PureEquine Paula Doherty

13/08/2026

You know when you have enough time away from something, it gives you head space for objectivity.....

Enclosed are two versions of the same announcement. If you’re short on time, read the first one. If you've got time & are curious, I invite you to read the second version.

Short version
For the next few months, PureEquine will be on a 'hiatus' away from bodywork services. If you'd like a clinic or horse purchase consultation please get in touch 🐎

Long version (I recommend some hydration for this☕or🍷😉
During my six weeks away from PureEquine, my boy (son, not gelding) turned 16. Probably more correctly, he is a now young man, also a young man I am immensely proud of!❤️
His age also depicts the age of PureEquine. In the year prior to his birth & the one after, I completed my Human & Equine Bowen Studies from which PureEquine was born. I am also very proud of PureEquine 💙 In the last 16 years we have achieved together:

💙 a business that initially provided 'me time' outside of motherhood. To then providing me with a large circle of horse-mad friends making my ‘work’ more of a social activity!
💙 my meagre start was probably a treatment every couple of weeks to now taking a wait list at different times of the year.
💙 what I know now, from what I knew then is thanks to my clients providing me with challenges and cases that extended my knowledge in so many areas, that I am truly thankful for.
💙 it provided me with an income to extend my knowledge, toolbox of modalities and meet other likeminded people who live and breathe my language of horse, fascia, health & interfacing systems.
💙 my own riding was parked as I needed more time to put to the business.
💙 my boy grew bigger and I returned to my Occupational Therapy career straddling both careers over the years, merging aspects of the two with medical understanding, biomechanics and rehab skills and knowledge into PureEquine. My OT work spaces are warm & dry in the Winter months but my PureEquine office has a landscape beauty the hospital setting can never compete with!
💙 initially people engaged me for therapeutic value. Now people more readily recognise their horses as the athletes they are and are rightly seek an expert to include in their horse’s team of practitioners to support their personal goals and achievements. I love this!
💙 I used to travel to out of town clients, I now have clients that travel to me
💙 this year I achieved my ultimate goal & was flown to location to treat a client's horses while they were competing in the North Island. Ultimate goal 💙

Together, we have seen the equine industry shift & change;

🐎 when I started there was about 8 equine practitioners in my area other than our valued Vets, some of whom were my mentors over the years (with thanks). Now there is over 35 at my last count, covering all manner of treatment modalities that benefit our horses. That is a wonderful outcome for our horses.
🐎 when I started, ‘fascia’ was an unknown word, now it is everywhere!
🐎 attending and involving myself in dissections has widened my view on chronic repetitive strain injuries, the genetic issues we hv created in our breeding, & the absolute amazing beauty and functionality of fascia. Without a doubt, the horse is an extremely obliging being at our request.
🐎 equine welfare is becoming a hot topic extending to beyond just the recognised basic ‘must haves’ of food, shelter and feet. Now the recognition of the 5 F’s, the review of competition rules, skeletal maturation and the current performance demands of horses, the propriety of training methods, the consideration of the horse as it’s ‘self’ to name a few are in the forefront of the equine world atm.
🐎 I have found out that the more I know, the less I know. Sometimes it’s overwhelming!

So the world changes and so do we;

🧐 I started PureEquine in the first half of my life, I am now in the second half of my life.
🧐 the 'autumn phase' of hormones has descended & I no longer have the energy I did in my 30's & 40's for two paid jobs and the unpaid ones of Motherhood, family, property maintenance and management, let alone those long forgotten memories of going out on the town!
🧐 I'd like to ride again before I can't anymore.
🧐 a luxury would be treating my own ponies regularly, they don’t need it for competing purposes, but I now know the benefits of slow body work on their nervous & fascial systems, general performance and most importantly, their well-being. Connection through touch, listening and intention.

Am I finishing up? In all honesty, I don't know, the ‘autumn phase’ will decide that for me. I still have a lot of ideas in my head that I'd like to develop. For the time being, my dear friend describes me as being on a 'hiatus', taking a break, a temporary pause, where things stop for a little while before starting again.

With industry knowledge shifting, & spotlight emphasis on equine welfare, I want to make sure I am keeping up with these changes both at home with my own ponies and where the international equine bodies place their focus. In the meantime, my thirst for knowledge continues with my usual monthly webinar dates with colleagues, attendance at Dr Stephen Peters Clinic in Auckland & continued study of the Masterson Method.

Will I miss treating horses? Yes!! Desperately! Will I miss all of you? Oh my gosh yes!! But do I need a refresh? Absolutely.

In the meantime, I will continue to offer myself for short format clinics on bodywork, postural and strengthening exercises. As one of my valued clients, if you're stuck with something or horse hunting & want a pair of eyes over something, please feel free to contact me. It would still be my pleasure to do a consult for you.

Congratulations if your drink lasted this long, time for a re-fill! 🥂
Warmest regards and so much thanks for your commitment to PureEquine over the years, I couldn’t have done it without you and your beautiful wonderful horses.
Until the Hiatus ends, 💙Paula x

13/08/2026

The Power of Independent Research in Animal Welfare

15/06/2026

PureEquine is closing for 6 weeks from 22 June 2026 for a rest, recharge & reboot.
See you at the end of July once Spring is starting to wiggle her toes. Keep well & enjoy the Winter season offerings!
Paula x

07/03/2026

A great free resource by The Humble Hoof!

