http://www.balancedholistictxs.com/

Balanced Holistic Therapies, Ocala, FL (2026)

02/25/2026

Most people assume a bodywork session means working on what feels tight.

That’s rarely where I start.

Before I touch anything, I’m looking at:

• How the horse stands at rest
• How weight is distributed through the front end and hind end
• Rib cage organization
• Core alignment
• Muscle tone symmetry
• How the nervous system is presenting that day

Because where something feels tight is not always where the pattern begins.

Some horses need surface work.
Some need deeper integration.
Some need regulation before structural change will hold.

A session isn’t a preset routine.

It’s about choosing the right starting point.

It’s not about chasing tight spots.
It’s about changing the pattern.

Looking at how the rib cage supports core alignment.
How the trunk organizes before the limbs generate power.
How the body distributes weight through the entire frame.

Because if the underlying pattern doesn’t change, the tension returns.

When weight distribution improves, effort decreases.
When effort decreases, performance becomes sustainable.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/23/2026

Compensation isn’t always obvious.

Not every horse that’s compensating is lame.

Sometimes it shows up as subtle asymmetry.
A rib cage that consistently loads one side more than the other.
A shoulder that develops differently.
A hind end that doesn’t fully carry its share of the effort.

They’re in work.
They’re performing.
But something feels harder than it should.

The effort isn’t distributing efficiently.

That’s when you notice:

The push feels delayed.
The connection fluctuates.
One side develops differently than the other.
The body feels braced instead of elastic.

Compensation isn’t dramatic.
It’s protective.

The body organizes around load the safest way it knows how.

And if that pattern works well enough, it keeps using it.

This is where precision matters.

It’s not about chasing tight spots.
It’s about changing the pattern.

Looking at how the rib cage supports the trunk.
How the front end suspends the body.
How the system distributes force through the whole frame.

Because if the pattern underneath doesn’t change, the tension returns.

When distribution improves, effort decreases.
When effort decreases, performance becomes sustainable.

If your horse is in full work but something still feels subtly inefficient, that’s information.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/20/2026

If your horse is:

• In consistent training
• Showing regularly
• Struggling to build topline
• Feeling inconsistent in the connection
• Improving… but not holding the change

You shouldn’t be waiting until something escalates.

This is the part of the season where staying ahead matters.

Not because something is wrong.
Because workload accumulates.

Consistent support prevents you from chasing the same issue over and over.

Performance horses aren’t maintained on training alone.

If your horse is in full work right now, this is your sign to get on the schedule.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/18/2026

Not every horse holds bodywork the same way.

Some feel organized for weeks.
Others feel great for a day or two. You can see change — but something still isn’t fully there.

It feels like there’s no real power coming from the hind end.
The connection is inconsistent.
The muscles don’t feel pliable — they feel guarded.

That doesn’t mean the session didn’t work.

It usually means the body doesn’t yet have the capacity to maintain the change.

A few common reasons I see:

• The rib cage isn’t rotating evenly, so load keeps redistributing the same way
• Hoof balance or saddle influence continues reinforcing old patterns
• Workload increases faster than recovery
• The nervous system defaults to predictable compensation

Bodywork restores options. But if the system underneath those options hasn’t stabilized, the body will return to what feels safest.

Sometimes we have to go deeper.

Not harder.
Deeper.

Addressing how the rib cage organizes.
How force travels through the body.
How the nervous system interprets change.

If you only release what feels tight without reorganizing how the system carries load, the body will default back to what feels familiar.

Familiar feels stable.
Stable feels safe.

That’s where layered work matters.

It’s not about chasing the same muscle again and again.
It’s about building a body that can hold the change.

If your horse feels great for a few days and then reverts, that’s information — not failure.
Have you experienced this with your horse?
Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/16/2026

When support is timed right, the round speaks for itself.

After his session, he went on to have a great round and felt fantastic in the ring. His owner summed it up simply:

“He was amazing today.”

That’s always the goal.

Not forcing change.
Not chasing a quick fix.
Supporting how the body is organizing so performance feels easier, more balanced, and more consistent.

Grateful for the trust from horses and riders who understand that consistency is built, not pushed.

Does your horse have a big week coming up?

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/14/2026

The older I get, the more I understand what love really is.

It’s not just romantic love.
It’s the horse that teaches you patience.
The dog that grounds you.
The friends who show up.
The person who supports the long barn days, early mornings, and late nights.
The parents who believed in you long before any of this felt real.

