Meadowbrook Equine Therapy

🐴 If you had to choose… would you rather your horse was slightly overweight or slightly underweight?

No sitting on the fence. No “perfect condition” option. You must choose one:

🔵 A — Slightly overweight
🟠 B — Slightly underweight

We often hear people say they would rather see a little extra weight on a horse—particularly going into winter or with an older horse.

But carrying “just a little extra” isn’t necessarily harmless. It increases the load on joints and soft tissues and, in susceptible horses, may contribute to insulin dysregulation and an increased risk of laminitis.

On the other hand, a horse that is slightly lean may have fewer reserves during illness, cold weather or periods of reduced appetite. Unexplained weight loss can also be an important warning sign that something isn’t right.

Of course, breed, age, workload, health and time of year all matter—but that’s what makes this such an interesting question.

If you absolutely had to choose, which would concern you less?

A or B—and tell me why.

Keep the discussion friendly. Different horses have different needs, and nobody should be criticised for answering honestly.

Sometimes real life doesn’t care what’s already in the diary.

The last couple of weeks have been… a lot.

While dealing with Mum having an aortic valve replacement, with all the worry, hospital visits and general emotional chaos that comes with something like that, we’ve also just completed our final intensive training week of the year at the Academy!!

And that week couldn’t simply be moved.

Our students had booked time off work, made arrangements at home and, in some cases, booked international flights to be here. They had committed to us, so we were committed to them.

And despite everything going on behind the scenes, I’m incredibly pleased to say that every single one of them passed their exams with flying colours. Well done guys 👩‍🎓👏🏻❤️🎓🐴

What a way to finish our final intensive of the year. I’m incredibly proud of them all, and perhaps slightly relieved that we got everyone over the finish line! 😂

Because sometimes you just do what you do.

You turn up.
You teach.
You look after the horses.
You answer messages.
You keep the business running.
You visit hospital.
You worry.
And somehow you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Real life is sometimes tricky.

I’m also someone who functions best with routine, predictability and stability. I like knowing what’s happening, when it’s happening and preferably having a Plan A, Plan B and a Plan C tucked away somewhere 😬

Routine feels safe to me.

So when life suddenly picks up the carefully organised diary, throws it in the air and says “Good luck with that…” it’s fair to say I don’t particularly thrive on the experience 🥴

And perhaps that’s something we could think about with our horses too.

We talk a lot about resilience. We expect them to cope with changes of routine, different turnout, new horses, travelling, competitions, box rest, changes of yard, changes of feed, changes of rider…

But stability matters.

Predictability matters.

Having familiar things, familiar people and familiar routines can provide a sense of safety when everything else feels uncertain.

I know that because, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve needed those things myself.

Sometimes routine isn’t boring.

Sometimes it’s the thing holding everything else together. ❤️

Thankfully Mum is now on the other side of her procedure, our final intensive students of the year are officially qualified, the horses have continued demanding meals with absolutely no regard whatsoever for anyone else’s personal circumstances…

…and normal service at Meadowbrook is gradually resuming.

Whatever normal is. 😂🐴

🌒 DID YOUR HORSE NOTICE THE ECLIPSE? 🌒

Tonight here in the UK we experienced a 96% eclipse, not quite total darkness, but certainly enough for the world around us to feel rather different for a while.

And it got me thinking…

What does an eclipse mean to a horse?

Probably not in the mystical sense! There’s no good evidence that an eclipse directly changes a horse’s muscles, fascia, joints or internal physiology simply because the Moon has passed in front of the Sun.

But there is something genuinely interesting happening.

For a short period, the horse’s environment changes very rapidly. Light levels fall, the quality of the light changes and the temperature can drop. To us, we understand exactly why. A horse doesn’t have that explanation, it simply experiences an unexpected change in its surroundings.

And horses are extraordinarily responsive to environmental cues.

Their daily biological rhythms are strongly influenced by the normal light–dark cycle. Light affects melatonin secretion, circadian rhythms, sleep and activity patterns, while seasonal changes in photoperiod influence things such as coat growth and reproductive physiology.

