Balanced Bodywork for Equines

11/07/2025

11/04/2025

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.

11/02/2025

Getting your horse to drop his pen*s for a sheath clean?
How do we do it?

🐎Do we pull it out? (Don’t do that).
🐎Is there a secret tickle spot.
🐎Do they need sedating.

You ask us ALOT……but I’m sorry to tell you, it’s not that simple.
In reality it’s ponies personal preference - some will wang it out when you pull out the curry comb or the stud muffins.
Some used to get it out but they got savvy and quickly learned you like to pick at it when it’s out so that thing stays tucked farrr away when they are in your presence..😂
Some never drop it, sometimes from sheer laziness or they have too much build up in the sheath or *whispers quietly* - it’s a very little willy…🫣

The thing is, removing beans and that crusty build up can be uncomfortable for your horse - it will be more uncomfortable if it isn’t removed once or twice a year though..!
Because it can be uncomfortable they aren’t going to necessarily want their willies our for the process, I certainly wouldn’t!

That being said some LOVE the process - and a little too much sometimes!!

We actually prefer that horse keeps his pen*s retracted during a sheath clean, you will actually provide a more thorough clean for horse or pony if it is inside and even though we can’t diagnose anything, it does make it easier for us to provide a little health check for any abnormalities.

Obviously if pony is sedated they will likely hang it out but that doesn’t make it any easier for us to clean - unless it’s a cheeky pony that hates the process of course! 🐎

11/01/2025

Kissing Spines in Horses: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Kissing spines, or overriding dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP), is a condition where the bony projections along a horse’s spine come too close together, causing pain, tension, and performance issues.

While it’s easy to focus solely on the back, true understanding—and lasting recovery—comes from looking at the whole horse.

Everything is connected.

A horse’s spine doesn’t function in isolation.

Posture, saddle fit, hoof balance, nutrition, rider symmetry, training methods, and even emotional stress can all influence spinal health.

A horse compensating for discomfort in his/her feet or tension in his/her poll, for example, may alter his/her movement in a way that increases pressure along the back.

Likewise, an ill-fitting saddle or inconsistent core strength can contribute to the problem—or hinder rehabilitation after diagnosis.

That’s why addressing kissing spines effectively requires a holistic approach.

It’s not just about surgery or injections, but about uncovering the why behind the dysfunction and supporting the horse’s entire system—physically, mentally, and biomechanically.

When we understand how every element interacts, we can design care and training plans that promote comfort, confidence, and longevity.

At Equitopia, we’re dedicated to helping owners and riders see these connections clearly.

Join our low-cost, high-value membership program, where you’ll gain access to a wealth of evidence-based, whole-horse/whole-rider resources—including a powerful two-part webinar with Dr. Martin Neidhart, a passionate expert and rehabilitation consultant on kissing spines.

👉 Start learning today: https://equitopiacenter.com/equitopia-start-learning-today/

10/27/2025

A horse's full intestines can weigh over 100 pounds (45 kg), with the large intestine alone potentially accounting for that entire weight when full of feed.

The total weight depends on the horse's size and what it has recently consumed.
Key components of the equine digestive tract include:
Total capacity: The entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a fed, mature horse can hold nearly 50 gallons (190 liters) of fluid and feed.
Hindgut weight: The hindgut (cecum and colon) accounts for approximately 64% of the empty weight of the GI tract. This is the area where fiber fermentation occurs.
Large intestine capacity: The large intestine is a significant contributor to the total weight of the full intestines.
It can hold 80 liters (21 gallons) or more of food and water.
When filled with feed, it can weigh up to 100 pounds (45 kg).
Cecum capacity: The cecum, a comma-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen, can hold up to 30 liters (about 8 gallons) of food and water.

Another thing to consider in our horses is that the small intestines is suspended via the mesentry to the vertebral column of the lumbar. The lumbar is one of the last places to mature in horses and is susceptible to problems. Lumbar pain is a common site of dysfunction in horses I see for several reasons…..that is another post!

