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Equine Related Charitable Foundations
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I'm gearing up for another season of marathons and triathlons, and I'm looking for Equine Charities for whom to raise money.
If I'm going to put myself through this, I'd like to make sure my time and effort goes to support horses in some way!
So please send me your suggestions for Equine Charities.
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Massage Clinics
2009
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If you are interested in hosting or organizing a "Hands-On Equine Massage Clinic", the 2009 fact sheets are now available.
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Greetings!
I hope everyone had fabulous holidays, and is now well into the swing of things for 2009.
The cold and snow has made my schedule pretty sporadic in the last couple of months. I thank everyone for their patience in the scheduling and rescheduling, and rescheduling, etc.!
This winter has been hard on our equine friends too. Weeks of snow and ice on the ground contribute to lower back soreness, and tight shoulders in our horses, as they have to change their locomotion patterns to stabilize themselves. I can personally attest for the subtle but significant stress of running on snow covered ground! Much harder work!
January symbolizes a time of endings and new beginnings. With New Year's Resolutions fresh on the mind, and the days getting longer, I, like most of you, focus on plans for milder temps and more sun. This year I've gotten impatient and will be traveling to warmer climes from February 18th through 25th!
Thanks!
Robyn |
Winter Lower Back Pain
Your horse has almost certainly suffered from lower back pain at some point.
It is the most common area of discomfort in the horse's body. The causes are many: poor saddle-fit for either horse or rider, a larger rider using your saddle on your horse, foot pain, an increase in work level, new  movements, kicking out at pasture mates, wall/stall kicking, and so on. In the last two winters we've had a lot of snow cover for extended periods, and I'm finding a pattern emerging in nearly every horse that I work on - winter lower back pain.
As the horse negotiates deep snow, he has to pick up his feet higher which can be akin to walking or trotting over ground poles all day. Even in well packed snow, there is still a bit of a slip that occurs as the hoof pushes off the ground. I experience this same locomotive slip when I run on well-packed snow. It's barely noticable, but cumulatively takes it's toll on your energy, legs, and back. It's just plain harder work.
Ice causes a different set of problems. When you or I are walking over a slick surface, we shorten our stride and contract our muscles as we over-control our movements and make minor (or major!), but constant balance adjustments. Horses do the same, which may cause hip tension in addition to lower back soreness. Horses also occasionally fall on ice, and you may not have any idea this has happened until you try to ride.
This "seasonal" back pain, just has to be suffered through, unfortunately. For comfort, massage is recommended, and heat may also help. I can show you where the pain is on your horse, and I will be happy to show you some simple massage techniques that you can do on a regular basis to give your horse some relief. There are also a couple of very effective acupressure points that I can show you. If you'd like to try heat, I recommend a microwaveable heating pad (no cords!) that you can place under a fleece for a minimum of 20 minutes. (The heat will not penetrate very deep until after 20 minutes.) Be careful that the pad is not too hot.
I do NOT recommend linament in this area at this time of year.
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Book Review
Priniples of Conformation I, II, III
by Deb Bennett, PhD
"By beginning with the horse's back, we have literally chosen to start
studying conformation from the horse's "center." Branching outward from
the horse's trunk are five parts which function as major appendages:
the four limbs and the neck."
Excerpt from Principles of Conformation II.
These three small volumes hold the key to most of our horsemanship questions. Each volume is 96 pages, and contains hundreds of photos and drawings. Through helping us better understand the evolution, physiology, biomechanics, and psychology of the horse, Dr. Deb helps us to work more naturally and harmoniously with our horses. Whether your interest is in Eventing, Barrel Racing, or Trail Riding, this series is a must read.
Dr. Deb Bennett is one of the most interesting professionals in the equine industry. She holds a PhD from the University of Kansas, and until 1992 was with the Smithsonian
Institution. She is known as an authority on the classification,
evolution, anatomy, and biomechanics of fossil and living horses.
She is the founder of Equine Studies Institute, which is an always interesting resource for new ideas and research into all manner of horsemanship. Dr Deb is a prolific writer!
I've just renewed my membership to ESI (Equine Studies Institute). Until choosing her books for the Review, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed her works.
**Special thanks to Marian for turning my attention to Dr. Deb again!
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Equine Dreams
Donations Receipts
If you donated to Equine Dreams, and you'd like a receipt for your donation, please email Windy at Equine Dreams with your request and include my name as the "Runner", and your mailing address.
Typically,
Charitable Foundations only send receipts for donations of $250 or
more. However, by requesting a receipt, you will be sure to receive
your donation receipt. |
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