An eclipse obviously isn’t long enough to suddenly alter those systems in the way that changing day length does. But behaviourally, that abrupt “false dusk” can potentially be noticed.

A horse might become quieter.

Another might become more alert.

You might see increased scanning of the environment, changes in grazing or resting behaviour, horses moving closer together, or simply a horse stopping what they’re doing and appearing to listen.

And that is where I think it becomes particularly interesting from a bodywork and biomechanics perspective.

Because behaviour and physique aren’t separate things.

If a horse becomes more vigilant, its physical state changes with it. The head may elevate. The neck and thoracic sling musculature may become more active. Breathing can change. Postural tone can increase. The horse may brace, stand differently or prepare to move.

That doesn’t mean “the eclipse made my horse sore.”

It means that the nervous system continually adjusts the body according to what the horse perceives around it.

And equally, if the sudden reduction in light and temperature causes a horse to become quieter and more settled, we may see the opposite, lowered vigilance and a softer overall posture.

So perhaps the interesting question isn’t:

“What does an eclipse do to a horse’s body?”

Perhaps it’s:

“What did your horse’s body tell you about how they experienced it?”

If you were with your horses during tonight’s eclipse, did you notice anything?

🌒 Did they carry on grazing as though absolutely nothing was happening?

🌒 Did they become sleepy or unusually quiet?

🌒 Did they become more alert?

🌒 Did your herd move closer together?

🌒 Did they start behaving as though evening had arrived?

Or, in typical horse fashion, did they completely ignore a spectacular astronomical event because there was grass available? 😂🐴

I’d genuinely love to know what everyone observed. Tell me what your horse did during the eclipse.

Sometimes the most interesting information comes simply from standing back, watching…and allowing the horse to tell us.

Sidewinder Syndrome in Horses: A Deep Dive into One of Equine Neurology’s Most Challenging Conditions

Sidewinder syndrome is one of the most dramatic and distressing neurological conditions seen in horses. Unlike many causes of lameness or poor performance, these horses often appear to have lost the ability to control where their hindquarters are placed. Instead of walking in a straight line, the hindquarters drift, swing or even cross underneath the body, giving the appearance that the horse is walking sideways—hence the name sidewinder.

It is important to understand that sidewinder syndrome is not a disease in itself. It is a clinical sign indicating that something has gone wrong within the horse’s nervous system, musculoskeletal system, or occasionally both. Finding the underlying cause is often the greatest challenge.

What does a sidewinder horse look like?

The classic signs include:

* Hindquarters drifting consistently to one side.
* Walking diagonally rather than straight.
* Crossing the hind limbs excessively.
* Difficulty backing up.
* Difficulty turning, particularly in one direction.
* Leaning heavily against stable walls.
* Losing balance when standing.
* Frequent stumbling.
* Apparent weakness of one hindlimb.
* In severe cases, falling over.

Many horses remain bright, alert and willing despite looking profoundly abnormal, which can make the severity of the condition difficult for owners to come to terms with.

Why does it happen?

Normal movement depends upon three systems working perfectly together:

* The brain deciding where each limb should go.
* The spinal cord carrying those instructions.
* The muscles and joints responding accurately.

Think of it like a sat-nav giving incorrect directions to your legs. The muscles themselves may still be perfectly capable of working, but the information reaching them is inaccurate.

Common causes

Some of the more common causes include:

* Cervical spinal cord compression (Wobbler Syndrome)
* Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM – primarily North America)
* Vertebral fractures or spinal trauma
* Degenerative neurological diseases such as EDM
* Brain disease (tumours, inflammation or trauma)
* Severe sacroiliac disease
* Profound muscle weakness
* Severe unilateral pain mimicking neurological disease

Because sidewinder syndrome is a sign rather than a diagnosis, identifying the underlying cause is essential before any treatment plan can be considered.

The role of proprioception

One of the key features of neurological disease is loss of proprioception, the horse’s ability to know where its limbs are without looking.

