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variable feeding positions

Physio at Feed Time: Using Food to Mobilize Your Horse’s Body

October 18, 2024 by Jane @ THB 2 Comments

In this guest post, Tanja Kraus introduces variable feeding positions, which bring musculoskeletal benefits while also enriching your horse’s day.

As an equine educator from the East Coast of Australia, Tanja’s passion is using kind horsemanship philosophies and connection to develop a partnership horse with the rider.

This extract comes from her latest book, Lessons from Horses: Movement, whch provides insight into why and how our horses should be moving each day, with exercises to contribute to their physical health, mental wellbeing, and longevity.

She writes about variable feeding positions with the support of Dr Sharon May-Davis, who developed this combined feeding approach.

You can find Tanja’s books here.

All text is copyright of the author Tanja Kraus. No reproduction without permission.

 

The Day I Heard About Variable Feeding Positions and Horse Posture

I first heard about variable feeding positions when attending an Equine Symposium where Dr. Sharon May-Davis was presenting.

Sharon presented on variable feeding positions, and showed many examples of the benefits of variable feeding she had seen, both in wild horses and in domestic horses managed in this way.

This included reduced asymmetry in the body, improved teeth and hooves, a more complete and balanced recovery from injury, and improved performance across multiple disciplines.

Comparing wild herds to domestic horses, she discovered that domestic horses with restricted lifestyles suffer with issues not only in the musculoskeletal system, but also uneven teeth wear. Jaw alignment and foot growth due to the limited postures.

Horses commonly ignore easy grass pickings to nibble from trees. (c) Hilary Graham

Natural Feeding Behaviors in Horses

As Dr May-Davis was talking, I was imagining my own horses and what I had seen them doing naturally in their paddock, and she was, of course, right.

My own horses who run in a herd of around 10 (give or take) in a paddock of varying terrain of about 40 acres adopt ‘variable feeding positions’ regularly and quite naturally.

And when I say regularly, I mean daily, through all the seasons.

So, they are not driven by lack of resources, which many people will argue ‘horses only eat out of trees when they have no choice’ – this is 100% incorrect.

My horses will happily roam their paddock and graze and browse and everything in between every day.

Images (c) Dengie: ‘Hedgerow Haynets for Horses’

We’re fortunate that our paddock contains a wonderful variation of pasture, different types of grasses, trees, and weeds that our horses can pick and choose from.

They are regularly seen choosing to eat ‘above the knee’, which is the measurement used to define browsing.

This can involve something as simple as eating the top of long grass around knee height, to completely outstretching their head and neck until their teeth are facing the sky to pull leaves from trees.

When you observe horses doing this, and pay attention to their bodies as they do it, you can see just how significant the range of motion is.

Horses extend their backs and stretch forward when eating from height. Indoor and outdoor spaces need to be large enough for them to do this.  (c) thehorsesback.com

Naysayers are often heard grumbling that horses ‘shouldn’t hollow their backs’ and that ‘high feeding is bad’ for this reason.

However, if you observe other animal species such as dogs and cats, they can all be seen stretching their spines by rounding and then hollowing.

And where would our own Yoga classes be without the classic ‘cat / cow’ pose?  Range of motion is healthy, natural and necessary.

Our domestic horses are often denied any type of variable feeding as we feed hay and hard feeds on the ground, and many horses are kept in paddocks that have limited access to appealing trees, shrubs, and long grass to facilitate variable feeding.

So how can we help?

Horses with good spinal mobility appear happy to eat from any angle on a hill. (c) Tanja Kraus

 

Offer Your Horses Variable Feeding Positions

Provide opportunity for variable feeding, with the following examples:

  • High hay fixed
  • High hay swinging
  • High feeder on rail
  • High feeder with ramp
One flake of hay per day in a swinging high net keeps this herd, which lives out, actively mobilizing their necks. (c) Sally Taylor

If hay has to go on the ground, you can make use of the natural lie of the land.

  • Feed on slope uphill / downhill
  • Hay scattered around to encourage movement
  • Multiple haynets and feeders to encourage movement
This mare stands square while eating on a gentle slope and raising her cervicothoracic spine. Note that she could stand at the top and eat virtually on the level if she preferred to. (c) thehorsesback.com

The Benefits of Variable Feeding Positions

Basically, we can try any variation from the usual static grazing position.

