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Correcting equine facial asymmetry using cranial bone releases

2/28/2019

4 Comments

 
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Cranial Anatomy

The cranium of the horse is made of flat bones that articulate with each other through joints called sutures. These sutures allow the bones to move slightly leading to a slight expansion and contraction as the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is pumped through the cranium. The movement of these bones is the basis for craniosacral therapy. 

Cranial Bone Misalignments

The cranial bones can become "jammed" due to trauma/injury or the process of traveling through the birth canal when the horse is born. When the bones shift and become "stuck" in this position, it will lead to decreased movement of the bones as the CSF is pumped through the cranium. This can ultimately lead to symptoms such as head aches, difficulty concentrating, runny eyes or nose, head shaking and other behaviors. Visually, it can be noted as asymmetry in the face. 
Re-aligning the Bones

The cranial bones can be brought back in to proper alignment using specific craniosacral techniques to release the bones. Chronic misalignments will often take multiple sessions to resolve fully. Most horses will begin to show a decrease in symptoms following the first session.
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Looking for Asymmetries 
A good way to check for asymmetries is to take a picture of the horse's head when standing directly in front of them. You can then draw a line vertically from the mid section of the top of their head (by the poll) to the middle of their upper lip/nose. Next draw horizontal lines connecting the top of each eye and the top of each nostril. An additional horizontal line at the bottom of the lips can also be drawn. If the lines are all perpendicular to each other (create 90 degree angles) then the horse's skull is symmetrical. If 90 degree angles are not found, then asymmetry due to shifting of the cranial bones is present. 

Checking for Changes

After releasing the appropriate cranial bones, you should then take another picture of the horse's head and re-draw the lines to determine if improvement has been made. 
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This picture above, which was taken immediately after the first session, shows little improvement. Due to the chronicity of the symptoms and the small improvement, kinesiology tape was applied over the parietal and frontal bones and nasal sutures. The picture below shows the amount of asymmetry present following 24 hours of wearing the tape. 
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Cranial Bone Releases - 2nd Session

​The kinesiology tape was left on another 24 hours (48 hours total) and then was removed before the second craniosacral session. During the second session, a sacral and tail release was performed before releasing the cranial bones. The picture below shows the results after the cranial bone releases were performed. Note a drastic improvement in the nasal and lip lines.
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Follow up

This horse is experiencing a decrease in symptoms and an improvement in attitude. She will continue with monthly craniosacral sessions at this time to further improve facial symmetry, reduce the reoccurrence of symptoms and improve proper function.
Special thanks to Mary Beth Nunes on her assistance in performing the primary CST session!

Want to learn more about CST and the cranial bone releases?

Click Here
4 Comments

Study: Utilizing Kinesiology Tape Post Surgery 0n Horses was Shown to Significantly Decrease Swelling

5/27/2017

0 Comments

 
A study that was recently published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science demonstrated a reduction in swelling in horses that were taped using kinesiology tape (the inflammation reduction taping) following arthroscopic tibia-patellofemoral surgery. 
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Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic bandages, the Kinesio Taping Method (KTM), in controlling swelling following arthroscopic tibio-patellofemoral surgery in horses. In vivo experimental study was studied. Twelve horses undergoing experimental tibio-patellofemoral arthroscopy were divided into two groups: six animals in the control group (CG) (without tape) and six animals in the treatment group (TG) that received therapeutic bandages based on the KTM. All of the horses were evaluated by thermography of the lateral and cranial aspect of the joint as well as by a perimeter assessment of the tibio-patellofemoral joint. The TG showed greater control of postoperative swelling with a significant reduction in swelling after 24 hours of treatment compared to the CG staying up to 72 hours, but there were no significant differences in temperature based on the thermography. In this study, which was unprecedented in horses, the use of therapeutic bandages resulted in a significant reduction in postoperative swelling of tibio-patellofemoral arthroscopy in horses compared with CG. Although often employed in human rehabilitation, this therapy is potentially beneficial for veterinary rehabilitation, specifically in horses.