Normally, the nervous system constantly tells the horse where each foot is and where it needs to be placed next. When these pathways are disrupted, the horse begins placing its limbs incorrectly.

This is why neurological horses often:

* Cross their hind limbs.
* Drag their toes.
* Stand abnormally.
* Stumble frequently.
* Struggle over poles.
* Become markedly worse when turning tightly.

Veterinary examination

A full neurological work-up may include:

* Observation at walk and trot.
* Tail pull tests.
* Tight circles.
* Backing up.
* Walking on slopes.
* Hoof placement (proprioceptive) tests.

Further investigations may involve blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, radiography, myelography, CT, MRI (where appropriate), ultrasound or nuclear scintigraphy depending on the suspected cause.

Treatment

Treatment depends entirely upon the underlying diagnosis.

Some horses may benefit from surgery, others from medication, controlled rehabilitation or treatment of the primary disease.

There is no single treatment for sidewinder syndrome itself.

Can physiotherapy or bodywork help?

This is where clinical reasoning becomes incredibly important.

Physiotherapy, massage and fascial work cannot treat neurological disease itself. While therapy may play a valuable role in carefully selected cases during rehabilitation, there are situations where treatment may actually be inappropriate.

I recently assessed a 26-year-old horse with sidewinder syndrome and made the decision not to treat.

That may sound surprising, but as therapists our responsibility is not simply to provide treatment, it is to decide whether treatment is likely to improve the horse’s welfare.

This horse had developed extensive compensatory patterns in an attempt to remain upright. He continually drifted and walked in small circles in the field, and when stabled he leaned so heavily against the wall that he had rubbed a large sore over his hip.

My concern was that many of those compensations were probably helping him stay balanced. Stripping away muscle tension or releasing tissues that were providing what little stability remained could potentially leave him even less able to cope.

Sometimes those compensations are not the problem, they are the horse’s last remaining strategy for functioning.

Knowing when not to treat is every bit as important as knowing when treatment is appropriate.

Welfare, Ethics and Quality of Life

This is perhaps the hardest part of the discussion, but it is one we owe our horses.

Sidewinder syndrome isn’t simply about walking sideways. Many affected horses have lost the ability to accurately control where their feet are placed. They may stumble, fall, become trapped against stable walls, struggle to lie down and rise again, or be unable to move safely around their environment.

As owners, our instinct is often to ask, “What more can we do?”

But sometimes the more important question is, “What is fair for the horse?”

The horse doesn’t understand that another treatment has been booked or another rehabilitation programme has been planned. It only knows how its body feels.

As therapists, we also have an ethical responsibility. Continuing to treat a horse with progressive neurological disease simply because we can risks giving owners false hope and, more importantly, may not be in the horse’s best interests.

Quality of life should always be the deciding factor.

Ask yourself:

* Is the horse comfortable?
* Can it move around safely?
* Can it access food and water without difficulty?
* Is it at risk of injuring itself or those handling it?
* Can it still express normal horse behaviours?

In the case I assessed, seeing a horse unable to walk in a straight line, continually circling, and causing significant injury to itself simply by leaning against the stable wall made me question whether further intervention was truly serving the horse’s welfare.

Ultimately, decisions regarding euthanasia must always be made by the owner in consultation with their veterinary surgeon. However, there are occasions where the kindest conversation we can have is whether continuing to manage a severe, progressive neurological condition is fair to the horse.

Euthanasia should never be viewed as a failure. When a horse’s quality of life, safety and dignity have been irreversibly compromised, allowing them a peaceful end may be the greatest act of compassion we can offer.

Key Take-Home Message

Sidewinder syndrome is not a diagnosis, it is a sign that something within the nervous system or musculoskeletal system has gone seriously wrong.

For therapists, recognising the condition is only part of our job. Our greatest responsibility is to advocate for the horse. That means understanding when rehabilitation may genuinely help, when treatment may do more harm than good, and when the most compassionate course of action is to support difficult welfare discussions rather than continue treating for the sake of treating.