Feeding in variable positions can also be a useful ‘passive physio’ technique. They may find it harder at first, but it gets easier as their bodies become more supple and mobile.

It follows that horses being rehabbed from injury or restriction can be fed to encourage beneficial postures that activate or stretch particular muscles or body areas.

Gypsy needed encouragement to load an injured forelimb. Unlike most horses, she had been loading her hindquarters rather than her forehand. The gate encourages her to come forward and raise the lower neck. (c) thehorsesback.com

It’s important to note here that I have had some equine dentists express concern as they have seen terrible damage to horses’ teeth (namely racehorses) who are fed only in high feeders.

But, those horses are stabled and fed only in up positions, and therefore the grazing position is not a part of their daily routine. A recent study suggests there is no negative dental effect in horses using haynets for a period of one year [1].

Below, these horses are fully mobilising their necks while eating from a shared large small-hole haynet – and from the ground. Note the near squared position of the grey mare, who suffered a fractured pelvis as a yearling.

We can also reverse engineer this – if your horse has an asymmetry, or difficulty working in one direction, is the way you position their feed having a negative effect?

Horses, when given the freedom to choose, graze approximately 80% of the time, and browse 20% of the time, and this balance should be sought when providing variable feeding positions for their benefit.

 

Solid and safe ramps and pedestals can be created to replicate environmental factors. (c) Footloose Barefoot Hooves

I have adopted variable feeding positions for my own horses, student horses, and for horses when they come in for training.

I’ve taken photos and filmed their start of variable feeding, and as they progress, and I have noticed a significant improvement in their posture while eating, along with their resting and grazing stances.

Depending on what you are trying to achieve there are many options, and the best part is the horse is doing their own physio in a gentle way.

 

Read more about enrichment in this blog post:  How Well Are We Doing? Why Some Horses Thrive While Others Just Get By
Reference
[1] Johnson L, Martinson K, Keener L, DeBoer, M. A preliminary study: Effect of hay nets on horse hay usage, dental wear, and dental conditions in mature adult horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science; 2023;124;104366; doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104366.

Filed Under: Bodywork, Guest Posts, Sharon May-Davis, Viewpoint Tagged With: Equine Physio, equine posture, GA, horse posture, natural feeding horses, passive physio horses, Sharon May-Davis, tanja kraus, Tanja Kraus Horsemanship, variable feeding positions

10 Rehab Tips for Horses with High-Low or Upright Hooves

January 1, 2021 by Jane @ THB 9 Comments

 

Sorting out that high-low hooves situation. It’s the farrier’s job, isn’t it?

Well yes, they’re clearly the primary professional. But there are plenty of things you can also do to help.

As their horse’s bodyworker, I’m often the first to tell an owner that unbalanced forefeet are causing problems right through the body.

Related issues can include ringbone, carpal arthritis, shoulder asymmetry, base of neck arthritis, atlas rotation, TMJ issues, spinal rotation, scoliosis and even sacroiliac dysfunction – all depending on the severity and duration of the hoof issue.

That’s not me being dramatic. In an older horse, that’s absolutely the type of problems I can find when there’s a long term high hoof.

And don’t forget, there are the saddle fit issues that go along with all of that.

Here, in plain speak, is the list of rehab tips that I offer my clients, so that they can help their farrier to help their horse.

 

© All text copyright of the author, Jane Clothier, https://thehorsesback.com. No reproduction of partial or entire text without permission. Sharing the link back to this page is fine. Please contact me for more information. Thank you! 

 

Before We Start: Choose Your Hoofcare Professional Well

It’s obvious, but this is essential.

Hoofcare professional
No problems here! Megan Matters trims 3.5 month-old Fjord, Lodur (c) Karen Groneng, Greenfield’s Stud

Engage a hoof professional who walks the walk as well as talking the talk.

This is someone who can tell you about hoof function and how the ‘normal’ hoof works during loading and movement.

This is someone who frequently updates their professional training.

Professionals who take continuing education are informed about current research into hoof function, as well as methods to address problems.

They know a lot more about current best practice and are more likely to demonstrate it, too.

This most definitely isn’t someone who relies solely on the apprenticeship they completed many years ago.

How it helps:

Skilled hoofcare professionals will aim to achieve a similar height in the two front hooves, even though the hoof angles may be different when viewed from the side.

They will trim each hoof according to its underlying structure, making corrections where needed.

They will NOT simply try to create similar angles and toe length, which creates stresses in a high hoof, and sets your horse up for numerous hoof and body problems.

