Light Touch Equine Bodywork

11/27/2025

Thankful for all my wonderful clients! Your support means the world to me. 💜

11/24/2025

A Key Link in Fascial Continuity

The MTJ (muscle–tendon junction) isn’t a simple attachment point — it is part of a continuous fascia-to-tendon-to-bone chain.

From a Western anatomy standpoint, MTJs are sensor-dense, load-sensitive, and critically involved in regulating muscle tone and movement.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) standpoint, they sit along the jingjin—the tendino-muscular meridians that describe long, continuous lines of tension through the body.

This area is small, but it is one of the most influential zones in the entire musculoskeletal system.

Releasing or reorganizing tension at an MTJ often:

- improves glide

- restores force transmission

- reduces compensatory bracing

- changes movement patterns far from the area treated

This is why small, precise work here creates whole-body effects.

Check out the rest if this fascinating article here - https://koperequine.com/the-muscle-tendon-junction-mtj/

11/24/2025

Full-body recovery with the BEMER Horse-set and neck applicator 💙

11/16/2025

When It’s Not Just the Feet

Sometimes, as we are going on our hoof rehab journey, we realize that maybe the feet aren’t the main issue.

As a hoofcare pro, it’s easy to get caught up in looking at the hooves. We see all the ways the feet need work.. we can see underrun heels, or long toes, or weak digital cushions and frogs, or even thin soles. We can notice broken back HPA or bullnosed hooves that likely have low or negative palmar/plantar angles. We see all these little clues, and we start working on ways to help the feet.

It’s easy to hyperfocus on a specific trim, or some kind of shoeing package, or even a fancy boot and pad set up. And some of us that have an extra interest in things like nutrition and biomechanics may harp on the perfect diet for healthier hooves, or the ideal turn out set up and footing considerations.

And some horses don’t seem to improve in all the ways we expected despite all these carefully modified care plans.

The truth is- there’s an entire body attached to those feet we are so obsessed with, and a horse with a history of movement patterns, old injuries, handling different riders, enduring all kinds of training approaches, dealing with various tack options, and a million other things that can affect their upper body. Their upper body often needs just as much attention as we put into their feet!

I am so fortunate to have Becca Upham-Davis of Elite Equine Massage, LLC who comes regularly and works on all the rehab cases here at the farm. A few days ago, she had her first appointment with one of our more recent rehab cases here. This sweet little gelding has fairly uncomplicated feet, but still struggles with stiff movement and topline development.

At the beginning of the appointment, Becca noticed the height imbalance of the front carpus/knees. Although this gelding was standing square and does not have high/low hooves, his right knee appeared to be sitting quite a bit higher than his left.

Becca worked on him for about an hour, assessing each part of his body. She found he had a good amount of tightness in the muscles around his right shoulder, and spent time working through it with both massage as well as stretches and targeted exercises to relax that side of his body.

Once the massage was done, not only did he walk out better, with a longer stride on his right front, but his knees were nearly instantly level.

We sometimes forget that the muscles and fascia are also holding these bodies together, and working on them can make a difference. We have spent a few months chasing our tails a bit just looking at this guy’s hooves, and our focus needs to shift a bit to making sure the upper body is getting the care it needs too! I am excited to see his progress as we continue to peel back layers of the rehab onion.

A huge thank you to Becca / Elite Equine Massage for being part of the team to get these horses more sound and comfortable!!!

11/11/2025

The Language of Fascia

The Body That Listens

Every horse moves within a web of communication.
Beyond muscles and joints, a quiet system translates movement, load, and touch into continuous feedback — fascia.

This connective tissue network listens to pressure, vibration, and subtle change, shaping how the body feels, balances, and prepares to move.

Fascia: The Body’s Network of Integration

Fascia is the continuous connective tissue that surrounds and links every muscle, bone, organ, and vessel.
It provides both form and function — maintaining structure while allowing movement and adaptability.

Within this network, tension and compression are balanced dynamically, an organization described by the principle of biotensegrity.

