how it can be applied to a horse. Core stabilization training simply refers to a series of exercises performed in a systematic way daily that are designed to strengthen and to stretch the upper back and abdominal muscles. These exercises are designed to increase motion in the horse’s intervertebral joints (the back and neck), as well as strengthening the many postural and work muscles along the horse’s neck, back, abdomen and pelvic region. These muscles provide the stability necessary for an athlete to use his or her body to the best of their ability, and strengthening the core muscles will often improve performance while also helping to prevent injuries from occurring. This is the first part of a three part series of articles on how to strength the core muscles in your horse.

To begin, please be sure that you have a safe place to work with your horse. This can be anywhere with good footing, from the barn aisle to the pasture. A halter and a lead rope is all that is required on your horse, but you should always wear protective footwear and gloves for your safety. Keep the stall open at all times to ensure a quick escape, or avoid the stall all together and work in an arena or barn aisle. You will need carrot slices, or smallish horse cookies to provide the “bait” while the horse is learning how to stretch and bend on command. Ensure that your posture is as well maintained as possible to avoid injuring your own back.

Core strengthening exercises should be avoided if your horse has trouble balancing on three legs, or extreme trouble bending. Please discuss any exercise program with your veterinarian if your horse has suffered from any neurological diseases, or from a severe injury. Also contact your veterinarian if you notice that your horse is having continued trouble balancing while you perform these exercises. The horse should be standing square and balanced on all four legs as often as possible. Position your horse near a wall to start, as this teaches him to maintain the stretch without moving.

The first stretch to teach your horse will be to touch his toes. Keep your horse’s head absolutely straight, and ask him to lower his head to the ground between his front feet. This can easily be done by offering him a piece of carrot or a treat, and slowly lowering the treat down. However, do not give him the treat while his head is down. This will only encourage the horse to nip and to grab the carrot out of your hands, which can be dangerous for fingers! Horses can be taught to calmly and quietly stretch their head down to their feet, and will even be able to reach far between their front feet with time and practice. This stretch is easily taught with the use of treats, and by gentle downward pressure on the lead rope to show him what is expected of him. Feel free to grab the noseband of the halter if he deviates his head at all, he should be 100% straight the entire exercise. Also, do not ask for a bend above the knees. The horse’s head should ALWAYS be below his knees, to avoid unnecessary pressure on the joints found at the base of the neck.
 

The horse should be verbally encouraged to maintain this stretch for a few seconds, then when he is released and back to neutral he may have his treat. This helps him to learn to slowly stretch and hold, and that his reward will be given once he is finished stretching. Do not allow the horse to move his feet unless he must to maintain his balance, as this will enable him to “cheat” the stretch.

The next stretch begins the same, but then has him laterally deviate to touch the sides of his feet. Most horses will follow the treat, and it helps to tap him on the outside of his cornet band to show him exactly where you want his nose to be. Perform both of these exercises daily three to five times, with three to five repetitions at each time. More stretches will be discussed next time.

Grand Island North Ride 2012

This was my first trip to upper Michigan, and what a beautiful state!  The drive up was great, we had decided to try car pooling with the horses.  My friend Laura and I drove up in her truck and trailer (a four horse stock trailer, it's quite a bit larger than my rig!) with Alice.  Then Mike took his friend Noah and the girls (Noelle and Leah) with him in our van, including all three dogs.  AND he had packed the van full of tack, tents, corrals, camping gear and three coolers.  Oh, and he had our canoe strapped to the roof.  The plan was for the guys in the van to head up to MI first, and set up camp for us.  So we were quite surprised to catch up to them in traffic within the first 45 min of our trip.  Apparently they had trouble securing the canoe to the van....  Guess life is about being flexible!

So we caravaned up, and the drive took us a little over five hours.  The temperature was steadily dropping as we went north, which was a welcome site!  We finally arrived at the turn off of Highway 41 north, and yeah here come the gravel roads.  We had probably ten miles to go on VERY rough, washboard gravel roads.  Apparently this county does not believe in gravel road maintenance!  However driving on gravel roads again made me a little home sick, there are no gravel roads in southeast WI so makes me miss North Dakota.  We pulled into camp at a very reasonable 5:30 pm, and the park staff actually walked us down to our camping site.  We were at a spot that was narrow, with stacks of wood on each side of our site.  I was worried at first, but the back of the site had plenty of room for two tents and two corrals (both of which were made large so yea!).  At $8/night camping it was great!

