Cumberland Equine Body Therapy and Services

03/12/2025

Most incidents with horses are not sudden. They are not caused by disobedience or stubbornness. They are the predictable result of humans missing what the horse was communicating long before any behaviour occurred.

The 60-second scan is a simple but powerful skill. It teaches you to pause, observe and understand the whole horse before adding touch, pressure or intention. When you understand the state a horse is in, you handle them more safely, communicate more clearly and prevent conflict.

This is not about diagnosing medical problems. It is about reading the animal in front of you through a full-spectrum lens. A horse’s behaviour comes from their nervous system, pain levels, posture, hormones, gut health, hoof comfort, sleep quality, metabolism, environment, herd dynamics, sensory thresholds, previous experiences and the human’s presence.

This is the whole horse. Not just the behaviour.

The Five Core Layers You Must Read

A horse’s presentation is expressed across five interconnected layers:

1. The nervous system
2. The body and posture
3. The environment and sensory load
4. The herd or social context
5. The internal state, including pain, hormones, gut health, hooves, sleep and history

Reading only one layer is why people misinterpret horses.

Start Your 60 Seconds

You are not judging the horse. You are assessing their capacity.
The guiding question is:

What is the horse experiencing right now, and do they have capacity for what I am about to ask?

1. Eyes: The Fastest Window into the Nervous System

Observe:

• brightness or dullness
• soft or hardened expression
• blink rate
• tension around eyelids
• scanning or hypervigilance
• fixed or glassy stare
• half closed eyes indicating fatigue or discomfort

Soft eyes and regular blinking often reflect regulation.
Hard eyes or fixed gazes show sympathetic activation or dorsal shutdown. Scanning indicates sensory overload.
Half closed eyes often reflect pain or exhaustion, not relaxation.

2. Facial Expressions and Micro Tension

The face communicates internal pressure long before behaviour does.

Look for:

• tight muzzle
• lips pressed together
• nostrils drawn or vertical
• jaw tension
• wrinkles around eyes or muzzle
• chewing without food
• tongue tension
• tremors near nostrils or chin

Facial tension is one of the most reliable early indicators of activation or discomfort.

3. Posture and Movement Integrity

Posture is shaped by the nervous system, muscles, joints, hooves, pain, emotional state and history.

Observe:

• leaning forward or back
• braced or hollowed back
• tension in shoulders
• ribs lifted or collapsed
• uneven stance
• reluctance to step forward
• hesitancy to turn
• asymmetrical movement
• rigidity or heaviness

Sympathetic activation shows in rigidity and readiness to move.
Dorsal collapse shows in heaviness or shutdown. Pain appears as guarding, shortening, crookedness or compensation.

Movement never lies.

4. Pain Indicators

Pain changes thresholds, behaviour and regulation. It must be considered first.

Equine Pain Face

• tension above the eye
• triangular shape around the orbit
• fixed or half closed eyes
• tightened muzzle
• strained nostrils
• stiff or drooping ears
• chin pulled tight

Movement and body indicators

• toe first landings
• short, stilted strides
• difficulty turning
• head bobbing
• reluctance to move forward
• stumbling
• repeated weight shifting
• tail off centre

Behavioural indicators

• defensiveness during grooming
• irritability
• withdrawal
• shutdown that looks like compliance
• difficulty being caught
• loss of appetite
• unpredictable reactivity

Pain often masquerades as disobedience.

5. Hormonal Influences

Hormones affect sensitivity, thresholds and social behaviour.

Mares

Estrus cycles may create:

• irritability
• abdominal or back sensitivity
• difficulty concentrating
• reluctance for hindquarter pressure
• changes in appetite or movement

Geldings

Some retain hormonal patterns that influence:

• boundary-setting
• reactivity
• seasonal energy shifts

Stallions

Highly responsive to herd dynamics, novelty and proximity to mares.

Hormonal context shapes behaviour.

6. Metabolic Conditions and Internal Physiology

(EMS, PPID (Cushing’s), insulin resistance)

Metabolic strain affects:

• thresholds
• mood
• energy levels
• soundness
• foot comfort
• inflammation
• appetite
• coat changes

Behaviour often reflects physiological stress rather than training issues.

