Work with Dr Jeremy Naylor and a Dressage Competition

I have been using my science brain again and have been planning an experiment with Dr Jeremy Naylor (http://www.jeremynaylor.co.uk/) to quantify some the effects of massage the massage work I do.

Jeremy is a Veterinarian who specialises in horse excercise physiology and uses his methods to train racehorses at his own stables very close to Stonehenge in Wiltshire. The Cleeve stables are the only U.K. training stable run by a veterinary qualified exercise physiologist.

We had a preliminary meeting last week whereby he just wanted to see me and how I work and we have been disucssin this week over the email how best to conduct this mini experiment. I am going over again tomorrow to follow up, so will write more after tomorrow!

We are planning to use an Ultrasound Scanner on a chosen muscle (group) before and after massage to determine the difference in the tissue. (And yes, I really do hope there is some!!!)

I have spent the whole week glued to latest scientific papers finding information on how massage ACTUALLY works. I mean on the real nitty gritty biological level, not on the "it relaxes and lenghtens the muscle" level :D Not that there is anything work with it, but it is rather difficult to convince a Veterinarian with those type of arguments!

So I have been also trying to understand the workings of ultrasound, very detailed molecular biology and cell biochemistry, read a bit about the racing world and plough through the various massage publications on human massage and excercise physiology. 

AND most importantly did my first dressage test for more than 15 years!!! Vatican was great, I was focused (for a change) and I hope the judges liked it. It was done for Dressage Anywhere (http://www.dressageanywhere.com/) so will not find out my placing until the end of September. I am very excited about this all, not the least because I nearly chickened out since he is so unpredictable and I thought I have not schooled him enough. but he proved me wrong, behaved himself beautifully, was really calm and soft and rode like a feather. When he moves the way he did on Friday, all those mad days when he is so tense it feels almost like riding on a live bomb are made worthwile.

Vatican behaving himself @ our Dressage Anywhere
competiton at Cane End Stud

Little bit of trot - and yes I know Im not sitting great :D
I blame the fact that Im sitting in a jumping saddle!

So more details to follow about our work at Cleeve stables with Jeremy and I will most certainly post our result from the dressage test (well... only if we get over 80%!!! hehe)

Hope you are all well and lovong the Autumn weather as much  as me!!

Hello again,

I have been meaning to write about my little 'adventure' with some horse legs seen in pictures below (warning to those of you who do not like graphic details)!

Thanks to a lovely friend Hannah Brooks from the yard who worked at hunt kennels, I had an opportunity to do a mini autopsy on two separate horse legs and see and feel some of the tendons with my own hands.

It was an interesting experience not to say the least because the legs were rather... hmmm.. smelly I think is a too weak work to describe them and I was swamped with flies and over keen terrier right from the start. But regardless it was super interesting.

I must say - I am not an expert in anatomy and this was the first time I did this excercise, so do double check the accuracy on the names of the tendons before quoting me!!

Suspensory

Superficial digital flexor tendon - thick and very tough!

Comparison - see if you can spot the tendons!

Very high tech - in my garden and trying to shoo off the terrier :D
She would've loved a good gnaw of the bones and tendons

Note to self , or anyone else attempting this, do attempt it on a day where youre unlike to have this many flies, or do it in a garage or a shed (smell warning) and try to get the legs as fresh as possible so the smell issues are minimised. Also the horses skin is unbelievably touch, I had an old kitchen knife and it was almost impossible to cut through, so get a serously sharp and touch knife. Also for health and safety - keep keen terriers inside the house !!!! :D :D :D

It is very very interesting and really worth doing!

I have also just recieved some new posters, leaflets and such material and I have a great offer runing for the next 5 weeks whereby you get £10 off my normal price. Check out my website and facebook page!

And as always, please pass this blog on to anyone you think might be interested!!

Happy riding everyone!!