For me, it’s Scotty.
It’s Blu.
The parents who believed in you long before any of this felt real.
It’s the people in my life who believe in what I’m building.

And it’s also the privilege of helping other people’s horses feel and perform their best.

There’s something incredibly special about being trusted with someone’s partner. Their teammate. Their heart.

I don’t take that lightly.

Love shows up in the quiet details.
In choosing support before pushing harder.
In paying attention when something feels slightly off.

That’s the kind of love I believe in — for my own horses, and for yours.

Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/13/2026

It’s Friday the 13th.

If your horse feels a little crooked, heavy, or inconsistent this week… I promise it’s not bad luck.

Most of the time, what feels like resistance isn’t attitude. It’s a body trying to manage load the only way it knows how.

When one side starts carrying more than the other, the horse doesn’t wake up planning to be difficult. The system defaults to the most predictable compensation.

When the body can’t distribute force evenly, it finds a predictable workaround. And the longer that workaround sticks, the harder it becomes to correct with more effort.

That’s why drilling, holding, or pushing harder only works for so long.

No superstition required.

If something has felt slightly off lately, that’s information. Not bad luck.

Does this sound familiar?

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/09/2026

Lately, I’ve noticed that most of the horses I’m working on don’t feel “off” because of one sore joint or one tight muscle.

They feel off because their body has run out of good options.

I see it when a horse looks fine standing in the barn, but under saddle the contact is never quite even. One side always feels heavier. Transitions feel braced. Straightness gets harder the more you try to correct it.

What I’m usually looking at in these moments isn’t a single problem area. I’m looking at how the horse is organizing load through their body.

When the body can’t distribute effort evenly, it finds a workaround. The horse compensates in the same places every time because predictable compensation feels safer than unfamiliar balance.

That’s why correcting harder often works briefly… and then stops working.

Before-and-after photos often tell this story better than words.
When the body has more options, posture changes. The topline softens. Weight starts to distribute more evenly without forcing anything.

This is the shift I keep coming back to in my own work. Less chasing symptoms. More restoring options so the horse can organize themselves more comfortably.

If your horse feels “almost there” but never quite consistent, that’s usually worth paying attention to.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/06/2026

February is when a lot of horses are asked to hold more than usual.
Between WEC Winter Spectacular, HITS Ocala, and full calendars across dressage, eventing, and western disciplines, workload adds up quickly even when everything looks fine on the surface.
One good session can give insight.
Consistent sessions are what help the body keep up as training, showing, and travel continue week after week.
That’s why maintenance works best when it’s planned around the season your horse is in, not when something finally feels off.
This doesn’t mean constant appointments. It means supporting the body before small patterns turn into bigger ones as the circuit goes on.
If you’re unsure what timing makes sense for your horse this season, that’s a conversation I’m happy to help guide.
Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/04/2026

PEMF can be used as a standalone session, and it can also be layered into other bodywork. How I use it depends on what the horse shows me that day.

One thing I consistently notice, especially during colder weather, is that many horses drink more water after PEMF sessions.

Cold temperatures often mean horses are drinking less than they should, even when workloads stay the same. Supporting circulation and nervous system regulation can help encourage normal thirst responses, which matters for muscle function, recovery, and overall comfort.

Some horses benefit from PEMF on its own during heavy work, travel, or multi-day showing.
In other sessions, PEMF is incorporated alongside hands-on bodywork to support tissue response and help the body stay organized through deeper work.

Both approaches are intentional.
Both are chosen based on how the horse is working, not a one-size-fits-all plan.

The goal isn’t more modalities. It’s supporting the system so the body can function well, even when conditions aren’t ideal.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

02/03/2026

Listening is where real progress starts

02/02/2026

If your horse feels almost there but never quite consistent, I look at how the entire body is organizing, not just individual areas.

The rib cage plays a central role in that conversation. Not because it’s the problem, but because it influences how the myofascial trains load, unload, and transfer force from the hind end through the back and into the forehand.

When rib mobility is compromised, those chains stop working efficiently. The result is uneven push, delayed engagement, and a horse that struggles to stay balanced even with correct training.

This is where my approach shifts toward restoring organization through the body, not just releasing one area. The goal is to help the horse find a more functional pattern so movement becomes easier to maintain over time.

Change happens through consistency and strategy, not a single session.

If your horse feels stuck between good days and frustrating ones, this is a conversation worth having.

Contact Rachel at 954-821-8966 to schedule a session.
📍 Based in Ocala | FEI Permitted Equine Therapist

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