Equine Kneads

You don't need to walk into your first appointment pretending you're an expert in everything that could possibly happen with a horse. In fact, trying to appear like you know more than you do is one of the fastest ways to get yourself into trouble.

Real confidence doesn't come from having all the answers.

It comes from being prepared enough to know what you know, recognize what you don't, and make good decisions when something falls outside of your knowledge or ability.

Before your first client, make sure you understand your assessment process and can explain what you're looking for. Know your techniques well enough that you can apply them thoughtfully rather than simply going through a memorized routine. Understand your scope of practice, your contraindications, and when a horse should not be worked.

And just as importantly, know when to stop.

Know when to ask for help.
Know when something warrants veterinary assessment or evaluation by another qualified professional.

Your first clients aren't expecting you to have decades of experience. What they are expecting is that you take their horse seriously.

Show up prepared.
Communicate clearly.
Ask good questions.
Take notes.
Document your findings.
Follow up when appropriate.
And keep learning.

Every appointment is an opportunity to build your skills, but it's also an opportunity to build your reputation.

And remember: your reputation isn't created by one spectacular case or one impressive technique. It's built one horse, one owner, and one professional interaction at a time.

And if you don't feel confident yet? Keep learning!

Go get more education. Take a different course or go through a different program. Ask questions. Find a mentor. Read the research. Use reputable resources. Seek out education from people who are willing to explain the why, not just demonstrate the technique.

You don't have to know everything today but you have a responsibility to keep learning so that tomorrow, you know more than you did today. That is what being a professional with a strong reputation in the industry look like.

PEMF uses a machine to generate pulsed electromagnetic fields that are delivered to a targeted area of the body. Unlike electrical stimulation, PEMF does not require electrodes to send an electrical current through the horse's tissues. Instead, the electromagnetic field is generated by the applicator and interacts with the tissues within that field.

Depending on the machine used frequency, intensity, waveform, duration, applicator placement, and the area being treated all influence the exposure the horse receives.

As bodyworkers, we need to understand what we're trying to accomplish, why we're choosing PEMF, how we're applying it, and whether it is appropriate for that individual horse.
And for clients, working with a bodyworker who understands these things is incredibly important to effectively support your horse.

Generally speaking, PEMF is used as a supportive modality rather than a standalone treatment. Depending on the application and the evidence available for a particular use, PEMF may be incorporated into programs intended to support things such as circulation, tissue recovery, relaxation, comfort, and recovery from physical workload.

It doesn't fix an injury. It doesn't replace veterinary care. It doesn't correct poor training, an ill-fitting saddle, inappropriate workload, or an underlying medical problem. And it doesn't mean that because a horse feels better after a session, the underlying or contributing issue has necessarily been resolved.

This is why it is important to think about:

What am I trying to accomplish?
What is this modality actually doing?
Is it appropriate for this horse and this situation?
What parameters and application make sense?
What does the evidence actually tell us?
And where does this fit within the horse's overall care plan?

That distinction matters.

A bodyworker shouldn't choose a modality because they have a machine available. They should choose it because they understand why they are using it, how to use it appropriately, and what role it should play in the bigger picture.

And as a client, your bodyworker should be able to explain that thought process to you.

Turnout isn't simply “time off” when it comes to a horse's body

For many horses, appropriate turnout is one of the ways they get to move their bodies, recover, and reinforce training patterns between training sessions.

What I've found, particularly with performance horses, is that turnout is often one of the first things to be restricted.

“They're too valuable.”
“He might hurt himself.”
“She can't be running around before a competition.”
“We can't risk turnout.”

As bodyworkers, I think we need to be willing to look at this through a different lens and encourage our clients to pursue the best option for their individual horse, given all the variables at their disposal, because it will look different for each one.

Turnout is not risk-free, but because confinement isn't risk-free either.

A horse that spends much of their day in a stall has very different movement opportunities from a horse who can freely walk, graze, change positions, interact with other horses, and move at their own pace throughout the day and those differences matter to the body we are working on.

Movement is a biological input that impacts bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, and other connective tissues respond to mechanical loading and the horse doesn't only experience loading when we're riding them. They experience it when they walk across a paddock, graze, shift their weight, roll, play, wander, and move through different terrain. The low-intensity, self-directed movement they experience is very different from asking the horse to perform specific movements under saddle but, it can be just as supportive or just as detrimental.

When we remove most of that movement and then ask the horse to perform athletically during their training sessions, we need to consider what we're asking the body to adapt to.

Turnout isn't automatically the right answer for every horse but it certainly shouldn't be categorized as “time off” or an unnecessary risk, either.

