Harmonized Equine Therapy

Can’t wait to share all the photos! Thank you so much Sarah, it’s always a wonderful time working with you!

🤍Bodywork Availability🤍

I have some appointments available for equine and canine bodywork!

Providing manual massage, myofascial release, kinesiology taping and more, with a Whole Horse Approach always at the front of mind.

Shoot me a text or email for more information!

Why 24/7 access to forage is so important!

➡️Gastric Health
Horses are trickle feeders, meaning they need to constantly be eating in order for their digestive system to function properly. Not supplying adequate forage can result in increased risk of ulcers, both in the stomach and hind gut, as well as colic. The mouth is an accessory organ to the digestive system, consistent access to appropriate forage can aid in naturally wearing down the teeth. Additionally, for my friends in colder climates, horses digestion process actually warms them from the inside out! Because of this, it’s especially important for horses to have adequate forage through those colder temps.

➡️Enrichment
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Supplying forage through a slow feeder, such as a hay net, gives your horse a new form of enrichment. Slow feed hay nets mimic natural foraging, providing a great source of enrichment, while increasing the amount of time it takes to eat the same amount of hay. Decreasing the volumes of hay consumed quickly, while reducing the amount of wasted hay lost in shavings or mud! Providing enrichment helps reduce unwanted behaviours that stem from boredom or food scarcity among herd members. Behaviours such as food aggression, cribbing, chewing wood etc. can be greatly reduced or eliminated completely.

➡️Nutritional Requirements
While it is common practice to feed horses large amounts of grain, generally this is not what suits their needs best. Grain often has high amounts of sugar, fat and starch. While a lot of horses can tolerate these feeds, its often not what is best in order for them to thrive. As long as you are able to meet all mineral and vitamin requirements, a forage based diet is a wonderful way to support your horse.

Of course each horse is unique and has their individual needs, but 24/7 access to forage is absolutely necessary for all horses to thrive!

Take time to just enjoy your horse’s company🤍

It’s so important to spend time with your horse outside of training. I think we underestimate what spending time in the paddock or loose in the arena can do for the relationship between you and your horse. No expectations, no time frame and no plans, just hanging out together
At the very least, it can be a refreshing reset for both of you

This is one easy activity you can do consistently, that costs very little in time and energy, to greatly improve your relationship!

Friendly reminder that things such as turnout, constant access to forage, regular bodywork, hoof and veterinary care are necessities that should be provided for all horses.

Retirees, pasture puffs, performance horses, minis - all equines require every one of these aspects in order to have their needs adequately met

A horse who has all of their needs met socially, nutritionally and physically will be so much happier and easier to interact with🤍

Some of the essentials I bring to every training session
• Clicker
• Food to reinforce with
• Target stick
• Stationary target
• A water bucket, all those food reinforcers can making your horse thirsty
• Pylon(s)
• and a tripod to get it all on video!

Of course this changes depending on what we’re working on, but these are what I work with most commonly

It can be lonely.

When you forgo the long-standing traditions and norms within the equestrian community for a more compassionate and educated approach to all facets of equine care, you may find yourself walking that path alone. The coaches and trainers you once looked upto and followed now trigger feelings of disgust and even anger. The other equine professionals you've trusted with the care of your horse, who refuse to budge from antiquated ways and methods, putting ego before the well-being of your horse have all been cut out of your life. Even the riding you used to do has come to a screeching halt, along with the casual rides and shows you'd attended with other equestrian friends are now a thing of the past.

It can be lonely when you make the conscious decision to do better for your horse, regardless of the discomfort you might cause yourself in the beginning, but I will tell you now that the discomfort is short lived. When you shift your mindset away from "how it's always been done" and towards why things are done and how can they be done better, you will begin to connect with others who share that mindset. It may be lonely now, but it will pass. Your journey to bettering yourself as a horseperson and helping your horse will guide you to people, groups and places that foster the same.

Not to mention the incredible bond you will develop with your horse, and the joy you will get seeing them blossom into a healthy, balanced, comfortable equine partner and friend.

This is the long road for those who have decided to put their horses, really and truly, before themselves and have abandoned ego, knowing it has no place in true .

You are their advocate.

Your horse cannot go out and seek quality veterinary care, educated hoof care professionals, an enriching diet, ample turnout and stimulation, a kinder, more educated trainer. Your horse does not have the ability to make decisions in regards to their management or care.

It is your duty to stay up to date on new information regarding nutrition, tack, training, turnout, hoof care, vet care etc.

You owe it to them to find a living situation that meets all their needs, to work with them in a safe and effective manner, to interact with them in the most kind way you can, to truly have their best interest at front of mind, always.

You owe it to your horse to do better.

I think the horses are really enjoying this fall weather🍂

Friendly reminder to take extra time gently warming up during your rides, especially now that the colder weather is upon us!

