Snacks Eats

Part 2 of postural rehab with Snacks! In case you missed part 1, Snacks has been standing with his front legs outstretched and had some sticky stifle issues. I’ve put a pause on driving to work on his posture and core with groundwork exercises and stretches.

Here are some additional exercises we’ve been doing:
•Backing uphill. A slight incline is perfect for this. We started with a few steps at a time and have worked up to 3 repetitions of 10-20 steps.
•Weave or snake over poles. This is awesome for balance and core.
•Diagonal hind limb stretches- Snacks’ favorite. You gently take the opposite leg and guide it toward you. Really good for glutes, hamstrings, and the lower back.
•Shoulder circles. Again, this one is gentle circles within the horse’s existing range of motion. It’s great for supporting mobility of the muscles around the scapula.
•Forward leg stretch. Most equestrians know this one! It’s great for releasing tension and improving mobility.
Most of these exercises are from Jec Ballou. She has so many amazing exercises on her YouTube channel and in her book 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses. Highly recommend her work!

The great news is that I haven’t seen any stifle issues lately, and I’m seeing a lot less of the outstretched posture. We are definitely moving in the right direction 🎉

Spritz is really trying to have a Lady and the Tramp moment here (he is obviously the Tramp in this scenario 😂) while they wait for the vet.

Poor Penny has lost her appetite and won’t eat unless I hand feed her alfalfa or grass, and is just generally looking unwell. As I was trying to get her to eat breakfast and debating whether to call the vet, I saw that Spritz’s eye had blood in it 😳 so I called the emergency vet to request a visit. We are just waiting for them to wrap up their current emergency and hopefully they’ll be here soon. I have a feeling this emergency vet bill will not be $99 this time around 😂😭 I’m just glad Penny and Spritz coordinated their illnesses so I only have to pay one farm visit fee. Very considerate of them.

Please keep Penny and Spritz and my bank account in your thoughts. Hoping for a speedy recovery for all!

Penny’s new favorite activity is to drop food onto Snacks’ back and then get confused when he walks away with it. Snacks’ new official name is Mobile Snack Bar, btw 😂

It’s Water Buffet Wednesday! 💧🌿🐴

This week’s water buffet was intended to support my horses as they arrived home from their vacation. Spritz and Penny aren’t used to traveling, so I wanted to help them recover from the stress of trailering and being away from home.

This week’s offerings included:
•Licorice root powder for immune, respiratory, and stomach support, as well as easing soreness and reducing inflammation
•Fenugreek powder for supporting digestion, recovery, and metabolism
•Beetroot powder for muscle recovery, digestion, and liver support, along with antioxidant properties (and it’s my personal fave just because it’s pretty- watch till the end to see what Penny thinks of beetroot 😂)
What herbs do you recommend for helping horses recover from stressful or strenuous experiences?

I think Akela the dog is wondering if I can also make a doggy water buffet 😂

Not 10 minutes after getting off the trailer and arriving home from vacation, Snacks was ready to get back to his ground pole routine. I am in awe of his commitment to the rehabilitation process 😂
Penny gets an A for effort too 💕

It’s so good to have the horses back home. Hoping for a calm and peaceful night tonight 🤞🏻

Maybe I need to get her a kiddie pool? This has been Penny’s favorite vacation activity by far 💦🤦🏼‍♀️ This feels like an interesting hobby for a horse that will not tolerate being rained on or getting hosed off 😂

Between her making a mess out of her water and Spritz being, well, Spritz, I’m worried we won’t get invited back 🫣 I was really hoping this ranch will be the spot where I can bring them for all the fireworks holidays 🤞🏻

The horses are going to spend one more night here and will come home tomorrow... hopefully in 1 trailer trip this time 😬

You haven’t been seeing any driving videos lately from us, and that’s because we haven’t been driving. I started noticing that Snacks was frequently standing at rest with his front feet camped out. Then I noticed his stifle catching. To me, postural changes signal pain, discomfort, and/or compensation 🚩

Because I noticed these changes around the time when we started going on longer and more strenuous drives, I suspect we have an equipment fitting issue. Specifically, I think his breastcollar neck strap is putting downward pressure on his neck. He is stoic and never complains, and I feel awful that I didn’t catch this issue sooner 🥺

So, to be safe, and in the interest of Snacks’ soundness and wellbeing, I’m putting a pause on driving and focusing on some groundwork exercises to help him feel better. Here’s just a few of the exercises we have on rotation to help:
•a few minutes per day of stepping over ground poles at the walk (also Penny’s favorite exercise 😂)
•balance pads for both fronts and hinds, starting with a few seconds and building up to a few minutes per day
•Jec Ballou’s Pelvic Matrix exercises (she has a great tutorial on YouTube)
•gentle tail pulls (especially lateral pulls to strengthen those hind end muscles)
•and of course, 24/7 turnout on a track system that encourages movement

Once he starts improving, we’ll be back to driving with a different equipment setup!

As much fun as it is to just hook up and go for a drive instead of spend time doing groundwork and rehab exercises, this work is an investment in Snacks’ long term soundness and physical wellbeing. We owe it to our horses to make sure they feel their best ❤️ What are your favorite exercises to do with your horse? Drop your suggestions in the comments!