Look at the whole horse. Look at the whole program. And look at the environment the body is living in and encourage your clients to do the same.

You notice that a horse is standing with their hind feet noticeably turned out.
That's your observation but as a bodyworker it isn't your answer.

A horse standing toe-out doesn't automatically tell you why they're standing that way or where the source of the pattern is.

So you start tracing the pattern:
- What is the horse telling you?
- How do they move?
- Does the toe-out remain consistent in motion, or does it change?
- How is each hind limb loading?
- What does the pelvis look like?
- How are the hips and hindquarters developing?
- Are there differences between the left and right sides?
- What is happening through the stifle, hock, and hoof?
- What does their history tell you?
- Have they had an injury, change in workload, or other issue that could have contributed to the pattern?
- If the hind foot is turning out, what is influencing that position?
- Is something higher up the chain affecting how the limb is being positioned or loaded?
- Is the horse compensating for something elsewhere?
- Is the pattern coming from muscular restriction, habitual movement, conformation, discomfort, or something that needs further investigation?

These are all the questions going through your mind during an appointment, and then you start working backward through the chain.

The goal isn't to see the toe-out and immediately find a muscle to release. The goal is to recognize the pattern, investigate the connections, and keep asking "why?" until you have a better understanding of what you're actually seeing so you can support the horse moving forward.

That may mean assessing, working appropriately, reassessing, and then also deciding whether the pattern is something you can support within your scope of knowledge or whether it warrants referral to another professional.

This is what separates knowledge from understanding.

A competent and effective bodyworker doesn't just memorize what to do when they see a particular presentation. They learn to think in patterns, trace the chain, and look for the source rather than simply chasing the symptom.

That's the skill.
Learning how to think.

Building a better back takes more than one piece of the puzzle. This horse has been putting in the work under saddle, and you can see that work starting to show through in their developing topline and back musculature.

Regular, correct work under saddle is encouraging the development and use of the muscles we want to see, while consistent bodywork supports the horse as their body adapts to the workload and helps address compensation patterns that may cause other muscle groups to overcompensate.

Building strength and topline takes time. It takes appropriate training, good management, and a body that is supported throughout the process.

This is one of the most rewarding parts of regular bodywork for both myself and my students: getting to see the physical changes that happen over time as the horse becomes stronger, more balanced, and better able to do their job.

Equine bodywork is so much more than finding a tight muscle and rubbing it.

When at its best, bodywork is a process of observation, assessment, hands-on evaluation, and thoughtful application of techniques based on what the individual horse is presenting that day.

Before we ever put our hands on a horse, there is a lot to pay attention to:
- How is the horse standing?
- How are they carrying themselves?
- How is their weight distributed?
- How are they moving?
- Where are they developing muscle well and where aren't they?
- Are there noticeable differences from one side of the body to the other?
- Are there areas of tension, restriction, or altered movement?
- What does the horse's history tell us?
- What is their current workload?
- What other professionals are involved in their care?

All of this information helps create a bigger picture.

Horses don't exist as isolated muscles, joints, or body parts. Their body is interconnected, and horses are remarkably good at compensating. A horse may change how they use one area of their body because something somewhere else isn't moving or functioning as comfortably as it could. Over time, those adaptations can create additional areas of tension, restriction, or altered movement.

That doesn't mean every asymmetry or tight muscle is a problem that bodywork needs to "fix." It means we need to understand what we're seeing before deciding what, if anything, should be addressed.

A good bodyworker isn't simply following the same routine on every horse. They're assessing what they're seeing and feeling, working within their appropriate scope of knowledge, paying attention to how the horse responds, and continually reassessing throughout the session to support the horse's body in moving in the direction that is best for them.

The goal isn't to make every horse feel the same. It's to understand what this horse is presenting and choose an appropriate approach for this horse.

That's really what equine bodywork is about: not simply finding a tight spot and making it feel better, but understanding the horse as a whole and using our skills to support their comfort, movement, and overall well-being.

There is no point where you suddenly know everything.
No certification.
No number of years.
No amount of experience where you can say:
“I have nothing left to learn.”

And honestly?
I think that’s one of the best parts of this profession.

Every horse challenges you.
Every case teaches you something.
Every conversation with another professional gives you a new perspective.

Just like in every aspect of horsemanship, the best practitioners are not the ones who think they have all the answers.
They are the ones who stay curious.
The ones who ask questions.
The ones who continue to grow.
Because the moment we stop learning is the moment we stop improving.

So how are you improving right now?