Equine Core Training and Rehabilitation
Training from the ground up
Equine Core Training and Rehabilitation
Natalie has many years’ experience working with horses who have been diagnosed with kissing spine as well as other back related problems such as ligament damage and extremely weak topline. Alongside her in depth research and study, Natalie has direct experience and expertise from owning multiple horses diagnosed with, and treated for, kissing spine and related problems.
In addition to being present for interspinous ligament desmotomy surgery Natalie has also carried out post-surgery rehabilitation as well as maintaining optimum back strength and health for those who are not candidates for surgery; aided by veterinary intervention such as steroid injections, as well as acupuncture and physiotherapy but most importantly with the correct training and work, horses who are not suitable for surgery can still return to work and become strong healthy individuals.
There are a range of training options available. These are open to any level of horse and rider, whether you have never lunged before, or you would like to learn how to help your horse improve its medium trot and collected work there is something for everyone.
Introduction to Lunging and Long-reining
Learn the basics of how to get started lunging and/or long reining. Natalie will guide you and your horse through the process making sure you are both confident before progressing.
Lunging horses has many benefits when carried out correctly. Natalie can offer her own horses to build handler confidence as well as teach clients and their horses to lunge safely, calmly and confidently. Most importantly she teaches how to know when it looks right from the ground.
Advanced Lunging
Progress and develop your skills and learn how to work and train your horse effectively from the ground using the scales of training.
Advance your knowledge and skills on the ground, learn how to assess each scale of training as well as exercises to improve them. Learn how to fit and use an Equi-core for optimum training benefit, how to use poles to develop your horse further and increase strength, proprioception and fitness. Work through the scales of training from the ground and feel the enormous benefits to the ridden work!
Ridden Core Training - Dressage for Rehabilitation
Whether getting back on your horse after kissing spine treatment or just want to improve your horses core strength and stability these ridden sessions will enable you to feel confident in what you are looking for from your horse and how to achieve it when riding.
Natalie is able to assist with your first rides after kissing spine surgery, taking each step slowly and methodically to ensure that both horse and rider are confident and happy in their work.
Kissing Spine
Kissing spine diagnosis’ is becoming all too common. Whether this due to poor breeding/conformation, poor training, the advance in diagnostic tools becoming more readily available or a combination of many of these factors is as yet unknown. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of a horse and the need to establish separation of the dorsal spinous processes in order for it to be comfortable - especially when carrying a rider - has led Natalie to establish her equine core training method. However, Natalie is able to help horse owners take steps to prevent the chances of kissing spine occurring in the first place or, if necessary, help owners to treat and maintain horses with kissing spine in a way that will assist them to become strong and sound long term.
Other back problems
Even without kissing spine a horse that becomes weak in its topline may develop problems including a sore back or hocks, or even develop issues in its neck and poll. This can lead to the horse being in discomfort with ridden problems such as becoming inconsistent or heavy in the contact, becoming unwilling to engage the hind quarters and create impulsion, sometimes even bucking or kicking out, and general poor performance in both dressage and jumping.
All horses
All horses, not just ones with current back issues should be encouraged to regularly work in a stretched frame that remains balanced, supple and even in the contact. Using Natalie’s equine core training method, with the investment of time and trust in the process, horses can change their whole way of going and mindset for the better. It is key to all training and riding that the horse is able to work into a soft contact both long, low and open in their frame, as well as more collected and uphill, without losing rhythm, suppleness and relaxation.
Learning to find a good quality stretch will improve your horses paces, balance, core and topline and even jumping ability! For many horses learning to truly stretch into a soft contact is not easy and often riders are not sure exactly how to achieve this or what they are looking for. Natalie aims to help riders understand how and why they need to achieve this and allow riders to feel true connection.
With horses who lean on the rider’s hands or fall onto their forehand it is often a case that they are weak elsewhere and use the rider to help them balance. Natalie’s equine core training method will retrain your horse to find self-carriage, become light in the hand and be easier to ride.
The Equi-Core
Natalie’s equine core training method does not use any “gadgets” or quick fixes. The only extra equipment used is an Equi-Core, which is a special set of bands that attach to a saddle pad, with one going around the horse’s hind quarters and the other under their belly, these bands work using proprioception of the skin and fascia and are not the same as simply attaching a tail bandage to a roller! See below for image showing the Equi-core in use.
Equine Core Training takes time and commitment - to the right is a “before” photo.
Here the horse is weak in the quarters and lumbar so is being schooled in a long and open frame allowing him to stretch over his entire topline. The abdominal muscles are clearly engaged showing that he is using his core to lift his back and carry the rider with a light contact in the rein.
To the left is the “after” photo less than one year later!
The difference in the way the horse is able to balance, maintain lightness and yet massively increase impulsion is clear to see! The horse now looks strong behind and is able to show a greater flexion through the hocks and lift the shoulders allowing the extension of the front legs. This training method ensures that even as the frame is lifted and collected, the core is still engaged, the back is lifted and he is taking the rider’s reins forward into a positive contact
The Equi-core forms a vital part of training. It encourages horses to use the correct muscles and maintain a better posture whilst moving without any restrictions or force. It is the only training “aid” Natalie uses.
The above image shows the Equi-core in use. The horse is showing a good stretch of the head and neck down and forward with the abdominal muscles engaged therefore the back lifted and flat behind the saddle and the hind quarters are pushing underneath the horse.
Support from start to finish - the whole package
Full Rehabilitation Plans
Full bespoke rehabilitation plans and information booklets are available on request, please contact Natalie for more information.
