King Equine Osteopathy

12/06/2026

*** Why we must stop looking for the perfect horse ***

From a veterinary point of view, no horse is perfect. We must stop thinking that if we look hard enough, we’ll find the perfect horse. He/she doesn’t exist. All that happens is that we miss out on the “not so perfect” horse that actually would have been the perfect horse.

If we look hard enough, especially with our X-ray machines, we can find something wrong with every single horse. We will find some kind of change in a joint of most horses over the age of six or seven. Before anyone starts, that’s not because they have been started too young. I spend some of my spare time looking at the radiographs provided publicly for auctions, and I can always find something wrong. These are often unbacked 3 year olds.

I have posted before that X-ray changes often don’t correlate with pain, or even future pain/lameness.

In my opinion, X-rays should be used to plan what help the horse *may* require in the future, and not to write a perfectly sound horse off. And for the record, I’d never medicate the joint of a sound horse, based on radiographic changes alone.

I often hear people say that they’ve had 5 horses fail a vetting, and that the “perfect” horse must be out there. Actually, you’ve probably just missed that perfect horse. Obviously a horse that is lame at PPE (the vetting) is an absolute no. But a horse with some hock arthritis, or some close DSPs (“kissing spines”) that is currently out competing and has an uninterrupted competition record, may well have been your perfect horse. Likewise, that horse with the sarcoid (that can be lasered off) may well provide you with years of fun.

I bought Johnnie as a 9 year old with significant hock arthritis. I took a chance, as his X-rays were very bad. He went on to be the most exceptional Event horse I have ever sat on, going from Novice to Advanced in two seasons, and then subsequently popping around 4*s like they were 90cm. His back X-rays were just as bad. He was the perfect horse.

X-rays are useful, but we must be incredibly careful with their interpretation. We must also be incredibly cautious when deciding if a horse’s behaviour is due to that pathology found on the X-ray, or whether it is just a sharp, fit horse. I am a vet, so will always question if a certain behaviour is due to pain, but I am also a horsewoman, so I don’t agree that every buck, rear, spook and nap is due to pain.

So if your PPE/vetting picks up a few manageable issues, that horse hasn’t “failed” his vetting, and may very well still be the perfect horse. I’m praying the green, tense little chap that I’ve just bought, with several sarcoids on his ears, turns out to be just that 🤞

11/06/2026

🥳🥳🥳

Kiwi Tim Price New World No.1
New Zealand’s Tim Price has returned to the head of the FEI Eventing world athlete rankings following his second-place finish with Falco at last month’s British 5* at Badminton, despite a serious shoulder injury that required two surgeries within 16 days, the second of which was on the Monday just 48 hours before the start of the British classic.
The three-time Olympian (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), who made his debut appearance as world number at the end of May 2019 and held his advantage for a total of four months, now sits on a tally of 525, to give him a 39-point advantage over Laura Collett (GBR), up one place from the previous month.
“This feels very cool, it’s a very nice feeling”, Price says. “It is something to be proud of, to be top of the rankings, and hopefully it lasts for longer than a month! Of course, the key to maintaining such a high level of performance is consistency, having good horses that are well prepared and can go and do a good job at the highest level.
“It all comes down to having a great team behind me. Louella, Jess and Miles are my guys and I am very proud of their efforts. And obviously the owners, with all the horses right through, the understanding, the trust that they give to support me with competition selections and the overall plans for these horses to hopefully come to fruition. It is just all those things. And lots of years of hard graft and learning the little keys to the various horses to get the best out of them. I am very, very happy, and long may it continue.”
Despite breaking a collarbone in a fall off his bike while competing four horses at the Dutch 4* at Oudkarspel in mid-April and having to undergo surgery that night, literally days before the start of the US spring 5* in Lexington, Kentucky, Price still managed to finish fourth with Vitali and 16th on Global Quest. But the fixation plate holding his collarbone together had come adrift midway round the Lexington cross on his first ride, meaning a second surgery was necessary, and the only option was the Monday before Badminton, but the 47-year-old still managed to ride Falco to an incredible second place.
Price is one of only two New Zealanders to have headed the FEI Eventing World Rankings, the other being Andrew Nicholson, who held onto the number one slot for 22 consecutive months from August 2012 to April 2014. Including this latest spell out in front, together with an 11-month run that finished in July 2023, brings Price to 16 months overall to put him fifth in the list of athletes with the highest number of times as world number one, just behind Nicholson on 22. The leader of this elite group, and by some margin, is Oliver Townend (GBR), who has spent an incredible 57 months overall in pole position.

Image: Tim Price and Vitali. © Tomas Holcbecher

10/06/2026

I’ve owned horses for 500 years…..

