The Bay Birch - Racehorse

The Birch or TBB as she was often affectionately called was the best Racehorse to date for the smart and accomplished trainer Matt Sheppard of Matt Sheppard Racing in Eastnor, Herefordshire. (Matt is currently writing his Race trainer autobiography which will be a brilliant read, especially for anyone who is not familiar with the sport. I’ve read an excerpt). In the final few years of her racing career, Matt asked me to work with The Birch to help prepare her both physically and mentally ahead of races. She loved her treatments, especially a good massage on her hind end. She would always turn and place it in front of me telling me to work there. So I would oblige and then make my way back to other areas that needed attention. She was assertive and let me know clearly when she had had enough. In the last year of treating her I started to include a few EHS movements in the session, which I was studying at the time. There are various factors that affect Racehorse performance including ground, race track, weather, weight etc. TBB was always a joy and thrill to watch but in my humble opinion, after I began including some EHS in her treatments she had some phenomenal race performances.

Interestingly throughout the race season she would progressively knock her left foreleg fetlock which would result in it being bandaged in the stable. This self inflicted injury did not appear to affect her performance or bother her. However I wish I could have done EHS sessions with her throughout a whole season for I believe this injury was the result of muscles becoming chronically contracted in her front left side and thoracic sling area. EHS could have prevented it. It's a shame I couldn't put my theory to the test with her!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine they talk about horses temperaments being influenced by several of the five elements, but it being primarily aligned to one. The elements are: Wind, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood;. What I knew and saw of The Birch, I'd say she was primarily aligned to Wood which is considered the perfect racehorse type! The fantastc girl is now retired from racing and enjoying a different pace of life as a brood mare.

Monty - Cob

Monty is a happy hacker horse. I met his lovely owner on a day I was doing some promotion of LS Equine Therapy in the Newhunt Equine and Country Store in Huntley. Monty was 17 at the time.  Due to his age and noticing him looking a bit stiff sometimes as well as experiencing some bolshy behaviour, she was very keen to keep him comfortable in his body to enable longevity in his physical functionality (a subsequent annual vet check up advised he has arthritis in his hocks, as many horses do) and help alleviate the bolshiness he sometimes displayed. He had two blended modality sessions over two weeks and then a full EHS session the following month. He responded really well with freer movement and improved posture. More frolicking happy spirited behaviour in the field was observed too. He now has 6 monthly LS Equine Therapy sessions and in between these his wonderful owner, who is very good at listening to her intuition and gut feeling, maintains his physical comfort with techniques I have shown her and knowledge I share.  She is fairly new to horse ownership and is a very compassionate and conscientious owner.  It's great she keeps in touch to let me know how he is doing.  It Is a huge pleasure and privilege to be part of her horsemanship journey.

In addition to Monty's improved comfort and physical functionality, which has given him a new bounciness and joie de vivre in his veteran years, she says his temperament has changed: he seems less bolshy, a lot more relaxed in his demeanor and more willing.