Sam Naylor Equine Bodywork

05/02/2026

30/01/2026

Laminitis is rarely caused by one mistake.

It’s usually the result of metabolic pressure building over time — influenced by insulin regulation, diet, season, and gut health.

We’ve published a free, science-led resource reviewing what current research says about EMS, laminitis, and the equine gut microbiome.

Free download here: https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/equine-metabolic-syndrome-laminitis-what-the-science-says-about-gut-health

30/01/2026

This is one of my favourites if you click onto Gillian’s original post and comment Rick you will be sent a tutorial 🤠
Horses Inside Out have some super resources for horse owners and therapists but start by giving your pony a rock …….happy rocking !

The Wither Rock is a gentle and effective mobilising exercise for the whole body.

It is good for stimulating the core muscles, particularly the thoracic sling, strengthening the forelimb lateral stabiliser muscles that support the limbs when turning and moving sideways.

With your horse standing square.
💠 Stand facing the left shoulder, with your shoulders parallel to the horse’s spine.
💠 Do a personal postural check, ensure you have no tension in your shoulders or arms and take a couple of deep breaths.
💠 Place both hands cupping the top of the withers and take a moment to allow the horse to get used to your touch.
💠 Imagine the movement first and build up slowly from there.
💠 Gently push the withers away from you by about 1cm initially then allow the withers to return to the neutral position before pulling them back towards you by about 1cm then release again.
💠 Repeat this swaying movement in a natural rhythm. The side-to-side movement of the withers should be continuous and flowing. Don’t try to hold his weight in one position.
💠 Gradually increase the amount of sideways movement but only as the horse relaxes into the movement.

Build up from 20 sways remembering to repeat the same number of push-pull cycles from each side.

👀 As you are doing this exercise watch your horse, he may try to communicate that he wants more or when he would like you to stop.

Comment Rock and we'll give you access to our tutorial video on the Wither Rock

22/01/2026

09/01/2026

Here is a free resource for anyone who’s heading into 2026 feeling a bit… crispy around the edges.

2026: The Year of the Fire Horse isn’t a goal-setting workbook. It’s not motivational. It doesn’t tell you to fix yourself, heal harder, or become a better version of anything.

It’s a slow, honest wellbeing workbook for equestrians who care deeply, think a lot, and are often far tougher on themselves than they’d ever be on their horse.

It covers things like:
• burnout
• self-talk
• discipline vs self-punishment
• steadiness over intensity
• caring well without burning out

You don’t have to start at page one. You don’t have to finish it. You can dip in, skip bits, disagree with it, or come back to it months later. It will still work.

You can download it free here: ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14i9AWI-VbY7a7eTKq6M8et-246sFLFRw/view?usp=drivesdk

And if you like this kind of resource, illustration-led reflections, and quiet, non-pathologising support for horse people, you can also subscribe to the page for 99p a month to support our illustrator and also making more bespoke resources , plus if we get enough subscribers you'll be entered into a draw to have an illustration done of your choice!! ❤️🙏🐎

That helps me keep making things like this and gives you access to subscriber-only posts, resources, and downloads:

👉 https://www.facebook.com/Equimotional/subscribe/

No pressure. No hype. Just something steady to walk alongside you into the new year.

If you download it, tell me which page found you first 🤍

04/01/2026

Does this resonate? It does with me 🤠

Having horses when you’re neurodivergent is basically running a a very high budget wellbeing retreat for yourself without realising it. 🐴🧠

You thought you were buying a horse.
What you actually bought was an external hard drive for your nervous system.

• Routine?
People love to say horses thrive on routine.
Mine thrive on ✨vibes✨.
I turn up at wildly inconsistent times like a feral yard goblin and they’re like,
“Ah yes. This version of you again.” ⏰🧌 We LOVE it.

• Executive dysfunction?
You can ignore emails for weeks.
You will not ignore a horse staring at you like you personally ruined their day because you gave them 3 carrots and they know the 4th is in your pocket. 👁️🌾

• Sensory overload?
Phone = too loud.
People = too loud.
Horse chewing hay = perfect.
Brain finally stops buffering. 📵🌾

• Social energy at zero?
Great. Horses do not do small talk. Ideal.
They will stand with you in silence and call it quality time. 🤝

• Hyperfocus?
You only meant to “quickly check” them for the 4th time today.
It’s now dark, you’re covered in mud, and you’ve started a deep emotional audit of saddle pads and long lost bags of miscellaneous items. 🔦🫠

• Emotional regulation?
Horses sense your internal chaos before you’ve even parked the car.
They don’t judge it.
They just quietly refuse to cooperate until you stop spiralling. Iconic behaviour. 👑

• Masking?
Doesn’t work.
Horse sees straight through it like,
“Please stop pretending you’re fine. I can smell the cortisol.” 👃😐

They don’t care if your life is messy.
They don’t care if you’re late.
They don’t care if you haven’t replied to anyone in your WhatsApp for three days.

They care that you show up.
That you’re kind.
That the hay eventually appears. 🌾💛

It’s not structure.
It’s connection.
And somehow that’s exactly what our brains needed all along.

31/12/2025

Happy new year to friends clients and new clients it’s the year of the horse very exciting!!🤠
My New Year’s resolution is spend more time with my horses ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️and family life balance 🤠
So happy new year everyone ###

29/11/2025

29/11/2025

As a horse owner I can really empathise with the worry that lies ahead of us with the lack of hay this year 😂I’ve got 3 ponies all dependant on hay all year round plus 3 big hay hoovers over the winter months !
How I’m trying to manage it is thinking long term 😂 if hay is short now just think how short in supply it’s going to be in February! So if I can get away with just trashing a small amount of grazing but still allowing the horses to move around and using hay nets rather than hay feeders I might be able to save on the waist and save the hay for my guys on the track come spring and those who can actually eat grass open my paddocks up
Good luck everyone to do feel your pain any ideas very welcome 🤠

02/11/2025

31/10/2025

Safe spaces 😊

29/10/2025

I’m writing this as up at 4.30am worrying about my little herd this morning .
FIREWORKS 💥 💥💥💥💥💥💥!
I was informed last week that my direct neighbour was again setting off fireworks last year was horrible and I’m not looking forward to the next onslaught of the rest of the village 😫and surrounding rural areas
My horses live out but for the last week I have been bringing in on to a hard standing my most effected and un effected horses trying to make it a normal routine so they have less to deal with for the next week ahead I have also been putting on a really load radio guidance says sometimes this can help .I’m also investing in calmers etc
Last year was a bit different I was totally unprepared and just had to open everything up and luckily after a complete sympathetic breakdown my guys went into freeze mode.
I have informed my neighbour that the horses are really not ok with fireworks but they are still going ahead 😡🥵
Why isn’t there a law that isn’t so grey ?
Yes the neighbour has informed me and yes I have definitely made them aware of my worries.
It just isn’t right !!!!
The law needs to protect everyone people ,horses ,dogs,livestock wildlife …….why can’t we just have quiet fireworks why why why all the bangs