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Equine Release, Somerford, Congleton (2026)

24/04/2026

How many of you watch how your horse grazes, and do you notice any loading patterns that the horse always favours?

I thought I’d watch my own horse to see how he grazes & Iv attached pics below.

Iv also attached a pic to show high/low heels from a clients horse ( with permission)

A horse that constantly grazes with the same leg forward is their own preferred loading pattern.

Is it an issue? Well, that depends on how the horse moves, what we see and feel on the body.

Will this horse have compensatory issues?
Probably… but what horse hasn’t! My own horse has oodles of them and I’m not even going to talk about how my body moves!

Whilst it’s very normal for a horse to graze with one leg forward and the other one back, if it’s constantly loading the same foreleg then that is telling us something.

Very often, the leg that is frequently forward may develop a lower, more collapsed heel over time, while the other leg may have a higher, more upright heel.

Commonly referred to as high/low syndrome.

If we want to delve into the whys then we have to observe some more.

Now look at the teeth/jaw. Has it shifted to one side? Probably.

Now check the TMJ. Is it restricted more on one side? Probably

Now look at the base of the neck. Is there restriction there? Probably.

Now look at the shoulders. Does one look bigger than the other? Probably.

Now look at the rib cage. Is there rotation? Probably.

Now look at the pelvis. Is there a tilt? Probably.

Etc etc etc ….

It’s an all to common pattern.

A bit of detective work starts by looking at the whole of the horse.

You can’t fix this by focusing on one body part it requires a whole horse approach.

Is it a chicken and egg situation? In many cases, yes. Horses have natural preferences, but repeated grazing patterns can reinforce and exaggerate whats already there.

This is something ive continued to develop through further training, including attending a 2 day cpd course with Dr Tomas Teskey on the correlation between the hooves & teeth, and a 3 day training course with Christy Di Collar covering The equine kinetic myofascial lines, Neuro fascial conditioning™, and Rib entrapment syndrome therapy™

What’s it caused by?
There are many reasons, here are a few of them:

1. Grazing habit & just like humans, horses have a left/right preference and over time this becomes a repetitive loading pattern.
2. Birth trauma
3. Feeding from the ground all the time (I do encourage different feeding heights)
4. Dental imbalance
5. Trauma to the body
6. Incorrect trimming of the feet

How do we help correct this pattern?

This is my own personal approach :

1. If the horse presents with a high/low , I’d suggest x-rays first so the farrier /trimmer has a clear picture and can adapt the trim if needed. All too often feet are trimmed so they match instead of being functional.

2. Teeth checked to see if there is any imbalance contributing to the pattern, NOT forgetting the incisors ( no matter what the age of the horse is) incisors HAVE to be addressed.

3. Hands on bodywork, focusing on realigning the body by working through the kinetic lines. Somatic exercises, Oab, Making adjustments where needed .

4. In hand classical work to start retraining how the horse loads and carries itself keeping the work simple, correct, and consistent

5. Look at management, can the feeding heights or positions vary to reduce that repetitive loading pattern

6. Once the horse is physically ready and more balanced, then introduce some ridden work and assess saddle fit so it’s not reinforcing the asymmetry

Give it time because these patterns dont happen overnight, so they wont resolve overnight.

Consistency & patience is key.

It has to be consistent treatments working with your bodyworker, the farrier/trimmer, dentist, and the trainer. Working together in a time frame that doesn’t overload the horse and make them feel more unstable which will only add another problem. We need the horse to feel safe in its body for positive change to happen.

22/04/2026

Linea Alba

*video has been sped up for time *

We know that everything is connected so when we work on one area it affects many other areas.

This is a dense fibrous connective tissue that runs along the underside of the horses abdomen, from the sternum to the pre p***c tendon linking into the abdominal muscles and fascial system. It plays a much bigger role than people realise. It’s a central connection point for the abdominal muscles and part of a much bigger support system known as the Superficial Ventral Line.

When there is tension through the digestive system, whether from irritation, imbalance, or restriction, it often reflects into this line. The tissue can become tight, reactive, or less responsive.

That tension doesn’t stay in one place.

It can influence how the horse uses its core, which then affects the back. If the abdominal system isn’t able to let go of excess, protective tension and support properly, the back is often asked to compensate. Which then affects the breathing, heavy on the forehand, stifle & groin issues.