In the horse:
• The hoof resonates upward through fascia to the thoracic sling, back, poll and jaw.
• Breathing influences fascial tension throughout the thoracic and spinal systems.
• Emotional states — calm, alert, or defensive — subtly shift fascial tone and hydration.
• Pain, tightness or physical restriction in the back can lead to secondary restriction in the hamstrings, chest, and neck, and limit the ability to engage the abdominal muscles effectively.

Fascia does not simply connect tissues. It coordinates them.

The Cellular Level: Communication in Motion

Fascia is an active, living tissue. Its main working cells, fibroblasts, constantly sense and respond to mechanical stress.
They communicate with surrounding cells through integrins and gap junctions, translating mechanical input into biochemical signals — a process known as mechanotransduction.

In response to load or stretch, fibroblasts:
• Reorganize or remodel collagen fibers
• Adjust matrix hydration and viscosity
• Recruit myofibroblasts, cells that modify local tone
• Release signaling molecules that influence nearby nerves, blood vessels, and immune cells

In this way, fascia links movement to cellular behavior. Each stride, posture change, or period of rest updates the tissue’s internal structure and mechanical readiness.

Fascia as a Sensory System

Fascia is now recognized as one of the body’s largest sensory organs.
It contains abundant proprioceptors, interoceptors, and nociceptors, which relay information about position, tension, and discomfort to the nervous system.

Healthy, hydrated fascia provides accurate feedback — supporting coordination, balance, and calm responsiveness.
When restricted or dehydrated, its sensory input becomes distorted. The horse may move stiffly, lose precision, or display tension unrelated to muscle strength alone.

Touch: Restoring Clear Communication

Manual therapy works directly with this sensory and cellular system.
Gentle, sustained pressure and slow, intentional movement influence both the physical and neurological properties of fascia.

Massage and myofascial release can:
• Encourage fibroblast reorganization and matrix hydration
• Improve local circulation and lymphatic flow
• Support parasympathetic activation and reduce protective tension
• Restore proprioceptive clarity and movement efficiency

Through this kind of input, the body’s communication pathways reopen.
Tissue becomes more responsive, movement more coherent.

When manual therapy is combined with thoughtful movement work, such as dynamic stretching, core engagement, or postural retraining, fascia adapts more efficiently.
Together, they restore elasticity, coordination, and the body’s natural ability to self-correct.

Fascia, Emotion, and Regulation

Fascia also reflects the horse’s physiological and emotional state.
Because it is richly innervated and closely linked with the autonomic nervous system, chronic stress or guarding patterns can manifest as sustained fascial tension.

When safe, slow touch and balanced movement are reintroduced, the tissue and nervous system begin to recalibrate together.
This release is often seen in the horse’s quiet exhale, softening eye, or deeper posture of rest — clear signs that communication has been restored across body and mind.

Integration and Performance

When fascia is supple and communicative, the horse’s body functions as one integrated system.
Energy transfers efficiently through the limbs and trunk, balance improves, and movement appears effortless.

A well-regulated fascial network supports:
• Efficient force transmission
• Core and thoracic sling stability
• Shock absorption through limbs and spine
• Balanced posture and recovery
• A sense of body connection, control, and confidence

Fascia’s adaptability allows the horse to express strength without rigidity and power without resistance.

In Summary

Fascia is the body’s language of connection.
It links mechanical structure to sensory awareness, and local movement to global coordination.

To work with fascia — through touch, movement, or posture — is to engage in that conversation.
The goal is not to force change, but to restore the tissue’s ability to communicate and adapt — quietly, intelligently, and as part of the whole.

L https://koperequine.com/myofascial-network-notes-how-fascial-lines-stabilize-support-and-transmit-power/

11/05/2025

Did you know?
Digestion Starts With the Nervous System: How Massage Supports the Gut–Brain Connection in Horses

Most people think digestion begins in the mouth — when a horse takes the first bite of hay or grass.
But true digestion begins before a single chew.

It begins in the nervous system.

For the gut to function, the body must shift into the parasympathetic state — the “rest-and-digest” mode where physiology turns toward nourishment, repair, and balance.

The Gut–Brain Connection

Horses have one of the most sensitive nervous systems in the animal world. As prey animals, they constantly scan for safety — even when life appears calm.

