Equine Bodytalks – Details, episodes & analysis

Allergies…. A seasonal irritation for some and a constant worry for others. Allergies can present a major health challenge for our animals and ourselves. When they become severe, it can be critical to get medical intervention quickly. As humans, we can vocalize our discomforts and evaluate what factors may have been at play to cause our bodies to go into a histamine response. For our animals however, its’ not that easy to determine when they start to feel unwell and then trace it back to what factor is at play. Anyone who’s dealt with allergies in their animals can attest to how difficult a journey it can become!

Today we chat with Calee Dufva. Calee is a long time InHand client who has run the gauntlet when it comes to allergies with her basset hound Mookie. We sit down with Calee (and Mookie) to hear how she was able to work through his health challenges and bring him to a healthy life.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

#opentheconversation

As a bodyworker, we can see a variety of horses in any given day and we likely have worked on horses from many disciplines. However, it isn’t uncommon to get in involved with having more clients based in a certain discipline. Whether that be because it’s the discipline we ourselves compete in, or because it’s the barns we’ve been working in predominantly that have a specific focus.

Whatever it may be, we thought it would be fun to chat with individuals from a variety of different equine sports to discuss the ins and outs of their discipline as well as talk about what specifics we might find as bodyworkers in the horses that perform there.

Today our focus is on Barrel Racing. Fast is an understatement when most races are won in under twenty seconds with mili-seconds between contestant times!! A discipline that on the outside seems simple enough, but when you add in all the elements required, one sees how in-depth and technical it truly is.

Today we sit down with Shaun Rathy, manager for the rehab and breeding operations of one of Alberta’s premier facilities, the Bar None Ranch. Shaun has been involved with horses the majority of her life, she started out in the hunter/jumper world before switching to Barrel Racing. Her training and conditioning program is superb so it was fabulous to sit down with her and find out the inner workings of this sport.

For more information on Shaun, check out her Instagram @ryd_2_win or visit the Bar None Ranches Website at https://barnoneranches.com/

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

In the world of health, there can often be more than one way to approach a problem. Always looking at it from a team approach, but many modalities exist to help form individual health plans. In today’s episode we are going to look into one such modality that has been around for millennium, but which has only recently been formally studied and given a name; Zoopharmacognosy (an animals ability to self select elements to help itself heal). We will be talking with one of the few individuals trained in this, and hopping across the Atlantic to do so.

Our guest today is Carly Hillier of Whitethorn Equine Health Ltd of Sligo, Ireland. Carly has been studying Equine Science for decades and became involved with Zoopharmacognosy when she had a difficult case of reoccurring colic in one of her own horses. The results she witnessed were astounding and it has driven her to continually want to find out more and share this knowledge with others.

For more information on Carly, check out the website:

https://www.whitethornequinehealth.com/ and like and follow her on Facebook and instagram under @whitethornequinehealth. Her retail website is: https://www.whitethornherbals.com/

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

#opentheconversation

Chiropractics.  Always a word that will evoke a lot of discussion when you talk about it in the equine world, especially the Equine Bodywork world. We tackled this topic last year with Dr Sarah Pedersen as well and had a phenomenal interview with her, talking about what the legalities of using this modality are and why it is so important to ensure you have a qualified, insured and certified (by a governing body) practitioner who is laying hands on your equine partners.

There are two types of practitioners that are qualified under the guidelines of the veterinary association here and around the world (be sure to check your local veterinary acts to know what is allowed in your area). All under the guidance of their respective veterinary boards, Veterinarians or Doctors of Human Chiropractics, both of whom have taken specialized training and further education on top of their degrees, to work on animals.

Today we are talking to one such Doctor of Chiropractics, Dr Blaine Bugg, to get his perspective on chiropractics. Dr Bugg has a unique practice here in central Alberta working on both equine athletes and equestrians. He has worked as treating chiropractor for the Calgary Flames hockey team, the University of Calgary rowing team and the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sports Medicine team, of which he is now serving as president.

Have a listen as Dr Bugg talks us through the interplay between horse and rider biomechanics.