Gently working through the linea alba can help & encourage release in many areas.

Often, when this area yields, you’ll see changes not just in comfort, but in movement, stride, and overall way of going.

Following on from my previous post, working on this area is especially useful at this time of year with lots of digestive issues.

21/04/2026

Seasonal Changes

I love this time of year when everything is growing (not the grass though! )

I’m the one you will see foraging by the roadside with a Tesco carrier bag 😳

Foraging with/for your horse is not a treatment or a fix, but it can support normal liver and digestive function as the horse adapts to seasonal change. And i also find it extremely therapeutic.

Spring is a period where the horse goes through a physiological shift.

It’s not just an increase in energy it’s a whole system recalibration involving endocrine function, neuromuscular adaptation, immune activity the hind gut microbiome changes ( The microbiome always changes slightly but it is usually self regulating and stable )

All of this can temporarily influence how your horses body moves and feels.

One of the key areas affected is the hindgut.

From an anatomy perspective, the caecum and large colon sit in close relationship with the right abdominal wall, lumbar fascia, and muscular systems including the psoas and iliacus.

So when there is increased gut distension or internal tension, even at a mild level, it can influence
your horses back mobility
Abdominal lift
Pelvic and hind limb freedom

This is one reason some horses may feel less able to step under, lose quality in hind limb engagement, or show changes in canter leads during these seasonal transitions.

It can present as a shorter stride behind, difficulty maintaining engagement, asymmetry through the hind end & one side feeling blocked.

Offering them extra digestive support & hands on from your therapist. But being mindful that some horses may be reactive to touch in certain areas.

This time of year I always offer some visceral relief.

The aim is not to force change, but to support the horse back into ease of internal movement so external movement can reorganise naturally.

Gut irritation can increase systemic inflammatory signaling so
your horse may start to flinch to light touch & become ‘grumpy’ when being groomed with
overall sensitivity across different parts of their body.

Every horse is different, so it’s always worth observing what changes seasonally in your own horse and adapting the support accordingly.

Do you offer extra digestive support?

As always do your own research.
Not a substitute for veterinary advice or treatment

17/04/2026

Dissection.

Frustratingly I’m not allowed to post my pictures or videos online, such a shame because so many people could learn from them.
But I do understand how the pictures could be taken out of context.

My first dissection last year was a three day whole horse. With Becks Nairn.

This time I wanted to concentrate specifically on the spinal column.
With Gillian Higgins & her team .

We also dissected the ribs and the soft tissue ( muscles, nerves, lymph nodes etc) of the upper body.

Hands on wearing a lab coat & armed with a scalpel, it was a deep dive into the body, getting involved at that level really changes how you understand it. It shows just how hard the horses body works to support everything the human asks of them.

Slowly working backwards from C1–C7 = cervical vertebrae (neck)
T1–T18 = thoracic vertebrae (ribcage)
L1–L6 = lumbar vertebrae (lower back)
S1–S5 (fused) = sacrum
Coccygeal (tail)

Each spinal segment gives rise to a pair of spinal nerves, and those nerves provide:

Motor supply to muscles.
Sensory supply to skin and deeper structures.
Small sensory branches to the vertebrae, ligaments, discs, and surrounding tissues.

But the highlight for me was seeing the Cauda Equina which is latin for horse’s tail.

This is the point where the spinal cord itself ends, and instead of one solid structure, it continues as a bundle of individual nerve roots these are long, fine strands that really do resemble a horse’s tail.

These nerves are responsible for:

Hind limb movement and coordination
Bladder and bowel function
Tail function
Pelvic and hindquarter communication.

If you’ve never experienced a dissection, I strongly recommend attending one.

It changes how you work on the horses body.

And it will definitely change how you handle and ride one.

16/04/2026

Horse Camp

Has anyone ever been to one?

It’s been a busy week as I had my first experience at a horse camp last weekend, offering the horses some therapeutic support during their stay.

And if I’m being completely honest, I found it harder than I expected.

I was there to support, not to treat!

In theory that’s great. But in practice I did struggle.

Over the three days I learnt a lot.
Not just with the horses but about myself aswell.

I’ve been invited back in June, which I’m really looking forward to.