Conclusion:


The results of this study demonstrate a reduction in the perimeter of the tibio-patellofemoral joint after the application of therapeutic bandages using a cutting "FAN" technique, which is derived from the Kinesio Taping Method. Furthermore, there was a demonstrated edema reduction in post patellofemoral arthroscopy in horses. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm the effects of Kinesio Tape in animals due to the absence of studies related to veterinary medicine. 


de Mattos LHL, Yamada ALM, dos Santos VH, Hussni CA, Rodrigues
CA, Watanabe MJ, Alves ALG, Treatment with Therapeutic bandages to control equine post- Arthroscopic Tibio-Patellofemoral Swelling,
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2017), doi: 10.1016/ j.jevs.2017.02.001 



LEARN MORE ABOUT EQUINE KINESIOLOGY TAPING
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Become Certified in Equine Kinesiology Taping in Becker, MN!

4/21/2017

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Kinesiology tape is becoming extremely popular with both equine health professionals and equestrians in general.  This revolutionary tape can decrease muscle spasms, decrease pain sensation, increase agility, decrease inflammation and decrease the chance of injury in both horses and riders with out the use of medications! Attend this workshop to gain hands on experience and learn how to utilize this amazing technique!
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ONLINE COURSE
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Choose a date that works for you!

Saturday September 9th 9 am - 12 pm
​Saturday October 8th 1 - 5 pm
Saturday November 5th 1 - 5 pm
Sunday December 16th 1 - 5 pm
This course has an online component that must be completed before attending the workshop.  If you have not completed the online course yet, you can register for both the course and workshop together below:
Already took our online course? No problem, register for the workshop alone below:

    Questions?

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The Benefits of Adding Kinesiology Tape to Your Practice

3/27/2017

2 Comments

 
Kinesiology tape is a stretchy, sticky athletic tape that was developed for humans over 30 years ago.  This tape has recently gained popularity with animal bodywork practitioners after it was discovered that the same benefits humans experience when wearing the tape can be experienced by animals. To many people’s surprise, this revolutionary tape can be applied over an animal’s hair instead of directly to the skin to achieve the same decompression effect seen in humans.

Kinesiology taping is a modality that every animal bodywork practice can benefit from. This tape allows the practitioner to enhance their other therapies by leaving the animal with prolonged blood and lymph flow improvement, decreased pain sensation and support of joints and muscles that are suffering from instability or hyper and hypotonicity.  


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Some conditions that can benefit from kinesiology tape are: ACL and other knee related injuries in dogs, back pain in dogs and horses, hind end weakness in dogs due to IVDD, spina bifida, arthritis, or DM, suspensory ligament injuries in horses, post surgical swelling in all animals and stocking up in horses. A recent study in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science showed a significant reduction in swelling after 24 hours of kinesiology taping in horses with arthroscopic tibio-patellofemoral surgery. (http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(16)30525-1/abstract)

While kinesiology taping is a very safe and effective technique, there are specific ways to cut and apply the tape for the condition being treated and there are contraindications to utilizing this tape as well.  Proper training is required to be able to adequately add kinesiology taping to your practice.
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Angel’s Animals - Holistic Online Courses, offers kinesiology taping certification courses for both Equine and Canine practitioners.  These courses can be completed from anywhere in the world and do not have time limitations.  The courses are taught by Dr. Angelique Barbara who is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a BS in Veterinary Science and a MS in Veterinary Pathobiology.  Dr. Barbara was one of the first practitioners to start using kinesiology tape on animals and she developed these comprehensive courses to share her applications and experience with other practitioners.  
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EQUINE COURSE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANINE COURSE
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2 Comments

Decrease Your Horse's Back Pain with this Simple Taping!

3/2/2017

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Most horses experience some degree of back pain either from a saddle that doesn't fit perfectly, a rider who isn't completely balanced or just sore muscles from exercise.  This back pain reduction taping is a very easy way to decrease your horse's pain and support the muscles along your horse's back during exercise!

What do you need?