For more information on Dr Bugg, check out the website:

https://www.calgary.spine.ca/ or give them a call at 403.270.7001

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

When we talk about riding horses, more often than not, that means we’re sitting in a saddle of some design, with a pad and other tack such as the cinch and breast collars. The FIT of these pieces of equipment are vital to the comfort and biomechanics of your horse, and for you as the rider and partner in sport. Without proper fit comes pain and compensation which leads to postural imbalances, in both horse and rider, and potentially can cause long term damage to the tissue it’s putting pressure on.

In todays episode we’re talking saddles with Danny Kroetch. Danny is a master saddle fitter and owner of DK Saddlery of Calgary, AB. He has been in the industry for over 32 years, working throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has developed his own system of saddle fitting both English and Western saddles. He has also taken part in a 15 month study with Utrecht Veterinary University in the Netherlands on how ill fitting saddles affect the horses movement, which was published in 2004.

For more information on Danny and DK Saddlery, check out their website:

https://www.dksaddlery.com/ or through their Facebook page @Dk Saddlery or Instagram @dksaddlery

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

Hundred of years ago, horses were the staple mode of transportation for humans. These days, it’s the horses being bundled up and hauled all over the world!

With that hauling comes stress and potential for many incidents to happen. As bodyworkers, we work to help mitigate the soreness these horses can go through while hauling, but what if we could be pre-emptive with our plans and help the horses arrive more relaxed and without as much tension?

Today we talk to two very knowledgable individuals who have hauled horses all over North America and have imported horses from overseas as well. We chat with them about the rigours of hauling, ways they pre-plan to reduce the stress on their horses, how they have found the best way to haul them is and what to do once you’ve arrived at your destination. Our guests today are Alex and Holly Grayton of Grayton Farms, and we sat down to chat with them as they were preparing to leave for yet another long haul home from Florida. Alex Grayton is a keen professional show jumping trainer and his wife Holly is a competitor as well, in this sport. Their travels often include long hauls across the continent but they take just as much care for the shorter trips within Western Canada.

For more information on Grayton Farms, check out their website:

https://www.alexandergrayton.com or through their Facebook page @GraytonFarms or Instagram @grayton_farms

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

As a bodyworker, we can see a variety of horses in any given day and we likely have worked on horses from many disciplines. However, it isn’t uncommon to get in involved with having more clients based in a certain discipline. Whether that be because it’s the discipline we ourselves compete in, or because it’s the barns we’ve been working in predominantly that have a specific focus.

Whatever it may be, we thought it would be fun to chat with individuals from a variety of different equine sports to discuss the ins and outs of their discipline as well as talk about what specifics we might find as bodyworkers in the horses that perform there.

Our next guest is Rebecca Cade, an FEI level rider, competitor, coach, AEF judge and EC basic judge. She has had a passion for horses the majority of her life. Dressage has been her focus since she was a teenager and her program outlines not only the foundation and structure of dressage to build horses through many disciplines, but also a fun and supportive atmosphere for riders to develop and learn. Rebecca focus on riding comes from all angles as a judge, competitor and trainer so we were excited to sit down with her and discuss this discipline, possibly the oldest form of equitation worldwide.

For more information on Rebecca’s program, check out the stables website:

https://burntlakestables.com/trainers/ or through her Facebook page @RC Dressage (https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=RC%20Dressage)

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

As a bodyworker, we can see a variety of horses in any given day and we likely have worked on horses from many disciplines. However, it isn’t uncommon having more clients based in a certain discipline. Whether that be because it’s the discipline we ourselves compete in, or because it’s the barns we’ve been working in predominantly, that have a specific focus.

Whatever it may be, we thought it would be fun to chat with individuals from a variety of different equine sports to discuss the ins and outs of their discipline as well as talk about what specifics we might find as bodyworkers in the horses that perform there.

