Thera-Tree® As Protocol for Swayback

It’s amazing how quickly a horse’s shape can change, given the right set of opportunities.

This success story was sent to us by Sally Harvey, of Ocala, Florida, whose Equine Bodywork protocol includes the Thera-Tree ®. This 13 yr. old Arabian mare presented with extreme sway back. After 18 days-- just a relatively short period of time-- the changes to her topline are remarkable, and the owner reports that the mare has a much happier demeanor.

Thanks to Sally’s integrative approach, which utilizes the Thera-Tree's ® ability to reduce inflammation, tightness, and stiffness in muscles along the topline, as well as offering mental relaxation and cellular healing, this mare has made a rapid transformation both physically and mentally.

Note the arched curve of the mare’s back before the use of Thera-Tree®.

Note the n.ormal shape of the mare’s back after Thera-Tree®

And it’s more than just the physical improvement that you see in the shape of the horse’s body. Her owner reported that the mare, who had been difficult to catch prior to the work, now comes running when she sees the owner at the gate and has a much happier attitude.

The “before” photo was taken after the first bodywork session. She subsequently wore the Thera-Tree ® every day for 18 days, beginning on the day of the first photo.

During this time, she also received 3 myofascial release sessions about a week apart, plus one CL 4 laser session at the second myofascial session.

The “after” photo was taken after the third bodywork session.

“I feel that daily use of the Thera-Tree ® was instrumental in the recovery of this mare.” -Sally Harvey, CESMT

If you are interested in exploring the positive changes of Thera-Tree ® with your horses, go to www.thera-tree.com to sign up for a 1 month rental (contract free) or call Tad (434) 989-3229 to learn more about what non-invasive Thera-Tree ® treatment has done to help horses with kissing spine, sway back, and a host of other conditions.

Spring 2020 Demos

Upcoming Demos:
2/15 Le Bocage Stables in Lake Charles, LA -10 am- (contact Saralee Nottingham (757)528-5936)

2/22 Hopewell Farm in Friendship, MD -1 pm- (contact Kelsi Peterson (719) 661-1011)

2/28 Dynamic Equestrian Center in Lehi, UT -12 pm Friday- (contact Deb Hafner (917) 854-8166)

3/14 Healing Strides of VA in Boones Mill, VA -10 am- (540) 334-5825

Healing the Present

Looking To The Future and Healing The Present
By
Marianne Taylor

At 5 AM this past Wednesday, Tad and Kelly Coffin (plus 5 Thera-Trees, a Tad Coffin Performance Saddle with SmartRideRx technology, its fittings, a ‘Freed Of Charge’ equipment discharger, and a bag of healthy snacks) stopped in Charlottesville to add me and my bag of not-so-healthy snacks to their cargo for a one-day trip to Southern Pines, North Carolina.

The trip came about when I saw a post from Holly Carter on her Thoroughbred rescue’s - The Winter Farm, OTTB Rescue And Retirement – Facebook page for a handsome 16.0 hand brown 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that Team Valor had just donated. The Grade-1 Stakes-Placed, “High Hours”, had been Champion Turf Horse Of Brazil before coming to the United States. He had only raced a total of 18 times in both countries and was out of the money just once before retiring 100% sound. He last raced on July 18, 2019 when he was third at Gulfstream. I was hoping that “High Hours” was a horse with all the qualities of a champion that would get Tad competing, again.

Fast forward just a few days and we were on our way to see “High Hours” and to see how the other horses in Holly’s barn benefited from the 3 products that Tad has spent the last 25 years developing – the Thera-Tree, the Tad Coffin saddle with SmartRideRx technology, and the ‘Freed Of Charge’. Each of the products reduces pain, stress, and anxiety in horses which leads to optimized performance.

The SmartRideRx technology represents significant advancements in a more biomechanically sympathetic piece of equipment helping horses to use their backs. There is an additional, unique electromagnetic component. Together the improvements in performance for horse and rider are noticeable in terms of relaxation, balance, stride length, straightness, pain relief, soundness and overall wellbeing.

The Thera-Tree, based on SmartRideRx technology, is a non-riding, saddle-like device for therapy, relaxation, pain relief, and performance. When placed on a horse's back, the horse demonstrates signs of physical relaxation - quieting of movement, blinking of eyes, stretching the jaw, and sometimes the whole body. After 20-30 minutes, the Thera-Tree consistently and significantly alleviates equine back pain and sore muscles, reduces stress, anxiety, tension and improves recovery and hydration. It also works very well on people (as I have proved) plus dogs and cats.

Tad’s latest product, ‘Freed Of Charge’, is an equestrian-equipment grounding system that removes the build-up of negative energy from saddles, bridles, pads, girths, stirrups, boots, etc. Many difficult horses ridden in equipment that has been grounded or freed of ‘charge' are significantly more relaxed and confident and seem to abandon many deep-seeded resistances.

With only 36 hours advance notice, a great group of enthusiastic horse owners and trainers gathered at Holly’s farm in Southern Pines to hear Tad discuss his products and watch as he put the products on two of the Thoroughbred horses at the rescue.

The first of the horses was “High Hours” (description above). The second horse goes by the name of “Robbie”. He is 15 years old and has not been ridden in 7 years because he got so he would do nothing but run sideways with someone on his back. “Robbie” is everyone’s dream Conformation Hunter except for the fact that he is now 15 and in the past, couldn’t be ridden. He’s about 16.3 with the most correct set of legs under him that I have seen in many years, a beautiful head, neck, and body, plus he is a lovely mover. It’s a shame that Robbie, Tad, and the Thera-Tree did not meet 7 years earlier.

