Dial Performance Horses

04/30/2026

As travel amps up for spring 💐 we thought it would be a good time to re-share our 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 “𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭”

A good one to save in your notes section of your phone… it’s always good to periodically take your horses temp, and even better to have an idea of what your horse’s baseline is.

You can often catch things quicker — through temp checks!

Good luck to everyone competing this week at the Ruby Buckle!💪🏻

208-565-0344

04/29/2026

Why Some Horses Resist Chiropractic—And How Massage with Myofascial Release Helps

It’s not uncommon for horse owners to notice their horse resisting chiropractic work—pinning ears, bracing, stepping away, or simply seeming uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean chiropractic care is bad or ineffective. In fact, it can be incredibly beneficial when the horse is ready for it.

But when a horse resists, it’s important to understand why.

Listening to the Horse

Resistance is communication.

A horse may struggle with chiropractic adjustments for several reasons:
• Discomfort or sensitivity in the area being adjusted
• A tight or restricted soft tissue system that won’t easily allow change
• A nervous system that is overwhelmed or on edge
• Previous negative experiences that created anticipation or distrust
• A temporary feeling of instability or imbalance after adjustments

In many cases, the issue isn’t the adjustment itself—it’s that the horse’s body isn’t prepared to receive it.

Where Massage and Myofascial Release Come In

Massage therapy, especially when focused on the fascia, works with the horse’s body to create the conditions needed for comfort, relaxation, and lasting change.

1. Releasing the Body’s Tension Patterns

Fascia is a continuous web of connective tissue that surrounds and connects everything in the body. When it becomes tight or restricted, it can pull on multiple areas at once, limiting movement and creating compensation patterns.

Myofascial release uses slow, sustained pressure to soften these restrictions, allowing the body to move more freely and efficiently.

2. Supporting the Nervous System

A calm nervous system is the foundation for any kind of bodywork.

Massage helps shift the horse out of a stressed, reactive state and into a relaxed, regulated one. When the body feels safe, it stops guarding and becomes more open to change.

3. Improving Circulation and Healing

Massage increases blood flow and fluid movement throughout the body.

This helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues while clearing out inflammation and waste products—supporting recovery, reducing soreness, and improving overall tissue health.

4. Restoring Balance and Posture

When one area of the body is tight, another area compensates.

By releasing restrictions, massage allows the horse to redistribute weight more evenly, improving posture and movement without force. Many horses will naturally begin to stand more square and move more fluidly.

5. Preparing the Body for Chiropractic Work

This is where massage and chiropractic care work beautifully together.

By addressing the soft tissue first:
• Joints are no longer being restricted by surrounding tension
• The horse is more relaxed and receptive
• Adjustments become gentler, more effective, and longer-lasting

Instead of working through resistance, we remove the resistance first.

6. Building Trust and Body Awareness

Massage is a slower, more interactive process that allows the horse to feel and respond.

This builds trust, increases body awareness, and often changes how a horse responds to all forms of handling and care.

A Whole-Body Approach

Rather than asking, “Why doesn’t my horse like chiropractic?”
A better question is:

“What is my horse’s body trying to tell me?”

By listening to those signals and supporting the soft tissues and nervous system first, we create a foundation where all therapies—including chiropractic—can be more comfortable, effective, and beneficial.

In Simple Terms
• Chiropractic adjusts the joint
• Massage and myofascial release prepare the body so the joint can function properly

Together, they support better movement, comfort, performance, and long-term soundness.

https://koperequine.com/if-your-horse-is-body-sore-it-needs-a-massage/

04/21/2026

Massage Works Through Tissue by Influencing the Nervous System

Massage engages muscle and fascia directly through touch, pressure, and movement.

At the same time, every contact is received and interpreted by the nervous system. The response that follows—changes in tone, coordination, and movement—is organized neurologically.

Tissue Is Sensory

Muscle and fascia are rich in sensory receptors.

These receptors detect:

* Pressure
* Stretch
* Movement
* Load

Fascia, in particular, carries a high density of sensory input. It contributes to how the body perceives position, movement, and internal state.

When you place your hands on a horse, you are providing information that the nervous system uses to understand what is happening in the body.

Input Shapes Output

The nervous system is continuously regulating muscle activity based on incoming information.

As sensory input changes, the system adjusts:

* Muscle tone
* Timing of activation
* Coordination across regions
* Distribution of load

Changes you feel in the tissue reflect these adjustments.

A muscle that softens has been re-regulated.
A limb that moves more freely is being organized differently.

Tone Is Dynamic

Muscle tone shifts moment to moment.

It is influenced by:

* Stability through the body
* Clarity of sensory input
* Anticipation of movement
* Environmental context

As input becomes clearer and more consistent, the system can organize tone with greater precision.

This often shows up as:

* Reduced excess tension
* More even engagement
* Greater ease of movement

Fascia Connects and Communicates

Fascia links the body both mechanically and neurologically.

Through its sensory role, it contributes to:

* Awareness of position and movement
* Coordination between regions
* Integration of the body as a whole

Work in one area can influence how other areas organize, as the nervous system updates its internal map.