Our first guest is Elan Hansen, a strong equestrian who has years of experience in the English world. Elan is a client who while training in jumping and dressage, had a challenging horse that brought to her attention some potential holes in his foundation. So, it was a quest, unbeknownst to her, that brought her to Horsemanship. Jonathan Fields Horsemanship to be exact. In working through his program, and continuing to do so, Elan has developed a relationship with her horse (and now horses) that she didn’t know was possible. Have a listen as we chat with Elan.

For more information on Jonathan Fields Horsemanship, check out their website: https://jonathanfieldhorsemanship.com/

My co-host, Tina Watkins EST, EEBW3, is the founder of InHand Equine Therapy which strives to improve the lives of horses through equine bodywork. She also has over a decade of experience teaching other bodyworkers and offers both mentorship and continuing education for professionals and owners alike.

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

Nutrition…. One of the most common questions we get is “what should we be feeding our horses?”. A loaded question for sure and one that is not that easy to answer. No one answer will even be the same, as each horse will have their own unique requirements. There isn’t a product on the market that is fit for every horse, although with marketing and the amount of opinions out there, you would be sure there must be a magic formula!

I’ve had experience caring for horses that needed to be fed up due to poor body condition and on the opposite end as well who were obese and needed adjustments made to loose weight. In every case, we involved the help of our veterinarian and nutritional expert to help determine the best course of action for each one. Often, underlying health conditions are part of the reason why these horses are in the state they are.

But the question always remains, what do I feed my horse? So join us today as we dive down the rabbit hole and have a great conversation with Tanja Minder of TriSana Nutrition.

Tanja is an animal nutritionist, serving local communities in Alberta. She also uses online networks to reach as many equine & canine enthusiasts across Canada as she can.

Graduating with a bachelor's degree in animal sciences, she continued her quest for knowledge at the University of Calgary in Veterinary Medicine. Due to serious personal health issues she was unable to finish her studies, but this twist of fate solidified her belief in complementary modalities to heal the body from the inside out.

Tanja has extensive experience in the field of veterinary medicine, ranging from years of professional schooling to working in various equine industries. This scientific knowledge, combined with her lifelong professional involvement with horses, spanning from performance to breeding, has made her an invaluable resource for the equine community.

Her hope is to empower and inspire others to make informed decisions for their equines' nutrition. She has poured her love of animals and dedication to their betterment into her company, TriSana Nutrition. Tanja hopes that through TriSana Nutrition she can join your equines' health team, to help your horse lead its brightest, most vital, life.

For more information on TriSana, check out their website: https://www.trisananutrition.com/

We will be holding an owners course with Tanja on April 16th. To register, follow our link here to our online course platform: https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com/owners-course-equine-nutrition-with-trisana-nutrition

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation

Spring is in the air here in Canada and that usually means our show seasons start just around the corner. Some of us may have been already working on strengthening our horses condition while others might just be getting their heads wrapped around it.
Regardless of where you are at, todays’ episode is going to be one to listen to as we break down where and how to evaluate a conditioning program to enable your horses the strength and proper posture they require for sport.

Tina has been a bodyworker for over 25years, working closely with many equine professionals, and has developed conditioning programs for horses working as top athletes as well as those used for simple enjoyment. Her insight into what is required for sport also stems from her own work as an FEI level dressage rider.

To learn more about Tina, you can check out her website at: https://www.inhandequinetherapy.com/

This is part two of our conditioning series, which goes into the actual study Tina put together and worked with Energy Equine Veterinary Clinic to track the four participant horses.

An in-depth look at this study can be found on our inhandequinetherapy.podia.com platform under the collaboration section:

https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com/inhand-collaborations

For more information about our continuing education short courses for equine professionals and owners courses, please check out https://inhandequinetherapy.podia.com

Follow along with our social media sites on FB and instagram under @inhandequinetherapy.

Our goal with this podcast is to continually open the conversation around equine wellness and bodywork. It is through open conversation that we can grow this industry with knowledge and understanding of our equine partners. Ever evolving along with tried and true methods of horse husbandry, it’s by learning from one another that we will elevate the care of these amazing animals and partners.

So don’t be afraid to connect through social media, both Facebook and Instagram @equinebodytalks

#opentheconversation