7. Gut Health and Digestive Comfort

The gut and nervous system are deeply connected.

Signs of gut discomfort include:

• teeth grinding
• flank sensitivity
• stretching posture
• inconsistent grazing
• restlessness while eating
• abdominal tension
• frequent stopping and starting

Digestive discomfort can create reactivity, avoidance and irritability.

8. Sleep Quality

Sleep deprivation destabilises behaviour and regulation.

Indicators include:

• standing sleep without lying down
• catching themselves while dozing
• excessive yawning
• hind end weakness when resting
• stumbling from fatigue
• puffiness above eyes
• reluctance to lie down due to pain or herd pressure

A sleep deprived horse cannot regulate effectively.

9. Hoof Comfort and Movement Integrity

Hoof discomfort cascades through the entire body.

Look for:

• heel avoidance
• toe first landings
• stiffness in shoulders
• reluctance on hard ground
• uneven gait
• short stepping
• postural compensation
• difficulty turning

Foot pain is one of the most common hidden causes of tension.

10. Dental Discomfort and Oral Pain

Dental issues are a major but often overlooked driver of behaviour.

Look for:

• difficulty chewing
• dropping or packing food
• undigested fibres in manure
• head tilting when eating
• resistance to bridling
• opening the mouth or gaping
• head tossing
• reluctance to lower the head
• hypersensitivity to noseband or poll pressure
• jaw tension
• excess salivation or dry mouth
• quidding (dropping partially chewed hay)

Common causes include sharp points, hooks, ramps, retained wolf teeth, ulcers and bit interference.

Oral pain often shows up as:

• reactivity
• anxiety
• head-related tension
• poll resistance
• sudden training issues

A complete scan must consider dental discomfort.

11. Medication and Supplement Effects

A horse’s presentation may be altered by substances they receive.

Consider:

Pain medications
May mask underlying discomfort.

Sedatives and calmers
Suppress behaviour without lowering internal stress.
Sedation can look like calm but is not regulation.

Prascend for PPID (Cushing’s)
May change mood, energy and appetite.

Digestive supplements
May alter comfort levels and demeanour.

Always know what the horse is taking.

12. Recent Changes and Context Shifts

Sudden behaviour changes often reflect environmental or routine shifts.

Consider changes in:

• feed or forage
• turnout time and space
• herd members or hierarchy
• routines or handlers
• location or yard
• tack or equipment
• weather

Most behavioural change has a reason.

13. Sensory Load and Processing Style

Horses differ widely in sensory thresholds.

Look for:

• ear flicking
• skin twitching
• startle patterns
• hyper-awareness
• fixation on sounds or movement
• difficulty filtering noise

Highly sensitive horses reach overload faster.

14. Weather, Seasons and Atmospheric Shifts

Weather affects physiology and behaviour.

Heat can cause fatigue and irritability.
Cold can create stiffness and bracing.
Storms, pressure drops and wind heighten alertness.
Seasonal transitions shift hormones, forage, metabolic stress and herd behaviour.

Environmental pressure is real.

15. Herd Dynamics

A horse is part of a social system.

Observe:

• who they seek
• who they avoid
• separation stress
• guarding or blocking
• agitation when a partner leaves
• shifts in social order

A horse’s emotional state is inseparable from herd behaviour.

16. Age and Development

Age shapes capacity.

Young horses

Neurobiologically immature. Expect:

• quick state-switching
• low impulse control
• sensory overwhelm
• inconsistent attention
• developing proprioception

Senior horses

Often experience:

• stiffness
• reduced senses
• slower processing
• higher fatigue
• metabolic strain

Understanding life stage prevents unrealistic expectations.

17. Breed and Type Tendencies

Different breeds express stress differently.

Examples:

• Arabians show activation visibly and quickly.
• Thoroughbreds have high sensory sensitivity.
• Warmbloods may internalise tension.
• Quarter Horses can mask stress subtly.
• Ponies often show metabolic-driven behaviours that look like stubbornness.

Breed context matters.

18. Trauma History and Learned Patterns

History shapes behaviour.

