Baby steps add up to big steps that result in big changes. You’ve probably heard that before, but I want to focus on reframing it. I want you to think about celebrating Progress and not waiting or chasing Perfection. It is so easy when you are working to improve your horse’s health to focus only on reaching that target goal of perfection. What we can’t forget to recognize is that progress over time is what leads you to that goal of perfection (which is anything really perfect? A discussion for another time).
Let’s say your horse has developed a compensation pattern or body lameness. You have identified the issues and found the perfect team to help you develop a wellness plan. You are so excited! You get to work doing all the things. Improving hoof angles, scheduling regular bodywork, improving saddle fit, setting up ground poles, doing your prescribed exercises day, after day, after day, after day… now it has been 6 weeks and you are still 6 more weeks from completing the wellness plan. You start to get discouraged. I want you to STOP. Think back on what has improved since you started. Is your horse making small changes that you failed to celebrate? Do they have an increased range of motion in a limb, or are they starting to stand in a more neutral posture in the pasture, or it has it been easier for you to pick up their feet? THAT is progress! Yes! Celebrate that. Remember to get excited about the small things to keep you in a positive frame of mind as you are working towards your end goal. To help keep you on track, ask your team to assist in identifying what positive signs of progress look like for your horse. Keep a notebook of those changes as they occur and look back at it as needed to keep moving in the right direction. You and your horse have got this! Keep going. Blessings, Amy
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I emphasize quite a bit about your horse needing a Wellness Team. What exactly does that mean? What I am referring to is a team of equine professionals who communicate well with each other, and all have a common goal… your horse’s well-being. If you are on a holistic health journey, this can add more complexity to finding your team.
Several years ago, I was at a Brent Graef clinic and we were discussing my challenge of finding a horse trainer to match my needs. He made the comment that sometimes you may not be able to find someone who is on the same page, but you can find someone who is in the same chapter. This really made me think about how this applies to a Wellness Team. Not many of us have access to equine professionals who are 100% on the same page. In our area of Texas, we do not have access to those on the same page, but we do have access to those in the same chapter! It is a matter of finding professionals who agree to disagree and respect each other’s opinions. The ability to respectfully disagree and discuss is a must in any healthy working relationship. Here’s an example of how the Wellness Team might work together: An owner feels like her horse is just “not right” traveling to the left. The owner has a Wellness Team in place of a veterinarian, hoof care professional, trainer, and bodyworker. The team works together to rule out anything serious and identify improvements needed in the horse’s body and training routine to help the horse be stronger and healthy. By the team being in the same chapter, discussions can occur that move in a positive and constructive direction to help the horse in the way the owner desires. I sometimes find myself being a facilitator on teams. Recognizing that we may not all be on the same page, sometimes I must take information from a page and bring it back to the chapter we are in. Our chapter is helping to facilitate healing in horses, the most holistic way possible, while leaving the ego out of it. If you haven’t found a Wellness Team yet, please keep trying. Sometimes You may be the facilitator on your Wellness Team. Just remember that everyone has different lenses and filters by which they see things and develop beliefs. All of us have had the veil lifted on different subjects at different times, but our common goal should always be for the horse. Blessings, Amy I want to preface this by saying, I do truly believe that horse care professionals do the best they can for your horses with the knowledge they have. Sometimes there is a need for new eyes that view your horse from a different lens and identify new ways to help them while collaborating with other professionals on the Wellness Team.
Unfortunately, a lot of clients come to me as a last resort to find answers and get results. I recently had a performance horse client bring me a horse who has consistently had a decline in performance and attitude. Their trusted veterinarian recommended injecting the left stifle (which they did a few times), but alas no improvement. So what was the problem? Was this some weird mystery lameness? Did this horse need more diagnostic imaging like an MRI? No, he needed new eyes to identify what I call a Body Lameness. A body lameness you ask? Yes. There are more systems in the body that can cause lameness other than joints. Let me say that again. There are more systems in the body that can cause lameness other than joints. With approximately 700 muscles, 31 pairs of spinal nerves, and more fascia connecting everything to everything than we can even quantify, it seems rather odd to stop at joints when looking for answers. Back to our performance horse… Upon assessing him, I noticed several asymmetries in his body and compensation patterns in his movement. His body had figured out a way to keep working, and it had created layers of dysfunction throughout his body. The lameness he was experiencing was a Body Lameness. It involved fascial, nerve, muscular, and ligament restrictions. During his session we (the horse and I) worked through unwinding the restrictions and re-integrating the newly discovered ranges of motion. The shifts in his posture and movement were immediately noticeable. This session was profound for him, and he processed in his stall for several hours afterwards. After a few days rest, he began going back to work. His owner reported fantastic improvements and those went on to be increasing scores in the show pen and eventually an Reserve World Championship. *Note- not all body lameness resolve this quickly! Some need months of rehabilitation exercises and regular body work and supporting modalities. I don’t share this to brag about the results of his session. I share this to encourage and inform you to look from a different lens. I advocate working with a Wellness Team to keep your horse as healthy as possible. It takes multiple perspectives and areas of expertise to do the best we can for our amazing four-legged partners! Could your horse be experiencing a Body Lameness that is not being addressed? Do you need to find someone to help you view things from a different lens? I am happy to support you either with an in-person visit or a remote consultation. Blessings, Amy |
AuthorAmy Williams, founder of the LISTEN Approach, lifelong horsewoman, and ambassador for Christ. Archives
January 2025
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