We got all vetted in, the horses looked great.  I set out my clothes and tack for the morning, and tried to synchronize all of my watches.  Apparently northern MI is on Eastern time, and we are on Central time, so that kind of sucked to lose an hour but the trip home was an hour faster :)   Off to bed, and I slept a little bit (as is normal the night before a ride).  Up at 4:30 to get rolling on a 50, our second one of the season.  Noelle had decided to ride a 50 mile CTR with my horse, Abbie, who she has been riding all season.  It's a big step up in distance, but we decided that they were ready.  We discussed strategy, and decided to ride at least the first loop of the 50 mile together.  Easyboot Gloves on Simon's front feet, and Abbie hoping for few rocks so she'd be good to go barefoot.  Off we went, with strong horses pulling for more speed!

The first loop was 13.5 miles, and I had MAJOR easyboot issues.  I lost my front left boot not once or twice but THREE times, and the other boot was completely ripped off from the gator.  Of course we have no idea where it was lost at, either.  Then the stupid boot fell off the saddle when I attached it to my cantle.  So I'm off my horse AGAIN, securing it to Noelle's saddle.  Nothing like losing 45 min to tack malfunctioning.  I went from fourth place in the pack to almost last with now a barefoot horse.  No big deal though, I wasn't racing anyways, so we're back on and headed towards the first check.  Both holds were out of camp, so my great husband was waiting for us at the first hold.  Simon was down to 60 beats per minute within ten minutes, so about normal for him.  He looked great on his trot out, and got all A's on his score card, except the vet noted some minor back pain starting.  Off to check the pad and to make sure that nothing's rubbing, and to try and do some massage on his back to make him more comfortable.  Abbie is looking great, with a PR of 11 and 7 and an energetic trot out.

Forty minutes later we are tearing out of camp for the next loop, which was 18 or 19 miles.  The horses were very forward, pulling to go faster.  The terrain was great, but very hard hills.  The intermittent rain showers had pretty much stopped by this second loop, and the heat was starting to rise.  We trucked along past the turn back to camp, which I don't think the horses even realized WAS the way back to camp.  Good news we found the ripped off easyboot though!  We were probably about a half of a mile to the second vet check, just walking along, when Abbie charged up behind us and I felt her step on Simon's left hind foot.  Then she barreled into us, and I felt his back end give out.   He was instantly lame at the trot, but walking felt okay so I was hopeful that he would work out of it quickly.

He pulsed down to 60 within a few minutes (a few miles of quite walking into check made a difference, I guess) but the as soon as we started trotting it was obvious he was quite lame on his left hind.  The vet stopped us within a few strides, we thought he was cramping he was so lame.  So calcium was given to him, and we checked him for tight, cramping muscles.  A few muscles were a little tight, but the vet diagnosed him with a stifle injury most likely from having his foot planted and his hind end giving away (exactly what HAD happened when Abbie ran into us).  So she predicted that he will be out for four to six weeks, and he for sure was done with this ride.  Great, so now we can settle down to wait until the ride management is finished at this out check so we can hitch a ride back to camp.  The positive side was that Abbie was still looking great, and she had no problem going back out on trail alone.  Noelle had almost three hours to do the last loop, which was 17 miles.

The last loop had a six mile loop trail, then the riders came back through the vet check to head towards the main camp.  Abbie looked great when she came back through, but poor Simon got all worked up AGAIN when she left him for second time.  Poor thing is in love with a mare who doesn't know that he exists!   We waited for the the final two or three riders to pass through the loop before we headed back to camp, so we had a lovely rest in the shade with some great people.  Then a we hear shouting from down on the trail, and so help was rushed out to the rider.  Her horse was colicking, so thank God a vet had stayed out at the check!  It was a very scary episode, but as of Sunday afternoon the horse was doing well.

We decide to haul Simon back to camp in the ride management's two horse trailer.  Apparently he doesn't care for two horse green trailers with a ramp, because he would not load.  Very frustrating!!  Nothing like being hot and tired with a lame horse who refuses to do more than put his front feet on the ramp.  I called my husband to tell him that Laura needed to come get us with HER trailer.  Too late, she was already on her way with her trailer to come pick up the sick horse.  We loaded Simon into the front stall, then we put the sick horse in the back stall.  He jumped right in, what a team player for a sick horse!  It was a long trip home on washboard gravel roads, but we managed to make it back to camp with everyone on their feet and alert.