Look for:

• pre-emptive flinching
• avoidance before touch
• bracing at equipment
• defensive patterns
• shutdown mistaken for calm
• tension in predictable scenarios

These are survival strategies.

19. The Human Field

Your state influences the horse.

A horse reads:

• breath
• heart rate
• posture
• micro-movements
• emotional tone
• intention
• energetic field

A dysregulated human creates uncertainty. A regulated human offers safety.

The Decision Point

After your 60-second scan, ask:

Does this horse have the capacity to connect, learn or engage right now?

If the answer is no, you do not proceed with your agenda.
You pause. You regulate. You adapt to the state of the horse.

This is how accidents are prevented.
This is how trust is built.
This is horsemanship rooted in biology, compassion and accuracy.
This is the Whole Horse Journey.

01/12/2025

So important to understand this

Most people underestimate what actually happens in the brain when stress, fear or overwhelm hits. We often talk about “mindset,” “self-control,” or “staying calm,” as if these are conscious choices always available. But biology doesn’t work that way.

There is a predictable, measurable sequence that occurs in any mammal under threat:

the limbic system takes control,
and higher-order thinking becomes limited or unavailable.

Once this shift happens, neither humans nor horses can reason, learn, or “behave better.” The body has already decided that survival comes first.

In humans, the prefrontal cortex is the seat of reasoning, planning, impulse control and reflective thinking. People assume it’s always accessible, but it only functions well when the nervous system feels safe.

During high sympathetic arousal -the classic fight-or-flight response - neural activity shifts away from the prefrontal cortex toward the faster, reactive survival circuits. Blood flow changes, stress hormones surge, and processing becomes rapid and instinctive rather than thoughtful.

Psychology sometimes calls this an amygdala hijack. It isn’t a literal hijacking, but it’s a helpful shorthand for limbic dominance overriding the slower, deliberate thinking pathways.

This is why a person in panic cannot “think their way out of it.”
Their thinking brain isn’t available.
Their biology is louder than your words.

So what happens in Dorsal Vagal | Shutdown?

In dorsal vagal states - freeze, collapse, dissociation - cognitive access is also reduced, but for different reasons. Instead of hyperarousal, the system goes into metabolic conservation. Energy and neural resources withdraw. Sensation dulls. Awareness shrinks. The person disconnects internally and externally.

Different pathway. Same outcome: limited access to higher cognition.
This isn’t a behavioural choice - it’s an autonomic reflex.

Horses also have an amygdala and limbic system that guide their threat responses. But their cognitive architecture is not like ours. They do not rely on a human-like prefrontal cortex for abstract reasoning, conceptual interpretation or narrative processing.

Their cognition is:
• immediate
• sensory-driven
• movement-oriented
• deeply tied to safety

So when a horse enters a sympathetic state - the spook, bolt, brace, reactive movement, heightened startle - nothing is being “hijacked.” There is no “thinking brain” to override in the human sense.

Their survival circuits simply take full priority.
They are not being stubborn or disrespectful.
They are over their THRESHOLD.

A horse in a limbic-driven state may respond to pressure or cues, but that isn’t learning. That is reflex. Behavioural compliance in high arousal happens through survival reflexes, not understanding.

High sympathetic activation produces:
• reflexive movement
• startle responses
• defensive behaviours
• impulsive decisions

Learning requires access to exploratory, social, perceptive pathways - the parts of the brain that only activate when the nervous system is regulated enough.

A horse in a survival state is not being disobedient. They are being biologically accurate.

Why does your nervous system matter to your horse?

When a horse is overwhelmed, they look for safety cues through:
• your breathing
• your muscle tension
• your posture
• your rhythm and movement
• your internal steadiness or lack of it

This is supported by research on social buffering and emotional contagion in herd animals. Horses read nervous systems, not instructions. If you escalate - tightening, shouting, pulling, bracing - you amplify the horse’s threat response. Their system mirrors yours.

Regulation is not passivity.
It’s grounded action instead of reactive action.

When you regulate:
• their heart rate shifts
• their startle threshold lowers
• their sensory field widens
• curiosity reappears
• movement becomes organised instead of chaotic

The nervous system returns to learning only when it feels safe.
You cannot instruct it back into place.