Tad put each horse through the same routine. First, they stood in a crosstie for about 20 minutes with a Thera-Tree on, while in the tack room, Tad discharged all the equipment he would use while riding of the bad energy that has been found to affect horses negatively – the saddle, saddle pads, girth, stirrups, Tad’s boots, riding hat, gloves, and the bridle. The discharging of each piece of equipment took less than two minutes using the ‘Freed Of Charge’ that Tad has developed. As the horse stood in the crosstie, we could see the horse quiet their movement, blink their eyes, lower their head, and generally just relax.

Next, Tad removed the Thera-Tree and tacked up each horse with nothing more than a bridle with an eggbutt snaffle bit and Tad’s saddle with the SmartRideRx technology (which is the same as the technology in the Thera-Tree).

Each horse walked quietly to the mounting block (about 50 feet from the barn) and stood while Tad mounted then walked off toward the large round pen. Nice and quiet. No antics from either horse. Having worked with a lot of off-the-track horses in my lifetime, I was amazed at how well these two horses behaved. I’ve never seen anything like it.

The horses each went quietly with their ears up as Tad rode them at a walk and a trot in both directions in the round pen all the while talking to the crowd and educating them further on his products for about 15 minutes. He then had someone open the gate and rode each horse to a big paddock that was about 100 yards away. They walked quietly as if they were old made pleasure horses and this was a trip they made every day although neither had been that way before. Once in the big paddock, each horse walked and trotted, quiet as could be.

As Tad was working with the horses, I was getting Thera-Trees on people that had aches and pains. Each of them were amazed how in just 15 minutes, the Thera-Tree had them feeling better. At least 75% of the attendees leased a Thera-Tree. Some for their horses. Some for themselves. Some for both their horses and themselves.

The whole day was truly amazing! My day started at 4 AM and ended at 3 AM but my health held up and I felt like a worthwhile horsewoman again plus we came home with a really nice horse! “High Hours” is for Tad to bring along and start competing, again. He’s such a nice horse with a wonderful mind that Tad said that he’ll be the one that I’ll ride when I’m ready. I’m getting close.

More on “High Hours” in a separate post.

Holly Carter has a lovely group of off-the-track Thoroughbred horses for adoption at her The Winter Farm, OTTB Rescue and Retirement, in Southern Pines. Give her a call if you want a new horse. To me, there is no breed as great for all disciplines as a Thoroughbred.

Tad Coffin Challenge Class

2019 Tad Coffin Challenge Class at Memory’s Hill

Comments at ringside on the second day of the Tad Coffin Challenge Class were all in agreement that the horses went better and better, with overall improved performances from the first to the second day. Horses using themselves in jumping efforts, more swing in their strides as they traveled down the lines, and more overall relaxation as the competition went on.

Professional rider Rachel McMahan ended up on top when the results from four phases were tabulated, and she is the first pro to win the class in its five-year history. The horse she rode, “Be Bravo” who is owned by Jackie Arends, jumped spectacularly for Rachel in the SmartRide Rx saddle.

Katie Younger Gehrt, who placed third overall, said showing in the borrowed TC saddle was a change because it opened up possibilities for her that she otherwise wasn’t used to: “The horse loved it. He is a pretty sensitive creature and he was much softer than in my saddle. I could actually sit his trot and canter in this saddle. Usually the more I sit, the more amped up he gets. In the SmartRide Rx saddle he didn’t react and he was more accepting when I closed my leg and hand to settle to a deeper distance.” The horse also relaxed in the Thera-Tree for twenty minutes on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning before he showed.

Luanne Leonard, owner and trainer of the 21 yr old TB, “Have A Heart” said “This horse loves the technology! This is the happiest we have seen him.” The gelding wore the Thera-Tree before competing in the SmartRide Rx saddle with student Abby Fisher in the irons for the win in the Equitation Derby section and an overall 4th place finish.

“He didn’t miss any lead changes today!” remarked Kelsey Ralston as she praised her TB that has been her main project for the past three years.

At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, Tad had all the riders in the horsemanship class, and anyone else who was interested, gather under the tent for a short debriefing about the topic of the written test: kissing spine. He suggested that the diagnosis of kissing spine is becoming much like the widespread diagnosis of navicular was years ago—and that perhaps we as horsemen are misunderstanding it. He suggested that if a horse is caving the back as a result of saddle-induced pain, kissing spine is certainly a likely result. Tad spoke of his experiences with a mare named Bella, one of the many horses he has worked with who have improved from kissing spine diagnoses. “If they have been ridden into kissing spine, they can be ridden out of it with proper gear,” he said. No amount of rest, injections, or palliative therapies will sustainably fix the horse’s condition if, when it returns to work, it is ridden again in the saddle that creates pain.

Ashley Holsinger, who is the owner and trainer at Memory’s Hill Stables, shared with the group a few of her numerous positive experiences in using Tad’s saddles and Thera-Trees® on horses in her program. She spoke about her desire to host the Tad Coffin Challenge as an educational piece to horse showing: “It is a competition about quality of riding, but it is further asking if riders are dedicated enough as horsemen to want things to be better for their horses, and to learn about what that might be.”

We are grateful to Ashley Holsinger, Tara Deckel, and the Memory’s Hill Stables staff for all that they do in hosting the Tad Coffin Challenge Class. Not only for the lovely, well-decorated courses and exhibitors party, but also for sponsoring a $1,000 gift certificate to Tad Coffin Saddles to the winner of the written phase, which was won by Caroline Leeth, DVM, of Blacksburg, Va.

Our congratulations and thanks to all of the competitors who brought horses to explore SmartRide Rx technology. To try a demo saddle or Thera-Tree® for your horse, give Tad a call at (434) 989-3229