  • 4-inch and 2-inch Kinesiology Tape (recommend the Equine Big Daddy and Equine standard tape from RockTape)
  • Scissors to cut the tape (recommend teflon coated scissors because the glue on the tape will "gum up" your scissors)
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How To Apply It:

  • Start by cutting a piece of the 4-inch (BigDaddy) tape long enough to run from behind  your horse's shoulder blade (at their withers) to the high point on their hind end
  • Cut a second 4-inch piece of tape the same length as the first piece (you can use the 1st piece to measure the second)
  • Starting behind your horse's shoulder blade on the left side of the horse, place the tape down about 1-2 inches from your horse's spine (running parallel to it)
  • Do the same thing on the right side of your horse
  • Cut 2 2-inch pieces of tape long enough to go across your horse's back, over the 2 strips of tape with 1-2 inches overlapping on each side
  • Place one piece perpendicular (directly over) the 4-inch pieces just behind your horse's withers
  • Place the second piece in the same manner on your horse's lower back

What To Do Now?

  • Ride and work your horse as you normally would - the tape stretches as your horse moves which triggers the pain reduction response and minimizes muscle spasms
  • Your horse can be saddled over the tape, but make sure to work your horse on the ground first when the tape is first applied so they can get used to the feeling before riding
  • The tape is waterproof, so you can still hose your horse down after a ride
  • This taping will normally stay on for 1 week and can be worn during turnout or under a blanket or sheet
  • Reapply as needed and make sure to always remove it along your horse's hair direction, not against it
    • There will be some hair that comes off with the tape, but it is hair that was ready to naturally shed off, so no worries

Want to learn more? Check out our online course for horse owners or our certification course for equine professionals!

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Why Would I want to Tape My Horse?

2/16/2017

1 Comment

 
Kinesiology tape is gaining popularity in both the human and equine world.  As more people are becoming exposed to it, horse owners are beginning to wonder if this tape can help their horse. One of the more common questions I am asked from a horse owner is "Why would I want to tape my horse?". 

My answer is that there are MANY reasons why you would want to use kinesiology tape on your horse.  I have listed some of those answers below

  1. ​Decrease Pain - Most horses experience some form of pain on a regular basis. This could either be due to an injury, sore muscles from training and exercise, sore back due to an ill fitting saddle, unbalanced rider or just from being ridden a lot. There are many other factors that can cause pain in your horse. Kinesiology tape can help decrease your horse's pain sensation while also improving blood flow to the area, allowing the area to heal quicker and mobilize lactic acid and other metabolic waste that is contributing to the pain sensation.
  2. Stabilize Weak Areas - A horse that has ever suffered from a soft tissue injury (ligament, muscle, etc), likely suffers from some degree of instability due to it. Kinesiology tape can provide your horse with the additional support needed to prevent any further damage without reducing normal range of motion.
  3. Decrease Swelling - Kinesiology tape can help mobilize fluid and decrease swelling due to injury, allergic reactions, stocking up, etc. ​
  4. Increase Proprioception - Proprioception is the body's perception of where it's parts are. For example, a horse should know where all of it's hoofs are landing during exercise without having to look at them. Many horses who have suffered from injury or neurological disorders can benefit from kinesiology tape because it helps improve their body's proprioception by stimulating the proprioceptive nerves during movement. The better your horse's proprioception is working, the less chance he or she has of injuring themselves!
  5. Improve Energy Meridian Flow - Applying kinesiology tape along specific meridians can help improve energy flow along them.  Stagnant energy in a meridian can lead to health issues, behavioral problems and more. Kinesiology tape is a safe and easy way to improve your horse's energy flow.
  6. Speed Up Healing - Kinesiology tape helps to mobilize fluids (removes the inflammation and brings in oxygenated blood) to help speed up healing time.  Post surgical tapings can be used to decrease inflammation following a surgery and also decrease scar tissue formation after sutures and staples are removed.
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While there are MANY reasons your horse can benefit from kinesiology tape, it is also important to receive proper training before applying tape to your horse.  There are specific ways of cutting and applying the tape to achieve the appropriate goals.  There are also some circumstances when kinesiology tape can make a situation worse, so it is important to be familiar with these before taping your horse! Be sure to receive proper training or seek guidance from a trained practitioner.

Learn How to Tape Your Horse with Our OnLine Course!

Non-certification course available for horse owners. Certification Course available for equine professionals. 

