Spotted Horse Bit Fittings and Massage

Some of the critters from today.

Senna, Dusty and Mr B

Professionals still need lessons.

I love to be a sponge and take on information. I take CE (continuing education) classes constantly and find every time I learn something new.

Today I did a little bit of something different. I took a virtual (FaceTime) positive reinforcement lesson. It has always interested me but I don’t have any knowledge about how to go about it. With my horse getting time off throughout the year for various reasons I thought this may be something fun for us to do outside of riding. I was very inspired by Ivy Starnes and her feral (yes feral, not a domestic breed that is wild) horse using it to start him. It’s been pretty cool to see and he is a very challenging horse.

It was super eye opening and I’m so glad I took a lesson. I could easily see myself doing it wrong and making a treat monster. By the end of the session Perry was standing there in a coma-like state and was super content. We even worked at liberty and he really put so much effort in to find the right answers without begging for treats (today we learned how to reinforce that as well)

Photo is Perry before the lesson enjoying some grass.
Meg eades is located fairly local so if anyone wants her contact information to set up a clinic in the lowcountry I can forward it and would happily participate

I am out of office this week for vacation! If you are an established client and need advice please feel free to text me! If you would like to book I will not be able to schedule you at this time and will get back to you on availability Saturday of next week!

Perry starting some “rehab” soon after his time off. I love giving him time off even when it’s not for a great season (in this case asthma) I gave him 3 months off in the winter and restarted him slowly and correctly and he has never looked better. I can’t wait to get that again after this past month off! Don’t be fooled, I won’t be riding much!! Lots of correct in hand work to strengthen everything correctly. I will be sharing some before and after photos as well!

I am not just there to give your horse massage

I am there to understand their body, their pains, where they compensate and help them however I can.

I am there to help educate the owner. Owners know their horses the best. I educate owners because I want to empower them to advocate for their horse. If you feel like something is wrong, more often than not there’s something wrong.

I want owners to challenge me, question me. I am not the “be all end all” of knowledge and one of the best ways to learn is give me a question I can’t answer. I bet I’ll be staying up that night researching and continuing to learn until the next visit with you and your horse. All in hopes I can provide clarity, and maybe a solution.

I am constantly learning and that is why I got into this buissness. I never want to stop learning about horses.

“When you stop learning, you start to die”

Muscle taping for the win! This helps promote blood flow and prolong the positive effects of the massage.

Got to do some craniosacral work today as well and I was super impressed by the horses response.

I have officially started working towards a crainosacral certification!
It has been described as one of the most powerful and most effective therapeutic modalities.

What is CST?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) for horses, also known as Equine CranioSacral Therapy (EQCST), is a gentle, non-invasive technique that uses light touch to improve the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in a horse's central nervous system. It can help with a number of conditions, including:
Balancing
Restoring and healing
Reducing stress
Increasing energy levels
Pull back injuries
Head shaking
Recovery from a slip or fall
Headaches
TMJ dysfunction
Discomfort following dental work
Sinusitis
Blocked tear ducts
Facial nerve issues
Sacroiliac issues

Perry getting a massage from LGM Sporthorses & Bodywork yesterday! She worked very slowly introducing the massage gun and he eventually warmed up to it. It is so nice to be able to learn from other professionals with totally different training to be able to learn from them. It really highlighted for me where my weaknesses are.

The coolest moment was Perry releasing several coughs in a row after a huge release. He was protecting himself during the worst of his allergies and once she broke up that tension he had a big release emotionally and physically. Absolutely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!

July and August schedule

Sunday July 21st - open
Saturday July 27th - in GA
Sunday July 28th - open

AUGUST :
Friday August 16th - PM
Saturday August 17th - open
Sunday August 18th - open
Friday August 23rd- PM
Saturday August 24th - AM only
Friday August 30th - PM
Saturday August 31st - open

Perry just had a consult with Indigo Ancestral Health to help balance his nutrition, feed his microbiome, rebalance that, and ultimately get his allergies under control (along with the vet and some custom allergy shots). She was just fantastic and answered all my questions and explained everything to me. I cannot wait to see his transformation externally but internally too!

We are even going to test his mircobiome thru stable feeds new (free) tests to see where we need to improve internally.

If you have a horse with laminitis, insulin resistance, allergies, ulcers etc ect I highly recommend reaching out to her via her email or website and seeing if she is able to help.

Perry enjoyed a bath and then some very bright kinesiology taping practice. And of course the barn pig being a foot rest. ♥️🤍🩵

Perry (THE spotted horse) has had a busy last few weeks!

Vet appointment ✅
Bemer blanket (Roncalli Charmed Equines LLC) ✅
Dentist ✅
Red light therapy ✅
Drew blood for allergy testing ✅

This Friday he gets acupuncture and a chiropractic adjustment with Kristina McGinnis

This 4th of July weekend he will be getting a massage (by me) and muscle taping.

And soon I will team up with Jessi-Lyn Reuter owner of LGM sport horses and body work and have her come work on my boy! It’s so nice to be able to learn from other professionals and expand your knowledge. She also has equine balance pads that I am very excited to learn more about!

Last night I attended a really informative zoom call with other equine massage therapists as well as Cailin Messer Horsemanship and spoke about training and how your energy and intention affects your horses and your connection with them. She showed us some videos of her students in an arena and she had words up around the area.