Why "CALM DOWN" doesn't work us or horses...

A person in panic cannot access higher reasoning.
A horse in sympathetic overload cannot “listen” or process cues.

Calm is not a command. Calm is a physiological state.

You cannot talk someone out of limbic dominance.
You cannot train a horse out of survival activation.

Both systems must come back into regulation first.

And for horses, the fastest pathway back to regulation is your nervous system.

This is an important nuance: Learning doesn't only happen in calm.

There is a healthy, regulated form of sympathetic activation where learning thrives - alert, engaged, energised, curious. The body is active, but the system is not overwhelmed.

This is where:
• play
• exploration
• liberty
• movement-based learning
• athletic training
• problem-solving

naturally occur.

Over-arousal shuts learning down. Healthy activation supports it.

The goal is not to force calm. The goal is to stay within the window where the system is “switched on” but still able to process information.

We are not anthropomorphising, we are talking biology here.

Everything described here is grounded in measurable physiology:
• vagal tone
• cortisol levels
• heart-rate variability
• limbic activation
• muscle tension patterns
• attentional narrowing
• metabolic shifts

This is not softness or emotion or opinion. This is mammalian survival architecture.

When you understand this:
• you stop blaming horses for being afraid
• you stop personalising behaviour
• you stop expecting logic in a survival state
• you stop fighting biology
• you start working with the nervous system

This is the foundation of compassionate, ethical, effective horsemanship.

At The Whole Horse Journey, this is exactly what we teach:
work with the nervous system, not against it.
Safety first. Connection first. Biology first.

01/12/2025

When a horse hits their head, it’s never just the head that’s affected.
This week I’ve supported a couple of horses after head trauma, and it’s been a quite reminder of how deeply these experiences can affect them.
A blow to the head, a pull back, a flip or fall that impacts the poll can create far more than a visible bump. These moments can disrupt fluid flow, strain/shock the nervous system, and create concussive forces that travel through the entire body.
Sometimes the signs are obvious.
Sometimes they’re subtle — and easy to miss.
You might notice:
• A strained, dry look across the forehead
• Wrinkling or tension above the eye
• Difficulty or hesitation in eye movement
• Changes in posture or balance
• A different feel when you’re with them — less settled, less present
Flipping or falling backwards can be especially significant. These injuries can directly affect the spinal cord at the myodural bridge, an unprotected area between C1 and C2 where the tissues of the head and spine meet. What happens here doesn’t stay local — it can influence the whole nervous system.
Veterinary assessment always comes first.
Any horse with suspected head trauma should be seen by a vet and closely monitored for bleeding, neurological changes, breathing difficulties, or anything that feels “not quite right.”
Once a horse is stable and cleared by their vet, gentle supportive therapies can play an important role.
Where CranioSacral therapy offers support
CranioSacral work is not about “fixing” — it’s about listening.
These gentle sessions can help:
• Support nervous system regulation after shock or trauma
• Encourage healthier fluid flow
• Soften protective patterns held through the head, neck, and body
• Help the horse feel safer in themselves again
Because head trauma rarely affects just one place, the work often involves the whole body — allowing things to unwind at the horse’s pace.
Healing happens best when we listen, observe, and work together — vets, bodyworkers, hoof care professionals, and owners — with the horse at the centre of every decision.
If your horse has experienced head trauma, even if it seemed minor at the time, trust what you see and what you feel.
They tell us more than they can ever say. 🤍🐴

30/11/2025

Hear, hear - we need to advocate for our horses

What would it take ???

What would you be willing to do just to make your horse do what you want.
Would you sit in an audience and watch someone hit a horse in the face to make it move back??? For if you continue to stay and watch you are part of the problem.

Nowadays we hear kindness, choice, safe spaces, consent yet those very trainers who once were none of the above just simply change their words but not their actions and we still sit by and watch and never speak up for the horse.

A whip becomes a carrot stick, a hit becomes an ask, the horse chooses to be with them is often because it hurts not to, we have people aghast at yearlings being backed while sat on their their 3 Yr old (pot and kettle springs to mind).

