My horse, Farletta, recently received PEMF therapy via Michele Haman of Equilibrium Therapy.  The change following the first treatment was amazing!  Farletta has received both chiropractic and massage therapy; the PEMF has helped her achieve even greater progress!
 

BRIEF HISTORY
Farletta has had a chronic, right side problem for most of her life.  I believe it stems from a pull-back trauma she suffered when she was three (she is now 13).  Overtime Farletta developed a slew of problems such as chronic sciatic pain, difficulty developing true bend to right, shortened stride on right side (particularly right front leg), girthing issues, high/low heel syndrome (right front chronically higher heel than left), Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU,right eye), chronic poll tightness/pain, atrophy of right side muscles.  This was despite receiving regular chiropractic work and classical dressage training.

You'll note I mentioned ERU, the cause of uveitis is suspected to be genetic, a leptospirosis infection, or from injury.  Holistic practitioner April Battles has long believed that uveitis can be a result of pull-back trauma, particularly in a young horse. She feels the pull-back (haltered horse tied to an immovable object panics and pulls back, often throwing their full weight against the halter) trauma results in separation and distortion of the “seams” of bones found in the horse’s skull which can result in chronic head pain and also pressure on the optic nerve thus causing uveitis.  In Farletta’s case, I believe this is true as I know there is no uveitis in her family and she never had a lepto infection.

There is no known cure for uveitis in horses. It is the number one cause of blindness in horses. Farletta had her diseased eye removed in 2012.  The loss of the eye seemed to increase some of her body problems as she soon developed a head-tilt, I assume to improve her view with just one eye.  The head tilt resulted in an unbalanced way of going which exacerbates her right side problems and also caused her to wear her front feet unevenly resulting in a toed-in stance.

PREVIOUS TREATMENTS
Farletta received her first chiropractic treatment at age 4, shortly after she started her under saddle training.  She continued to receive chiropractic care from a total of three practitioners with minimal success.  Farletta did improve after treatment but almost immediately, the tight muscles would pull everything back out of place again. As a result, she never made any real progress.
 
Three years ago (age 10) I learned of the benefits of equine sports massage. Michele Haman of Equilibrium Therapy worked wonders for Farletta and eventually she had improved range-of-motion in her shoulder, less tightness/pain in her hind end and poll, and girthing issues lessened, and right-side muscle atrophy lessened.  Despite the drastic improvements, she continued to have high/low heel syndrome, intermittent shortened stride (RF), and of course the ever-present head-tilt.

PEMF TREATMENT
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy uses a strong electromagnetic field to affect tissue at the cellular level, increasing cell membrane permeability and facilitating cell repair.
 
Large coils are placed on different areas of the horse.  You can see the damaged cells respond to the electromagnetic field by twitching, as the tension in the damaged area is released, the twitching stops.  The treatment can initially be a little intense for the horse (as it was when Farletta’s worst areas were worked on) but as the muscle tension dissipates, the horse relaxes visibly and may even fall asleep.

Under Saddle Observations
- there is a horse under my right seat bone!
- greater willingness to develop correct right bend
- walk-trot transition came from behind with little discussion and no argument!
- I had to “turn down the volume” on my right side aids
 
It has only been a few days but I am very encouraged by the results thus far.  As it has taken Farletta years to get to the point she was at, I know that a single treatment will not cure her of all her right side issues, however, I believe with multiple treatments she will at some point be able to maintain a level of physical normalcy she hasn’t had in years.
 
I am very curious about the possible applications of PEMF therapy for ERU horses.  The physical problems that were helped by the PEMF treatment (all her right side issues) I believe are symptoms of damage caused by her pull-back trauma when she was young.  I further believe that the ERU suffered in Farletta’s (now removed) right eye was also a symptom of the pull-back trauma.  Therefore, I wonder if in the situation of ERU caused by trauma, perhaps PEMF therapy could provide much-needed hope for the future of ERU horses.  It is too late for Farletta to answer this question, but we will discover if there are in fact benefits to ERU horses in the future.
 
