Electromagnetic Energy Field
Have you ever felt someone walk into a room? You didn't see them but something just felt different. 
Or, maybe you've felt when someone was having a bad day. They hadn't spoken a word yet but you could sense that something was off.
What is it that you’re feeling? It is their Electromagnetic Energy Field. 
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Your electromagnetic field, or energy field, is the energy that flows through and around your body … this can also be thought of as an aura.
Our heart is the source of this electromagnetic energy field that radiates in concentric circles several feet around our physical bodies. Horses also have this same electromagnetic field.

Amazingly, the energy field of a horse is 5 times stronger than that of a human. This means they can detect shifts in energy much earlier than we can … but you already knew that! 
This is why horses are such amazing healers. They are very in tune with their own bodies, but they are also very aware of the energy fields that are being projected at them. 

This is also why horses are involved in so many types of therapy and recovery programs. They respond to you based on the energy you are projecting…whether or not you realize it. They will mirror your energy.

Ok, I know what you left brain thinkings are processing right now. Is this some woo-woo kind of stuff she is talking about? 
Nope! There is actual science behind it!
In fact, the Heartmath Institute is dedicated to understanding just that. In one study, they set-out to answer those very questions:
Can the electromagnetic field generated by the heart of one individual be detected in physiologically relevant ways in another person, and if so, does it have any discernible biological effects?

The results of these experiments have led us to conclude that the nervous system acts as an antenna, which is tuned to and responds to the magnetic fields produced by the hearts of other individuals. My colleagues and I call this energetic information exchange energetic communication and believe it to be an innate ability that heightens awareness and mediates important aspects of true empathy and sensitivity to others. Furthermore, we have observed that this energetic communication ability can be enhanced, resulting in a much deeper level of nonverbal communication, understanding and connection between people. We also propose that this type of energetic communication between individuals may play a role in therapeutic interactions between clinicians and patients that has the potential to promote the healing process [1]
[1] https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/energetic-communication/
While teaching a workshop recently, we were discussing Body Evaluation and learning to identify types of dysfunction in one of the demo horses. The horse could feel us evaluating and judging him. He became anxious and would not stand still. I have experienced this several times with other horses, and I instantly knew what was causing his discomfort. He could feel our judgmental energy and it made him uncomfortable. I asked the class and myself to assure him that he was safe and loved. Immediately, his demeanor changed and he was once again able to stand calmly. 
What you may not realize is that we can send the energy generated at the heart anywhere inside OR outside our body. This energy creation and utilization is the foundation of the LISTEN Approach. 

I am working on an online course called Introduction to Christ-centered, Energy-based Equine Healing as well as an Equine Craniosacral Course called LISTEN Approach Pillar 1: Using Equine Craniosacral Therapy to Unlock Mystery Soundness, Movement, or Behavior Issues. 

To be the first to know updates and launches, please be sure to sign-up for my email list here:
https://listenapproach.myflodesk.com/signup​

 Lucky and Shelley 

Can poor performance be a good thing? In the case of Shelley and her horse Reyefied (Lucky), it was exactly what brought them together. 
Lucky was a seasoned cutting horse competing on the NCHA circuit. Poor performance and mystery lameness pushed Lucky into a situation that would result in him coming home to Shelley. 

When I first met Lucky, he was experiencing chronic pain that resulted in him not performing well in the show arena. Multiple veterinarians and chiropractors had seen him with no real answers on what was causing his lack of performance or solutions that would help.

During his first assessment, I identified that his body had a myriad of compensation patterns to unwind from years of working hard, with dysfunction present in his body. He had extreme reactivity in his SI area, a thoracic torsion present with his left scapula shifted up, his ribcage was stuck to the left, sternum stuck down, extreme reactivity at poll and TMJ, and had limited to no abduction in his shoulders. 
He had been compensating for so long, he had also become shut down emotionally and mentally. 

However, Shelley was a committed owner and was open to helping Lucky in whatever way was necessary, even if it meant trying something new. This included an energy-based modality like my LISTEN Approach Equine Craniosacral Therapy.
Over time, I was able to help Lucky’s body release the dysfunction and tension present, restore his range of motion, and integrate the changes in his nervous system to maintain soundness and comfort. 

As a result, he was more than happy to perform again in the show arena. Even more important, he was once again happy and engaging to be around!
Lucky now has $107,000 in LTE with the NCHA, and he and Shelley were just named 2025 NCHA Red River Circuit $35k Non-Pro Year End Champions.

