Rivalé Equine

The Riverland is an INSANE place right now for horse riders!

I cannot remember another time where the lineup of incredible instructors and outings looked so FREAKING GOOD!!

We have some very hard working individuals and groups in our region that work tirelessly to bring amazing instructors and opportunities to our doorstep and truthfully, if we don't support them the opportunities will disappear.
Support our little horsey community, this is some incredible momentum and energy that we have not seen in such a long time. Book the lesson, book the clinic, enjoy the sunshine and the ponies, the reason we all do this in the first place!!!

Jarado Park Julie Robertson Lizzy Ritchie Riverland Equestrian Centre Vicki Oliver Loxton Horse Riding Club

Just a thought — we probably shouldn’t expect horses to spend 16 hours every day in one single feeding posture. 💭

In free-ranging horses living in a natural environment, feeding involves continual changes in:

• neck angle
• limb position
• body orientation
• roaming
• reaching
• turning
• grazing on slopes and varied terrain

We often fixate on the groundwork/ridden work, however do we really give enough attention to how our horse eats for the rest of their day?

The way in which our horse eats adds to their daily “postural load”, it influences how their tissues are recruited, and it really does deserve as much attention as their exercise.

So, haynets?

A study comparing horses eating from the ground, hay racks and elevated hay nets found that higher feeding positions consistently altered head and neck posture. Horses fed from elevated systems spent significantly more time with their neck held above wither height and showed greater head twisting while grasping forage (Hernadez Garbati, 2025).

Looking at the morphology, neck posture was affected by feeding position… but crucially, the mandibular angle was significantly wider when horses were fed on the ground.

In a study by Zebish et al. (2014), hyperflexion of the neck in ridden horses led to changes in the width of the mandibular angle as a welfare stress factor. It was associated with an increase in neck circumference and in the thickness of the jaw muscle, with a consequent compression of the larynx, thus reducing air exchange and producing higher flow resistance. From this, research has extrapolated the data and drawn attention to the fact that high haynets could affect the jaw joint over time, in addition to the functionality of the horses breathing, back and neck posture (Hernandez Garbati, 2025). Even though a lower hay net promoted a better back posture than a high haynet, it was not sufficient to maintain a neck posture and mandibular angle similar to that obtained from horses fed from the floor.

However — we do need to look beyond the haynets, and consider varying feeding postures to mimic their natural environment as much as possible.

The difference between a rubdown and a massage is an art form—an art form called accuracy.
—Jack Meagher

Effective massage begins with accuracy. It requires trained hands, a thorough understanding of anatomy, and the ability to locate specific structures with confidence. The goal isn’t simply to touch the horse—it’s to touch the right tissue, in the right way, for the right reason. That precision is what transforms a routine rubdown into a skilled therapeutic practice.

https://koperequine.com/why-hands-on-massage-is-the-best-way-to-for-sore-care-muscles/

Some very good info in this article reminding us that the tiny details in our workouts matter.
Longer spacing of poles showing increase in following of the back and shorter spacing the opposite. 🌞

Go Go Go its time to worm your horse and remember - ALL horses should be wormed now regardless of their current FEC results.
Before you worm your horse here a few things we want you to do:
• FEC before you worm and 14 days after - If you don't FEC before there is no point getting a FEC(RT) afterwards. Doing both tests allows us to monitor for resistance, uncommon parasites, and monitor your horses health.
• Know the weight of you horse - to avoid under or over dosing with the wormer
• Use one of the following wormers - Ultimum, Equest plus Tape, Neovemox plus Tape and Equigel with Tape.
• Don't move paddocks after you worm, you need to wait 1 to 2 weeks and then move - otherwise you are building a population of resistant parasites.
• Keep dogs away whilst worming and from the horse poo of horses that have been wormed for at least 11 days - ALL wormers are toxic to dogs.
See our previous post for more helpful hints around worming.

I have always said owner capacity is a major part of the plan we create together. Whether that is time or budget.

One thing I always like owners to understand is that horses generally benefit most from consistent bodywork and maintenance rather than a one-time session, especially if they are actively competing, hauling, training hard, or dealing with longer-standing stiffness, soreness, or compensation patterns.

Of course every horse, owner, schedule, and budget is different — there’s never pressure — but having a consistent plan is typically where we tend to see the greatest long-term benefit.

https://koperequine.com/recognizing-the-importance-of-fascial-release/