I will provide updates as Farletta continues to receive PEMF treatment through Equi-Librium Therapy.

Today is the 10 year anniversary of the day Farletta (Follow Me Friend) came into my life. Here is an excerpt from my unpublished memoir. The day she became mine: April 21, 2006

The large trailer door swung open; old, rusted hinges protesting with squeaks and groans.  Rain pelted my face as a cold, sharp wind blew through my too-thin hooded sweatshirt.  It was late April in Kentucky but it was still quite cold.  Add the clouds, rain and wind and it was one of those days which made your fingers turn red, numb and fairly ineffective at performing any task which required even a small degree of dexterity.  Damp air seeped into my body where it would linger for hours, keeping me chilled well after I returned home and changed into dry clothes.

         I peered inside the cavernous stock trailer.  It was large enough to hold several head of cattle which made the tiny mare tied inside seem all the smaller as she stood looking at me, a curious expression on her face.  Having come from northern Illinois, the mare still held on to her shaggy winter coat while the horses here in central Kentucky had already let go of much of theirs.  She was soaking wet from the rain splashing through the ventilation slats on the upper portion of the trailer.  Dirt and grime stuck to the mare’s wet coat creating tiny rivulets of muddy water, resulting in dark streaks of filth running down her spindly legs.

     She was much smaller than I’d imagined, looking more like a small yearling than the three-year-old I knew her to be.  The mare stood quietly as she took in her surroundings through her limited view out the trailer door.  She lifted her head; her little body shook as a high pitched whinny erupted from her belly, exiting out of her dainty mouth.  A nearby horse answered her call with a mildly interested whinny; the little mare responded with a robust and throaty nicker.  She shuffled her feet, her hooves making hollow clonk-clonk sounds as she struck the hard wood floor of the trailer.

     I stepped cautiously into the trailer, talking to the little mare.  Her eyes widened as she looked at me but she did not show fear.  I spoke softly to her as I slowly approached her left side and placed my hand on her neck.  The mare pushed her muzzle toward me and I let her sniff my hands.  Seemingly satisfied I was a friend rather than a foe, she took a half step back and waited for me to untie her.  Together we turned and stepped off the trailer into the cold wind and driving rain.

     Dief came out of the barn where he had been intently watching my interactions with the little mare.  “Aahroooo-wooo-oooo!”  He yodeled, greeting the new horse while hanging back a bit as he assessed the situation.  With the little mare safely off the trailer, Dief trotted up to greet her while maintaining a respectful distance.
     “What do you think?” I asked him.
     “Aaahroooooo-woooo!” Dief answered, wagging his stump tail slowly from side to side.
     “I think so too.”

     Together we walked to a small paddock with a run-in shed.  There was a pile of fresh hay in the corner of the small, three-sided building and the little mare went right to it, eagerly lowering her head to have a taste.  I could see her ribs under her wet coat. I suspected winter had been tough on her.  Her shoulders and hindquarters were slab-sided and underdeveloped.  After eating a few mouthfuls of hay she walked over to me, stretching her neck while lifting her muzzle up toward my face.  I blew softly into her nostril; she breathed in my scent before returning to her hay, daintily selecting a few long stems, chewing and swallowing them before taking a bit more.

     “Hey you,” I whispered softly to her “I like you.”  The little mare lifted her head and looked at me as she chewed a mouthful of hay.  I reached out and gave her a pat on the neck, and told her I’d see her later that evening.  Stepping out of the shed I turned toward the gate where Dief was waiting patiently for me. 
     “Aahrooo-ooo!” He yodeled at me.
     “Yeah, I’m ready,” I said. “Let’s go.”  I went through the paddock gate securing it behind me.  Dief fell in line at my heels as we walked across the barn yard to my truck.
     “Oooo-oooo” Dief yodeled softly. 
     “I agree,” I said with a smile.

I was recently contacted by an owner who has difficulty with handling her horse’s feet.  The mare gives her feet readily but will snatch them away and sometimes “half-heartedly kick” at her.  Unfortunately, many people resort to force or punishment to “fix” this problem.  However, this seldom yields positive or lasting results.
 
