Equine Bodywork Solutions

Home
United Kingdom
Hythe
Equine Bodywork Solutions

Equine Sports & Rehabilitation Massage Therapist
Trauma Informed Horse Trainer
Covering Kent & the East Sussex Border

I'm Cath Hammond, an equine sports and rehabilitation massage therapist working in Kent that wants to help you connect with your horse on a deeper level. By taking the time to get to know both of you and undertake treatment plans with a holistic approach, we can encourage your horse to carry their body correctly and restore balance in mind, body and spirit by releasing tension and pain held in th

e muscles. My qualification is with the world renowned Equissage Europe, a UK Rural Skills accredited course. I am committed to expanding my knowledge and skills further by regularly attending training courses such as understanding equine body language and behaviour, the biomechanics of how they move and how we can affect it; negatively and positively and by learning new techniques to add to my treatments. I believe my personal life experiences and practical involvement with horses who have trauma, abuse and neglect in their backgrounds has given me the personal attributes to maintain a regulated nervous system and treat each horse in a way that they wish to be treated and in their own timeline, I have no expectations of them and use all my senses to listen and respond.

27/04/2026

A common myth about enrichment is that it’s expensive and time consuming.

Spring is perfect for in-hand hacking and it’s something I always include in rehab plans.
It lets you see your horse move in a new environment and notice what challenges them or where they tense up.

I love my walks with Sheila, she’s very selective when foraging and nothing distracts her! The others….as long as there’s grass they’re happy!

Three of the four enrichment groups can be achieved here:
✅ Edible
✅ Non-edible
✅ Social

When starting a new treatment plan assessing your horses environment to improve overall wellness is just as important as the massage itself.

I have weekday availability in Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and surrounding villages this May, plus a weekend slot in Maidstone.

If you’re considering massage for your horse, click the link below to message me.

Cath 💚

20/04/2026

Not all enrichment works for every horse…

As part of my massage treatments I love to work with owners to enhance their horses’ living environment, making them more supportive - physically and mentally.

Research shows that appropriate enrichment can play a valuable role in pain management, while also improving the wellbeing of anxious or nervous horses.

Each horse is an individual so it’s important to tailor enrichment to suit their needs, providing enough stimulation without causing frustration.

One client I’ve worked closely with has two very different horses, an intelligent Thoroughbred and a much loved Shetland, both have been with the family for years.
She’s noticed that her thoroughbred thrives on more challenging enrichment, like a freely hanging treatball, whereas her Shetland would find this frustrating.

Instead we introduced a large dog snuffle mat placed in an old cat litter tray. And it’s now a favourite in his daily routine.

Enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive, time consuming and it shouldn’t cause stress for either of you, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. And in this case feeding from the floor offers lots of musculoskeletal benefits.

It’s something I often look at alongside treatment, because small changes in your horses daily routine can make a big difference to how they feel in their body.

If you’re not sure where to start with enrichment or feel like your horse could benefit from a more tailored approach, I have a couple of weekday and weekend spaces coming up in the next few weeks.

Click on the link below to send me a message
Cath 💚

13/04/2026

I can’t watch any footage of The Grand National or Gold Dancers horrific fall and the way in which he crossed the finish line.

I was one of those people, “they wouldn’t keep doing it if they didn’t love it”.

However, the more I’ve learnt about horses - their musculoskeletal systems, behaviour, tolerance and overall amazingness the more I feel desperately sad, nauseated and angry with the horse racing industry.

This post could be paragraphs and paragraphs of me ranting but a thought came to me yesterday…

If at a local show you watched a group of people use force alone to get a horse into the arena….would you consider it entertainment, a welfare issue or cruelty?

25/03/2026

At the beginning of my training as an equine sports massage therapist, I learned eight different massage techniques, each designed for specific areas of the horses body, with different purposes and levels of pressure.

As well as technique we learn to treat each horse as an individual. Their history, current and past health, daily environment - such as the weather - and, most importantly, their body language all play a part in each treatment. Learning to read those subtle signs is key to knowing what they need and when.

For anyone interested in understanding their horse on a deeper level I run 'Learn to speak Horse' interactive workshops for adults and children and can make it accessible if you're learning for yourself, a group of friends or sharing the experience with children.

In addition to simple and safe massage techniques we will cover:
🐎Recognising pain related behaviours and body language
🐎The role of individualised exercise plans
🐎Condition scoring, enrichment and a lot more

Comment MASSAGE below for a message with further detail.
Cath💚

11/03/2026

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can give a horse is choice 💚

Massaging at liberty allows your horse to choose when to regulate or when to step away. Giving an anxious horse that empowerment and choice can be an important part of a Trauma Informed Behaviour Modification Plan.