Grounded, connected, playful, smooth (there may be one or two I am forgetting)

Just some good words to remind yourself of while working with horses whether is it on the ground, or in the saddle!

If you are in Illinois Cailin has a school of horsemanship that goes far beyond learning to ride. Just an amazing “full horsemanship” concept where students learn ALL aspects of equine care and behavior.

Opened up July schedule! * will keep up to date *

Current dates available:
Friday 12 in PM
Saturday 13th all day
Sunday 14th PM only
Friday 19th PM - in Ridgeland
Saturday 20th all day

Tentative availability:
Friday 26th PM - no longer available unless there is a special circumstance
Sunday 28th PM

I will be volunteering at the broxton bridge endurance night ride Saturday the 27th say hi if you see me!

No travel fee within an hour

Price list is pinned at the top of my page with all services offered!

***This months additions***
Red light leg wraps with red and Infared light

Taping techniques to make the massage benefits last longer and support (learning in progress, this service is no charge as I learn applications)-

Potentially coming to Charleston July 20th or 21st.

I am a certified equine massage therapist and recently added red light therapy to my practice. I am also learning muscle taping techniques to
Better benefit all my clients but especially those with nerve pain and neurological conditions.

Please look at the pinned post on my page for costs and services! I do offer some services on a sliding scale in an attempt to make things more affordable and those are also listed.

I also offering bit fitting as well. Great opportunity to be able to try lots of different style bits and types.

No travel fee with enough people booked!

One of my OG client horses! Love this stables and I’m always visiting while I’m in town! So happy to see a successful bit fitting and getting to keep up with it

Jasmine did not want her picture taken 😂

Price list (because I know it’s annoying to ask ☺️)

Massage: single session $80
Crainosacral therapy : coming soon

Bit fitting: $80

Red light: included in massage but can be purchased as a seperate therapy
Muscle taping: included in massage

No travel fee within an hour. If enough people book for a trip travel fee can be waived!

I prefer owners to be present for the first massage if possible so I can give some massages to do while I’m gone.

Other services that work on a sliding scale for price:
- groundwork sessions for a balanced horse and partnership
- gaited breeds: riding, groundwork, and lessons

Only a few days left of June open!
Opening up booking for July now!

Does your horse need a massage?
- massage maintenance is typically recommended one a month
- chronic and acute problems may be more frequent until the horse is able to break compensation patterns
Now offering red light therapy with massages. Free for the month of June as I learn to use it.

Please look at the profiles most recent post for price as not all Facebook groups allow it.

Updated June availability for bit fittings and massage:
Available dates:
Sunday June 23rd PM availability
Saturday June 29th all day
Sunday June 30th all day

Don’t forget this month the brand new red light is free with sessions as I experiment with it!

Massage price:
Single session: 80
Package of 4: 70 per massage
Bit fitting: 80

For those who prefer Instagram, we have finally made an official account!

Perry demonstrating the new gadget! We got a red light! For those into nanometers: this one goes from 650-850

What is red light?

“It is the application of specific wavelengths of light to stimulate a healing response. Infrared light lies outside of visible light and therefore we cannot see it. As infrared light has longer waves than visible light, it can also pe*****te deeper into the body, just as red light can pe*****te deeper than blue light.”

Despite the lack of research done on horses there are some studies out there that support the positive effects of red light on other animals and humans.

Such as these:
Can osteoarthritis be treated with light? - PMC (nih.gov)

Red-Light Irradiation of Horse S***matozoa Increases Mitochondrial Activity and Motility through Changes in the Motile S***m Subpopulation Structure - PMC (nih.gov)

Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation - PMC (nih.gov)

I will admit I was very skeptical of this red light. However, I put it on Perry’s leg where there was some fluid build up for 20 minutes and not only was he relaxed and enjoying it but the fluid dissipated! Once I took it off it was significant cooler than the other hind leg!

So far I have a very positive experience with it and will continue to experiment. Don’t forget since I’m learning to use it and it’s different features this month it is free with massages!

Schedule is open for June!
Currently only June 15th and 22nd are unavailable.
In Savannah GA area June 9th

Get your equine partner feeling their best for the summer riding season!

Our new therapy should be arriving in June, and for a limited time will be free on an as needed basis for your horse while I learn how to use it 🥰

My absolutely adorable client today! She’s a mammoth donkey and got a little massage with me today.

Updates:
I currently have open availability for May in bluffton and surrounding areas but sundays are usually booked in Beaufort.

I am in the process of furthering my education! I think one of the most important things you can do for your horse is learn constantly. When you stop learning, you lose potential.

Besides being certified in massage, I am also currently enrolled in the Balance Through Movement Method to better help me understand the equine overall through biomechanic lenses. The BTMM had gained popularity for its emphasis on education and not just handing out exercises that can be executed incorrectly.

I did purchase another device to add to treatments on an as needed basis. More coming from that soon!

Enjoying seeing some of my original clients in Charleton SC! These lovely ladies have been with me since the start and I love getting to see Sea Island Stables every time I go! of course Jasmine (last photo) is one of my absolute favorites because she is a Marsh Tacky! I love working with unique breeds and especially gaited horses!

Took the day to spoil my own horse a little. Mini- massage session! He was very patient with me during all my practice hours so it’s only fitting he reaps the benefits of being my test dummy 🦄