Any time you have a behavioral problem (in any animal or human), it is best to address it from a holistic perspective.  This means taking into account all potential “inputs” into a given situation.  For the horse this includes environment, relationships (horse and human), nutrition, training, overall health, etc. If you don’t resolve the cause(s) of the behavior, it will either return, or the horse will deal with the stressor with another negative behavior (for example: use a cribbing collar to stop a cribber, he then starts weaving or stall-kicking).

In the case of a horse that does not like her feet handled, here are a few things you can look at to take a holistic approach to solving this behavior problem:

Training – this may seem obvious but the first thing to look at is if the horse has been trained to have her feet handled. By trained I don’t mean you’ve tried a couple times and had some success at forcing her feet up.  The trained horse understands exactly what is expected from her and will readily offer her feet with little effort on the part of the handler.
 
Comfort—this refers to physical, emotional, and environmental comfort:

• Physical – ensure the horse is not in pain.  Hoof pain from thrush, poorly balanced feet, laminitis (including undiagnosed pre-laminitis from excess grass consumption or insulin-resistant horses), and/or pain from arthritic joints, lameness, or a horse in need of chiropractic or massage.
• Emotional (relationships) – does the horse trust the handler?  Allowing a person (predator) to have complete control over one of her feet puts the horse in a vulnerable position. 
• Environmental – does the horse feel safe in her surroundings?  Again, lifting a foot and allowing you to hold it puts the horse in a vulnerable position.

Balance—this goes with physical comfort and sometimes emotional comfort.  If you have the opportunity, watch other people handle their horse’s feet. Pay attention to what the horse does when the handler asks for a foot.  With an experienced horse, you will likely see the horse position himself for optimal balance before giving the hoof. This usually involves repositioning one foot before the horse offers the hoof being asked for.  An inexperienced (or ignorant) handler will sometimes punish this behavior resulting in an insecure and un-trusting horse.  It is especially important while training the horse that you give her the chance to reposition her feet for optimal balance.  Pay attention, it is likely your horse is doing (or trying to do) this without your being aware!
  
If you’ve addressed and solved (or ruled out) all of the above, it is possible you have a horse that simply doesn’t like having her feet handled or is a little (or a lot) spoiled.  Having an extra set of eyes (a trainer or a competent horse friend) can help you identify the problem.  Also look at other areas of your work with your horse.  If there are other places where you have behavior issues (leading, tying, standing still while mounting) you may find working on these areas will solve your hoof-handling problems.  Remember, training is a process and a well-trained horse is built on a broad and solid foundation.  If there are holes or weak spots in your foundation, it will show up in other areas of your work together.

Do you have a horse question?  Click here to ask or visit Farletta Knows on Facebook!

                                               -- Robin Williams as Jack in the film, Jack

Three equines and three women occupied the arena that day.  The three women were connected by a common theme.  Each woman was standing in the face of significant change -- a thread of uncertainty which held them loosely together.  For one woman, change was intertwined with stress, for another, change requires the constant reminder to “stay calm.”  For me, change’s haunting companion is What If.

The women huddled together in the arena talking about the impact of change on their environment.  To each woman, environment held a slightly different meaning and significance in the face of change.  For me, I have been actively seeking to change my environment, plucking out the good and positive memories from an often dark and foreboding past.  Reconstructing my life from tattered bits of two very different tapestries – attempting to grasp and hold on to the parts worth keeping and, with difficulty, give up the dark parts which no longer serve me, letting them slip away, now powerless but never forgotten.

My companions helped me spread color through our new environment, tossing a rainbow of traffic cones and pool noodles onto the mud-colored arena surface.  Together we moved heavy, wooden poles to our new, changed environment, arranging them until we had created a space completely different from the one we started with.  We then turned our attention to the three equines.

Each of us selected an equine and named it.  A small, roan pony was named “Stress,” a large pinto was named “Stay Calm” and I named a solid bay gelding “What if.”  Our goal was to each move our chosen equine into our new environment -- moving those parts we struggled with, into change.