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to this amazing team! I am so grateful Shelley was committed to helping Lucky. It has truly been a pleasure to be part of their Wellness Team.

To God be the glory!

If you’ve been treating a horse with poor performance or mystery lameness, let this be the permission you’ve been looking for to try something new and look outside the box for answers. 
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And, if you have questions about my LISTEN Approach Equine Craniosacral Therapy, leave them below. Always happy to help! 

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News Flash: Negative Plantar Angles result in possibly the most overlooked cause of lameness in horses!
 
Ever had a “mystery” hind end lameness??? Keep reading…
 
Hind Hooves: What parts of the horse’s body are being negatively impacted when the hind hooves aren’t balanced???
 
Let’s recap the front hooves. When front hooves aren’t balanced and the horse is experiencing heel pain, the lameness will usually present in the hoof. Imbalances in the hind hooves are more complicated.
 
A negative plantar angle (front under run heels) will present HIGHER in the horse’s body. Why? Let’s look at the biomechanics of what is happening in the hind end. The front leg is kind of like a swinging pendulum absorbing force. The hind leg is generating force.
 
When the hind foot is lifting off the ground (protraction), it starts with flexion of the hip, stifle, and hock. The hip joint is flexed by the iliopsoas muscle, the stifle is then flexed by the femoral bicep, and the hock flexes from the reciprocal apparatus. When the hind foot is going back towards the ground (retraction), the middle glute muscle contracts and pushes the whole leg backwards. The hamstring muscles are the second start in this phase of movement.
 
The imbalance of the hind hoof causes the hoof to stay on the ground longer. This means that all the muscles we talked about above are working REALLY hard. What happens when the body is working harder than it’s designed to? It tries to find a way to transfer the load somewhere else. Like the Sacroiliac Joint for example (which isn’t actually a joint, but that’s for another time) This is also causing excessive strain on the deep flexor tendon. Excessive strain on the deep flexor tendon can eventually lead to inflammation in the hocks.
All of this leads to the horse developing compensation patterns, which lead to postural changes involving fascia and body mapping, which lead to a very complex lameness presentation. In order to help your horse achieve balance again, it will take time and the right team.
 
What issues might you be experiencing/observing? 

• Lack of willingness to go forward.
• Reluctance to back-up or stop on hind end.
• A change in postural stance when at rest or stopped. Your horse is bringing its hind end underneath themselves.
• Unusual anxiety or behavioral changes.
• Multiple areas of soreness of lameness in the hind end.
• Chronic back pain or tension.
• Kissing spines.

 
Ok, take a breath. I know. That’s a lot. If you believe your horse is experiencing this issue, you are not alone!
 
Where should you start as a horse owner if you’re having some hind end lameness?
 

• Ask your vet to x-ray your horse’s hind feet to evaluate the plantar angle. PLEASE be sure to use the hoof radiograph (x-ray) checklist to ensure the proper views and method is used!

 

• Work with your hoof care professional to come up with a plan to help your horse become balanced.

 

• Find a certified equine body worker who can partner with your vet and farrier to determine the best rehabilitation plan for your horse. If you are in my service area, it would be my pleasure to be part of your wellness team! If not, consider a wellness consultation I offer to point you in the right direction.

 
Blessings,
Amy

Horses are Hard
If you have ever owned a horse, you know that sometimes it seems like there is always “something” going on with your horse. They can go from sound to not, or healthy to not in what seems like overnight. We become so attached to them, and they literally are like a member of the family. We invest a lot of resources into caring for them (time, money, energy, emotions). They help us grow in ways that non-horse people just can’t understand. They shape us into who God intends us to be.
That being said, they do have a predisposition of being easily injured or sick. It is easy to feel down, and it seem like it is always “something”. The truth is, it is always “something” with them. But, that’s horses.

During times of illness or injury, try to find the joy in just spending time with your horse. Sometimes we get so caught up in the responsibilities of horse ownership, that we forget the incredible blessing they are to just BE with them. Remember the incredible awe and wonder you felt about your first horse?!? It’s the small things like hand grazing/hand walking or soaking a hoof that can increase the bond you have with your horse.

If you are going through an it is “something” phase at the moment, I am sorry. Hang in there! We (other horse lovers) feel and see you! You will get through it. Trust that God has it worked out already and find peace in the current moment you are in with your horse.

I was recently supporting clients going through some tough challenges with lameness and hoof problems. One of them looked at me and said, “Horses are hard!” Yes, yes, yes! Horses are hard indeed.

But, thank you Lord allowing them to be part of our lives!
 Blessings,
​Amy

Pain is complicated. It is not black and white, and it is experienced differently by every horse.
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According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:
“There is still much to learn about how and why people feel pain in different ways. Acute pain with an obvious cause (an infection or broken bone, for example) is much better understood than chronic pain. Research shows that factors and changes in the body (biological), the mind (psychological), and a person’s experiences with others along with the conditions in their environment (social) are all contributors to an individual’s experience of pain. For this reason, pain is known as a biopsychosocial experience.
Biological factors associated with pain include things like brain function and genetics. Psychological factors are things like mood and stress. Social factors include things like having (or not having) a support system or experiencing biased care. Each set of factors affects and impacts one another. Therefore, treatment for pain is both complex and individual.”
Pain is complicated.

Let’s break down pain into four categories or boxes and collectively call them the Pain Matrix.

1. Structural Compromise- this occurs when a joint or soft tissue (tendon, ligament, disc, muscle, etc.) has a structural anomaly or damage that is confirmed via imaging such as  x-rays or MRI (for example: arthritis, bone spur, OCD lesions, tears, overlapping or close vertebrae, etc.)**It is imperative to recognize this is NOT always the cause of the pain. More on that below. **
2. Inflammatory Response – inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect itself. This can include swelling, heat, redness, etc.
3. Muscle and Fascial Tension- muscle and fascial tension occur when movement is restricted. In a pain scenario, the body will naturally guard the injured area and create a compensation pattern that includes overusing adjacent areas of the body where the injury is not present.
4. Nervous System Dysregulation-  nerve signals are sent from the brain to injured areas to tell the body “It hurts!”. This is essentially an alarm system. Sometimes the brain can struggle to return to a normal state and operation of the alarm system after injury. There are many reasons this can happen, and sometimes it happens with no apparent explanation. 
Together, these create a holistic view of pain. To truly support holistic healing, all four categories must be considered and addressed. Let me explain…
 
Have you ever met someone who had back pain with a bulging disc and narrowing vertebral spaces (structural compromise) who was in so much pain they could hardly walk? I am sure you have. But I bet you have also met someone who had the same structural compromise of a bulging disc and narrowing vertebral spaces who was an avid athlete with no pain. How can that possibly be? Because structural compromise is not always the source of pain. You read that correctly. The imaging diagnosis is not always the source of pain. What are the differences between the two people? They are individuals with unique nervous systems. There are many examples which demonstrate that pain is more complicated than expected. For example, people can experience phantom limb pain after amputation, and research shows spine imaging such as X-rays do not correlate with how much pain a person has. The same goes for your horse… Now let’s consider the other three categories in the Pain Matix.

A healthy inflammatory response will vary based on how healthy the body is prior to the compromise (this goes for structural or immune response). Supporting a healthy inflammatory response includes a clean diet, healthy gut microbiome, stress reduction, and physical fitness. Making sure all those aspects are healthy will greatly assist how your body responds to injury. It’s also important to recognize and appreciate that the inflammatory response is natural. If we completely take it away, we could be disrupting the natural inherent healing of the body. A better approach is to support it, not completely block it.  Supporting it would look like homeopathics, herbs, PEMF, red light, and temporary use of NSAIDS.

Muscle and Fascial Tension: I am sure you can relate; you sprain your ankle or jam your toe and start walking with a limp. Before long, you are leaning and walking with a limp. Then, your back starts to hurt…what happened? You created muscle and fascia tension because you were guarding the injured area. You can also cause compression in nerves. The exact same thing happens to your horse. Muscle and Fascial Tension can create fibrosis and completely change how your horse’s body can transfer motion throughout the body correctly. Regular bodywork that addresses myofascial release and massage is imperative to support healing.
Last but not least, the horse’s nervous system becomes dysregulated when the horse’s alarm system is extra-sensitive. It can be set off by normal daily tasks, resulting in ongoing pain and reduced function. And the more the alarm is set off, the easier it is to set off; essentially, your body gets good at feeling pain. To assist your horse’s body in resetting the nervous system, craniosacral can be very helpful. By supporting the horse’s inherent healing, the nervous system is able to regulate itself and operate in a balanced state once again.   
 
To fully support pain from a holistic and wholistic perspective, pain MUST be viewed considering the entire Pain Matrix. If your horse tears a suspensory ligament or even has a hoof abscess, don’t forget to support the WHOLE body. The LISTEN Approach is a fantastic modality to support pain in your horse. Interested in learning more? Check out the Workshops tab.
 
A Wellness Team is essential for helping your horse deal with pain. Building a team including a veterinarian, farrier, trainer, and bodyworker who can collaborate for the good of the horse is essential.  

Blessings,
Amy

Tips for a Speedy and Successful Rehab

How Long does the Rehab Process take?

This is a common and very fair question. How long will the rehab process take? Or, when will my horse be better? I really hate to say this, but it depends. It not only depends upon what your horse is recovering from, but it also truly depends upon the individual horse. If you are working with your veterinarian, they likely gave you an estimate on the recovery time. The good news is, there are some common factors that apply to any recovery and some actions you can take to help your horse recover as quickly as possible.
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A Whole-Body approach to healing is key. In this article, we will discuss foundations of nutrition required for healing, lifestyle and management practices to promote healing, tips to developing a rehab plan, and addressing the emotional component to the rehab process (for both horses and owners).

Nutrition for Rehab

Balanced nutrition is the foundation for a healthy horse, and it’s even more important when your horse’s body is experiencing a condition that requires healing. This first step is to ensure you are feeding a non-inflammatory/clean diet. This is a diet free from ingredients loaded with glyphosate (soy, corn, molasses, beet-pulp, and canola). Be careful to observe your feed for any by-products of those ingredients. I will go into more detail about why this type of diet is necessary for your horse’s optimal health in another article. Next, ensure your horse is receiving a balanced blend of bio-available vitamins and minerals. Most commercial feeds will not contain the appropriate form of vitamins and minerals (or the levels) for your horse’s body to absorb and utilize them correctly. Lastly, consider adding herbs or supplements to promote healing the specific systems you horse needs help with. For example, if your horse had a ligament or tendon tear or strain, consider adding a supplement to promote soft tissue healing. Or, if your horse had surgery for kissing spine, consider adding a supplement to promote nerve regeneration.

Lifestyle and Management

Stress is a HUGE factor in hindering healing. Actually, stress is usually a primary underlying factor that results in illness or injury. That being said, stress is extremely important to limit when your horse is healing. To control the amount of stress in your horse’s environment and life, we must first consider what causes a horse stress. Horses are herd animals and feel the most comfortable and safe when other horses are around. If your horse has been prescribed stall rest, consider ways to allow them to still see and be near other horses. Also, does stall rest truly make sense for your horse? Honestly consider this question with great thought and discuss it with your veterinarian. New studies are uncovering that the stress and lack of circulation may actually hinder the healing process more than the horse not being stalled. Is a small turnout or pen a better option? It’s worth a discussion with your vet.
When your horse is recovering from an injury or surgery, there will likely be a change in routine. Doing your best to maintain your horse’s normal routine will make a big difference in reducing the amount of stress they experience.

The reduction in turnout or exercise may cause your horse to become bored. Boredom is a major stressor for you horse. Consider adding some entertainment to stimulate your horse’s mind! There are a lot of horse toys on the market (Jolly Ball, Treat Balls, etc.) You can also make your own by using an old milk jug. Be creative and find ways that may provide some entertainment for your horse (and undoubtedly for you too!).

Why is stress so bad? Human studies have confirmed that stress in the body increases the production of hormones that slow the delivery of cytokines to the injured site in the body. It’s also interesting to note that studies have linked a decrease in recovery time to when a patient experiences stress, depression, and anxiety prior to surgery.
Consider adding an adaptogen to your horse’s diet. When the body is stressed, it produced an abundance of cortisol because the HPA (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal) Axis is not able to function properly. Adaptogens help the body cope with the stress without producing excess cortisol. Examples of adaptogens to consider giving to your horse (after consulting your vet of course) include Ashwaghanda Root, Reishi Mushroom, and Astragalus Root. Speaking of the HPA Axis, it important to ensure that you have an Body Worker on your horse’s wellness team. The proper functioning of the HPA Axis can be restored as well as any other areas of imbalance that have resulted from the surgery or injury.

Tips for Developing a Rehab Plan

The rehab process is often viewed only as healing the injury. However, it’s important to develop a recovery plan to bring yourself and your horse back into work. Find a trainer you are confident in to help you develop a plan specific to you and your horse. Depending upon how long you have been healing, you and your horse’s body will likely be re-mapping a lot of movements and neural functions.
The Emotional Component to Healing

It’s very likely that the healing process is very stressful for you as an owner, and your horse knows that (whether you are honest with them or not). The best way to deal with the stress is to be honest with yourself and your horse. Horses feel safest when their owners are congruent. Congruent meaning they project the same actions as they are energetically feeling. We all have ways of personally coping with stress. For me, meditation and prayer are essential. It’s imperative that you maintain a positive outlook and TRULY believe your horse will recover. Start a recovery journal. Journal each day about the small steps that you and your horse are taking. It’s the small steps that add up to big improvements.

Remember it’s also important to view your horse as healing and not view them as broken or injured. If you are viewing them as broken or injured, you will not only be incongruent with your emotions, but you will also be emitting negative energy towards your horse. Truly believing your horse is recovering and improving will allow you to hold a space of love and compassion for your horse to emit positive energy towards them and assist in their healing.

The healing and rehab process is unique to all horses and humans. Please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if I can help support you.

Blessings,
Amy


 

The top three dysfunctions I see in horses (performance and non):

​#1 The most common pattern of dysfunction I see in performance horses is a thoracic torsion. This occurs when the scapulas are sitting in an unbalanced manner with the sternum being pulled laterally. There are several causes for this torsion, but I always find dysfunction in the hyoid, diaphragm, and signification fascial adhesions supporting this holding pattern. Over time, this will result in asymmetrical muscle development. This is easy to spot when looking from the front of the horse and eyeing the point of shoulders, or you can look from the top and look at the tops of the scapulas. The typical pattern is the left scapula is up/back and the right scapula is down/forward, causing the thoracic vertebra to shift to the right and causing the sternum to shift (all directions are from the point of view of the horse). Why is this the typical pattern? Based on the foals I have worked with; I believe a lot of this happens in utero. Also, we tend to be very one-sided handling our horses. The horses I have seen who the opposite pattern, typically have sustained some type of significant injury involving a fall.
 
#2 The second most common pattern I see in performance horses is a horse that is stuck in adduction. Meaning that their thoracic cavity is compressed medially and there is very limited external rotation or abduction of the front legs. Why is this a problem??? Well, if your horse is doing any lateral movement (making a corner, spinning, turning a barrel, turning period) then this will effect how your horse can properly use their body. When movements cannot be made as the body is designed, the body FINDS a WAY! This means that structures not intended to be used for turning will be used. Unfortunately, this can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to deep digital flexor tendon tears, suspensory ligament tears, nerve impingement, extreme muscle and fascial adhesions, and a compensatory gait pattern.
How do you know if your horse is stuck? Watch this video.
 
#3 The third most common pattern of dysfunction I see in performance horses is a cranial shear. A myriad of events can lead to a shift in cranial bones. Direct physical trauma, imbalances in the teeth/hooves, imbalances in other parts of the body, environmental and chemical exposure, emotional trauma.
How can asymmetry affect your horse?
Asymmetry in cranial bones can create excessive pressure in the head (headache), disrupt communication in the nervous system, cause lameness, reactivity in the head, spookiness, entrap nerves that can cause head shaking syndrome, and contribute to endocrine and metabolic dysfunction. One thing I want to stress is that this shear IS affecting your horse’s entire body…even the way they move and their posture.

Take heart, the cranial bones are NOT fused, and we can rebalance them to restore balance and proper function in your horse’s body. In the picture below, you can see the lines of what are called sutures. I like to refer to these as “expansion joints” (probably because of my engineering background 😊) These sutures are flexing and extending as cerebral spinal fluid is being pumped throughout your horse’s body. The pumping of the cerebral spinal fluid is supporting your horse’s nervous system…in essence, their whole body. So, if there is a disruption in this communication, you can see how this is detrimental to your horse’s health.

Baby steps add up to big steps that result in big changes. You’ve probably heard that before, but I want to focus on reframing it. I want you to think about celebrating Progress and not waiting or chasing Perfection. It is so easy when you are working to improve your horse’s health to focus only on reaching that target goal of perfection. What we can’t forget to recognize is that progress over time is what leads you to that goal of perfection (which is anything really perfect? A discussion for another time).

Let’s say your horse has developed a compensation pattern or body lameness. You have identified the issues and found the perfect team to help you develop a wellness plan. You are so excited! You get to work doing all the things. Improving hoof angles, scheduling regular bodywork, improving saddle fit, setting up ground poles, doing your prescribed exercises day, after day, after day, after day… now it has been 6 weeks and you are still 6 more weeks from completing the wellness plan. You start to get discouraged. I want you to STOP.

​Think back on what has improved since you started. Is your horse making small changes that you failed to celebrate? Do they have an increased range of motion in a limb, or are they starting to stand in a more neutral posture in the pasture, or it has it been easier for you to pick up their feet? THAT is progress! Yes! Celebrate that. Remember to get excited about the small things to keep you in a positive frame of mind as you are working towards your end goal.

To help keep you on track, ask your team to assist in identifying what positive signs of progress look like for your horse. Keep a notebook of those changes as they occur and look back at it as needed to keep moving in the right direction.
You and your horse have got this! Keep going.
 
Blessings,
Amy

I emphasize quite a bit about your horse needing a Wellness Team. What exactly does that mean? What I am referring to is a team of equine professionals who communicate well with each other, and all have a common goal… your horse’s well-being. If you are on a holistic health journey, this can add more complexity to finding your team.
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Several years ago, I was at a Brent Graef clinic and we were discussing my challenge of finding a horse trainer to match my needs. He made the comment that sometimes you may not be able to find someone who is on the same page, but you can find someone who is in the same chapter. This really made me think about how this applies to a Wellness Team. Not many of us have access to equine professionals who are 100% on the same page. In our area of Texas, we do not have access to those on the same page, but we do have access to those in the same chapter! It is a matter of finding professionals who agree to disagree and respect each other’s opinions. The ability to respectfully disagree and discuss is a must in any healthy working relationship.
 
Here’s an example of how the Wellness Team might work together: An owner feels like her horse is just “not right” traveling to the left. The owner has a Wellness Team in place of a veterinarian, hoof care professional, trainer, and bodyworker. The team works together to rule out anything serious and identify improvements needed in the horse’s body and training routine to help the horse be stronger and healthy. By the team being in the same chapter, discussions can occur that move in a positive and constructive direction to help the horse in the way the owner desires.
 
I sometimes find myself being a facilitator on teams. Recognizing that we may not all be on the same page, sometimes I must take information from a page and bring it back to the chapter we are in.
 
Our chapter is helping to facilitate healing in horses, the most holistic way possible, while leaving the ego out of it.
 
If you haven’t found a Wellness Team yet, please keep trying. Sometimes You may be the facilitator on your Wellness Team. Just remember that everyone has different lenses and filters by which they see things and develop beliefs. All of us have had the veil lifted on different subjects at different times, but our common goal should always be for the horse.
 
Blessings,
Amy

I want to preface this by saying, I do truly believe that horse care professionals do the best they can for your horses with the knowledge they have. Sometimes there is a need for new eyes that view your horse from a different lens and identify new ways to help them while collaborating with other professionals on the Wellness Team.
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Unfortunately, a lot of clients come to me as a last resort to find answers and get results. I recently had a performance horse client bring me a horse who has consistently had a decline in performance and attitude. Their trusted veterinarian recommended injecting the left stifle (which they did a few times), but alas no improvement. So what was the problem? Was this some weird mystery lameness? Did this horse need more diagnostic imaging like an MRI? No, he needed new eyes to identify what I call a Body Lameness.

A body lameness you ask? Yes. There are more systems in the body that can cause lameness other than joints. Let me say that again. There are more systems in the body that can cause lameness other than joints. With approximately 700 muscles, 31 pairs of spinal nerves, and more fascia connecting everything to everything than we can even quantify, it seems rather odd to stop at joints when looking for answers.
Back to our performance horse…

Upon assessing him, I noticed several asymmetries in his body and compensation patterns in his movement. His body had figured out a way to keep working, and it had created layers of dysfunction throughout his body. The lameness he was experiencing was a Body Lameness. It involved fascial, nerve, muscular, and ligament restrictions. During his session we (the horse and I) worked through unwinding the restrictions and re-integrating the newly discovered ranges of motion. The shifts in his posture and movement were immediately noticeable. This session was profound for him, and he processed in his stall for several hours afterwards. After a few days rest, he began going back to work. His owner reported fantastic improvements and those went on to be increasing scores in the show pen and eventually an Reserve World Championship. *Note- not all body lameness resolve this quickly! Some need months of rehabilitation exercises and regular body work and supporting modalities.

I don’t share this to brag about the results of his session. I share this to encourage and inform you to look from a different lens. I advocate working with a Wellness Team to keep your horse as healthy as possible. It takes multiple perspectives and areas of expertise to do the best we can for our amazing four-legged partners!

Could your horse be experiencing a Body Lameness that is not being addressed? Do you need to find someone to help you view things from a different lens? I am happy to support you either with an in-person visit or a remote consultation.

Blessings,
Amy