Back in camp, I immediately Kinesiotaped Simon's stifle.  Then I fed him, poulticed and wrapped his legs and let him rest.  Abbie looked great after her 50 mile comp, I was very proud of them!  Of course we both opted not to ride on Sunday, so we spent the day at the beach with Alice.  It was great to have a camp with a lake right there!  Alice had a lot of fun playing in the lake with her new friend.  Our puppy Hunter had a blast playing in the lake, as well.  Mike and his friend Noah took the canoe out three times all weekend, and they got some good fishing in.  A husband who is happy makes for an excellent endurance ride partner!  I ran Simon up to the vet station to beg for someone to check him over again.  We trotted up, and she noted that his trot was looking much better.  He went from hopping lame to probably a grade one lameness.  Heat was much reduced in the stifle joint, and the swelling was greatly reduced.  Here we go into rehab, hopefully I can get a few more attempts in at 50 miles as we head towards fall....

Overall it was a great weekend, except for my injured horse.  This ride was ran excellently, and the trails were great.  Excellent footing, and the horses did great barefoot.  Some sand and a little rock, but overall the footing was great.  It was tough terrain though, probably the hardest hills that we have ridden on this year.  This ride is definitively on the "to do" list for future years, and it makes me want to try the Grand Island 100 miler.  Of course we have to work out our 50 mile kinks first though.  This ride was great though, with excellent camping and fantastic help and management.  Thanks to everyone who made this great ride possible, we'll see you next year :)

Musings on chiropractic and equine bodywork: An Introduction to Kinesiotape

Musings on chiropractic and equine bodywork: An Introduction to Kinesiotape: In recent years, there seems to be many professional athletes sporting brightly colored tape on various parts of their body, in all conf...

An Introduction to Kinesiotape

In recent years, there seems to be many professional athletes sporting brightly colored tape on various parts of their body, in all configurations.  This method of using tape to treat almost any condition seems to be exploding in popularity.  However, does it have uses for those of us, shall we say, less athletic regular people?  Yes!!  Kinesio tape has been used to treat anything from low back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome to digestion upsets in patients of all ages and sizes.

As stated in the Kinesio Taping Association International KT1 Kinesio taping method book, “Kinesio Tex Tape was first developed and utilized by Dr. Kenzo Kase.”  The tape is a cotton and elastic tape that is designed to mimic the inherent properties of human skin.  The tape is applied to an area of the body in a very specific way, and then is left on the patient for three to six days for maximum therapeutic benefit.  Most people do not notice that the tape is even there anymore after a few minutes of wearing it, and can go about their regular activities (including bathing and swimming).  The tape is latex free, using natural plant dyes to color it.

Patients often complain of the chiropractic adjustment “not holding” as long as they would like, especially in the early stages of care or after an acute injury to the area.  Kinesio tape is a great way to continue stimulating the proprioceptors in that particular area between adjustments, as this method of care can provide effective neuromuscular retraining and overall support for the area.  There are also many advanced taping techniques for care of an acute injury, or to stimulate lymphatic’s, or for chronic conditions that need additional support.  The compressive forces of the tape also help to reduce inflammation, in some cases.

The tape comes in four colors.  The colors do not change the treatment in any way!  However, the pink tape is thought to draw energy, so it is mostly used to “turn on” or facilitate a muscles that needs to be strengthened.  The blue tape is meant to be cooling, so this is used for acute, inflamed tissues that need to be calmed down and relaxed.  The black tape is warming, so this is great for any chronic condition or for athletes using it to enhance their performance.  Finally the beige or neutral tape is best for those people who don’t want to have tape on their bodies in bright colors!  The neutral colored tape is especially great for anywhere very noticeable on the body, or for someone who works in an office with a strict dress code.  All four types of tape are identically made, with only the color of dye being a different factor.  They are all hypoallergenic as well.
Kinesiotape has been successfully used to treat many conditions, ranging from shoulder pain to headaches to low back pain and plantar fasciitis.  It has also been used very successfully on very small children and on animals.  If you are interested in how Kinesiotape can be added to your chiropractic care plan, please do not hesitate to ask us.

