Carr Equine Therapy

Happy national horse day to these 3 beauties #nationalhorseday

Big savings with our Black Friday sale. 30% off all services DM to book your appointment for your horse, yourself or both! Gift Certificates also available Take advantage of these amazing offers, sale ends midnight Nov. 27th

GIFT CERTIFICATES Horse and Rider sport massage in central and southern Alberta. Contact for more details.

So incredibly proud of this team

Fun day with the Thomas family #ilovemyjob

HORSES & RIDER MASSAGE Equestrians have a unique way of using their bodies while in the saddle. If you have an old injury, chronic tension or any other postural imbalances that are restricting your movement these will most likely show up in your horse and vice versa. So next time you’re in the saddle tune into your body and feel where you may be holding tension or maybe there is pain present. How is your breathing, does your shoulder drop on one side, do your sit bones h...ave equal pressure on them, do you lose one stirrup often, are you able to find a neutral pelvis?? Then start to feel how your horse is moving underneath you, is he heavier on one rein, does he drop his shoulder on one side, is he supple through his spine from poll to tail?? These are all good questions to start asking yourself and your horse . A body worker can help you and your equine athlete feel more relaxed, balanced and flexible. Contact for more information or if you have any questions if this program would be right for you and you equine partner Let’s listen to our bodies and our horses

Massage Monday!! HOW MASSAGE THERAPY OR BODYWORK CAN BENEFIT YOUR HORSE! Your horse may be experiencing post-exercise soreness, pain and/or chronic tension during the daily rigours of schooling, training or an increased workload. Riders sometimes may not be aware of these physical restrictions until there is a reluctance to engage the hindquarters, difficulty picking up the correct lead, struggles with lateral movement, head tossing, refusals, girthiness, spooking, or even bu...cking (just to name a few). Massage therapy can help in the prevention and rehabilitation of injury, It can also enhance your athletes performance through assessment and treatment of pain, restriction and imbalances. Trauma is one of the leading causes of soft tissue injuries, right alongside it are overuse, repetitive strain, muscle weakness or imbalances, shortening and contraction of tissues and chronic tension. A regularly scheduled massage program for your athlete is a great way to help in the prevention of soft tissue injuries. Bodywork encourages blood flow, increases oxygen and other nutrients to the muscles and joints while at the same time removing lactic acid buildup and eliminating other metabolic waste from the body. This encourages injured muscles to heal and healthy muscles to stay flexible and pain free. All horses young and old, performance or companion will benefit from bodywork. Let’s listen to our horse’s @laura_manson_photography

The girls @foxtrailfarmsnorth helping @queen_lily_the_lamb cool off for the summer . So much love for all the animals

@ella_eq06 what an amazing ride, so proud of you sweetie!!!! Thank you @billiemetzphotography for these beautiful shots and @foxtrailfarmsnorth @caryl_doty_ @claire_doty for this amazing opportunity for all these equestrians that love this sport and these beautiful animals that give back to us with all their heart Dawn and Emily thank you so much for letting my daughter ride #sunshineflurry such a handsome guy. So much love for everyone @ Foxtrail Farm

When the horse is balanced, all muscles can do the job they were designed to do. They work together, rather than against each other, which is why no energy is wasted, and the movement feels effortless." - Thomas Ritter Thank you Florinda Domburg for making this!

Can you say proud momma . Thank you @foxtrailfarmsnorth and @claire_doty for Ella’s first show and #sunshineflurry for being such a rockstar pony taking care of my girl

Getting this boy ready for the Hunters at @foxtrailfarmsnorth #cento

Jerry was determined to get my hat

Okotoks, Alberta

Had a fun play day with Ace

ENTER TO WIN A FREE EQUINE BODYWORK SESSION!!!!!!! DM yours and your horses name to be entered into the draw. The winner will be announced Friday June 5th. Good luck

This poor guy was in a bit of pain with some superficial cuts and swelling on his legs. We think he may have cast himself and struggled to get up. Using my cold laser to help manage his pain, bring down the swelling and accelerate the healing of his wounds.

Yay, sooooooo happy to be back to work, I love my job so much it’s very rewarding . This sweet girl loved her massage and laser therapy but loved my Gua sha tool even more, freeing up fascial restrictions around the withers.

Working on building Ace’s topline, along with strengthen his thoracic sling muscles. His belly lifts and pelvic tuck reflexes are not engaging properly, the dorsal muscles of his thoracic sling are weak and the ventral line are tight, he has dropped and rotated to the left and struggles with picking up his left lead. On top of all that on sunny, windy, spring days he is a head shaker this boy needs a lot of attention and I’m finally listening to what he is telling me

This is a great visual of the Hyoid Apparatus, give this short video a watch

Great news with the beginnings to reopen Alberta!! I have missed working with all of you and your equine athletes to stay balanced, pain free and strong . Stay tuned as there will be some exciting upcoming promos and giveaways I will be taking the proper precautions and following the Alberta health guidelines to keep you safe. Take care out there and I look forward getting back to work Carr Equine

Fun ditch ride with the kid today

Horse short striding in the front? Maybe a bit "off"? Maybe their shock absorbers are "burned out"..... better call a mechanic before their wheels blow off c...ompletely! Biomechanically speaking, just like your truck, your horse has his own suspension system that helps him to survive those nasty potholes and bumps in the road that inevitably appear when he is striding out confidently believing that all is well. The equine shock absorbers we are speaking of are the ones that absorb the weight of the front end of the horse, where 70% of their body weight is situated. Add the increased force to the front end in speeds like the gallop, and you can see the reason why God supported the weight of the abdominal cavities which contain the mass of the organs with such a brilliant suspension system. The front limbs of the horse are not connected to their body by a joint, like humans are. Those who have have ever dressed out a deer or an elk have noticed that their blade slides easily through the muscle that attaches the front limb to the body of their game. The muscles that hold the front limb to the animal are officially named: the serratus ventralis, the pectorals, and the subclavius. These muscles are also what allows the horse (and many other prey animal species) to rapidly extend their stride instantaneously to flee an incoming predator. So what happens when these shock absorbers go out? Just like your truck, when the shock absorbers go out, the ride gets really rough and everything starts to just shake apart. For the horse, this means that the front feet hit the ground harder, which creates more stress on the sophisticated suspension system of the lower limbs and more stress on the hoof itself, (which we would at this point pray is properly balanced so that it can somewhat at least keep the inevitable added stress being applied to it symmetrical). It would also cause extra stress on everything above the failed shock absorbing system such as the cervical vertebrae as well as the poll/atlas junction. Basically, without a properly operating shock absorber system, the horse gets a beating to the head with every hard hitting footfall of their front limbs. With this picture in mind, it is easy to see why a horse would choose to tentatively stride out (if they choose to stride out at all) instead of confidently reach forward for the ground. So how do we maintain these shock absorbers? This, thankfully, is not so hard to do- even for the backyard mechanic. Providing that your horse has not been diagnosed with a front limb issue as the primary cause of the failed shock absorber system, keeping the muscles that hold the front limb to the body soft and supple is not a difficult task. In order to do this, here are the steps: let's start on the left side of the horse first. Hold your horses halter in your left hand and flex his head towards you, at the same time take your right hand and with down pointed fingers find the edge of the scapula on the horse (keeping in mind that in horses with restricted shock absorbers- aka "glued to their body" (aka - toasted shock absorbers) the outline of the limb may not be so evident at first). Apply pressure in a downward motion with your right hand, so that your fingers find the glide between the scapula and the thorax of the horse. Repeat the other side. If this is not easily done, your horses shock absorbers are in need of maintenance, and if proper shock absorbing properties are not restored, the front feet are unfortunately in danger of lameness issues. Continue trying to soften the muscles beneath your fingers behind the scapula, go slowly and wait for the horse to relax as deeper pressure is applied. Also front limb stretches forward, back, and laterally to the side will help release the adhesions. What if I "fix" the shock absorbers, but my horse is still off in the front? Unfortunately, we will never know what was created first, the chicken or the egg. In the same respect, we do not know if the shock absorbers left first- or if they left after our horses feet became so imbalanced and painful that they had to do whatever they could to lift their weight off their front end- In this case, what was intended to be the shock absorber turns into the only biomechanical option for the horse to brace away from the pain of touching his front feet to the ground. In this scenario, a skilled farrier can assist you by creating proper balance and comfort to the entire structure of the horse. Once the feet are correct, the shock absorbing system can easily be maintained.

