Atlantic Equine Massage

Functional Conformation

Jess — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:01:26 +0000

I was asked to write a paper on the functional conformation of a specific breed of horse, performing in a specific discipline. There are many to choose from but I targeted my paper towards western halter horses. Over the years, this particular type of horse husbandry/breeding has been manipulated and modified to develop the bulky animals that we see enter the show ring worldwide. When researching this topic I took notice of the adaptations human beings have placed on these animals. They were once used to roam the ranches, gather cattle from the range and were a ranchers right-hand ‘man’. Today, these animals have difficulty functioning as a basic four legged horse, with limited range of motion, an unnatural amount of muscle mass and dysfunctional anatomy (ie. minute feet). Below is a copy of my paper…feel free to comment for or against.

EquineBioAssignment

“Don’t Get Your Back Up” – EWM

Jess — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:35:22 +0000

An article published by Equine Wellness Magazine (vol 6, issue 1 – Jan/Feb 2011), written by Jessica McLoughlin.

article 1

article 2

article 3

Stretches for Riders

Jess — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:22:41 +0000

As riders, we feel the stress and strain of riding horses, so, I have complied a series of stretches that will help maximize the sustainability of your muscles and assist you in a more supple, and relaxed ride. These stretches should be performed before you ride, daily. Muscle has memory so in order to gain the full benefits of stretching, make sure you hold a stretch for 30 seconds (or repeat three times, holding for 10 seconds). Happy stretching!