The Biomechanic Vet Physio

The miracle cure   It seems to come around every few months – the new miracle solution that’ll fix all your problems! And it’ll change form depending on which discipline, profession, or individual it is aimed at.   The horse industry seems to have a new trend or gadget every few months, claiming to solve every problem; it’ll cure all behavioural elements, prevent any future injuries and in general just make everything perfect!   Sometimes it’s an innocent well-wisher, who has developed a product that worked for their situation and wanted to help others, and it became more popular than anticipated.   But, a lot of the time, it’s a new business venture, looking to make a big sale.   Usually, it won’t cause any harm. And the new fad will replace it in a few months.     However, sometimes the use of a gadget, aid or tool without the proper knowledge or application of its use, can be the beginning of a snowball effect.   T...

It has to be one of the best feelings in the world! Its finally time, you’re bring home your new puppy!   But what have you done to prepare?   I imagine you’ve done the usual: -         New bed -         Matching bowls -         Cute collar and lead -         Toys -         Treats -         Food -         Poo bags (So, so many poo bags!) But have you thought of these in depth?   The size, thickness, and material of bed?   The height and depth of the bowls?   The thickness & material of the collar? The length of the lead?   The type and variety of toys?   The type of treats & the calorie count?   The brand of food?   … The poo bags are probably...

Before I get into it, I just want to note that these are my thoughts, feelings, and opinions based on experiences from being a groom for over 10 years and my vet physio degree. Each person will have their own experiences and opinions, and there will be many other professionals who are much more practised is kissing spines (KS) anatomy, symptoms, and treatment than me.   Basically – don’t take my word as gospel!   KS seems to be something that’s become very prevalent in the horse industry over the last few years.   I remember when I first became a groom, that it wasn’t thought of as being that common, and it was a very extreme thing when diagnosed.   Now, for the question of, has it always been fairly common? Or are we just finding a new thing to hyper-focus on?   I’d suggest that KS has always been fairly prevalent, (especially in competition horses), but would be under a different name or condition.   I remember in the riding school...

  Back in my grooming days, I worked with a large range of horses from all sorts of disciplines.   I’ve worked with; hunters, showers, show jumpers, happy hackers, eventers, racers, western reiners, and everything in-between!   What a lot of the owners of these horses had in common was the mentality of ‘I keep them stabled, so they don’t injure themselves’   Or …   ‘I keep them stabled because it’s easier’   And I remember, even when I was inexperienced, thinking that surely that wasn’t right.   Horses are roaming animals, their bodies are quite literally designed for efficient movement over distance.   Even their digestive tract works most optimally with movement!   As I became more knowledgeable of all things horse, I realised that stabling may not be as ‘safe’ as assumed by many owners.   Stabling can have negative effects on: -         Bone health -  ...