Sometimes the best therapy we can offer isn’t with our hands at all. Sometimes it’s having the courage to say, “I don’t think treatment is the right thing for this horse.”

🔥 THIRTY. SEVEN. DEGREES. 🔥

Just spotted Thursday’s long-range forecast…

Apparently Staffordshire has decided to briefly relocate to the surface of the sun. ☀️🥵

And of course, this just happens to be the week I have students here training for their Level 3 Diploma in Equine Sports Massage 🙈

Nothing says “intensive practical training” quite like trying to locate the superficial gluteal while both you and the horse are slowly melting 🫠

The horses will be in the shade.
The students will be in the shade.
I will probably be IN the water trough.

Obviously we’ll be adapting what we do around the temperature and putting horse welfare first… but seriously:

37°C?! IN STAFFORD?!

I’d like to formally request Thursday be moved to November. 😂☀️🔥

📚 How many muscles can you actually name… and what do they do? 🤔🐴

Whether you’re an equine therapist, student, coach, bodyworker, veterinary professional, or simply an owner who loves learning more about your horse, understanding anatomy is one of the most valuable investments you can make.

That’s exactly why I wanted to share something from our sister business, Equi-Study.

Our Equine Revision Flash Cards have become incredibly popular because they make learning simple, engaging and, most importantly… memorable!

🦴 Muscle Function Flash Cards
Learn exactly what each muscle does and why it’s important to movement, posture and performance.

💪 Origin & Insertion Flash Cards
Master one of the areas that so many students struggle with. Perfect for exam preparation, assignments or simply building confidence in equine anatomy.

They’re ideal for:
✅ Equine therapy students
✅ Veterinary and veterinary nursing students
✅ Saddle fitters
✅ Coaches and instructors
✅ Bodyworkers
✅ Horse owners who want to understand why their horse moves the way it does

No more staring at textbooks wondering where to start. Just pick up a pack, test yourself whenever you have five minutes, and you’ll be amazed how quickly your knowledge grows.

Knowledge doesn’t just help you pass exams…
It helps you make better decisions for every horse you work with.

If you’ve been thinking about expanding your equine knowledge, or you know someone studying for their exams, these make a brilliant addition to any tack room, office or study desk.

Drop a 📚 in the comments if you’d like more information, and I’ll happily point you in the right direction! or click the links below to purchase.

📦 Postage available worldwide 🌍

https://www.equi-study.co.uk/product-page/equine-muscle-origin-insertion-revision-flashcards

https://www.equi-study.co.uk/product-page/equine-muscle-revision-flashcards

fans

Equine Muscle Origin & Insertion Revision Flashcards | Equi-Study Printed on A7 wipe clean, laminated card, having 78 cards per pack helping you to identify each individual muscle by appearance and learn it's origin and insertion point on the horse. Each pack is individually wrapped in its own little tuck box. International delivery costs are available at checkout...

Who decided that a horse stable should be 12ft x 12ft?

It’s something I’ve often wondered.

For decades, the standard stable has been around 12 x 12 feet. Some are larger, some are smaller… but why? Who decided that was enough?

Now, here’s the question I’d like you to think about…

Have you ever really watched your horse when they’re given more space?

Not just when they’re turned out in a field, but in a larger pen, barn or loose box.

How much do they walk?

How often do they change position?

Do they choose to stand in one place… or do they wander, stretch, turn, lie down in different places, investigate, watch what’s going on and simply be a horse?

Then compare that to a standard stable.

We often think of stabling in terms of whether the horse can comfortably turn around, lie down and get back up. But is that really the right benchmark?

Or should we also be thinking about movement, choice and behaviour?

I’m not suggesting every horse needs a huge stable—many owners are limited by what they have available, and some horses genuinely cope well in a standard-sized box.

But I do think it’s an interesting welfare discussion.

If we were designing stables today, knowing what we now understand about equine behaviour, movement and welfare…

Would we still choose 12ft x 12ft?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, but as always, let’s keep the discussion respectful. There are no right or wrong answers—just different experiences.