When I next have time, I will expand on using Kinesiotape on horses, as well as rider-specific uses.  Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Equine Bodywork

 In today’s technology-driven world of hustle and rush, more and more people are turning to horses to help them unplug from their stressful lives.  Today, a horse can perform almost any job.  Some are hard working ranch or police horses, while others are pampered show or trail riding horses.  One thing they all have in common is that their riders want them to be as healthy and happy as possible.  This means performing at the best of their ability, for as long as possible.  This edge is especially necessary in the race horse or the high level show horse.  Bodywork often can provide that necessary edge, as well as making the average horse feel great.

Equine bodywork is a blanket term for chiropractic (performed by a licensed doctor of chiropractic), massage, acupressure, myofascial release (MFR), craniosacral therapy, stretching, or numerous other therapies.  A rider who is subluxated (or whose joints are not moving correctly) will carry his or her weight in a different manner, and this can cause the horse to travel in an unbalanced fashion while trying to accommodate the rider’s shifted center of gravity.  This in turn can then cause the horse to either become resistant in his or her job, or to not be able to do his job as well as he can.  When we get stiff or sore, we can take a day off from working out.  What often happens with our horses is that by the time we realize a problem is present, their behavior has been off, or their performance has been decreasing, for a while.

They can’t tell us when they are in pain; so much of the “bad” behavior noticed is often the horse trying to tell you something is not right with them.  A simple way to prevent problems is by performing simple massage and stretching techniques on your own horse, in addition to getting regular veterinary and chiropractic care.  A good idea also is to have a professional body worker or licensed chiropractor out to work on your horses ever four to eight weeks, just to “check” on them.  This can help prevent bigger problems from developing, as well as keeping your horse working at his or her top potential.  Another reason to do simple massage techniques on your own horse each week is to learn what is normal for your own horse.  If they become uncomfortable with a massage move that they had previously loved, this may indicate the beginnings of a problem in that area.   It’s also a very nice way to reward your horse for a job well done. 

Arthritis has been career ending for many horses.  Chiropractic care can not only slow this degenerative process, but it can actually reverse negative changes to the horse’s skeleton.  Joint restriction anywhere in the horse’s body can start the process of arthritis.  If both the horse and the rider are subluxation free, and moving to their best ability, injuries happen less often and the team can perform well for a longer period of time.  A rider who is subluxated CAN NOT sit straight, no matter how good their training is.  Therefore the horse will compensate for the rider’s slight lean, and will have difficulty traveling in a straight line.  This will add up to much more stress on weight bearing joints, over years.  This may be the trail horse who jigs in place, or who seems reluctant to move forward, as well. 

Just like humans, horses can suffer from being subluxated. Also just like humans, they can greatly benefit from a receiving a chiropractic adjustment.  A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ systems and general health.  So what does this mean?  Well more simply stated; subluxation is when the bones of the spine, or other joints, are not moving properly and the resulting irritation can negatively affect the nerves.  Subluxations affect the nervous system, local muscles, joints and even distant organs, glands and body functions.  Therefore, ANY horse could benefit from quality chiropractic care.  Adjustments reduce the nerve interference allowing the proprioceptors to function more efficiently.  This can lead to an increase in balance and suppleness.  A chiropractic adjustment is a high velocity, low amplitude thrust given into a specific joint.  These can be given both to horse and rider, although given through different techniques!! 

The ideas behind Chiropractic were developed hundreds of years ago, but it has enjoyed new popularity recently.  Chiropractic on horses is actually performed in a very similar way to the way people are treated.  Animals seem to respond very well to chiropractic care, and they tend to get better very quickly. 

You may wonder how a woman is strong enough to adjust a very large horse?  Well that is easy, SPEED is more important than MASS.  Force = Mass X Acceleration, so chiropractors make up for a lack of mass (at least in proportion to a horse!) by using a very quick thrusting movement.  The standard chiropractic adjustment is a high velocity, low amplitude thrust.
Myofascial Release can also be used with chiropractic care to release (relax) the tight muscles around the subluxated joint.  This is a form of deep tissue massage that is held for many minutes, until the muscles around the joint relax.  Once the muscles relax, this will allow the joints motion to restore itself more easily.

