Discover why you have pain and tension, learn how they affect your horse and riding, and master techniques for treating and preventing pain and injury in the future. Pain-Free Horse Riding is the first book to combine exercises for horseback riders to increase strength and flexibility and improve riding and address the pain they suffer from and how to relieve it. Horse rider and Myofascial Release therapist Nikki Robinson offers realistic ways to improve common conditions--back and neck pain, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, joint pain and stiffness, and repetitive strain injury--without giving up the activity you love. The book provides an introduction to fascia, covers how your body reacts to injury, and addresses common symptoms such as pain, tension, and inflammation. A key chapter focuses specifically on riding posture--the position of your head, shoulders, back, buttocks, and legs--including exercises to solve your riding problems with myofascial techniques. Also included are personal stories from riders who have had success with these methods. The format of the book allows readers to start at the beginning and read all the way through or to go straight to the sections that address their particular condition. There are cross-references throughout to direct readers where to find additional information if they are interested.

Dr. Joyce Harman's best-selling book and DVDs on saddle-fit have received rave reviews and helped improve the lives of performance and pleasure horses all over the world. Now, due to popular demand, she's written the complete reference on saddle-fit and back health for Western disciplines. In this most thorough, comprehensive book, Dr. Harman, veterinarian and respected saddle-fitting expert, educates the reader about the horse's conformation—particularly the shape of the back, withers, ribs, and shoulders; saddle construction—the tree, bars, seat, skirts, fleece, gullet, and stirrups; and the rider's conformation. She explains how all these variables must be considered in order to keep the horse comfortable. In addition, read about correct use of saddle pads; fitting saddles for different sports such as reining, cutting, pleasure, and trail; and how to care for your horse's back, both over the short and long term.

Written in conjunction with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), Musculoskeletal Assessment in Athletic Training provides a comprehensive overview of common injuries impacting the extremities and the assessments and examinations the Athletic Trainer can conduct. Unit I “Foundations” introduces the student to the foundations of examination, evaluation, and musculoskeletal diagnosis, providing a helpful recap of relevant medical terminology along the way. Units II and III delve directly into the lower and upper extremities, reviewing relevant anatomy, discussing common injuries, and discussing their assessment. Finally, Unit IV “Medical Considerations and Risk Management” provides an overview of factors to keep in mind when evaluating the lower and upper extremities, including the needs of special populations, environmental conditions, and other medical conditions that can complicate the evaluation.

Few sports parallel each other the way riding and yoga do. The "stillness in motion" of yoga equals the "effortless effort" of riding. What we learn in the yoga studio can easily be transferred to the saddle. Balance is the biggest key to riding. Our horses feel and react to every move we make when we ride them, however subtle. Yoga teaches us how to recognize the unbalanced errors and correct them before we get on the horse. Cathy Reynold's new program uses the similarities of yoga and riding to connect students to themselves with body awareness and meditation, and to their horses with new balance. Book jacket.

All too often, pain in ridden horses is labelled as 'bad' behaviour. The apparently ‘sound’ horse is 'naughty', 'lazy', 'difficult', 'explosive', 'spooky', 'nappy', and more. These labels are wrong. Pain impacts all aspects of a horse's performance, including its partnership with the rider, and its potential to progress. It does not always create lameness. Relieving pain can lead to greater potential, a deeper partnership, and improved performance. In ‘Harmonious Horsemanship: Use of the Ridden Horse Ethogram to Optimise Potential, Partnership and Performance', Sue Dyson and Sue Palmer share their professional knowledge and experience. You will learn how to use a checklist of 24 behaviours to check for musculoskeletal pain in ridden horses. The book includes a gripping mix of research studies, contributions from industry experts, and real-life case studies. Only by first recognising pain can we then address it through accurate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. This book, full of practical tools and backed by solid robust science, teaches you how to use ridden behaviour to recognise the subtle signs of pain, even in horses that appear to be sound. It is for anyone who cares about the horse, whether you are an interested amateur owner or an experienced equestrian professional. Together, we can make the world a better place for horses.

This clinical guide offers much-needed assistance in pinpointing the c ause of acute, chronic, and recurring pelvic pain and recommends the m ost effective medical or surgical treatment for the pain and the under lying disorder. The chapters present detailed, methodical guidelines f or the workup of the patient with chronic pelvic pain and for the diag nosis and treatment of the many disorders that cause pelvic discomfort . The section on diagnosis and treatments follows an organ-based appro ach, providing the most efficient, cost-effective way to "rule out" va rious causes of pelvic pain. Appendices include pain maps, pain diarie s, pain scales, and depression scales.

Pain is a health issue that warrants significant attention and has an immense impact on global healthcare systems. This book focuses on pain, particularly on its management, by providing fresh perspectives and novel insights, while at the same time examining related topics that have often been overlooked. Given that there is no permanent cure for pain, the book primarily serves as an update to the existing knowledge. Topics covered include the biochemical pathways of pain as well as pharmaceutical and clinical management of pain to ensure health and wellbeing.

Centered Riding is not a style of riding as are dressage, hunter seat, or Western. Rather, it is a way of reeducating a rider’s mind and body to achieve greater balance in order to better communicate with the horse. Founder Sally Swift revolutionized riding by showing that good use of the human body makes a world of difference on horseback. Early in her work, she established what she calls the “Four Basics” — centering, breathing, soft eyes, and building blocks—which, together with grounding, are the main tenets of her method. When a rider learns and maintains these basics, then harmony between horse and human is possible. Sally Swift’s first book, Centered Riding, made its revolutionary appearance in 1985 and continues as one of the best-selling horse books of all time. This second book doesn't replace the first one, it complements it. In the intervening years, Centered Riding continued to evolve, and Sally inevitably developed many new concepts and fresh imagery, all of which are presented here.

A comprehensive review of clinical neurology for the equine practitioner! Topics will include: infectious diseases affecting the equine nervous system, advanced imaging of the nervous system, metabolic encephalopathies, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, cervical pain causing abnormal gait, neurologic or neuromuscular disorders, management of the downer horse, adverse drug reactions and toxins affecting the nervous system, neurologic conditions associated with guttural pouch disease, objective analysis of the equine gait and nervous system, and treatment of acute cervical injury in the horse.