⬇️ Would you make stables bigger if you had the choice?
🟢 Yes
🟡 No
🔵 Not sure

fans

If your horse had an MOT today…

Would they pass❓

🟢 Pass with no advisories.

🟡 Pass with advisories.

🔴 Fail and need repairs.

Be honest…

I’ve been trying to tell you something…

I wasn’t born “stiff.”

I didn’t decide I don’t like the mounting block.

I don’t struggle on one rein just to make your ride difficult.

I don’t trip because I’m clumsy.

I don’t pin my ears because I’m grumpy.

I don’t pick up the wrong canter lead to frustrate you.

I don’t become “lazy.”

And I certainly don’t wake up every morning planning to be “naughty.”

I change because something has changed.

Sometimes it’s pain.

Sometimes it’s compensation.

Sometimes it’s simply that my body can’t do today what it could yesterday.

The trouble is…

I’m very good at hiding it.

I’ll adapt.

I’ll shift my weight.

I’ll carry myself differently.

I’ll try to keep doing what’s being asked of me for as long as I can.

Until one day…

I can’t.

You might buy me a stronger bit.

A different saddle.

Another supplement.

More schooling.

But what I really need…

Is for someone to ask me one simple question.

“Why?”

Why have I changed?

Why do I move differently?

Why am I trying so hard to tell you something?

At Meadowbrook Equine Therapy, that’s where we start.

Not with assumptions.

Not with labels.

But with understanding.

Because I’m more than a collection of muscles.

My movement.

My posture.

My fascia.

My compensation patterns.

My saddle.

My bit and bridle.

They’re all part of my story.

And if someone takes the time to listen…

I don’t have to shout.

📍 Based in Stafford and covering Staffordshire and the surrounding counties.

🚗 Happy to travel further for multiple horse bookings. Mileage charges may apply depending on location.

Meadowbrook Equine Therapy

Your horse has been talking all along. Maybe it’s time someone listened 👂

I came across this post today, and it really got me thinking…

The horse is already being handled in a chifney… and it’s still tanking off.

So here’s my question…

At what point do we stop asking, “What stronger equipment do I need?” and start asking, “Why is this horse doing this?”

This isn’t aimed at criticising the owner at all. In fact, I think they’ve done exactly the right thing by asking for help before somebody gets seriously hurt.

The fact that this horse has already escalated to the point where a chifney is being used really caught my attention. A chifney isn’t something most people reach for as a first choice, it’s generally considered a high-control piece of equipment, used when safety has become a genuine concern. If a horse is still running through a chifney, then for me, the conversation has to shift away from “What stronger equipment is available?” and towards “What has led this horse to this point?”

It raises a much bigger discussion.

A horse that repeatedly runs through people could be…

🔹 Fearful
🔹 In pain
🔹 Over-aroused
🔹 Poorly educated
🔹 Frustrated
🔹 Physically unable to cope with what’s being asked
🔹 Or a combination of all of the above.

Sometimes stronger equipment buys you enough time to keep everyone safe while you investigate the cause.

Sometimes stronger equipment simply masks the problem.

And sometimes… the safest and kindest decision is to stop, reassess and seek professional help before anyone gets injured.

🗳️ POLL TIME

If this horse arrived with you tomorrow, what would be the very FIRST thing you’d do?

🟢 A – Rule out pain or an underlying physical issue.

🔵 B – Start groundwork and behavioural assessment.

🟠 C – Change the management or environment to reduce triggers.

🟣 D – Use stronger or different handling equipment to keep everyone safe while investigating.

Comment with A, B, C or D… and tell us why.

There probably isn’t one single correct answer, and in reality many of us would eventually do a combination of all four. But if you had to choose your starting point, what would it be?

⚠️ One request… Please keep this discussion respectful. The original poster asked for help, not judgement. There will be no criticism or personal attacks towards them on this page. Let’s keep this a constructive discussion about welfare, behaviour, training and safety, because that’s where we all learn.

👇 I’m genuinely interested to see whether we’re all thinking along the same lines… or whether this sparks a completely different perspective.