The common justification of the “internet expert” for trolling someone with unwanted (and often completely incorrect) advice about their horse. Honestly, lovely experts; owning horses for 500 years/since before I was born, a) absolutely doesn’t mean you know more than me, or than the person you are throwing your unwanted advice at, and b) actually doesn’t correlate at all with knowledge. Sometimes, it can be quite the opposite, as our knowledge and understanding of horses evolves every year. Most recently, owning horses for 500 years appears to make one “as competent as any vet”, according to one follower 🤷‍♀️

By comparison, I have owned my body for 43 years now. Do I know absolutely everything about the human body? No. Does this mean I know more about the health of my body than a 30 year old human doctor? Absolutely not. Ok, well surely that means I can offer other people advice about their bodies, especially those younger than me. No. Ok then, I’ve show jumped for the past 36 years, so in fact, I’m pretty much Ben Maher, aren’t I? Or even better than him? You get my point.

So if you tell me that you know more than any vet because you’ve “owned horses for 500 years”, then I’m probably going to laugh. Fair warning?!

Photo of wonderful Molly, mum of Mabel and Alfred, back in her Eventing days ❤️

12/05/2026

💞💞💞

26/04/2026

A great insight into gaps your horse may have in its training.

Head on over to The Equine Catalyst for training videos and courses you can take that will help you tick all the boxes on this list.

Can your horse pass a Warrant of Fitness?
Not just on a good day… but in real life.
Can they: ✔ stand quietly for the farrier
✔ lead calmly beside you
✔ load when asked
✔ cope with clipping, hosing, and handling
✔ stand still to be mounted
Because this is where things really matter.
Not in perfect training sessions…
but in everyday situations.
This is the checklist I use with every horse I work with.

And what I’ve found, over and over again, is this: Most “problem” horse aren’t actually problems. They’re horses with gaps in their training.

So instead of chasing behaviours,
we need to go back and fill in the foundation.
That’s exactly what this checklist is designed to highlight.

👉 How many boxes can your horse tick?
Drop your score below if you’re brave 😄
This forms a big part of my course:
Educated – From the Ground Up
Where I show you exactly how to train these basics properly,
and use them to solve real-world issues.
👇 Link in comments

21/04/2026

Appointments available this Friday 24th April and next Thursday 30th April in the northwest Auckland area. I’m not normally available so if anyone would like an appointment for their horse, get in touch.

17/04/2026

Lovely horse for sale 💞🦄

22/03/2026

The 16th Elephant Osteopathy Workshop – Days 3–5

Day 3
Participants began the day with a scenic longboat journey along the Kok River to a Karen hill tribe village. Here, the group observed elephants managed in a more traditional tourism setting, gaining valuable insight into differing care practices and environments.

The afternoon included a cultural visit to Wat Huay Pla Kang in Chiang Rai, allowing participants to further immerse themselves in Thai heritage and spirituality.

The day concluded with a “Mekong Night” at the resort, featuring exceptional local cuisine alongside traditional Thai music, dance, and cultural performances.

⸻

Day 4
The focus shifted to hands-on clinical experience. Participants observed, palpated, and treated seven elephants: Jathong, Kammool, Boonsri, Beau, Boonrod, Benz, and Boonma.

These elephants ranged in age from 19 to 63 years and displayed a wide variety of temperaments. This diversity provided an excellent learning opportunity, enabling participants to adapt their osteopathic techniques according to each elephant’s individual behavior, comfort level, and responsiveness to treatment.

⸻

Day 5
On the final morning, participants continued practical work with three elephants—Boonsri, Beau, and Boonma. Having worked with these individuals throughout the week, the elephants demonstrated increased familiarity and trust, allowing for deeper engagement and more relaxed treatment sessions.

The workshop concluded in the afternoon with a comprehensive review session, including reflection on key learning outcomes, group discussion, and a Q&A. The program formally ended with certificate presentations to all participants.

16/03/2026

Day 2 – 16th Elephant Osteopathy Workshop

Today’s session involved the assessment and treatment of four elephants as part of the practical training component of the workshop.

We began with a structured clinical evaluation, including static observation followed by gait assessment to identify postural patterns, asymmetries, and movement restrictions. Participants were then introduced to a systematic body scanning and mapping approach, designed to refine palpation skills and encourage a more nuanced evaluation of tissue quality and structural relationships.

Following the assessment phase, participants were guided through the treatment process. Techniques applied included myofascial release, sustained soft tissue techniques, and cranial osteopathy. The focus was on developing sensitivity in palpation, understanding fascial continuity, and applying gentle, effective manual techniques appropriate for large mammals.

The session provided valuable hands-on experience and allowed participants to integrate observational findings with osteopathic treatment strategies in a clinical setting.