Here's a post that I shared on my Facebook page to help spread awareness on recognising (more subtle) signs of tension in horses
This is a really interesting set of photos... Can you see why?
Have a closer look at the photos before reading on...
The main difference?
If you notice on the first photo, this ponies left nostril is tensed back and wrinkled.
In the second photo that's completely changed! If anything it's even more droopy than the other!
A bit of background on Luna:
This sweet little pony has a history of glandular Gastric Ulcers meaning that they are located in the area of the stomach where the acid actually sits (the glandular mucosa).
This area has mucus producing (bloody love the word mucus ) glands. The mucus is supposed to create a sort of protective barrier against the damaging affects of the stomach acid but sometimes, it doesn't.
It's very difficult to heal Glandular Ulcers as they are always exposed to the acidic conditions (unlike non-glandular Ulcers which happen above the acid level - in the squamous mucosa - usually from splash back)
Her owners do a fantastic job of constantly managing and monitoring her situation she generally experiences flair-ups at the changes of the seasons
Anyway...
Poor little Luna was not a happy bunny at all at the start of this particular session. She'd been "vocal" about being girthed and what she thought of me/the idea of exercise/life in general that day. She was holding her left nostril wrinkled (the first photo) - it wasn't like she'd just done a snort or something in that split second when I took the photo.
I made sure she knew I acknowledged her feelings. I didn't tell her off for trying to bite me etc but simply continued to take things at the pace of her allowance without rush or pressure. Even from the point of collecting her from the stable, walking to the arena and getting on. Acknowledgement doesn't start from the saddle.
I asked her for some engagement in the walk then in the trot. Working through her back, engaging all those long muscles and her core underneath in a consistent contact. She again expressed her feelings vehemently for the first walk-trot transition!
She was carrying so much tension through her abdomen it was even causing her to feel slightly lame. How could she possibly have a balanced gait when the majority of her wasn't even supple?!
At the end of the 30 minutes she had relaxed through the exercise; her muscles were warmed, relaxed and had been used properly and engaged through good, consistent work - allowing that tension to dissipate and muscles to stretch out.
She was striding more evenly - its my job as a rider/trainer to feed back so I mentioned the slight lameness and to just keep an eye on her in case it could have been an early laminitis indication, the grass had just begun to really come through etc...
Just look at how much her facial expression had altered!!! Note also how the tension lines of her - how do I say this? - frown-y little eyebrows? have also gone. She's still got here ears back but I can promise you they weren't pinned like they had been
It just goes to show that sometimes, GOOD work can be BENEFICIAL for a horses overall well-being and even recovery from EGUS (Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome). Its important to not only "treat" the problem but also notice the implications of the related symptoms and how they could be having potentially an even greater impact.
Look at the OVERALL horse
KNOWING your horse RECOGNISING the symptoms ACKNOWLEDGING their feelings UNDERSTANDING their emotions whilst MANAGING them in the best way you can
are all CRUCIAL when trying to help them
I'm happy to report that when I rode lovely Luna again a few days later she was back to her happy little self, none of the aforementioned "grumpy" behaviour and she worked beautifully. No lameness at all and overall working in an engaged fashion much more willingly - we even did some neck reining mimicking barrel racing, which she seemed to enjoy! She was a western pony in a previous life!
This improvement wasn't from me riding her alone!!! Its a combined effort on all fronts from everyone involved! But I would like to think that aiding her in relieving some of that tension DID have a positive impact
Would you have noticed this very subtle sign of tension? Would you have acknowledged this sort of behaviour? Would you have ignored it? Or even reprimanded it perhaps?
It's taken YEARS of experience for me to be as attuned as I am. I know I'm guilty in the past of ignorance! Or even letting my Ego get in my own way.
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