Equine Body Balance

01/21/2026

https://susansmithsantafe.com/2026/01/21/fear-and-the-trigger-stacking-unwind/

New blog January, 21, 2026 "Fear and the Trigger Stacking Unwind

Both horses and riders can carry a lot of fear that blocks the joy they could be having together. Traumatic experiences can set everyone back and rightfully so. We all go into protective mode when something bad happens. Sometimes we lose confidence, in our bodies, in the world around us, and in our....

01/15/2026

http://susansmithsantafe.com/blog/

Getting a Horse April 4, 2025animal communication, dude string horses, endurance, energy work, Equine Body Balance, equines, exercise, geriatric horses, grief, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, mustangs, Ortho-Bionomy,...

01/14/2026

Working with auras is working with anatomy, and vice versa. The more deeply we understand this amorphous, unseen area of ourselves and the animals we love, the more effective we can be in our work.

In working with horses professionally, there is a need to take a read on the horse initially and to be able to understand how to proceed, where to place hands, whether to place hands on or not, where is the meeting place? That read must be continuous throughout your session, making room for shifting focus, mood and acceptance from the horse. We can work both on and off the body at the same time.

“The horse knows. He knows if you know. He also knows if you don’t know.” — Ray Hunt

This is so true, in equine bodywork, horse training, and whatever you do with a horse. When you learn something, the horse knows you know it. He or she will ask for it if wanted. If you don’t know something, he knows that too.

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01/14/2026

https://susansmithsantafe.com/product/the-anatomy-of-auras-horse-and-human-5-classes-march-24-2026-april-21-2026-tuesdays-11-a-m-2-p-m-mountain-time-zoom-online/

Working with auras is working with anatomy, and vice versa. The more deeply we understand this amorphous, unseen area of ourselves and the animals we love, the more effective we can be in our work. In working with horses professionally, there is a need to take a read on the horse initially and to be...

01/10/2026

Some of the smallest horses/mules come with a lot of trauma baggage from not being listened to and mistreatment. They often don’t get proper training because they’re too small to ride, or only small children are put on their backs. I’ve seen some used to pull carts carrying overweight adults. The damage - physically and mentally - can be lifelong.

09/05/2025

I enjoy taking horses for walks and seeing what they self-select in terms of plants. My mare Red began by choosing very scruffy weeds, then picking out anything growing near dead timber. I have introduced to her the beautiful gramma grass growing everywhere this summer, and so she has added that to her palate, but it's best if growing near timber! My gelding Sabio loves the gramma grass. Both love the cochilla plants that have grown so high near fences. Those have high sugars as the summer turns to fall, so I need to intervene and limit grazing on those.

In the past, I had horses who loved thistles, and who would eat the tops of yuccas. Both of these plants have medicinal value, so I figured they were self-healing. The mare who loved yuccas had frequent colics, and the yucca helped her. The one who loved thistles was very healthy.

I've also found that after a hospital visit, or colic, horses will gravitate toward eating dirt. My vet corroborated this and said this is very common. They are attempting to balance their digestive systems.

Some horses are highly susceptible to allergies to plants, so self-selection isn't for everyone. For those, I have had to learn the plants that set off allergies and limit their grazing time.