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 Welcome!
This newsletter is all about how to help you
help your horse, move better, last longer and prevent injury.
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newsletter to a friend!
Enjoy
London 2012 Olympics: My View From the Inside
Being at the Olympics as Team Sports
Therapist for the Canadian Eventing Team brought my level of
emotions to an intense height. I had forgotten about this intensity
I felt once before, when I worked as the team sports therapist for
the USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. There has been no other time I
reached this pinnacle until 2012 London Games.
 The
city of London was a fabulous host. They were able to manage the
crowds, its wild traffic, it’s hustle and bustle. They were very
polite and always welcoming. The Games were attentive to detail,
well organized, with hundreds of volunteers always cheerful and
ready to help at any time or situation. The people I encountered in
my hotel, in restaurants, and store clerks were all equally cheerful
and patient, no matter how long it took me to figure out the
difference between a pound and a pence.
 First of all, the atmosphere at the Games: The colors of each rider’s clothing representing their countries.
The colors of the horse’s coolers, sheets, saddle pads. The trading
of country pins. The sounds. Sounds of different languages, and
accents pervading Greenwich Park where the Equestrian venue
occurred. The sounds of the Olympic Theme song titled “Survival”.
The voices of the crowds cheering, screaming for their countrymen...
Read more about the 2012 Olympic Games in London
CASE STUDY:
Motion Problem: Stiff in hind legs.
Loss of power at all gaits. Diminished response to leg aids.
Jane was pleased with her new saddle since
the old one seemed to have pinched her horse’s back. She knew the
old saddle was causing back discomfort because her horse traveled
with his head high and a hollow back with an unwillingness to go
forward. Now that she had been using the new saddle, her horse was
traveling better, but she still felt he was short in the hind end
and was not as responsive to her leg aid.
Jane called me three weeks after riding in
her new saddle. She originally thought the motion problems she was
experiencing were residual problems from her old ill fitting saddle.
But three weeks after riding in her new saddle, she thought she had
cause for concern.
 When I arrived at the barn, Jane asked if I
thought the new saddle could be causing the shortened stride and
back discomfort. She was very worried because she spent a good
amount of money on her new saddle. I reassured her that if the
problem was of a muscular nature, we would be able to determine the
cause and eliminate the problem by using the
Wilson Meagher Method of
Sportsmassage...
Read more about the
assessment, cause, and solution
OLYMPIC SECURITY AND ACCREDITATIONS
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 In order for me to work with the Eventing Team in the
Olympic Equestrian Park backside which included stabling,
rings, athletes cafeteria, ten minute box for cross country,
etc. I needed accreditations granted by the Canadian Olympic
Committee. London strictly limited the amount of
accreditations (accreds) each country was allowed. Each
country applied for and was primarily allowed accreds for
one farrier, vet, coach, physiotherapist, owners, chef de
quipe, one groom per horse and rider for each discipline.
Needless to say, the accreditations, or simply put, passes
were extremely limited.
Read more about
Olympic Security and Accreditations
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TRAINER'S TIP
Trainer: Kathy Connelly
Kathy Connelly is one of the leading and most
respected Dressage trainers in the United States. (USA). .
Question: How does a rider know when
their horse is truly going forward?
Answer: Forwardness is the primary and
essential quality that we need to recognize, partner with and create
with a horse...
Read
more of Kathy's answer and her profile
RIDER'S TIP
Diet Soda: To drink or not to drink, that is the question.
Over the past summer when I was working at
several competitions, there were often coolers filled
with cold drinks for riders and their crew. The coolers always had
two choices. One choice was bottled water, the other diet soda. More
often than not, the diet soda was the first choice.
We all know drinking plenty of fluids is
critical to good health, especially in the heat, as it was quite HOT
this past summer. But really…diet soda?
Please read the attached link to learn about
the benefits of diet soda. One of the benefits, is if you are
looking for a wider girth and belly...
http://www.bistromd.com/healthy-facts/diet-and-excercise/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you.aspx
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