Below is just the intestinal tract from a 15hh horse, in a dissection it takes 4 people to comfortably carry this all out on a tarpaulin.

Below is a link to whole collection of videos on the intestinal tract.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/1804697t

10/26/2025

Great explanation…… another reason not to start horses too soon……

10/10/2025

The Interplay Between the Thoracic Sling and the Fascial Sleeve of the Forelimb

The horse’s forehand is a marvel of suspension and flow — a dynamic system that relies on the thoracic sling and the fascial sleeve of the forelimb working together as one continuous, responsive unit. The efficiency, elasticity, and comfort of the horse’s entire front end depend on how these two systems share load, tension, and sensory feedback.

🩻 The Thoracic Sling: The Horse’s “Living Suspension System”

Unlike humans, horses do not have a bony joint connecting their forelimbs to the trunk. Instead, the thoracic sling — a network of muscles and fascia — suspends the ribcage between the shoulder blades. Key players include:
• Serratus ventralis cervicis and thoracis
• Pectoralis profundus and subclavius
• Trapezius and rhomboideus
• Latissimus dorsi
• Related myofascia

These structures stabilize and lift the trunk during movement, absorb impact, and allow for fine adjustments in balance and posture. A supple, strong sling lets the horse “float” the ribcage between the shoulders rather than brace against the ground.

🩹 The Fascial Sleeve of the Forelimb: A Continuum of Force and Flow

Each forelimb is encased in a fascial sleeve — a continuous, multilayered sheath of connective tissue that envelops every muscle, tendon, ligament, and neurovascular pathway from the scapula to the hoof.

Rather than separating structures, fascia integrates them, distributing tension and transmitting force both vertically (hoof to trunk) and laterally (across the chest and back). The fascial sleeve is both a stabilizer and a sensory network, richly innervated with mechanoreceptors that inform the central nervous system about position, pressure, and movement.

🔄 A Two-Way Relationship

The thoracic sling and the fascial sleeve of the forelimb form a mutually dependent system.

When one is tight, weak, or imbalanced, the other compensates — often at a cost.

1. Force Transmission

Each stride begins with ground contact. The impact and rebound forces from the limb travel up through the fascial sleeve, into the shoulder girdle, and directly into the thoracic sling.
If the fascial sleeve is supple and well-hydrated, the sling can absorb and redistribute force smoothly.
If restricted — for instance, by myofascial adhesions or muscular guarding — the load transmits as sharp, jarring impact into the sling, leading to fatigue and microstrain.

2. Postural Support

The sling lifts and stabilizes the thorax between the shoulders. But that lift depends on the integrity of the fascial tension in the forelimb.
If the limb fascia loses tone or the deep pectorals shorten, the ribcage can “drop” between the shoulders, leading to a downhill posture, shortened stride, and overload of the forehand.

3. Neuromuscular Coordination

Fascia houses thousands of sensory receptors that communicate constantly with the nervous system.
The thoracic sling relies on this feedback to coordinate timing and symmetry of movement.
When fascial tension becomes uneven — say, due to unilateral limb restriction — proprioceptive input becomes distorted, and the horse may appear crooked, heavy on one rein, or unable to maintain even rhythm.

4. Reciprocal Influence
• A tight thoracic sling can compress the fascial pathways through the shoulder and upper limb, restricting glide and muscle contraction below.
• Conversely, a restricted fascial sleeve can inhibit normal scapular rotation and ribcage lift, forcing the sling muscles to overwork.

💆‍♀️ Myofascial Release and Massage: Restoring the Dialogue

Manual therapies that target both regions — not just the limb or the trunk in isolation — are key to restoring the horse’s natural balance.

Effective bodywork can:
• Release adhesions within the fascial sleeve to restore elastic recoil.
• Improve scapular glide and thoracic lift.
• Normalize sensory input through mechanoreceptors, refining coordination.
• Encourage symmetrical movement and postural awareness through gentle, integrated mobilization.

When the thoracic sling and limb fascia move as one continuous system, the horse’s stride lengthens, the topline softens, and forehand heaviness diminishes.