Equine wound care with my #activetprolaser @ Okotoks, Alberta

A little chilly but at we were able to get out for a ride

Hey everyone, A little update on @carrequinetherapy, we are currently in self quarantine but lucky enough to be at our beautiful acreage with our wonderful animals I’ll be back and ready to help out anyone who is in need by the middle of next week, so please feel free to give me a call or text if I can help in any way This is a time where we need to step and be there for each other and to also take the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of our communi...ty and beyond!! There will be new and improved protocols in place for upcoming appointments so if you have any questions or concerns please share them with me If you would like to set up an appointment for you or your horse please DM. Stay safe, happy and healthy out there, lots of love from CarrEquine @ Okotoks, Alberta #flattenthecurve See more

Maintenance massage for a horse in a riding program is so important to help with any mild aches and pains, muscle tension and to keep or increase their ROM. It’s good to take the time to tend to the emotional or physical stresses that your equine partner can be dealing with. It’s so nice to be able to give back to these amazing animals that are always giving themselves to us. It’s also great to have another set of eyes and hands on your horse to catch any dysfunction or imbalances before they become lameness issues and time off. PREVENTION IS KEY!!!!

Look at the difference after just one session!! #activetprolaser along with lymphatic drainage techniques!! @ Okotoks, Alberta

For all of you that were eagerly awaiting the "Recognising Subtle Lameness" Video series, here is the link to our You tTube channel. Go check it out and please don't forget to subscribe to keep updated on future educational opportunities. https://www.youtube.com/watch

This cutie had his massage today and off to Spruce tomorrow!! Can’t wait to see these two in action @4hoovescanter and Hero

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU . To help stay strong, flexible and healthy (mentally, emotionally & physically) take the time for yourself! Book in for a massage a stretch or some laser therapy. Let me know how I can help, DM to book an appointment in your home or mine Horse & Rider Sport Therapy

The pony was sweating today, he hasn’t worked that hard in a long time. He is just sooooo sweet

We wanted to do an update on Rana’s eye as many of you know, she has a papilloma, which we have discussed in several posts. It’s in the wart family and is mor...e common in African elephants, but it does occasionally occur in Asian elephants. They usually look a little like a barnacle. When it first appeared, she would blow on her eye as if it bothered her, but after its initial occurrence, she stopped acknowledging it, so we believe it no longer bothers her. Before diagnosis, when it didn't respond to initial veterinary treatment, we had it assessed by a veterinary ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist performed cryosurgery, which had a positive response. After the immediate healing, progress stagnated. We continued to follow the treatment plan of cleaning and medicating it every other day. It had been working, but very slowly (as expected - most things skin-related in elephants are slow to heal). We recently had a vet friend visit who works with elephants in Nepal. From her work there, she owns a veterinary cold laser with many proven uses (including successfully treating corneal ulcers on the eyes of horses), which she brought with her to Brazil. While she was here, we discussed all of the current and future elephants that could benefit from such a tool. So our visitor reached out to J. Mark Strong with Multi Radiance. They generously agreed to donate a new one to her when she returned to the US, which meant she was able to leave her donated laser with us (!!) This makes us the proud new owners of an MR4 ACTIVet laser. We’ve been using it on Rana for a little over a month now, in addition to her normal treatment regimen, and her papilloma seems to be responding favorably. It is shrinking. Along with the usual healing abilities of cold laser therapy, this laser also has a blue light for fighting bacteria, which means even more benefit. Here’s a picture of Miss Rana B in the treatment chute with the laser as you can see, we use it on an angle so as not to point it directly at her eye. Treatment only lasts 2 minutes and she is a perfect girl who receives lots of praise and a sizeable food reward for her stellar cooperation. We are grateful that her papilloma is responding, but there are many other uses for the laser as well. We used it on acupuncture points for Ramba's kidneys and intend on using it to improve the condition of Lady's feet. A huge thanks to Multi Radiance Medical and J. Mark Strong for helping us help elephants!

Looking forward to the day where this is full again.. #socold #frozenwaters #haulingwater

BEST JOB EVER!!!! (Even on these brutally cold days) I love the conversations I have with these amazing animals they have so much to say and I enjoy listening! @ Okotoks, Alberta

A short clip or my massage session with this big sweetheart today Monthly maintenance massage is so important to keep your equine athletes in tip top shape for their exercise/training program!

