EQtherapy WA

🐴 BALANCE PADS – WHY I LOVE THEM FOR THE HIND END 🐴

The hind end is where we generate so much of the horse’s power, balance and impulsion — but it’s also an area where weakness, instability or poor body awareness can show up.

Balance pads are a great rehabilitation and conditioning tool to help horses become more aware of where their feet are and how they use their body.

When used correctly, working with the pads can help:

✨ Improve proprioception – encouraging the horse to become more aware of the position and movement of their hind feet.

✨ Develop stability and balance – the changing surface challenges the horse to stabilise themselves rather than simply relying on a firm, predictable surface.

✨ Encourage greater hind-limb engagement – asking the horse to consciously organise their body and place their hind feet can encourage more thoughtful use of the hind end.

✨ Strengthen postural muscles – maintaining balance on an unstable surface requires small, controlled adjustments through the muscles of the trunk, pelvis and limbs.

✨ Improve coordination – particularly useful for horses that struggle with body awareness, straightness or coordinating their hind limbs.

✨ Encourage weight shifting – controlled exercises can help the horse learn to shift their weight and organise their body more effectively.

✨ Build confidence in movement – gradually introducing different surfaces and challenges can help horses become more confident using their bodies.

And the best part? It doesn’t have to be complicated!

A few carefully chosen exercises with the pads can provide a completely different challenge from simply walking, lunging or riding on a stable surface.

As always, exercises should be introduced gradually and appropriately for the individual horse. Balance pads are a training and rehabilitation tool — not a replacement for veterinary assessment when there is pain or lameness.

🐴 Small adjustments. Better body awareness. Stronger, more confident movement.

One of my favourite exercises and I highly recommend everyone does this with their horse!

This exercise requires greater flexion in your horse's joints than trotting.

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲 will help to:
✅ Lift and flex the back, hip, shoulder, elbow, stifle and hock.
✅ Strengthen the muscles and structures involved in engagement, hip flexion and pelvic stability.
✅ Improve suppleness and flexibility through the shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle and hock.

For maximum benefits do this on a daily basis. You can incorporate this exercise into your daily routine, place the raised pole, or small log in a place where you can regularly walk your horse over it - for example to and from the field.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁
🐴 Walk your horse over a pole on the floor to begin with.
🐴 Gradually raise it until it's around knee height.
🐴 Encourage your horse to lower his head as he walks over the pole.

Want to discover more about the using poles effectively? Don't miss our upcoming 3-part webinar series that will give you the skills and confidence to use pole work with your own horse.

Comment poles and we'll send you all the details

Koda was absolutely loving his massage today 🥰

I can’t wait for this! Date TBA soon 🐎

Yes, you’re seeing correctly… they’re potties! 😂

Rehab tools don’t have to be expensive! Sometimes the simplest things can be incredibly effective.

Raised poles are one of my favourite tools for rehabilitation and strengthening, and these little potties make a great budget-friendly option for creating different pole heights.

Working over raised poles can help horses to:
🐴 Encourage greater joint flexion and range of motion
🐴 Improve proprioception and body awareness
🐴 Encourage more deliberate, controlled foot placement
🐴 Strengthen the core and supporting muscles
🐴 Improve balance, coordination and stability
🐴 Encourage greater engagement of the hindquarters
🐴 Increase limb lift and muscle activation
🐴 Help improve symmetry and controlled movement
🐴 Add variety and challenge as the horse progresses through their rehab

The key is choosing the right height, spacing and number of poles for the individual horse and where they are at in their rehabilitation.

You don’t need a fancy rehab setup to create effective exercises — sometimes you just need to think outside the box… or in this case, inside the potty! 😂

This lovely lady enjoyed her relaxing pregnancy massage today 🥰

📢 PRICE UPDATE

Unfortunately, due to the continued increase in fuel costs and the rising costs involved with travelling to appointments, I need to make a small adjustment to my pricing.

I was able to hold off on increasing my prices last time, but unfortunately I can’t absorb the additional costs any longer.

💛 All bookings that are currently booked in will remain at the existing price.

From 1st September 2026, all new bookings will be charged at the new price $85.

I really appreciate your continued support and understanding. I’ve always tried to keep my prices as reasonable as possible, and I’m grateful for every one of you who continues to support my business. 🐴✨

Thank you!
Zoe

The answer to this question as I’m sure you may have guessed does vary for each horse.
This can all depend on the horse’s workload, health, discipline and any specific issues.
As a suggested schedule to follow:
Performance/competition horses: every 4weeks
Light work/pleasure horses: every 6-8weeks
Rehabilitation horses or specific issues: every 1-2weeks
If you are unsure about your horses needs feel free to send me a message for a chat.

How often do you get your horse a complementary therapy like equine massage?
The use of regular sessions are proven to provide physiological benefits such as reducing stress, improving performance and increasing range of motion.
Feel free to msg me if you’d like more information