If they sense tension, pain, insecurity, or discomfort, the nervous system transitions into sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) mode, where survival takes priority over digestion.

In this state:
• Digestive motility slows
• Blood moves to muscles, not the GI tract
• Nutrient absorption decreases
• Microbiome balance may shift
• The body prepares to react, not digest

This is why horses who are:
• Tight through the poll and jaw
• Braced through the sternum and ribs
• Holding abdominal tension
• Managing chronic soreness or ulcers
• Anxious, watchful, or reactive

often show digestive challenges, fluctuating stool, gas, mild colic tendencies, or difficulty maintaining weight and topline.

Their systems are not failing — they are protecting.
But protection mode and digestion mode cannot run together.

When Calm Arrives, Digestion Activates

When a horse feels safe, supported, and able to soften into their body, the nervous system shifts.
Relaxation is the signal that unlocks the digestive system.

From there, the brain communicates through the vagus nerve and enteric nervous system to:
• Activate digestive enzymes
• Initiate peristalsis (gut movement)
• Increase blood flow to digestive organs
• Support hydration and nutrient exchange
• Prepare the body to heal and replenish

Digestion is not a mechanical event — it is a neurological permission state.

How Massage Supports Digestive Health

Massage and myofascial bodywork don’t “treat” digestion directly.
They create the internal environment digestion requires to function well.

Skilled touch influences:
• 🧠 Autonomic nervous system balance
• 🌬️ Breathing and rib mobility
• 🩸 Circulation and lymph flow
• 🪢 Fascial mobility and abdominal motion
• 🌱 Vagal tone and parasympathetic activation

When the nervous system feels safe, the body says:

“You can rest. You can digest. You can heal.”

Signs of Neuro-Digestive Release During Bodywork

Owners often notice:
• Gut gurgling
• Soft chewing and licking
• Yawning and stretching
• Deeper, slower breathing
• Passing gas
• Softening of topline and ribs
• A calmer, more connected demeanor afterward

These responses are the body shifting back into a physiologic state where digestion and repair can resume.

Why This Matters

Digestive health isn’t just about what goes into the bucket.
It is deeply tied to:
• Nervous system safety
• Comfort and movement
• Fascial freedom
• Breath and diaphragm function
• Emotional regulation

Massage is one of the few modalities that can influence all of these at once.

When a horse regularly accesses parasympathetic balance, we often see:
• Better nutrient absorption
• Improved weight and topline
• More consistent stool and gut comfort
• Softer behavior and focus
• Better immune function and recovery capacity

A relaxed horse digests better, learns better, and lives better.

The Takeaway

Digestion doesn’t start in the stomach — it starts in the brain and nervous system.

Through mindful touch and nervous-system-aware bodywork, we help horses:
• Release tension
• Breathe fully
• Settle their mind and body
• Enter the “rest-and-digest” mode
• Support natural digestive function

When a horse can digest life with ease,
they move better, feel better, behave better, and heal better.

11/05/2025

Warning to horse owners after ‘potentially disastrous misinformation’ on laminitis shared on social media. Read more below

10/31/2025

10/23/2025

For those who demand more from their body and their life — BEMER delivers.

Support circulation, enhance recovery, and invest in the one thing that powers it all: your health.

10/19/2025

Sometimes I Say No.

And I need you to hear me.

My no might not be loud.
It might look like turning my head, stepping away, or standing still.
But it’s still a no. And it matters.

When I say no, I might be saying:

- “My body hurts, even if you can’t see it.”
- “Something feels off, and I need more time.”
- “Your energy is too much right now.”
- “The environment is overstimulating or unsafe.”
- “I’m confused, and I don’t understand what you want.”
- “I have memories in my body that haven’t healed yet.”
- “I don’t feel connected to you in this moment.”
- “I have a headache.”
- “I trust you enough to be honest.”

No doesn’t mean I’m disobedient.
No doesn’t mean I’m difficult.
No doesn’t mean I don’t love you.

It means I’m communicating the only way I know how.
And when you listen—without force, without frustration—
You become the kind of partner I can trust.

Because trust isn’t built through pressure.
It’s built through presence, patience, and choice.

✨ Every no you honor brings us closer to a true yes.