Horsetalksa

21/07/2025

Water-soluble vitamins (B complex and Vitamin C) are not stored in the horses body and are readily excreted in the urine. These vitamins play crucial roles in various bodily functions and are an essential requirement of a balanced daily diet.

20/07/2025

When we nurture the nervous system, we nurture the whole horse. Through balanced nutrition, low-stress environments and mindful handling, you can help your horse remain calm, responsive, and connected. In turn, this enhances their physical performance, emotional resilience and trust.

The nervous system is the control center of your horse’s body—governing movement, coordination, behavior, sensory perception, and even emotional well-being. A healthy nervous system is essential for a calm, responsive horse capable of learning, adapting, and performing. Unfortunately, nervous sy...

16/07/2025

What is your equestrian personality?

Horse riding is an experience that is intrinsically influenced by our personalities. Just as we each have unique approaches to life, our personality traits can significantly shape how we connect with and approach our equestrian journey and the ideologies that resonate with us and that we choose to follow.Conservative riders might find peace and solitude in the quiet moments spent with their horse, focusing on building a deep, personal bond. More extrovert riders, on the other hand, might thrive in group lessons and enjoy the social aspect of horse riding, often seeking out opportunities to share their experiences with others. Progressive individuals are often more willing to try new techniques, explore different styles of horsemanship and riding, and adapt to challenges. They may find themselves drawn to diverse equestrian disciplines. More conservative riders might prefer sticking to familiar routines and techniques, finding comfort in repetition.Highly conscientious riders often excel in structured training environments. They are meticulous with their routines and pay close attention to detail, which can lead to steady progress in their riding skills. More liberal individuals might prefer a more relaxed, spontaneous approach to their riding experience.Understanding these personality influences can help us to discover our own horsemanship niche, choose the correct type of horse to pair up with and help us understand and connect better with fellow riders.

13/07/2025

True horsemanship is built on empathy, understanding, and mutual respect. When we choose trust over fear, we cultivate conversation and partnership. In doing so, we nurture horses and riders who listen to one another and move, think, and grow together in harmony.

Training built on fear may produce short-term obedience, but it comes at a significant long-term cost—for both the horse and the rider. While fear-based methods may seem effective in forcing quick compliance, they undermine trust, damage confidence, and lead to lasting emotional and physical conse...

05/07/2025

Your horse's breathing is more than an indicator of fitness - it's a form of communication. Learning to connect and listen to it can unlock new levels of trust, rhythm, and performance.

Breathing is often overlooked in daily riding and training sessions, yet it plays a critical role in your horse’s physical performance, rhythm, and emotional well-being. A horse’s breathing reflects more than just fitness—it communicates comfort, stress levels, and muscular coordination. By tu...

02/07/2025

To clip or not to clip?🤔 A horses coat is designed to insulate it from the cold - thermogenesis (hair thickening) occurs in the winter to increase this insulating capacity. An important focus when clipping is to consider how to keep your horse's temperature balanced and healthy.

26/06/2025

Private, group and online studies, check out our equine studies online - www.horsetalksa.co.za

25/06/2025

The Road to ‘Kissing Spines’?

Further to our last post “The Influence of Diet on Posture”

Kissing Spines is polar opposite to a relaxed top-line. Being aware of contributing factors is key to not inadvertently starting down the road! Imbalances in the diet which affect nerve and muscle function are an over-looked cause!

Muscles convert chemical energy into mechanical energy, therefore any bio-chemistry disturbance which affects the contraction and release of muscles will show up in the horses posture and movement.

“Grass-affected” horses often manifest these imbalances in how they carry themselves. Unless addressed this becomes their ‘default posture’ and they are ‘upside-down’ both on the lunge and under saddle, despite meticulous care with saddle-fit, body-work, quality riding and hours of ‘correct work’.

When it goes on for years it is not hard to see how it can lead to back problems and kissing spines.

Performing even simple exercises is more difficult and takes more time than would be expected of a ‘green’ horse. It causes many a horse owner to wonder what is going on because this same horse was not ‘travelling hollow’ a few months ago.

Lunging (without any influencing gear) is a good way to check your horse’s ‘default’ posture.

When there are no problems he will soon settle (if fresh) and offer to extend his neck out and look where he is going. Strides will be fluid and long, transitions up and down will be smooth. (See the photo of the dark bay horse, Axel).

When the long top-line muscles repeatedly hold the ‘hollow’ posture over time, the tips of dorsal processes of the spinal vertebrae come closer together and eventually can impinge on each other – “Kissing Spines”.

Because this biochemistry aspect of nerve and muscle function is not recognised, the advice given to remedy is to use the pessoa, draw reins, leverage bits or martingales, trotting poles and cavaletti.

But if you look at the problem through a different lens you would address the horse’s diet FIRST.

This is because use of any physical apparatus to encourage the horse to engage the muscles located below the spine (abdominal & ileo-psoas, ie his core muscles) WHILE the muscles located above the spine (top-line) are ALREADY, albeit involuntarily, engaged, puts the horse in an impossible situation.

The horse simply CANNOT volunteer to release his top-line muscles - a necessary prerequisite to engaging his core muscles.

In other words both sets of muscles cannot be used at once. It is an indication something ‘isn’t right’ if you need to resort to gadgets.

Far better to correct the diet, give him TIME to recover so he is ABLE to offer a relaxed posture on the lunge, a really good indication that you have the diet right and can proceed. Time frames vary from 1-3 months.

It is especially critical to address diet BEFORE you go down the road of corticosteroid injections into the spaces between the vertebrae or into the SIJ. In the vast majority of cases, they turn out to be completely unnecessary and meanwhile use of steroids puts the horse at risk of laminitis.

Read up on the subject here: https://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/musculo-skeletal

Photo: Classic posture of the 'grass-affected' horse
For help with feeding for a relaxed top-line fill out the Enquiry Form:
https://forms.wix.com/70c7cae9-bec0-444a-b26e...

24/06/2025

Cushing's influences a horse's metabolic rate, coat condition, energy levels, and overall health. Although a chronic condition, it is manageable and treatable. Here are some guidelines to identify and manage Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID).

Cushing’s disease, officially known as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), is a common hormonal disorder in older horses. Characterized by abnormal hormone production from the pituitary gland, it affects a horse’s metabolism, coat, energy levels, and overall health. Although it’s a c...

17/06/2025

Your saddle may fit your horse but does it fit you AND your horse? Check your saddle contact after your ride - to make sure you have the perfect fit for both. Any pressure areas will show up as dry spots, a full panel of sweat is desirable.

11/06/2025

Euthanizing your horse is a final act of kindness that ensures a dignified, pain-free, and peaceful death. It is a painful but ultimately selfless decision that we make for the horses we cherish - one that we are seldom emotionally prepared for.

Making the decision to euthanize a horse is one of the most difficult and emotionally challenging moments an owner will ever face. Horses are not just animals—they are companions, partners, and friends. When a horse’s quality of life declines due to illness, injury, or age-related complications,...

09/06/2025

The potential of ONE horse 📈
🟩 GREEN - The result of poor saddling, bad posture, limited movement and discomfort, incorrect training, overwhelm and stress.
🟦 BLUE - Good saddling, body maintenance, correct training and muscle development, balanced nutrition, freedom to move and suitable recovery time from stress.