Following on from last weeks Blog on the important Multifidus muscles in the spine, I wanted to write about the next step...actually strengthening the multifidus muscles to help create space in between the DSP's (the bones that touch in kissing spine). 

You can read last weeks Blog here: Multifidus Muscles Blog post

Strengthening the abdominals in the horse has the effect of shortening the abdominal line of the horse, therefore lifting the core and back. So the abdominal work is the...

The multifidus muscles in the horses spine are small muscles, but of HUGE importance to the horses back health. 

I talk about them a lot in my groups, and when I'm talking to clients about Kissing Spine prevention...I love that my clients ask me about this, as it means that all of the blogs and posts and talks that I put out are reaching horse owners that want to do the very best for their horses! 

So I wanted to explain about the multifidus muscles, what they are, why they are...

Things go wrong with our horses from time to time...and it can be a really difficult time to navigate, if they are in pain especially. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes not so much. Sometimes it's only you that can see/feel/sense that something isn't quite right with your horse, because you know your horse so well. 

Subtle lameness is one of the difficult areas with horses...everything seems ok, but they have a couple of 'off' days, or a few 'odd' steps, or don't seem their usual self,...

'Kissing Spine' in horses, or 'over-riding dorsal spinous processes' is a painful condition in horses, with varying causes, we now have varying treatment options, and we also now have lots of information and help available to assist the rehabilitation process...this is what I spend a lot of time doing now within my practice. 

There has now been scientific work done and a gene has been discovered, which would create a more severe grade of 'kissing spine' in affected horses. To read more...

Keeping your horse in full exercise, or indeed any type of exercise/rehab can be super challenging over the winter months! So much is against us and our horses! 

But if you do either want to or need to keep your horse in exercise over the winter, it takes some commitment, motivation and planning, especially on the worst weather days! 

You might not be able to do everything you do the rest of the year when the weather is better BUT there is still a lot you can do with your horse, and...

Winter exercise can be quite a task, the weather and darkness being against us in addition to whatever our horses issues may be. And keeping the arthritic horse exercised during the cold, dark winter months can be quite complicated. 

Arthritic joints don't like the cold, damp conditions, and can stiffen up really easily and quickly. I commonly see horses with an arthritis diagnosis having 'flare ups' as soon as the weather starts to really change and get cold and damp. 

First port...

Part 2 in this Winter Exercise Series, is the benefits of using poles with our horses. 

Polework is quite often suggested for horses exercise programmes, but do you really know the reasons why, and what we can achieve by adding poles to our horses plan?

I often recommend walk poles, and especially in the winter this can be a helpful type of exercise...it's low impact so reduced injury risk, but we can actually help the internal joint fluid and structures by increasing the movement...

As we are at the beginning of winter here in the UK, I wanted to write a Winter Exercise series, based on my experience of rehabbing horses in the winter...not easy, but needs to be done! 

Unfortunately with the best will in the world, a lot of horses suffer with less movement in the winter months, due to stabling, the weather, etc. And less movement is unhealthy for their body and systems. 

Movement is natural and key to horses maintaining body strength, core strength, muscle tone,...

I have been working with horses with Kissing Spine for a number of years, and still continue to learn more and more about it, especially as new research is done into various parts of the condition and the rehab process. 

For me, looking at the evolution of the horse, the anatomy of the spine, and considering gravity, the negative effects of domestication, and rushed breaking / training processes...it seems that Kissing Spine is a possibility for all horses. 

So if it's a possibility...

Last weeks Blog was about the anatomy of Kissing Spine, this week I'm talking about Kissing Spine Rehabilitation, and next week it's Prevention strategies. 

The rehabilitation process for Kissing Spine is the larger part of the entire process. What I mean by this is that the treatment that the horse receives is the initial ‘doorway’ to enable your rehabilitation process. I view it as treatment being Step 1, and rehabilitation being Steps 2 - 100!

The most important point to...