With a more structured approach 🙌

Overall, it was such a great experience, the atmosphere was fun & watching everyone having a great time with their horses and meeting up with their friends was really lovely to be around.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1B6eVzJeQ6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

14/04/2026

The scapula

You’ve probably heard your therapist say your horse is tight in their shoulders.

And that’s absolutely valid. But it’s also important to understand that the shoulder doesn’t work on its own.

We shouldn’t be working on & releasing the shoulders without looking at the rest of the body.

What looks like a small restriction in the shoulder (scapula) can actually affect the whole horse.

Think of the horse’s shoulder as something that should slide.

If that sliding becomes stuck, the ribs will often become involved in that same tension pattern.

The scapula sits over the ribs and is supported by muscles and fascia. If the scapula can’t move properly, the ribs underneath it are influenced and can’t move as freely either.

Then the diaphragm becomes involved.
It sits just underneath the ribcage and plays a huge role in breathing.

If the ribs aren’t moving well, the diaphragm can’t function.

And once the diaphragm is affected, it’s no longer just a shoulder issue.

You start to see a chain reaction:

Breathing becomes more shallow.

The horse can’t expand properly through the body

Tension builds through the back and into the hind end

Movement becomes tighter and less efficient

So what starts as a restriction in the shoulder can very quickly become a full body problem, simply because everything is connected through the soft tissue.

And that’s why I love being a whole horse therapist 🙌

Being able to connect the dots, follow the patterns in the body and work towards releasing, relieving and realigning where it’s needed.

‼️I am fully booked until June, with a waiting list for horses and owners whose expectations align with my work. But please message me, if I can help you I will 🙏

Images courtesy of Equigate app

12/04/2026

This post has been taken from

The Equine Documentalist

Credit goes to Yogi.

He has posted on his own page about the struggles of being a farrier

Its a long ass post, but it’s definitely worth a read

Iv just flipped his words into ……

Why the world Is so difficult for equine bodyworkers

Especially the ones that treat the horse as a whole & don’t isolate the body.

One of the most frustrating realities of being an equine bodyworker especially myself that works from a whole-horse perspective
is that we are constantly judged for outcomes we do not fully control.

A perfect example happens repeatedly, we are asked to work on horses that have been in work, compensation, or discomfort for months sometimes years, without appropriate intervention. They have restricted fascia, asymmetrical musculature, protective tension patterns, altered movement strategies, and often underlying pathology.

Exactly what you would expect from prolonged compensation combined with modern management.

People often fail to understand what happens to the body under chronic load and restriction. The musculoskeletal system is not just muscle and bone, it’s a continuous, adaptive, viscoelastic network of fascia, neurology, and fluid dynamics. When a horse experiences prolonged stress whether mechanical, emotional, or environmental the tissues looses elasticity, glide is reduced, neuromuscular patterns become ingrained, and the body reorganises itself around protection rather than optimal function.

The body literally reshapes itself based on load history.

Add months or years of compensation to that, and you create exactly the tight, crooked, resistant horses we are presented with.

This is where the misunderstanding begins.

Clients often believe a single session should “fix” the horse.

But the body does not work like that.

If a body has adapted to dysfunction over time, aggressively forcing change in one session risks overwhelming the nervous system, destabilising compensation patterns, and even making the horse more uncomfortable.

Removing protective tension too quickly, without the body having the strength or coordination to support change, can reduce stability rather than improve it.

So what does the good bodyworker do?

They do the difficult thing, not the dramatic thing.

They work progressively. They release what the system can safely integrate. They respect the nervous system, tissue tolerance, and the horse’s current capacity. They understand that real change happens over multiple sessions because posture, movement, and fascial organisation are governed by cumulative load and neurological patterning over time and not just what is done in one treatment.

The body reflects its history, not just the last session.

That is exactly what good bodywork does 🙌

It sets the foundation for improvement. It creates the conditions for change while protecting the horse.

BUT Because

the horse does not instantly move like a completely different animal, or because the change is subtle rather than dramatic, the work is often undervalued. And we are labeled as being rubbish at what we do.

Another practitioner may come in later, once the system has already been unlocked and prepared, and suddenly the horse shows more obvious improvement.

So now the first bodyworker looks ineffective, and the second looks like the hero !

Bodyworkers are frequently blamed for movement issues that do not originate in the soft tissues alone.