Quality of Contact Matters

The nervous system responds to the quality of information it receives.

Clear, steady, and consistent input supports:

* Accurate interpretation
* Efficient organization
* Smoother coordination

Abrupt or inconsistent input can increase variability in response.

The system is always adapting to what it perceives.

Why Change Can Happen Quickly

Shifts can occur within a session.

You may feel:

* A limb become lighter
* Movement become smoother
* The body organize more easily

These changes reflect updated coordination and timing.

As the nervous system refines its interpretation, it adjusts how the body prepares and moves.

Repetition Builds Clarity

Each contact adds to the system’s understanding.

With repetition:

* Interpretation becomes more precise
* Responses become more consistent
* Movement becomes more organized

This is the same learning process seen in repeated movement.

In Practice

Massage provides input.

The nervous system interprets that input and organizes a response.

As organization improves:

* Tone becomes more appropriate
* Movement becomes more efficient
* The body works with greater coherence

In the End

Massage engages muscle and fascia through touch.

The changes that follow are coordinated through the nervous system.

As the system refines how it interprets and organizes the body, movement becomes easier, more supported, and more consistent.

https://koperequine.com/15-surprising-and-often-overlooked-benefits-of-fascial-release/

04/16/2026

I have been thinking long and hard about how to share my feelings about what I experienced at the most recent dissection I attended.
The weight of discovering the secrets a horse carries after they pass that they cannot clearly tell us while they’re living is profound.

When I started my journey of becoming an equine bodyworker, my main goal was to help horses. I naively thought the more I knew about bodywork modalities would be the answer to bringing comfort to the animal I fell in love with as a young girl and dreamed of working with someday.

I quickly realized that while bodywork was a powerful support to bring balance to horses bodies-it was not enough to relieve so many of the ailments they were experiencing.
I struggled for a few years to find ways to ask “why” these things were happening and {stay in my lane}.

Over the years, that has lead me to learn about more than just the muscular aspect of the horses body-that’s just one system that depends entirely upon all other systems being properly developed and balanced.
In order to support these systems indirectly with bodywork I had lots of learning to do.

This was my 4th dissection experience. At each one I was at different stages of learning about all these things-hooves, nerves, biomechanics, environmental factors and gut health.
Each horse solidified the depth of what I was learning and I walk away from each of them with reassurance of one thing-we have to do better.

Most importantly, behavior is communication.
We have normalized dysfunctional behavior to suit or human needs and goals in ways that are breaking down these amazing animals.

We justify this by saying horses are tough. Resilient. They can handle it.
We are ignoring their prey animal instincts to hide pain and weakness and push through to survive.
It is my strong belief that this is a result of removing their species appropriate environmental needs and replacing them with human conveniences that hinder their abilities to thrive.

Horses can be remarkable athletes-but are often developed poorly.
I don’t believe this is intentional-rather a result of doing things a way that we hadn’t yet discovered could be done better.

We confine them.
We feed them in ways that don’t allow their systems to function properly.
We ask their bodies to do things they aren’t developed to do-and in some cases not well suited for.
We use tools and aids that do more harm than good.
We take short cuts for success that have devastating long term impacts.

We are imperfect humans.
We only know what we have been taught…

We know better now.
Yet we use “the way things have always been done” as an excuse to look the other way.

Gathering in a space with 20+ passionate equine professionals to learn more about the inner workings of the horses-while having to face the ugly truths of what each one of us at some point have done to a horse(s) in our care is life changing.
Finding community like this is inspiring.
It is not lost on me the responsibility we all walk away from this with to tell these story’s, advocate for the horses in our lives and serve the purpose of protecting them.

To Ciara and Critter, I am forever grateful for the courage you displayed in sharing and the lessons we learned. 💜

To every person in that room that shared their stories and supported each other in ways I can’t explain-thank you, it was an honor to share the experience with you and I look forward to deepening the connections we have all made from this.
We are going to make waves.

To all the Becks and Lorre’s of the world helping to tell these stories via dissections-you will change the world for so many horses and deserve so much appreciation for the work you’re doing.

If you are ever able to attend a dissection-it will be one of the most valuable experiences you will have and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Never stop learning.

04/14/2026

04/11/2026

03/28/2026

03/21/2026

Hi everyone 👋 I have a few appointment spots open next week for equine bodywork.

I’m a certified Equine Myo-Manipulative Functional Therapist, and I help horses that are:
• stiff, sore, or short-strided
• struggling with leads, stopping, or turning
• inconsistent in performance
• “just not quite right”

These issues are often muscle-related, not training—and they can improve quickly with the right work.

If your horse has been:
– dropping shoulders
– swapping leads
– resisting cues
– or feeling off under saddle

…it’s worth addressing before it turns into a bigger problem.

📍 Wittmann, AZ (available to travel)
📅 Limited spots available

Message me to get on the schedule or ask questions—I’m happy to help you figure out if your horse would benefit.

03/02/2026