Remember to change who you are or what you do is often difficult I have worked with lots of people who can never adjust to a new way of working they will always revert back to their old way when s**t hits the fan, and what about the horses when you change do they still hold memories of the old you who may resurface when things don't go to plan.

I often see a list of the things wrong with the horse and my first question is always why??? While others see a return to riding as a pinnacle of a successful rehab i often wonder what does the horse get out of the deal and often these horses are on a cycle of continual breakdown, fix one thing another goes wrong yet how much does a horse have to go through for us to say stop they have had enough just maybe they cannot be ridden or should have never been ridden in the first place not all horses have to have a ridden career to enjoy life, thats our desire not theirs.

To be kind you have to live and breathe it, often I put my head in my hands at videos proclaiming horse welfare is forefront yet one look at the horse tells another story.
We simply cannot say things while doing another we cannot preach kindness when the same hand is causing harm.

We often shy away from the truth because often we have to begin questioning what we will do to win a competition, make the horse stand square at a mounting block, make the unwilling horse go forward, make the speedy horse stop, get it over a jump

But we know what is right and wrong deep in our soul because when we are asked to do something with our horses that just feels wrong we know we just don't feel we can speak up.
We are all responsible for every horse we interact with if we own a horse its upto us to advocate for that horse but also we have to take ownership for our horses behaviour we cannot just pass the buck

If we are going to help the horse we simply have to recognise that their behaviour simply reflects an external or internal influence, but we must understand the behaviour to determine how we can help.

Often comedy value, charm, bullying, belittling and a whole host of other human tactics are used to deflect from the real issue of horses daily going through unnecessary cruelty just so they do what we want, yet often when we peel the thin layer of veneer off its undercurrent is a little more sinister.

I look to the horse to tell me if the human is getting it right, turn down the volume get rid of the showmanship let the horse tell you the truth.

30/11/2025

30/11/2025

What I can provide for you and your horse has changed and evolved over the years.

I have studied, practiced, educated myself, practiced, trained and practiced some more.

A session with your horse will depend upon a lot of things.
Do you have a preferred modality in mind?
Do they have an injury?
Are they a regular client?
Has something changed - owner, location, work load, companion?
I will ask lots of questions, watch your horse and look at every scar, lump and bump

My sessions are either EBT , based in Bowen therapy with a a mix of techniques, Kinesiology taping or CranioSacral therapy, a gentle yet profound method that supports the body to start its own natural healing processes.
All with a good dose of deep anatomy understanding from my extensive attendance at dissections, biomechanics and many other courses. Added to my background is a sprinkle of learning to trust my intuition and a life of experience with horses .

I love my job and I love to improve the life and comfort of your horses.

26/11/2025

My knees got a little workout this afternoon! Cuteness overload 🥰
Thanks for the pics and teamwork Priscilla with Carly

24/11/2025

So proud of your achievements team Matilda you really put in the time and effort as well as valuing your horses welfare. Honoured to be supporting you and Nellie

21/11/2025

Horses Heal Best When We Listen — and When We Work as a Team

This special young horse has only just turned one, yet he’s been through a lot physically in his life so far. Today he reminded me of something important:
Bodywork doesn’t “fix” the horse — it supports the horse as they heal.

After a terrifying week in hospital and a very uncertain prognosis, his body told a story of bracing, shutdown and trauma. Through gentle craniosacral work, he showed what he needed: time, softness, support and safety.

But the beauty of his recovery is that it hasn’t been just one thing.
It’s been teamwork.
Owner. Vet. Farrier. Nutrition. Bodywork.
Every professional supporting a different layer of healing.

When we treat horses as whole beings, not isolated problems, they can come back from challenges stronger, softer and more resilient.

This (not so) little horse is a testament to the power of integrated care — and to the importance of listening to the body, even long after the crisis has passed.
So blessed to be able to work with owners/professionals like this ♥️

20/11/2025

"If you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way."

~ Nichiren Daishonin

Art: 'The Hope' by Laura Makabresku.

19/11/2025

A couple of afternoon appointments are available this Friday and Saturday, and also Mortlake area Friday November 28th.
Call or message for details