Connected Bodywork

11/07/2025

Education for providers and patients available!

11/06/2025

Great live presentation from​ Dr Stephen Peters! Myth busting in horse training is a piece of education for every horse handler.

11/06/2025

11/05/2025

11/05/2025

11/04/2025

I talk about the power of correct breathing with almost every clinic and bodywork client but I don't know many people that can take 5 days to go focus on it! This sounds great and all but if you still want effective diaphragm function, we can help you and your horse in as little as 30 minutes. Knowing the accurate anatomy and physiology allows us to quickly target the adhesions and neurological inhibition limiting you and your horse's natural capabilities- when we breathe fully, we are more centered, physically and mentally. When we breathe fully, we can be more fully present and effective with our aids. And just about anyone who has even taken a fall off a horse has a fascial diaphragm adhesion!

There’s a concept in the Feldenkrais Method:
when you make a change or influence one part of the body, it creates a ripple effect through the rest of you.

Your breath is one of the most powerful ripples of all.

When your diaphragm moves freely, your ribs expand, your spine adjusts, and your whole alignment reorganizes itself.

Your breath not only stabilizes you - it profoundly shapes your posture and dynamic balance.

And when you regain the full volume of your breath through your torso, your limbs are finally free to do their job.

✨ Legs that move lightly through space.
✨ Arms that can lift, reach, and express with ease.
✨ A seat that is stable, supple, and alive.

That’s what FeldenBreathe is designed to awaken - a body that organizes itself naturally through breath.

Join us November 3–7 for this gentle, 5-day Feldenkrais-based workshop with Catherine McCrum.

🎧 5 short lessons • Live Q&A • Lifetime access • €49

When your breath moves, everything moves.

Grab your spot here and get FeldenBreathe! - https://courses.artisticdressage.com/feldenbreathe

11/03/2025

I got to read Mark Rashids books as a teenager - if you haven't yet in your lifetime, may I suggest:
A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color
For the Love of the Horse
Horses Never Lie

Plus he has lovely guides and more technical manuals for starting and restarting horses.

https://www.markrashid.com/shop-3

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11/02/2025

🌍🐴 Join the 10th Annual Equine Industry Symposium!
📅 November 18–19, 2025 | 🕕 6:00–7:30 p.m. EST
💻 Free & Virtual Event

This year’s theme — “Patching the Holes in Our Bucket: Building a Stronger Equestrian Culture” — explores how compassion, connection, and sustainability can shape a more positive future for the equine community.

✨ Hear from inspiring speakers including:

Lisa Ashton – Creating ethical and welfare-driven equestrian culture

Crispin Parelius – Rethinking equine practices through art and ethics

Dr. Inga Wolframm – Promoting a responsible and sustainable industry

Eurico Rosa da Silva – Transforming athlete mindset and culture

Gary Yaghdjian – Building positive change in riding lesson programs
🎙️ Moderated by Akaash Maharaj

Whether you're a rider, trainer, veterinarian, or equine enthusiast, this symposium is your chance to be part of the conversation and help “patch the bucket” for a stronger, more connected equine community.

🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/48Bqjq9
📧 For more info: EQevents@uoguelph.ca

11/01/2025

Is Babesia a bacteria or a parasite?

10/31/2025

Why Scientific Terms Matter in Animal Welfare

If you care about horses, dogs, or any animal, you’ve probably heard people use words like “pressure,” “correction,” “respect,” or “motivation” to talk about training. But what do these words actually mean? And why does it matter if we use the right scientific language?

Here’s the truth:

Scientific terms are not there to confuse you or show off expertise. They exist to make RESEARCH, not just opinion, accessible to anyone with curiosity and an internet connection. When we use real scientific vocabulary—terms like “positive reinforcement,” “negative punishment,” “learned helplessness,” or “habituation”—we are handing you the keys to open doors of real, peer-reviewed knowledge.

Why does this matter?

Because when people rely on made-up jargon or vague euphemisms, it becomes nearly impossible to fact-check what’s being said. “Pressure,” for example, can mean anything from a gentle prompt to outright pain. “Correction” can hide punishment. But “negative reinforcement”—that’s a specific, research-backed process, and you can find hundreds of studies explaining exactly what it does to animal behavior and wellbeing.

Jargon can be a smokescreen.

Sometimes, those teaching or selling a method avoid the correct scientific terms on purpose—because they don’t want you to look up what those terms actually mean. If they said “this is flooding, this is escape learning, this is aversive conditioning,” you could type those words into a search engine, find studies, real cases, ethical debates...and maybe discover why some methods risk far more harm than people claim.

You have the right to know.

Science doesn’t belong to experts—it belongs to everyone. When trainers, veterinarians, or animal behaviorists use the vocabulary of science, they’re not hiding behind it. They’re inviting you in. With the right terms, you’ll find books, articles, and even university lectures that explain exactly why some methods are safe and others aren’t. It means you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it—you can see the evidence for yourself.

So the next time you see a training video, clinic ad, or book about animal behavior, check the words.

Are you hearing the language of science—or are you hearing words chosen precisely because they can’t be traced back to actual research? Every animal deserves the protection that comes from science-based care. And every human deserves the knowledge to advocate for them.

Let’s lift the fog. Let’s use the words that lead to truth—so the animals we love are never left in the dark.