I walked over to What If who was standing nearby.  I reached up toward his head intending to encircle his neck with my arms and guide him over to the environment which represented change in my life.  What If would have no part of my plan, constantly moving his head out of my grasp, pulling away from me and standing stubbornly just where I found him.  The more I struggled with What If, the more he resisted my efforts to control him.

After several failed attempts to control What If, I paused to contemplate my next move in my effort to bring What If into my changed environment.  As I stood quiet and unmoving, trying to figure out what to do next, What If walked into the center of my changed environment and stood quietly, nosing one of the colorful cones.

I walked toward What If, wanting to stand with him in my changed environment but as soon as I moved into his space, What If walked away.  I went after him, wanting to bring him back to my changed environment but I could not budge him, What If resisted all my attempts to control him.  I gave up my efforts to control What If and stood quietly once again.  As I stood in silence, What If returned to my changed environment, looking around inquisitively but disrupting nothing.

In that moment the lesson became clear.  What If will take care of itself.  The more I try to control the “What If” in my life, the more I struggle and the less I am able to accomplish.  What If doesn’t need me to worry over it, I cannot control it and any effort to exert my will over What If is met with frustration and resistance. 

With my new found discovery tucked safely in my mind, I looked around the arena to see how my companions were doing. By letting What If take care of himself, I was available to help my companions reach their goals.  I went to each and asked if I could help them.  When we were done, we stood and watched as What If began driving Stress all around the arena in a decidedly non-productive pattern taking them far away from our newly changed environment.  The three of us stood watching, with Stay Calm standing quietly over us, his legs firmly planted like the trunk of an enormous tree; a tree which would bend and sway with the winds of change but never break or fall, never losing ground to follow the whims of What If as he worried after Stress. 

In their quiet way, the horses had spoken once again.  Horse had become teacher and the lesson was learned.

Many people watch me work with my horse, Farletta and wonder why can’t their horse be the same?  By that I assume they mean the version of Farletta who stands quietly, follows willingly, rides without a bridle and responds to the slightest shift of weight in the saddle or the most subtle of visual cues from the ground; not the version of the Perfect Princess when she loses her patience and succumbs to the “Four P’s” – pacing, pawing, prancing and (inappropriate) peeing.  

What people don’t realize is it has taken years of work to get Farletta to be the horse she is today. And she is still learning, we both are.  Sure, we have come a long way from the little mare who used to jump out of the arena, break her halter and run away, and lay down while I mounted her but it has taken hours upon hours of patience, consistency and flat out hard work.    The change was gradual, it didn’t happen in six months or even a year – it is ongoing.  Each time we crossed a hurdle, a new one would pop up. That is horse training. That is life.
 
Training a great horse involves cultivating a great relationship. Taking the time to work through the (sometimes seemingly endless) problems, learning to communicate in a way your horse understands, learning to actively listen (not just seek to be heard), and always approaching the relationship with kindness and a gentle but firm hand.  You will take great steps forward and at times you will stumble backwards. That is horse training. That is life.  

A horse is a living creature and just like people, they have different personalities, different learning styles, different physical capabilities and different mental capacities.  It is your job to learn about your horse, how that horse thinks, how s/he learns, and how s/he communicates. Often behavioral problems stem from a lack of understanding on the part of the horse, and/or a breakdown in communication between the horse and handler.   

A horse that has been abused or is being re-purposed has a special set of circumstances.  If the horse was in an abusive situation for many years or a non-abused horse moving from a completely different environment with a different set of “rules” (such as a racing environment) then you must not only build the relationship but you must undo the negative the horse has already learned.  This won’t happen quickly, if it took five years for the horse to develop the bad habits and behaviors it has today; is it unreasonable to expect it to take as long to undo the damage? 

Building a relationship with your horse is a long term commitment.  Just as in life, we all make mistakes and that is OK. This is how we learn.  In a future post I will discuss different ways we can listen to what our horses are telling us.  Until then, give your horse a carrot and a scratch on the neck from me.