Everyone has seen a horse who is perfectly behaved one day, and the next day explodes into a bucking fit.  All cases might not be as dramatic as this, but we have all seen something like this happen.  This can often be due to subluxations found throughout the horse’s body, especially in their back.  Our horses live in a very different atmosphere than the one the evolved in.  Many horses are stalled for hours each day, with limited amounts of exercise, and are fed high amounts of concentrates.  This can lead to a horse who behaves very differently than nature intended.  Subluxations are CAUSED by stress, so it is not surprising that many of our horses would have noticeable subluxations.  

Equine Myofascial Release Technique

Horses have been amazing partners for thousands of years.  Wars were won or lost from their backs, and new worlds were discovered.  However, their role in today has evolved into something very different.  They are now used primarily as pets, and as a hobby, for thousands of people.  Horses today have jobs ranging from pasture pet/trail riding companion, to hard working cattle ranch horses to race horses to show horses. They usually can’t tell us that they’re in pain, and much of the “bad” behavior noticed is often the horse trying to tell us something isn’t right with them.

When your muscles become tight and sore, you simply take a day off from working out.  You might stretch, or take a hot bath.  Your horse can’t tell you where he’s sore, or if he’s hurting.  Often, by the time we realize that there is a problem with our horses, their behavior or performance has been changing for awhile.  A simple way to prevent problems is to perform simple massage and stretching techniques on your own horse, in addition to getting regular veterinary and chiropractic care.  A good idea also is to have a professional body worker or equine chiropractor out to work on your performance horses every four to eight weeks, just to “check” on your horses.  Maintenance care can help prevent bigger problems from developing, as well as keeping your horse working at his or her top potential. Most will be happy to show you stretches and/or massage moves you can easily perform at home, on your own horses.

Another reason to do simple massage techniques on your own horse each week is to learn what is normal for your own horse.  If they become uncomfortable with a massage move that they had previously loved, this may indicate the beginnings of a problem in that area.   A bodywork session can also be a very nice way to reward your horse for a job well done.

Myofascial Release Technique, or MFR, is a gentle massage technique that addresses the horse's muscles, joints AND fascia.  Myofascial Release is used to release (relax) the tight muscles around a joint that isn’t moving correctly.  This is a form of deep tissue massage that is held for many minutes, until the muscles around the joint relax.  Once the muscles relax, this will sometimes allow the joint to re-position itself naturally.   Fascia is a layer of tough, supportive tissue surrounding muscle that resembles a giant spider web.  Fascia is a very dense covering that is found over every part of the body, from muscles, bones and nerves to arteries to all the internal organs (brain, lungs, heart, etc.).  The entire amount of fascia found in the body is actually connected.  The fascia is a single structure that spreads from ears to toes as one continuous sheet of very strong connective tissue which provides a tremendous amount of support for the body. 

This is one of the reasons that MFR is so effective, as all of the fascia is connected in the body, so adhesions found anywhere in this web of fascia can affect the entire body.  The fascia is meant to be pliable and freely moving.  However, the body's myofascial tissue can be become tight and restricted after a trauma, an over-exertion injury, or simply from years of poor posture.  This can lead to a decrease in range of motion, a noticeable stiffening of joints and an obvious decrease in performance.
MFR is performed by essentially maintaining a very light contact over a sight of myofascial restriction.  This light contact allows the deeper muscle and fascial layers to actively release, without any interference from the bodyworker.  MFR done correctly CAN NOT injure the horse.  It is a completely non-invasive technique, as the bodyworker simply holds the tissues that are restricted.  This is done until the tissue "leads" the bodyworker to the next tight and restricted location, or until all of the adhesions are actively released.   People often find that they have an entirely different horse, once the horse is no longer uncomfortable in his own body! 

Introduction

I am Dr. Amber Erickson, and this is my first attempt at a blog.  I am a doctor of chiropractic, my husband and I own Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI.  I am also a certified Master equine bodyworker, certified by Equinology. 

My website is www.elementalequineservices.webs.com.

I am starting this blog to talk about chiropractic, for the horse and for the rider.  I will also talk about unique bodywork problems that horse owners ask me about daily.  This ranges from stretches to core strengthening to saddle fit.  Also rider fitness and stretches are important. 

Please feel free to ask me any questions!