Claire Brandreth
Upledger CranioSacral Therapist - CST-T MCSS
Canine CranioSacral Therapist - CCCTT
Equine CranioSacral Therapist - CECTT
What is Equine CranioSacral Therapy?
Equine CranioSacral Therapy, is similar to human CranioSacral Therapy and was derived from Osteopathy. CST was originally developed for humans by Dr John Upledger and he later developed his techniques to enable horses to benefit from CST in the same way humans do.
He developed the hand positions to adapt to the horses body and during treatment, like with humans, there is no manipulation and by just using a very light touch on the head, spine, diaphragms (body of the horse), sacrum, pelvis and nerve passages any restrictions are released. The movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord is then optimised and any misaligned bones are restored to their correct position as well as removing any restrictions in the muscles.
Another important area I work with, is the horses fascia which is a continuous layer of connective tissue that surrounds the entire body as well as the organs, muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels.
CST has been proven to be very successful in treating the following Equine conditions and situations:
- Hip and pelvis problems
- Recovery from slips or falls
- Lumbar and/or sacral problems
- Shoulder / Leg injuries
- Lameness
- Hock and/or stifle problems
- Improve flexibility and mobility
- Head shaking
- Facial Nerve issues
- Headaches
- Head / Neck / Back Traumas
- Head shaking
- TMJ/TMD (Temporomandibular Joint disfunction)
- Discomfort following dental work
- Spinal injuries
- Behavioural problems / Anxiety / Fear
- Unexplained behaviour - bucking, refusing, rearing, shying, spookiness, reluctance to take the contact.
- Difficulty in flat work transitions, or taking the wrong lead after jump
- The affects of weaving
- Arthritis
- Scar tissue
- Blocked tear ducts / Leaking eyes
- Sinusitis
- Ear infections
- Breathing issues
- Reduce pain, swelling and discomfort post surgery
CST treats the whole body of the horse from head to tail leading to an improved overall well being.
What does an Equine CST treatment involve?
The initial treatment will usually last around 1 hour 45 minutes and includes a thorough assessment of your horse and the treatment itself. Initially, I will assess your horse on their movement in walk, trot, turning and rein back. I may also require to see your horse on the lunge in walk, trot and canter. I will then palpate your horses head, body and the movement of their shoulder, hips and legs to locate and then release any restrictions.
The signs of release I look for will be licking and chewing, yawning, shacking of the head and neck, sighing, blowing out throw their nostrils, softening of the eyes, lowering of the head and neck. Some horses like to move and shift their weight or they may even become agitated before a release occurs. If your horse is showing signs of agitation, I can assure you they are not feeling pain, they are experiencing the tissue fibres and collagen start to lengthen before the area fully released.
During the treatment I will continually assess both your horses physical and physiological state to ensure that the treatment is both effective and enjoyable. If during a treatment there have been large releases in the body of your horse they may feel some post-treatment soreness and I will let you know should this be the case.
Ideally, after a treatment your horse would be turned out. However, if this is not possible I would like them to be walked gently for approximately 10 minutes and then given the following day off. This is because it allows your horses body to adjust the releases in the body.
Subsequent appointments will be approximately 1 hour long.
Why should I try Equine CST?
CST allows your horse to adjust and release at their own pace. This non invasive, calming and relaxing approach is extremely gentle and subtle and works at a deeper level than that of a more technique based treatment such as massage or physiotherapy. I will listen to your horses tissue and muscle movement, as helps to guide me to where the restrictions are being held.
Equine CranioSacral treatments will help your horse correct any physical imbalances caused by injury as it helps to resolve these problems and rebalance their bodies so they are able to perform more effectively and are comfortable in their work for a longer period of time, as the horses body loves balance and homeostasis.
Through CST treatments, problems which are often seen as conformation issues have been shown to be postural problems. CST also works extremely well with nervous, shy and anxious horses. I will work with your horses central nervous system, decreasing the ‘fight or flight (sympathetic) and helping to increase the ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic) nervous system. It is through this process that the body can allow its self-healing mechanism to work and relieve internal stressors.
Equine craniosacral therapy isn’t just for young and working horses and can be beneficial for older horses. Just like us as they became older their muscles and tissues can lose their flexibility, with joints becoming stiffer and moving less freely. As they become older their behaviour may change and they may start struggling with their normal day to day activities, like finding it difficult to walk after being stabled over night. Using CST can help to keep your older horses bodies remain flexible and mobile and keep them pain free, as well as prevent other problems from occurring.
My Horse doesn't have a physical injury but has emotional problems?
Not only does Equine CST help the physical body of the horse, it can also help with the emotional side as horses are sensitive animals. Horses have a large frontal lobe which means they have long memories and sadly some horses haven’t had the best start in life or may have been mistreated at some point.
This emotion can become trapped in the horses body tissue ‘ muscle memory’ . A CST treatment can help release this trapped emotion, enabling your horse to move on physically and emotionally. CST treatments can help to maintain your horses emotional wellbeing, especially if they are of the more sensitive nature.
Frequently asked questions
You can reach me on the following email: clairebrandreth@valecranial.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The reason I will treat the whole body during an appointment is because It is important to evaluate the entire horse during each treatment. On occasions, the area that seems to be the problem is in fact compensating for an underlying issue elsewhere in the body. A horses body is connected by a web of fascia which allows me to connect anywhere in the body.
For example, I could be treating the stifle but also be treating the lumber area at the same time. Equine CranioSacral Therapy is a whole body treatment creating an overall balance throughout the horse’s system.
I am able to treat your horse in their stable, tied on the yard or even in the field. I will ask for your horse not to eat while treating so I am able to assess the releases and responses of your horse.
It is impossible to put an exact figure on the amount of sessions your horse may require as a CST treatment is completely individual and no two horses experience the same results. The condition I am treating maybe treated within one session or may require more, as we cannot predict how the body will react to CST or how in-depth the restrictions are. A horses body has its own ‘inner treatment plan’ and its my role as a therapist is to assist in following it.
No your horse doesn’t have to have a specific injury to benefit from Equine Craniosacral Therapy. I work to balance the Central nervous system which has a whole body healing affect. However, if you just want your horse to feel more relaxed, for example if they have just come back from a hard competition or a fun ride, a CST treatment can be beneficial to help get the stresses and excitement out of their system. As well as improving the general overall well being of a horse, CST can help to prevent injuries from occurring.
For the first assessment and treatment I will need you to be there to sign a consent form and I like to ask questions to get to know your horse. After the initial treatment I am happy to treat your horse without you being there, as long as someone else is able to lead your horse up, for me to treat and be present. My insurance only covers me for the CranioSacral assessment and treatments, it does not cover me for bringing your horse in or turning them out after the treatment.
The areas I travel to and how to pay
There is no charge for travel to locations within 10 mile radius of RH20 4NJ, but a charge of 80p per mile thereafter may be chargeable depending on whether I have other bookings in your area on the same day. Also if there are multiple bookings at the same yard no travel charge will apply. I will try to group bookings in the same area to reduce travel costs where possible.
Whenever possible could you please use What3words as this gives the most accurate location, especially if your yard is off the beaten track.
For payment, I am happy to accept cash on the day of the appointment or if you prefer to pay by debit or credit card I have a card reader. However, If you know the signal is poor at your yard please pay by bank transfer before the appointment and I can supply you with my bank details.
Please see my cancellation policy on the booking tab on this website.
Contact me
My phone number is 07990 331346, please leave a message if I am unable to answer your call, I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you would like to have a chat to discuss anything before booking an appointment or you have any other questions regarding CST, then please feel free to contact me using the enquiry form below.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential.