Arrow SL Equine Bodywork

No better way to start the morning than with some quality time with my personal horse, today's massage and spa day was just what she needed to feel her best!

Inside the Equine Athlete

That big muscle on the side of your horse’s face is called the masseter. It’s one of the main chewing muscles, but it can also give bodyworkers clues about tension in the rest of the horse’s body.

Sometimes when I check the masseter, I find it’s tight, uneven, or overworked. When that happens, horses may show things like:

- Trouble relaxing in the bridle
- Bracing through the neck
- Short or choppy strides in the front end
- Stiffness through the back
- Difficulty bending one direction
- Trouble stepping under with the hind end

The reason?
When the jaw is tight, it can limit movement through the poll and neck, which then affects how the shoulders, back, and hind end move.

The good news:
When tension in the jaw and surrounding muscles is released, horses often feel more comfortable using the rest of their body.

Owners may notice:
✨ Softer contact
✨ Better bend
✨ Freer shoulder movement
✨ A more relaxed topline

Sometimes what looks like a training issue is actually your horse trying to move around discomfort.

And sometimes the first clue…
is simply feeling your horses cheeks!

Inside the Equine Athlete

What the Latissimus Dorsi Can Really Tell You

The classic rider frustration:
“They are bracing against my leg.”
“They wont pick up the correct lead.”
“My horse keeps shouldering the barrel.”

But here’s the thing, a tight lat makes it physically hard for your horse to lift their back and move their legs freely. So what feels like resistance is often just protection. Your horse isn’t arguing… they’re guarding.

Because it’s such a big working muscle, the latissimus dorsi needs proper nutrition to recover from daily use. Horses lacking adequate protein, amino acids, vitamin E, magnesium, or trace minerals often struggle to repair muscle tissue effectively. When that happens, this muscle may feel tight, flat, or sore again shortly after work or bodywork. Instead of elastic and springy, it feels guarded. Not from training, but from lack of recovery support.

The lat can also tighten when the body is compensating for internal stress. Horses dealing with inflammation, ulcers, metabolic strain, or fatigue often develop brace patterns through this muscle to stabilize themselves. What feels like resistance under saddle may actually be the body trying to protect itself from discomfort elsewhere.

So when I find a lat that won’t soften, I don’t just look at the saddle fit or the rider. I start asking bigger questions about fueling, recovery, and overall health.

Because sometimes this muscle isn’t the issue, it’s the clue pointing toward what the horse truly needs.

-

Every brand has a story, but my story is a horse. Her name is Ophelia.

Ophelia came from the Wind River Reservation, and she’s the reason I do this work today. She was always kind, willing, and always tried her heart out for me even with being young and afraid. So when she bucked me off at a barrel race years ago… something she had never done before, I knew it wasn’t attitude. It was a message.

When I listened, I discovered her SI joint was pinching when I asked her to stop. I wanted to help her more than anything but at the time, I was young and didn’t have the kind of money to send her to every specialist or try every therapy out there. So instead, I chose a different path. I chose to learn.

Night after night, I studied, practiced, and experimented, starting with what I could access on YouTube. I listened to her responses, trusted my hands, and let her guide me. Little by little, she softened. She moved better. She felt happier. In that process, she taught me something powerful, that dedication, curiosity, and love can take you further than resources alone.

That journey eventually led me to the Equine Natural Movement School, where I refined the skills I first built out of necessity and turned them into a lifelong practice of helping horses feel understood in their bodies.

She didn’t just inspire this business, she built it with me.
She taught me that horses don’t need perfection.
They need someone willing to listen, learn, and try.

Ophelia is, and always will be, the horse behind the brand.

Here’s an example of the kind of personalized work I create for my clients and their horses. 🤍

Every session includes individualized notes and body mapping so you can clearly see where your horse is holding tension, how it’s affecting their movement, and what we can do to support them. I also provide tailored riding recommendations, things like specific stretches, exercises, or tack adjustments that help your horse stay comfortable and balanced between sessions.

I believe bodywork shouldn’t end when I leave the barn. Giving owners a clear, personalized plan helps create lasting change and keeps your horse feeling their best in both work and rest.

If you’d like customized bodywork notes or a riding plan for your horse, message me and I’d love to work with you!

✨ December Openings! ✨

Now that things in the horsey world have started to settle down a bit, I have some openings this month for equine massage sessions. December is a great time to help your horse unwind, stay comfortable in the colder weather, and reset going into the new year. 🐴🤍

If you’d like to book or have any questions, feel free to message me! I’d love to get your horse on my schedule!