Be on the look out for the photos👀
So great to have Sarah Haworth from Sarah Haworth Photography out last week, such a pleasure to work with and the results speak for themselves❤️

Circulation, proprioception, pain relief, support. The benefits of kinesiology tape are endless!

Nothing like a session at liberty in the field🤍

Friendly reminder: those youngsters in the field (yes, even before they’re in work), benefit from bodywork immensely as well❤️‍🩹

Check out our recent instagram post⬇️

“Not bodywork but still something I love and believe strongly in, positive reinforcement!

The first clip shows Finn’s first reaction to introducing the cone as a target, and the second clip is in the middle of our second 5 minute training session.

You can see he is much less fearful, has his head lower, standing calmly and square. Overall, he is much more comfortable with the situation and willing to explore the cone”

Maddy Cameron on Instagram: "Not bodywork but still something I love and believe strongly in, positive reinforcement! The first clip shows Finn’s first reaction to introducing the cone as a target, and the second clip is in the middle of our... Maddy Cameron shared a post on Instagram: "Not bodywork but still something I love and believe strongly in, positive reinforcement! The first clip shows Finn’s first reaction to introducing the cone as a target, and the second clip is in the middle of our second 5 minute training session. You can ...

Mercy Street | Finn🤍

Finn is available for Part Board or free/care lease in the Sunderland/Uxbridge area.

Finn is suitable for a beginner novice as well as a more advanced rider looking to have some fun! Finn is a good boy under saddle and on the ground, he really enjoys spending time with his people and it always happy to snuggle.

Finn needs somebody who is patient and non-reactive as he’s a sensitive boy who responds best to redirection and praise.
He does really well with positive reinforcement and clicker training, so I’d be happy to help his new person learn some of this if interested, but ok if you’re not wanting to use clicker training as well.

Located at a lovely, low key farm in Sunderland/Uxbridge. A great, small group of boarders, an indoor arena, sand ring and new grass ring! Off property opportunities may be available to the right person.

Come out to meet Finn and see why everyone falls in love with this sweet boy🤍

Shoulder support💪🏼

All the horses and I have been loving the fascia braid applications lately!

The winding turns of the tape in the braid applications create a shearing effect within the deeper tissues, breaking up the fascial restrictions in the area!

A better look of the hock application featured in our most recent reel!
Promoting circulation, proprioception and pain relief🔃

A fascial braid to target those restricted areas🔀

Tape has sooo many benefits!

This study looks at k-tapes effectiveness in pain management for knee arthritis.

Arthritis is one of the most common lamenesses that limit performance.

This study is a randomized, double blind, controlled trial, that included 187 patients and was done in 2020.

💪🏻 Over 70% of patients reported pain relief from the tape, decreased use of painkillers, and the pain relief continued for one month after tape use…🙌🏻

Lymphatic (joint swelling management) and muscle correction techniques were combined for these cases.

Tape was applied once a week for 4 weeks. Pain was measured once a week and then 4 weeks after the last application (8 week total study) with patient’s showing improvement at all no check-ups.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6716177/

👉🏻 Learn how to use tape on your horse so that you can maintain the consistency that they need for arthritis management to keep them feeling and performing at their best.

https://sozoequine.thinkific.com/collections/tape

To understand how important the hoof is for the horse, you just need to think that in a 3-month-old fetus, this extremely specialized structure is already fully formed.

Sometimes, I don’t think we give horses enough credit for their emotional intelligence.

Anyone who doesn’t realize these beautiful souls have hearts and emotions and families has simply spent no time with them or paid attention. We had to euthanize Ajax this afternoon. It was gut wrenching, heart breaking and a loss that will never be filled. Quarter Quarter - on the right - loved this big draft gentleman. He was one of a kind amazing and gentle and taught this little man all about being a horse. So I wanted him to be able to say goodbye to Ajax and find an understanding in his own way as to why he was going to be gone and never come back. I didn’t want Ajax to just “disappear” and Quarter look and cry for him as I have seen happen with others.

Quarter spent over an hour trying to get Ajax up. He pulled on him. He bit him. He pawed him. He pushed him. He whinnied at him. Over and over for more than sixty agonizing minutes. When I or his mama tried to move him away or console him he laid his ears back, bared his teeth and pushed us away from Ajax’s body. He was guarding him and wanted nobody near. Finally, he fell to the ground next to Ajax and cried. I don’t really care if anyone believes a horse can cry, this little man did and it has left me sobbing for three hours. Deep, guttural wails of grief. And so he lay, until his mama finally forced him to his feet and we were able to move him out of the riding arena so we could take Ajax away.

The lessons we could learn that are right in front of us that so many simply can’t see. This is family. This is grief. This is love. It just looks different.