Preventive

The question why so many horses become lame at young age was my motivation to look for preventive therapies. 

My goal is to convince horse owners that their beloved horses are sportsmen who are likely to shorten their upper muscle fascia system because of the weight they have to carry on their backs. This can lead to fatal limitations of movement, lack of performance, pain and in the following to lamenesses. 

Horses are sportsmen! 

Every sportsman suffers from less freedom of movement and less performance as soon as his muscle fascia system shortens. Disbalance in movement cause unilateral stress so the risk of injury increases significantly. 

Specific massages and stretching exercises help to improve regeneration after work. 

In my opinion the rider is responsible for enabling this to the horse. He or she will then also enjoy the benefits of the improved performance and the bettered freedom of movement. 

Within the osteopathic approach muscular and fascial shortenings are the reasons for a lack of joint movement (blockade of joints). 

My therapeutic way is an interaction of physiotherapy, fasica therapy, massage, osteopathic and chiropractic techniques. 

One basic principle of osteopathy is that only a body in free movement is healthy (A.T. Still, first osteopath).

Limitations in movement and postures to avoid pain and in the end pain itself have a negative impact on the mental ability to perform. Body and psyche are inseparable!

In my treatment I ask the horse to leave its shortening, its stress and its high sympathiko-tonus and move into a psychic and physical parasympathikotonus. This means I ask them to release and to relax which is not always easy as fascia therapy can be painful. As I am very aware of that I try to respect these limits. 

Relaxation is the base for regeneration. Only in a positive regeneration the active stimulus of the training can be transformed into muscle buildung and an increase in performance. 

Painful muscle-fascia systems in tension cannot recover during resting periods. 

The time, power and energy that we invest after training and riding into the relaxation of the muscle fascia system will be rewarded by a higher ability and motivation to perform. 

Attention: 
During acute traumata (wounds, contusions, muscle ruptures, hematoma, harm of tendons …), acute illnesses (fever) and acute inflammations of the joints horses should not be treated with osteopathy until the acute symptoms have vanished. 

Please do always take care of your own health when working with horses. Whether you stretch or massage, be careful not to stress your horse. Always start slowly with the treatments and increase within the limits of your horse and its readiness to cooperate. Ask your horse self-confidently, enduringly but slowly to cooperate. You cannot force your horse into relaxation.