Modern understanding of equine movement shows that asymmetry is influenced by:

Neuromuscular control
Proprioception
Limb pathology
Hoof balance
Saddle fit
Rider influence
Emotional and autonomic state

A horse that moves unevenly is not necessarily a “bodywork problem.”

Likewise, tension patterns are not created in isolation. If a horse is consistently loaded asymmetrically, whether through riding, management, or conformation, the body will adapt accordingly. Fascial restrictions, muscle development, and movement patterns all reflect cumulative loading over time.

Posture influences movement. Movement influences tissue. Tissue influences posture.

And all of it is shaped by the horse’s environment.

Domestic management profoundly affects the horse’s body:

Stabling restricts natural movement variability
Feeding positions alter spinal and neck loading
Rider asymmetry creates repeated uneven forces
Poor saddle fit causes chronic compensation
Limited turnout reduces tissue adaptability
Stress alters autonomic tone and muscle tension

All of these factors directly influence what the bodyworker feels under their hands.

Yet somehow, the bodyworker is often blamed when the horse reflects those influences.

Then the cycle repeats

Workload changes. The horse gets fitter. Turnout increases. The weather improves. The horse moves more freely.

Suddenly, the horse “looks better.”

And who gets the credit?

Usually whoever happens to be working on the horse at that moment, regardless of whether the improvement came from management changes, time, or the cumulative effect of the previous work.

This profession needs a more mature understanding

The equine bodyworker is not a magician.

We are not working on isolated body parts

We are working on living systems shaped by physics, physiology, neurology, emotion, environment, and time.

We operate within the limits of the horse in front of us and that horse is a product of far more than one session of bodywork.

The reality is this

We cannot:

Release years of compensation in one session
Override poor management
Out-treat incorrect riding
Remove pathology with soft tissue work alone
Force change without consequence

We can only work within the system we are given.

So before blaming the bodyworker, better questions need to be asked:

How has this horse been managed?
How long has this pattern been present?
What is the workload and rider influence?
Is there underlying pathology?
What role do the feet, saddle, and environment play?
Is the horse being supported between sessions?

Until those questions are asked, bodyworkers will continue to be blamed for problems they did not create.

To My Fellow Equine Bodyworkers

If you do your best, continue learning, and work with integrity…

If you have ever:
Lost clients after doing the initial, difficult groundwork
Been blamed for issues outside your scope
Watched owners ignore advice but expect results
Seen another practitioner take credit for your setup work

Know this:

You are not alone 🙌

This work is difficult not just because of the hands on skill required but because so much of the outcome sits outside your control.

The horse is part of a system.

11/04/2026

Using a two point contact across the pelvic system. I’m using two separate hand placements at the same time but on different anatomical areas

If a horse is bracing through the spine or Is uneven through the sacroiliac region & loading one hind limb more than the other this technique is very effective.

In this case the lumbar & the surrounding areas.

Iv used this technique on my own horse when he developed a mild gas colic while waiting for the vet to arrive, with great results.

⛔️ No hands on treatment is ever a replacement for your vet ⛔️
ALWAYS contact your vet ⛔️

03/04/2026

📣 Announcement 📣

I am fully booked up now with appointments until the beginning of June. Blimey it will be Christmas before we know it 😩
Unless I get any cancellations.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful start to the weekend 🐣

I found this video on my phone that I must have saved from somewhere on line about 5 years ago.
I wonder what this baby is doing now 🤔

02/04/2026

April Fools ?

Yes my previous post was absolutely 100% just that.

But it got me thinking ( At 4am 🤦🏻‍♀️) especially from some of the comments.

‼️ People would actually buy that contraption ‼️

If you’ve ever used a training aid was there a point you realized it was doing more harm than good?
Or did it help?

Clever marketing sells. It always has. It always will. We can’t stop that, but we can bring awareness & hopefully stop someone in their tracks before they reach for such a restraint. Gadgets that create a quick fix will always end up in tack shops, online & then into tack rooms without enough thought about what they’re actually doing to the horses mind & body.

I’m not a fan of any type of restraint that stops the horse from expressing themselves. That expression they show us is their way of communicating with us.

Head in the air
Crossing of the jaw
Bucking
Refusing to jump
Won’t go forward etc etc are all forms of communication shut those down & it just becomes a masking thing that will eventually lead to bigger problems.

