Equine Bodywork
-
Can You Improve His…?
Every now and then a potential client asks if a massage will help their horse with a particular concern – their horse is struggling with clean changes, they need a faster time, they want to run a clean pattern or get…
-
Trust: One of the Main Guidelines During Massage and Bodywork
“Trying to earn the horse’s trust must always be one of the main training guidelines.” – Alois Podhajsky, the director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria as well as an Olympic medal-winner in dressage. Trying to earn the horse’s…
-
A Good Ear Rub Can be Healthy & Relaxing
A good ear rub can be a healthy and relaxing way to help your horse bond with you. Many of us already reap the benefits of ear massage without really thinking about it. Massaging the ears will release endorphins in your…
-
Bodywork Can Provide a Multitude of Benefits to Horses
Bodywork can provide a multitude of benefits to horses. Most often the goal is to prevent injury, increase flexibility, or to reduce healing time post-injury. After all, if we’re asking a horse to perform athletic feats, the least we can do…
-
Massage Can Help Your Horse Through The Training Process
When working with your horse, remember that it’s the muscles that create movement, strength, power, posture, hold the bones in place and support the organs. Muscles are also what pull the body out of optimum, by strength or weakness, which combine…
-
Funny Faces During A Massage
My horse makes funny facial expressions when it gets a massage. What do they mean? Behavioral scientists have done research on equine facial and behavioral expressions related to their feelings about the job they were doing or about to do or…
-
A Study On DMEs And Gymnastic Training
A study by the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2015) found that dynamic mobilization exercises (DMEs) and gymnastic training (GYM) in therapy horses can improve stride quality and increase epaxial muscle size in these horses. Gymnastic training and mobilization exercises in…
-
Bodywork Is Not A Spectator Sport
There are quite a few bodywork videos going around currently that showcase the “wow factor” of a particular maneuver or technique. In my opinion, these videos are more about the featured person’s salesmanship skills and less about their horsemanship or bodywork…
-
Carrot Stretches After Riding
When you ride your horse its muscles work hard to support you and perform whatever tasks you ask of it. You can help keep your horses muscles healthy and limber by asking your horse to do simple stretches at the end…