🧘‍♀️ Training and Conditioning Support

Beyond manual therapy, proper conditioning maintains this balance:
• Hill work and gentle pole exercises enhance thoracic sling engagement.
• Lateral work improves scapular mobility and fascial elasticity.
• Regular checks of saddle fit and rider symmetry prevent recurring restriction.

🐎 The Takeaway

The thoracic sling doesn’t work in isolation — it’s an extension of the fascial sleeve of the forelimb, and together they form the foundation of forehand function.
Healthy fascia enables the sling to lift, absorb, and respond.
A supple, responsive sling protects the fascia from overload.

When they operate in harmony, the horse moves with effortless balance — powerful yet soft, grounded yet elevated — the way nature intended.

10/01/2025

09/21/2025

🧩 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 & 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 🐎

An anatomical structure that is far more clinically relevant than many realise.‼️

🔍 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆:
Myo = muscle
Dural = dura mater, the protective membrane surrounding the spinal cord
This bridge represents a direct anatomical connection between the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle and the dura mater of the spinal cord, occurring in the spaces between the atlas (C1) and axis (C2), and between the atlas and the occiput.

Importantly, this region is one of the very few places in the body where the spinal cord is not fully protected by bone.

Alongside this muscular-dural connection, the greater occipital nerve (arising from the dorsal ramus of C1) traverses this region, making it particularly vulnerable to mechanical irritation, strain, or compression.

⚡ 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Because of the proximity to the brainstem, dysfunction at the cranio-occipital (CO) junction and the myodural bridge can create widespread neurological consequences.
The brainstem governs essential autonomic and sensory functions — including auditory processing, swallowing, extraocular muscle control (vision), and muscle tone regulation.

⚠️ Chronic irritation here can therefore manifest as heightened hypersensitivity (sound sensitivity, light sensitivity, swallowing difficulties, abnormal muscle responses).
This partly explains why horses with poll trauma or pull-back injuries can present with long-term behavioural and physical signs that appear disproportionate to the initial event.

⚠️⛔️ PLEASE PLEASE TAKE NOTE
IF YOUR HORSE OR YOUR YOUNG HORSE PULLS BACK AND SHAKES THEIR HEAD IMMEDIATELY, get a qualified equine osteopath to see the horse within a week or 2 if possible.
Young horses 🐎 ❌️❌️ DO NOT TEACH TO TIE UP VIA A SOLID ANYTHING! ❌️❌️

💥 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺: horses that spook excessively or become intolerant to normal environmental noises after poll injury, likely due to altered brainstem auditory processing.

𝘖𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴: difficulty with tracking, changes in blink reflexes, or a horse appearing “head shy” around the eyes

𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦: horses that suddenly resist the bit, choke more easily, or develop tongue thrusting behaviours — often linked to brainstem-mediated swallowing reflex disruption.

𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨: persistent bracing of cervical and poll musculature, even at rest, due to ongoing nerve irritation.

𝘜𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴: anxiety, head tossing, or hypersensitivity to light touch around the poll.

⚠️ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
This is precisely the region over which a halter or bridle headpiece lies. A single pull-back incident can cause profound trauma, not just to the soft tissues, but directly to the spinal cord and brainstem integration. These injuries often require years of careful management to recover, if at all. It also explains why palpation of the poll can elicit exaggerated responses — the tissue here is not just “muscular” but deeply neurological.

In practice, I have also observed training techniques in dressage where riders pursue the so-called “nuchal ligament flip.” This is not a desirable training adaptation — it is an induced strain on the nuchal ligament and supporting suboccipital musculature. Deliberately training a dysfunction in this region risks perpetuating cycles of instability, pain, and neurological irritation.

🚫 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
Any disturbance of the CO junction and myodural bridge is not an isolated lesion. It can trigger an ongoing cycle of neurological stress, pain amplification, and compromised sensory integration — in other words, an unrelenting loop of agony.❗️

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰.

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: https://helenthornton.com/contact