Connecting horses and their people
I remember feeling slightly ill the first time I ran my hand under Diego’s tail. Something was clearly not right. It had a massive bend to it, about 5 inches below where it met his body. My immediate thought was that clearly something or someone had broken his tail and it healed crooked. It was … Continue reading Diego’s Tail
Chex! Those who know me well, know that Chex has been in my life for years. He is a dear friend and one of my best teachers. Chex came into my life in the early months of 2014. After Mateo was retired I found myself horseless and as long winter months progressed, I knew that … Continue reading Reuniting with an old friend
Highlights:-Living on a Thoroughbred breeding farm for a week in the English countryside (aka Heaven on Earth)-English sheep, dogs, horses, tea, biscuits, cars, farms, trees, hares, polo ponies-Getting to learn alongside horse-people from all over Europe-Being paired up with a Dutch breathing therapist who encouraged me to make even more connections between my own breath … Continue reading MM Training in England
In the first session with a new client, I spend time establishing trust and mutual understanding between the two of us. Whether the horse has received bodywork before or not, I like to show that the communication between us goes both ways. I am not there to make the horse do or feel something, but … Continue reading Session 1 vs. Session 2
Kedzie enjoyed her bodywork today! She tends to stand with one of her hind legs propped underneath her body (see photo) to keep her stabilized. My goal with her is to loosen up her psoas and gluteal muscles so that it is more comfortable to stand with her hind legs squarely beneath her. Luckily she … Continue reading Kedzie
In this video you can see the after effects of relaxing Tigger’s shoulder area. I first worked on his poll and neck area, then on his scapula. I ended in the shoulder area with the movement in a relaxed state shown in the video. Since Tigger is well muscled, like a typical Quarter Horse, this … Continue reading Tigger
Spring is on it’s way!! Hooray for the first outdoor work of the season. William loves the freedom that the roundpen offers. Here is some lateral rocking which he wanted to show you from several angles. (Please note, I do not regularly swish horses’ tails to get their attention. ☺️I know him very well and … Continue reading William
This girl is such a sweetheart and has beautiful manners. She was wary of bodywork at first but you can tell from this video that changed quickly. Today was the second time I worked on her. She is a big fan of telling me when she is ready to get back to the bodywork after … Continue reading Mira
My snuggly buddy, Slew. We worked on a full body session today and the end result was a lot of sinus draining and releasing. Drainage of the sinus passage is good for all horses but in particular for Slew. It is so rewarding to see that he has really taken to bodywork. It is hard … Continue reading Slew
I focused on hind end work for this session with William. Here I am watching for the muscles to relax allowing his hip joint to open slightly. Once those muscles start to relax he can let go of the tension that often accumulates in the hind end after working to carry himself.
Appleyard Equine Bodywork 