Evidence-based education that helps horse owners confidently navigate conflicting advice.

12/12/2025

So the plan for 2025 was to update the PureEquine website. Despite Nicole BOOMedia. - graphic & web design best efforts, I didnt quite get there for various reasons. BUT we did get our photo shoot completed - much thanks to Nicole & Kirstin and their very patient beasties. The talented Kristal Merry Photography captured some fab photos and I cant wait to share them with you on the website but no photoshoot is without bloopers! So I present to you some fun shots as a sneaky peek to the now designated 2026 goal of website revamp!

Thank you to everyone who supports PureEquine; the horse's who teach me, my lovely clients, my family, my colleagues who love 'talking horse' & the rabbitholes we dig into, my followers on here, I am grateful for your support & interest, you keep me curious. Let's do it all again in 2026.
Merry Christmas to you & yours!
Fun & jingles Paula x

10/10/2025

The thoracic sling & who it hangs out with. We'll written piece imo, thanks to Koper Equine

The Interplay Between the Thoracic Sling and the Fascial Sleeve of the Forelimb

The horse’s forehand is a marvel of suspension and flow — a dynamic system that relies on the thoracic sling and the fascial sleeve of the forelimb working together as one continuous, responsive unit. The efficiency, elasticity, and comfort of the horse’s entire front end depend on how these two systems share load, tension, and sensory feedback.

🩻 The Thoracic Sling: The Horse’s “Living Suspension System”

Unlike humans, horses do not have a bony joint connecting their forelimbs to the trunk. Instead, the thoracic sling — a network of muscles and fascia — suspends the ribcage between the shoulder blades. Key players include:
• Serratus ventralis cervicis and thoracis
• Pectoralis profundus and subclavius
• Trapezius and rhomboideus
• Latissimus dorsi
• Related myofascia

These structures stabilize and lift the trunk during movement, absorb impact, and allow for fine adjustments in balance and posture. A supple, strong sling lets the horse “float” the ribcage between the shoulders rather than brace against the ground.

🩹 The Fascial Sleeve of the Forelimb: A Continuum of Force and Flow

Each forelimb is encased in a fascial sleeve — a continuous, multilayered sheath of connective tissue that envelops every muscle, tendon, ligament, and neurovascular pathway from the scapula to the hoof.

Rather than separating structures, fascia integrates them, distributing tension and transmitting force both vertically (hoof to trunk) and laterally (across the chest and back). The fascial sleeve is both a stabilizer and a sensory network, richly innervated with mechanoreceptors that inform the central nervous system about position, pressure, and movement.

🔄 A Two-Way Relationship

The thoracic sling and the fascial sleeve of the forelimb form a mutually dependent system.

When one is tight, weak, or imbalanced, the other compensates — often at a cost.

1. Force Transmission

Each stride begins with ground contact. The impact and rebound forces from the limb travel up through the fascial sleeve, into the shoulder girdle, and directly into the thoracic sling.
If the fascial sleeve is supple and well-hydrated, the sling can absorb and redistribute force smoothly.
If restricted — for instance, by myofascial adhesions or muscular guarding — the load transmits as sharp, jarring impact into the sling, leading to fatigue and microstrain.

2. Postural Support

The sling lifts and stabilizes the thorax between the shoulders. But that lift depends on the integrity of the fascial tension in the forelimb.
If the limb fascia loses tone or the deep pectorals shorten, the ribcage can “drop” between the shoulders, leading to a downhill posture, shortened stride, and overload of the forehand.

3. Neuromuscular Coordination

Fascia houses thousands of sensory receptors that communicate constantly with the nervous system.
The thoracic sling relies on this feedback to coordinate timing and symmetry of movement.
When fascial tension becomes uneven — say, due to unilateral limb restriction — proprioceptive input becomes distorted, and the horse may appear crooked, heavy on one rein, or unable to maintain even rhythm.

4. Reciprocal Influence
• A tight thoracic sling can compress the fascial pathways through the shoulder and upper limb, restricting glide and muscle contraction below.
• Conversely, a restricted fascial sleeve can inhibit normal scapular rotation and ribcage lift, forcing the sling muscles to overwork.

💆‍♀️ Myofascial Release and Massage: Restoring the Dialogue

Manual therapies that target both regions — not just the limb or the trunk in isolation — are key to restoring the horse’s natural balance.

Effective bodywork can:
• Release adhesions within the fascial sleeve to restore elastic recoil.
• Improve scapular glide and thoracic lift.
• Normalize sensory input through mechanoreceptors, refining coordination.
• Encourage symmetrical movement and postural awareness through gentle, integrated mobilization.

When the thoracic sling and limb fascia move as one continuous system, the horse’s stride lengthens, the topline softens, and forehand heaviness diminishes.