One of the key principles of trauma informed care is “Collaboration & Mutuality”. In a herd environment other horses can often play an important role in helping a fearful horse work through triggers.

If you have a horse that suffers with separation anxiety, fear of people or sensitivity around touch, comment CALL below ⬇️ if you’d like a free 20 minute phone call to discuss whether this approach could help your horse.

05/03/2026

When it feels like the rest of the world can’t hear you…without words, they know exactly what you need ❤️

01/03/2026

It’s giving Spring vibes ☀️🌳

You can feel the change in the air - longer days, daffodils, and finally loosing an extra base layer. Spring is on its way 🪻

For many of us winter can be a quieter time, whether due to limited facilities, weather or lack of daylight lots of horses have had a couple of months off from ridden work.

And that’s absolutely ok, and should be done without guilt or a fear of being judged.

When a day like last Wednesday arrives out of the blue, it’s soooo tempting to get straight back on and head out for a long hack. However, a little patience and preparation now can make the return to work smoother and more comfortable for your horse, as well as preventing injury.

For riders and horses at all levels - happy hackers included - this is a perfect time to reintroduce exercise gently.

In many areas the ground is still recovering, so starting with some dynamic mobilisation exercises, specific to your horse, 3-4 times a week is not only an important step but also a kind and effective way of training.

These exercises can:

💪Stimulate synovial fluid
💪Encourage healthy joint movement
💪Wake up postural muscles and re-engage the brain-body connection

After 2-3 weeks you could introduce some in-hand hacking or long reining. From there consider reintroducing the rider gradually, for the last 10 minutes for example, and gradually build up.

Every horse has individual needs so your plan should be specific to their current condition, health and history.

If your horse is indicating any signs of pain or lameness a vet should be consulted before progressing.

If you’re unsure where or how to start, send me a message by clicking below ⬇️ and I’d be happy to have a chat with you.

Cath 💚

12/02/2026

What's your love language??

❤️Words of affirmation
❤️Quality time
❤️Acts of service
❤️Physical touch
❤️Gift giving

10/02/2026

Who gives the best hugs….mares or geldings???
❤️❤️

01/02/2026

Equestrianism is a unique sport in several ways...

⭐️The physical (and emotional) health of the rider affects the horse, and vice versa
⭐️Many of the heavy duty activities involved in horse care can attribute to the physical well-being of the rider
⭐️Most continue to ride, and care for horses, well into their 60's and 70's - with no plans to retire!

These factors are just a few of the reasons that lower back pain and altered range of motion within the joints are a given when assessing riders.

25/01/2026

Friends at the End 💔

Throughout January I completed my training to become a volunteer with The British Horse Society as a Friend at the End.

“Friends” are available to offer in person or online support to horse owners and carers who are facing - or have experienced- one of the hardest decisions they will ever have to make.

They can help by talking through your horses quality of life, sensitively explain what to expect with the different types of euthanasia, and support you with practical logistics if needed. There is often so much to consider and it can feel overwhelming.

Having someone impartial to listen, without judgement, to your thoughts, emotions and memories can make a real difference to the grieving process. I also believe that grief doesn’t only come from loss through death. It can appear if circumstances change and you lose the life you’ve dreamt of as a horse owner, and it’s ok to feel that.

There’s no right or wrong way to grieve and no timescale you have to work to. Many of us, I’m sure, are still grieving the loss of our first ponies as young horse girls.

If you need a “Friend” contact BHS and they will find someone in your area.
✉️friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk
☎️02476 840517

📷This is Hose (🌈) who lost his lifelong friend a few years ago. Watching him make new friends in the herd and lean on his human herd for emotional support was heart warming ❣️

19/01/2026

Should we be looking beyond Friends, Forage, Freedom❓

Created in 1994 The Five Domain module was introduced to expand on the already developed Five Freedoms.

These guidelines were implemented to assess the physical and emotional welfare of livestock and is now widely being used in equine welfare cases.

When we can see our horses in this way it reminds us that comfort, emotional state and overall quality of life are closely connected.

Holistic practices such as sports massage can play a valuable role in helping your horse feel more comfortable in their body, and more emotionally settled 💚

Which of the five domains do you feel you give more focus?

No right or wrong because each horse is treated as an individual. But I would love to hear some other perspectives, I feel I often focus on how physical changes - even subtle ones - can make an impact.

Address

Hythe

Telephone

+447729237996

Website

http://www.equinebodyworksolutions.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Equine Bodywork Solutions posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Hythe?