We know that true posture should come from the horse being able to show their natural movement, with a functioning pain free body.

So before reaching for any gadget, should we be asking ourselves ..

1. Why am I using this?
2. What am I actually trying to achieve?
3. Is this improving movement or shutting the horse down?

That said there are cases where a horse is stuck in a neurological pattern for years.

My own horse, due to his ongoing pathologies, has made compensation his normal. His neurological system has reinforced that pattern & it’s all he knows.

In those cases, do you think a training aid has its place and if so which one?

Something like an EquiAmi may have a place if it’s used as a temporary input, not a solution?

Not to force a frame.
Not to restrict their movement.
But to offer a different sensory experience for the horse?

And only when
1. Pain has been ruled out
2. The feet are balanced
3. The body has been addressed
4. Management and diet support the work

Just as a guidance to ask ‘ how does this new way feel’

And even then it should never be the answer on its own.

So while my previous post was a joke.

It’s actually a reality for some horses.

Image courtesy of Funny Horse Cartoons

01/04/2026

‼️‼️ ITS HERE ‼️‼️

(APRIL FOOLS JOKE)

My new invention please message to purchase £2,000

Introducing the ultimate equestrian revolution: the “Wow Doesn’t My Horse Look Great” Gadget!

Tired of your horse not looking like a superstar on the lunge line or being ridden?

Frustrated that one gadget on your horse is not enough & they just don’t cut it anymore? Fear no more!

This marvel of modern training is the only contraption you’ll ever need to make your horse look… well… amazing.

Iv invented a 4-1 training aid which features

The Pessoa system: Because one set of reins and pulleys is simply too boring 🥱

De Gogue: For extra control 💪

Not forgetting old faithful the Elasticated Bungee because it adds a dash of unpredictability and, let’s be honest, suspense. Will it stretch too far? Who cares, your horse will look stun 🥰

Side Reins: The classic 🙌

Because nothing says “I’m professional” like multiple lines tugging in slightly different directions.

Why settle for simple, effective training when you can achieve maximum visual impact with minimum logic?

Finally, a gadget that proves if it looks complicated, it must be working.

Bespoke orders can be made with your favourite gadget being added to the 4 in 1 making your bespoke a 5-1 etc

Message for more details ☺️

❤️Free gift with every purchase..
A gag bit .. to encourage lift while your fabulous ‘Wow Doesn’t My Horse Look Great ‘ gadget will put your horse ‘On the bit’ & ‘Drive from behind’ while ‘lifting the back’ 🥳

The ultimate gift that just keeps on giving ☺️

29/03/2026

Sometimes ….

It’s easy to switch a fasciculation off in the moment.

Everything feels & looks better in that moment in time.

BUT what happens when the therapist has left, the next day? Or a few days later?

We see the videos across social media showing us these miraculous moments of horses being ‘healed’ through trigger point work ( don’t get me wrong trigger point work is fab)

BUT are they really ‘fixed’ We never truly get to find out, because we are just being shown the before & after. In that moment in time. And in some cases there’s a prompt for you to buy there video that shows you how to ‘fix ’ your horse at home.

BUT If that same problem comes back, then it was never the actual problem it was just the body protecting something else.

The nervous system is still being stimulated.

So then I ask myself

That signal has to be coming from somewhere else because the muscle is reacting to something 🤔

In my video we see a reaction ( back flickering) to a palpation around the point of the hip. trigger point is applied. Flickering goes away. Great 🙌

BUT is it great??

Then I go back after a while to double check & wadda ya know it’s come back ! 🤦🏻‍♀️

My initial palpation & mobilisation has already given me an idea as to where the issue may be coming from.

It’s not always a back problem

I’m not a vet
I can’t diagnose

I recommend a vet referral for further investigation.

And hock arthritis has now been diagnosed.

That’s why it’s always so important to go back over the body to double check to see if the issue has actually been resolved & if it hasn’t then more investigative work needs to be carried out. If it has then I always touch base with the client a couple of days later for any updates just to check if the issue has returned.

Trigger point work can have its place because it can switch off the symptom, but it doesn’t always resolve the problem especially if there’s an underlying pathology that needs vet intervention.

Equine Release

24/04/2026

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21/04/2026

17/04/2026

16/04/2026

14/04/2026

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11/04/2026

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29/03/2026

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