Equine Tension Release Therapy : carol kernaghan

11/11/2025

A wonderful inspiring training journal and confidence building kit, filled with amazing information accumulated over 30 years of training and working with horses, uplifting crystals, aromatherapy sprays, cleansing incense to help clear the mind, allowing you to move forward with calm clarity into your day…
What can this journal do for you?
We tend to rely on others to build us up to believe in ourselves, to help us believe in ourselves to show us we are good enough and have what it takes to succeed.
This journal helps develop your inner coach. The one that is with you 24/7 every moment you are with your Horse, when you are making life decisions, when you have lost your motivation and drive to be better.
to overcome the negative voice in your head…
By changing that loser voice in your head to the positive kick arse coach that you are capable of being, your learned to flip the switch to allow in the riding knowledge you have gained over the years.
This journal gives you the tools to be the best version of yourself.
To be your own and your horse’s super coach….
setting up for a lifetime of success. 

For the month of November postage is included with the cost of the kit… 👍
A beautiful gift for yourself or a special person in your life… ❤️

Cost $130 per kit including postage.
Comment, message for ordering or for more information..

Love yourself ❤️
Love your life ❤️
Live what you do… ❤️

10/10/2025

I am often asked about backing a horse for strength work or rehabilitation work,
This explains beautifully why it is best to back a horse with a lowered head, slowly and straight as possible..
Training clearly with clarity and understanding why and what each move helps,
Allows for longevity of your horses riding years.. 🐴❤️
Enjoy the journey with your horses…

Backing up and why I like to ask in a lower posture ..

When asking a horse to back up, the posture of the head and neck plays a vital role in how the movement affects the spine and overall biomechanics. While it may seem like a small detail, whether the horse backs with a higher or lower head position can make a significant difference to comfort, balance, and muscular engagement.

High-Head Posture: Tension and Hollowing

When a horse raises its head and neck while backing, the spine tends to hollow. This happens because the nuchal ligament and back muscles tighten, pulling the topline into extension. In this position, the back drops, the abdominal muscles disengage, and the hindquarters step shallowly under the body.
As a result, the horse puts more weight on the forehand, placing extra strain on the joints of the front legs and the lumbar region of the spine. The movement becomes stiff and resistant, with less engagement from the hind end.

Low-Head Posture: Engagement and Support

In contrast, when the horse lowers its head and neck slightly — ideally so the poll is level with or just below the withers — the spine naturally rounds. This position activates the muscles of the topline, encourages the abdominal muscles to lift, and allows the lumbosacral joint to flex.
This flexion lets the hind legs step more deeply underneath the body, providing propulsion and stability from behind. The lowered head also helps distribute weight more evenly along the spine, reducing pressure on the forehand and allowing the horse to move backward with greater ease, relaxation, and symmetry.

What Happens in the Spine..

When the head is lowered, the following sequence occurs:

♡ The nuchal ligament stretches, gently lifting the base of the neck and back.

♡ The thoracic and lumbar spine flex slightly upward.

♡ The abdominal muscles engage to support the lifted back.

♡ The pelvis tilts under, allowing the hind legs to step more freely.

A lower posture promotes a rounded, supported spinal alignment — the same principle that underlies correct collection and healthy movement in all gaits.

So a quick recap - asking a horse to back up in a lower posture encourages proper use of the back and hindquarters, protecting the spine and promoting relaxation. A higher head position tends to hollow the back and shift weight onto the forehand, making the movement less biomechanically sound and more physically stressful.

** Note that the horse i have taken photos of to demonstrate is croupe high to start with and I have to be careful of how much weight I ask him to take behind due to multiple health issues, its a constant case of happy balance for him.

23/09/2025

The Power of Words Is Real…
Use Them Wisely:

Your mind believes what you tell it, every word you speak is a seed…
Speak defeat- I am tired, I am broke, I am hopeless, I am no good, I will never be able to get it…. You’ll feel drained and the energy around you will be heavy and negative….
Your horse can feel this and others around you…

Speak power - I am learning,
I am building, I can do this, I am becoming unstoppable, life is amazing, my horse and I are such a fantastic partnership….You will rise, your energy will be up lifted, you will feel lighter and more positive in your daily activities..
Your horse will respond in a more trusting manner, and others will feel happy and comfortable around you…
Shine your light and watch the world open doors for you!!!

This will then result in a harmonious flow of energy between our physical and mental selves….
Ongoing negative talk, stress, sadness, anxiety and fear will start to overwhelm the cerebral self causing traumatic energy to be channeled into the body…
Which can create possible physical symptoms like fatigue, illnesses, skin issues, swollen g***s, muscle aches and pains, headaches and more…
In Chinese medicine,
intense emotions are held in the body’s organs,
Grief is held in the lungs,
Anger is held in the liver,
Fretfulness is held in the heart,
Worry is held in the stomach,
Fear is held in the liver…

All of these emotional issues can also effect our horse, we can pass on our emotional stress to them, through our thoughts or the words we say or think to and of them,
they may develop emotional stress through their training, work load, and or their environment,

When your feeling ill or imbalanced, take a moment, take a few breaths and alleviate your energy, uplift your emotions, praise yourself and your horse,
Do an energy cleanse,
Hold a healing crystal,
Burn a cleasing up lifting essential oil, or incense,
Sit by a lovely big tree,
What ever makes you feel up lifted and inspired…

Changing your life and reaching your goals, all starts with you, by begin to up lift your emotional state, and believe in yourself, your horse and your abilities…

Once we believe we can we become unstoppable!!!!
Fly like and Eagle,
run like the wind…
Believe
Achieve
Succeed 🐴❤️👍

21/08/2025

This is the goal for our horses and our partnership…
Thank you Vet Physio.. ❤️🐴

The Body Doesn’t Lie

I’m a little (a lot) increasingly worried and frustrated about the postures I am seeing horses worked in. I saw a post yesterday of a horse being worked in side reins comparing day one of using them to day two; day one — bracing; day two — horse sucking behind the side reins, opening mouth, compressing the wither (and everything else) to avoid pressure.

The day before that, one professional rider riding a 4 year old hyperflexed with draw reins in one clip and a tight martingale in another.

The day before that, a client told me that another therapist had told them to just shut their horses mouth with a flash to stop contact evasions… when in fact this horse is experiencing significant discomfort.

Today, a video saying if your horse leans on the contact to just give them a sharp upward motion of the rein to get them to sit back… because there surely isn’t a physical or rider issue why they do that!?

IF you DON’T think what you are doing is wrong, LOOK and FEEL your horse.

If you’re ignoring their signals in every other way, their body won’t lie. If you’re doing everything right, they’ll look right.

If you’re constantly battling with the same issues, if your physio keeps noticing a tight poll/lacking muscle/stiffness, if you can see your horses ligament clicking and flicking over the top of their neck every time you change bend, please please widen the gaze and realise — this is not right, this is not normal for their body, what is going wrong?

There is no shame in breaking away from a trainer you’ve used for years; or changing from a saddle you once loved to a new one; or giving your horse a little while off whilst you sort your body out and make sure you’re not hindering them. This is the part of the “sport” (I hate that word in this context) that has been so massively overlooked of late.

Even if you’re a professional rider only riding a horse for 30 mins a week, we are our horses GUARDIANS on this planet. Every interaction means we should care for every part of them whole heartedly. If something isn’t right, they will try and tell us however they can — big or small.

Speech and panic over… resume your day 🙃