Page 16 - May 2019 Thoroughbred Highlight

Health & Wellness Highlight
Equi-Bow Consulting Practitioner, Lyndsey Hall with her Thoroughbred ex-racehorse, Amelia Platter, barn name Whinny, who competes as a hunter/jumper under her show name Regret Me Not.
Equi-Bow a Holistic Technique for Horses
We all want what is best for our horses and while there are obvious ways to ensure that they are healthy and happy there is a relatively new modality which helps our horses heal themselves.
Equi-bow equine modality is a holistic technique which is relatively new to the horse industry with the technique being introduced within the last ten years. However the modality is backed by more than 40 years of research and development with Equi-bow embracing complimentary holistic disciplines and philosophies such as bowen, massage, myofascial and soft tissue release.
While some of these modalities may read like a foreign language the proven results of Equi-bow speak volumes when it comes to the overall health and performance of the horses.
The body is usually adept at healing itself however some stresses, trauma or injury may need assistance to heal.
According to Equi-bow Canada, Equi-bow practitioners use a light touch and rolling technique which engages the nervous system in such a way
to reset connections throughout the entire system helping to restore structural integrity. Gentle and non-invasive, Equi-bow facilitates healing of the whole body.
With Equi-bow the fascia re-hydrates, misalignments often correct themselves, injuries tend to resolve more quickly, blood and lymph ow
are optimized, scar tissue softens, nervousness and behavioural issues generally dimish.
Lyndsey Hall, an Equi-bow consulting practitioner, provided some examples of how the modality can help racehorses in training at the racetrack.
Lyndsey explained that most thoroughbreds that come off of the track are one sided when it comes to their leads. This over compensation from training and racing in the same direction can build up tension and eventual dif culty in changing leads. Equi-bow can help restore the balance to enable uid lead changes.
An ill tting bit, a cribbing habit or training with their head to the chest can cause the omohyoid muscle, a muscle which runs from the tongue to the middle of the chest, to tighten and restrict their ability to stretch out their neck. Releasing that tension will allow them to lengthen their neck and stretch out more when running.
Releasing the tension in the pectoral muscles can lengthen their stride. Releasing tension in their back end will allow more push from behind rather than pull from the front triceps. Releasing tension under the mid section of the belly can get the top line of the horse’s back to pop up again after such issues from an ill tting saddle.
The majority of the horses that race are still growing and developing and typical “growing pains” can cause them to become unbalanced and unhappy while coping with the pain. Restoring the balance
Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 16 - May 2019