Cold Laser Therapy aka LLLT and Photobiomodulation (PBM) The ActiVet Pro is the world’s safest high powered therapeutic laser. Treats: INFLAMMATION SWELLING... ACUTE & CHRONIC PAIN RELIEF INJURY REPAIR WOUND CARE FIGHTS INFECTIONS & KILLS BACTERIA ACCELERATES HEALING & so much more!! See more

What a great read!! This technology also applies to your equine athlete, contact to book your appointment and see what Laser Therapy can do for you and your equine partner!

We went behind the scenes with the incredible team at the Koala Hospital Port Macquarie. They've been working around the clock to help these koalas left with painful burns after the bushfires. #NSWBushfires #Koalas

This sweet boy received a full body massage and cold laser therapy with focus on his poll, loin and stifles. So relaxed #ilovemyjob

Some deep work on this mares glutes, rolling out those tight muscles.

Thank you to all my amazing clients, family and friends for such a wonderful 2019! So excited for the new adventures in 2020 Thank you to all my amazing clients, family and friends for such a wonderful 2019! So excited for the new adventures in 2020

Love these visuals!

Trixie, what a priceless pony helping my kid learn how to jump thank you Trixie and thank you @foxtrailfarmsnorth @claire_doty

Looking forward to taking some of the 2020 pods available!!!!

What a cuddle bug @claire_doty Marq was diggin his massage and cold laser therapy #legsfordays

On International Cheetah Day, how wildlife veterinarians around the world are using Multi Radiance Super Pulsed Lasers in extremely remote areas to heal wounds ...and relieve pain in cheetahs and other exotic species, without surgery, drugs, or side effects. #IntlCheetahDay #SaveTheCheetah #WorldWildlifeConservationDay See more

ORGANS AND THE SPINE (eg Back problems causing colic and guts causing back problems) A great image to show how the guts (and other organs) as well as bl...ood supply are so strongly related to the spinal cord and the vertebrae. It is this neurological connection that makes the organs such an important aspect to consider during any treatment process. Not considering their role in the reduction in mobility of the body results in a reduced quality of treatment. This is because a large factor has been overlooked. The digestive system, the reproductive system, the urinary system and respiratory system all must be included within the treatment thought process. In this image it shows the relationship between the spine, the spinal cord and intestine plus it's blood supply. ANY changes to the mobility of the spine can increase the risk of digestive disturbances including colic.... It also goes the other way in that ANY problems with the gut can reduce mobility of the spine... All food for thought... NB I found this image in the depths of my phone. I have no idea where it came from...

Girls and their ponies . #poniesarethebest #barebackriding #foxtrailfarms #barncat #catsofinstagram

PACKAGES AVAILABLE: 5 Equine Massage Sessions $250 - Include Laser $300 3 Equine Massage Sessions $180 - Include Laser $220 Huge Savings!!PACKAGES AVAILABLE: 5 Equine Massage Sessions $250 - Include Laser $300 3 Equine Massage Sessions $180 - Include Laser $220 Huge Savings!!

Gift Certificates will be in this week, A great gift for that special equestrian in your life. Contact for more details

The ponies . @ellamay117 #poniesarethebest #foxtrailfarms #buckskinhorse #tango

Had the pleasure of working on these two sweethearts. @ Okotoks, Alberta

WHAT IS COLD LASER THERAPY AND HOW CAN IT HELP YOUR HORSE? Cold laser therapy is also known as LLLT (Low-Level Laser Therapy) and Photobiomodulation. Laser therapy can accelerate healing and improve the repair, regeneration and remodeling of tissue in the horse. Some uses for laser therapy are wound healing, pain management, tendon/ligament injuries, muscle tears, neurologic injuries and stimulate or inhibit acupuncture points. Some benefits of cold laser therapy are decreased pain, increased wound healing, decreased inflammation, increased tensile strength of tendon/ligament and a return to function. There are many more uses for this wonderful noninvasive device so please contact me with any questions you may have, I love to talk horses

Gluteus Medius muscle is the largest muscle of the horse, its main movement function is the extension of the hip joint. In the unloaded limb GM contraction swings the limb towards caudal for e.g. kicking out and in the weight bearing limb it pushes the body mass forward during locomotion. Here I’m releasing the trigger points that put the low back into spasm. He sure doesn’t seem to mind at all, love working on this horse

Seriously, how cute are they our little mousers to be!

Cento having a big release from his massage. Such a sweet boy @foxtrailfarmsnorth @ Okotoks, Alberta