With a skilled hoofcare practitioner on board, there is plenty more you can do to help your horse through this process of change. The more effort you put in, the more your horse will improve.

 

1. Use Variable Feeding Positions

Variable feeding positions were first described by Sharon May-Davis, who recognised their value as a form of passive physio.

Haynet at poll height
(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

This one is easy: hang a haynet at poll height to replicate eating from trees. This encourages the horse to stand square while eating.

You’ll gain the best results from small hole nets, as your horse will twist her head from left to right while eating. She’ll also drop down to eat hay from the ground.

Doing so activates the deep muscles beneath the neck vertebrae. It also activates the muscles beneath both shoulder blades as she shifts her weight one foot to the other.

If you feed more than one net a day, place the other at chest height.

How it helps:

Think thoracic sling and freeing up the restrictions that have arisen from stabilising the weight over different height limbs, as well as adopting a ‘scissor’ position to eat (which will have contributed to the problem in the first place).

 

2. Introduce Different Surfaces

The hoof balance is changing, but there may still be asymmetries in your horse’s body that are slow to shift.

Horses on varied footings
All horses seem to appreciate the stimulation of new surfaces during hoof rehab for a variety of issues. (c) Tanja Kraus Horsemanship

Standing your horse on different and unfamiliar surfaces can make the body’s self-adjustments happen quicker.

If you’re able to put some down, gravel provides wonderful under-hoof stimulation. Sand too. Your horse can tilt his hooves toe-down, heel-down or side-down, as he wishes.

Interlocking mats are also effective and can be used anywhere, as can commercially made physio mats and pads.

Watch your horse become curious, start relaxing and yawning, and you know that body adjustments are happening from within.

How it helps:

It can take the nervous system a while to wake up and catch up with what’s new.

The horse has sensory nerves in the feet, and new surfaces provide different proprioceptive.

It’s not just the hoof – changes in balance are registered from the many neuroreceptors of the lower leg.

As the parasympathetic nervous system (‘rest and repair’) is activated, musles are allowed to relax and reset.

 

3. Feed on a Slope

Again, think thoracic sling. The horse must open up the spine at the cervico-thoracic junction (base of neck).

Feeding on a slope
(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

It’s also next to impossible to adopt a scissor position (the foreleg grazing stance, see no. 7 below) when eating on a slope.

How it helps:

Your horse is encouraged to load into the front hooves equally, left and right.

Finally, the soft tissue structures at the back of the leg will be gently stretched on the limb with the upright hoof.

 

4. Rock the Withers

Standing alongside your horse when she is standing square, gently rock the withers from side to side.

Rocking the withers
(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

Hold one or two wither processes at a time (feel for the ‘buttons’) and swing gently from one side to another.

This makes the horse load into one forefoot, then back into the other.

Do this from both sides to ensure equal work, as most of us are either stronger pullers or stronger pushers.

How it helps:

The horse is being asked to mobilise between the shoulder blades. When there’s restriction, she’ll raise a hoof on the swing away from that leg.

Easing any restriction will help with relaxing the shoulder on the high side and allowing the joint angles to open out.

She may dislike the exercise at first if it’s uncomfortable, but it will improve over time. You are also gently mobilising the spine deep to the shoulders.

 

5. Massage the Neck Muscles

When there’s a high foot, the restriction and reduced movement on that side (the stride and therefore leg swing is often shorter) will transfer up through the shoulders to the neck.

Tension also builds because the horse is trying – and failing – to balance their weight centrally.

This is a secondary effect, caused by the horse’s changed posture.

Pay particular attention to the fine muscles behind the poll, which will be imbalanced.

How it helps:

Releasing muscular tension will help the horse to move to a more symmetrical posture through training and postural improvement.

 

6. Good Old Carrot Stretches 

Use pieces of carrot to encourage stretches to either side.

This will help your horse to become more familiar with loading into both forehooves to a more equal degree.

Lateral carrot stretch
(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

There are many variations on these stretches and everyone has an opinion!

If you try to ensure that your horse is standing square in front, these stretches will help, whatever the exact approach.

How it helps:

The horse is stretching out the shoulder and neck muscles, including those beneath the shoulder blade, which are going to be more restricted on one side than the other.

This action will also stimulate and activate the deep spinal muscles, bring fresh ‘body awareness’ to the region (ie, proprioception).