🧘‍♀️ Training and Conditioning Support

Beyond manual therapy, proper conditioning maintains this balance:
• Hill work and gentle pole exercises enhance thoracic sling engagement.
• Lateral work improves scapular mobility and fascial elasticity.
• Regular checks of saddle fit and rider symmetry prevent recurring restriction.

🐎 The Takeaway

The thoracic sling doesn’t work in isolation — it’s an extension of the fascial sleeve of the forelimb, and together they form the foundation of forehand function.
Healthy fascia enables the sling to lift, absorb, and respond.
A supple, responsive sling protects the fascia from overload.

When they operate in harmony, the horse moves with effortless balance — powerful yet soft, grounded yet elevated — the way nature intended.

10/10/2025

25/09/2025

I enjoyed this read (thank you Inside Out Equine Health) & I thought you might too. Read the comments of the post as well. Not all of us have to be competing to achieve success. Success can come in lots of forms ❤️

THE UNTALENTED HORSE | Why do we keep going?

I want to do dressage. My dream is to be able to do all the fancy moves on my horse that likes me, isn’t in pain, and can do these moves in relaxation, using its body correctly.

HOWEVER...

My current horse is a downhill Paint gelding that I rescued from a property where he was abandoned for god-only-knows how long. He windsucks like a m**o, has a hole in his soft palate, has teeth that confuse the dentist, his feet are awful, he’s a headshaker and has movement like pinocchio (before he came to life). He sometimes pulls up lame after a big canter in the paddock and is terrified of the girth, saddle, whips and flags. He is, however, a very nice colour so I’m told! His one major talent is that he can eat and windsuck at the same time (see pic below).

I’m not really sure why I keep going with him. Part of it is because I’m really stubborn and I won’t quit until I can ride a balanced and relaxed trot circle on that horse. Part of it is because if I can’t get him going okay, who the hell is going to want him and what the hell am I going to do with him? Part of it is because, despite being broken AF he really is a very nice person, easy to handle, gets along with every other horse ever, and is very smoochy. He always wants to be caught and he always tries his heart out. Part of it is because I want to prove all the nay-sayers wrong and do something resembling dressage on that bloody horse!

He came to me sort of handled (you could catch and halter him), but with zero education, terrified, and not broken in. His feet hadn't been done, he was wormy and full of ulcers. He went around with his head jammed in the air and his back as still as a board.

After 18 months of owning him and doing A LOT of in-hand work, he can now walk really nicely, despite having zero overtrack and no swing. He can trot a pretty decent circle on one rein on the lunge, the other rein comes and goes, but isn’t too bad. The canter is a total sh*tshow, but at least he can now actually canter, he couldn’t even canter in the paddock when I got him. He can do in-hand shoulder in, travers and a couple of steps of half pass in both directions and I can trail ride him. That’s literally it, for 18 months of pretty consistent work, numerous clinics and several vet visits.

It seems like very little now that I’ve written it all down. But it is progress. And in some ways it’s actually more rewarding than a talented horse, one who’s sound(er), been bred to perform and hasn’t had previous trauma. Just getting him to the stage where I can leave the farrier to trim him by himself is a big thing.

So back to my dream of doing fancy moves - why spend so much time on a horse that has zero talent and is totally unsuitable for what I want to do? Well, when I look at my dream, there is actually no reason I can’t achieve it. The dream isn’t for the fancy horse, it’s for the fancy moves. My horse likes me, I like my horse and I like working with him, so I’m well on my way.

So, for all those people out there who keep on with their untalented horses, keep going!

I do realise that this post isn't completely aligned with equine nutrition, but it's worth noting that I tried ALL the supplements and vet prescribed medications that are recommended for horses with headshakers and none even touched the sides.

The only thing that has improved it is in hand work. Shout out to the brilliant Tori Jeffress- Equine Functional Movement and Rehabilitation for her constant support and guidance. He headshakes less when being worked than at other times. It is somewhat seasonal as it gets better and worse throughout the year, but I'll know more as we go on and he keeps unravelling like an onion. He is definitely teaching me a lot about a lot!

Note also that this post isn't about tips for dealing with headshakers or rescue horses or anything other than it has been on my mind and I wrote a post about it.

If you have an untalented horses, particularly one that does some cool stuff DESPITE this, I'd love to hear it!

16/09/2025

🌱 BALANCE PAD SPRING SALE!! 🌷

PM me or email mail@blackburnequitation to order yours!

10/09/2025

The list of raffle prizes for Katie Fitzsimons are detailed on the Fitzsimons Equestrian fb page - some goodies in there, one from yours truly 😉 Grab your ticket & help get Katie (who is a very hard working young equestrian rider) to Sydney to compete in the InterPacific SJ! The link is on the page.

A treat for horse or human our 11th place prize is a $90 voucher for a treatment with PureEquine Paula Doherty . This lady has magic hands and has been helping our team for years.

Thanks so much for supporting Katie Fitzsimons
⭐RAFFLE to fundraise for the Inter Pacific exchange. ⭐ Ten dollars per ticket. The form has all the information and prizes included. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKu4PMGQuRDfasTelEJ_EoCBhzII1nMYbnio-hiHW7l-XrpA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=101830265712527398554