Equine Kinesiology Taping On-Line Certification Course

$400.00
You are registering for the Angel's Animals Online Equine Kinesiology Taping Course.  THIS IS A CERTIFICATION COURSE FOR EQUINE PROFESSIONALS!

​*Be sure to check your state laws before practicing animal massage or bodywork! 
*This registration fee does not include a $25 certification processing fee that is due when you submit your case studies.
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Equine Kinesiology Taping On-Line NON-Certification Course

$300.00
You are registering for the Angel's Animals Online Equine Kinesiology Taping Course.  This course was developed to teach horse owners how to apply kinesiology tape to their horses to decrease inflammation, support muscles and joints, improve function and more!

THIS IS NOT A CERTIFICATION COURSE!
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1 Comment

Learn How to Reduce Your Horse's Pain!

2/1/2017

3 Comments

 

Is Your Horse In Pain?

The likely answer is YES.  Most horses will experience some degree of neck, back or hip (SI joint) pain during their lives and a surprising number of horses suffer from some form of chronic pain.  Pain can be caused by intense training, ill fitting saddles and tack, imbalanced or inexperienced riders or injury (injury can occur in the stall, turnout or while riding).  If the pain is not addressed, it can lead to long lasting postural and gait abnormalities causing chronic pain for the horse.

How do you know if your horse is in pain?

Some common signs of pain include:
  • Pinning ears back when you brush your horse's back, place a saddle on them, tighten the girth/cinch, ask your horse to move forward under saddle
  • Biting or kicking out when you tighten the girth or ask for particular movements under saddle
  • Bucking or rearing when you ask your horse to move forward or increase speed under saddle
  • Inability to collect while riding
  • Difficulty bending to one side
  • Tossing head while working and riding
  • Inability to pick up one lead while cantering
  • Reluctance to increase speed when asking for more forward motion
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What Can You Do?

To help your horse achieve optimal wellness, it is important to have a team of reliable equine health care providers including a veterinarian, certified equine chiropractor, dentist, massage therapist and saddle fitter.

To personally help your horse in between visits, you can provide your horse with massage, stretches and kinesiology tape.

Equine Massage

Equine Massage utilizes modified human massage techniques to help reduce muscle spasms and pain, increase blood flow and mobilize lactic acid. Massage can be done using the hands or tools.  Since there are contraindications to massage (specific conditions when massage could make a situation worse) and specific protocols and techniques, it is important to become trained in equine massage before massaging your horse.
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LEARN ABOUT THE EQUINE MASSAGE FOR HORSE OWNER'S COURSE

Stretches

Stretching is a great way to improve your horse's range of motion and keep him or her flexible in between bodywork sessions.  When stretching your horse, you want to make sure they are warmed up first and there are specific ways to stretch your horse to decrease the chance of injury. For this reason, it is recommended that you are properly training in stretching.  Our Equine Massage for Horse Owners course includes a section on neck and leg stretches for your horse!
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LEARN ABOUT OUR EQUINE MASSAGE CERTIFICATION COURSE

Kinesiology Tape

Kinesiology tape has recently become very popular with human athletes and those suffering from soft tissue injuries.  We have found that horses can benefit just as much as people from this revolutionary tape! Our on-line Equine Kinesiology Taping Course teaches both horse owners and professionals (we offer a certification course for professionals) how to tape both horses and riders.  Learn pain reduction, support, inflammation reduction and meridian techniques! Kinesiology tape not only can reduce pain in both yourself and your horse, but it can also help prevent injuries from occurring!
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR EQUINE KINESIOLOGY TAPING COURSE
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Providing your horse with routine bodywork can ensure that he or she is able to live a happy and pain free life for many years to come!

Courses for Professionals

We also offer courses for Equine Professionals including certifications in Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy and Body Alignment.  Visit our website for more details!
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3 Comments

    Author

    Dr. Angelique Barbara is the founder of Angel's Animals LLC, a company that has developed online animal bodywork courses for both owners and professionals.  Dr. Barbara's unique teaching style along with the dynamic layout of the courses allows people of different educational backgrounds from all over the world to benefit from her knowledge.

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