 

7. In-Hand Grazing Tricks

Does your horse have an obvious ‘scissor’ grazing stance, as in the first photo (right)?

Grazing stance
Change is difficult at first! (c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

If you horse’s high hoof is always the one at the back, then there is more you can do.

Try to spend up to 20 minutes a day feeding your horse in-hand.

Walk with her and let her graze, but ONLY allow her to do so when the upright foot is placed either level with the lower foot, or further ahead.

This means lots of stepping forward, stopping, stepping again, until she’s stood as you’d like.

This will be hard for your horse at first, as you can see here, but should become easier over time.

How it helps:

As grazing positions became long term, they also familiar and are adopted habitually. It’s like folding our arms or crossing our legs in one direction.

As the hooves become balanced, the horse will continue adopting the ‘old’ position.

This is a way of reprogramming your horse as the hooves start to become more balanced.

 

8. Daily Leg Stretches 

This is where little and often really helps. Perform gentle leg stretches forward.

Don’t haul the leg, but allow your horse to take up the last inch or so herself.

Foreleg stretch
(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

If there’s a lot of tension, go very gently and don’t stretch to the limit.

Let the cannon hang vertically from the knee, so you’re only extending the upper leg.

A hand behind the elbow will help and your encourage your horse to ‘pop’ the last part of the stretch.

Don’t force it. It’s not about physically lengthening muscles: you’re allowing signals to reach the brachial plexus (nerve centre behind the shoulder blade).

Watch out for your horse looking down and touching his own knee as you start doing this, almost as if he’s surprised to see it there.

How it helps:

This is far more than a muscle stretch! You are influencing the horse’s nervous system’s awareness of the forelimb’s joints and muscles, and the leg’s position in relation to the body and then the ground.

This is proprioception and it will benefit from some help in resetting itself at shoulder joint level.

This ‘resets’ the leg and improves awereness around various joints’ range of motion.

 

9. Joint Mobilization

The hoof height is changing and becoming more equalized, meaning there’ll be changes higher up the legs as well.

(c) Jane Clothier, equinehealthworks.com

The high hoof side will have to open out a bit, while the low hoof side will be slightly less extended than before.

This involves the soft tissue structures around joints, particularly those of the fetlock and pasterns.

Do you ever see horses shaking their hooves or rotating their lower limb? No.

Your horse is likely to love you for gently rotating and flexing the lower joints, allowing structures to move in different ways, where previously they have been limited.

Pasterns above an upright side are likely to feel stuck. Above an underrun hoof, they will feel loose.

How it helps:

Mobilizing the joints through gentle rotation helps to restore range of motion where it has been restricted.

Spaces will be opened up that allow fluid to circulate, lubricating the joint and bringing more freedom to tendon movement.

This all helps the horse to stand above the changed hoof, positioning the leg closer to where it needs to be.

 

10. Work Over Poles

Many horses with long toes have a tendency to trip. Once again, as the hoof balance changes, they need to adjust their sense of ‘where their feet are’.

Top: Ground poles (c) FEI.org Bottom: Extending the exercises to the trail (c) Tanja Kraus Horsemanship

Working over poles helps your horse to focus on individual hoof placement, in terms of both stride length and height of motion.

This can be done over ground and raised poles, or over logs on the trail.

For stronger input, back your horse over poles.

Lead him over with one fore foot, then back with that foot. Lead him over with both forefeet, then back with both. And so on, until the horse knows how to navigate during back-up with all four feet.

How it helps:

Once again, it’s about the proprioceptive input.

As well as ‘equalizing’ your horse’s awareness of its feet, you’re correcting for any lasting effects of pain.

Pain in one hoof and the joints above it has a negative effect on proprioception. Same if two hooves are affected by pain.

By doing this kind of work, you’re helping your horse’s nervous system to ‘square up’, along with the feet.

 

There’s more – there’s always more. For example, make sure that nutrition is adequately providing the building blocks for hoof growth, development and strength.

As you get going, you’ll find that these are not so much short term changes for rehabilitation, but part of a move towards a more proactiveway of managing your horse.

(c) Jane Clothier, thehorsesback.com

 

 

Filed Under: Bodywork Tagged With: bare hoofcare, bare hooves, barefoot horses, club foot, farrier, farriery, feeding positions, GA, hay high, high-low hoof, hoof trimming, natural hoofcare, upright hoof, variable feeding positions

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