Preparing for Bodywork
Before
The best place for the bodywork session is where your horse is comfortable: a stall is ideal if the horse spends time in a stall. If your horse lives outside, a round pen or quiet paddock is suitable in nice weather, or a grooming area, wide aisle or corner of a quiet indoor arena in colder weather. No hay/food in the stall, as this snacking interferes with my ability to read your horse’s responses to touch:) Please leave water, as your horse may want to drink upon feeling new sensations/changes as the bodywork is taking place.
Ideally, the session should be held during a relatively quiet time – not during feed times, deliveries, busy/high-volume horse or human foot traffic times, as this impedes the ability of your horse to be in a relaxed state. Your horse does not need to be groomed to perfection, but please make sure he (or she) is dry (not wet) and free from significant dried mud.
During
Sessions are typically 1.5 hours in length, typically not less than 1 hour and may run 2.5 hours. Every horse is different, many variables affect the length of the session, all relating to your specific horse. I will gather relevant information from you prior to the first session, either via a form filled out prior to my arrival, or in-person at the beginning of the session. Your horse should not have exercised for several hours prior to the bodywork appointment, as the muscles need to be in a “cold” state, i.e. not firing.
After
After the bodywork session, the best option to integrate all the changes that have taken place in your horse’s body is to allow your horse turn-out time in a familiar space. If this is not possible, a hand-walk for 15-20 minutes is the next best option. Most horses do best with 24 hours off from being ridden after a bodywork session. Most riders will notice an improved range of motion, more energy, and/or more connection when ridden in the next day or so after the session. Owners of horses not being ridden will notice more play and freedom in turnout. Please know that long-standing issues take time, improvements may not be noticed after one session. Remember that regular bodywork sessions are best to help discover long-held compensatory patterns that a horse may have. Ideally, regular bodywork sessions will help every horse have improved range of motion, as well as increased suppleness and strength.
“Thank you for the bodywork sessions, he did great the next day, I think it really helped him. I 100% agree with your written assessment and I can’t thank you enough for your work, it reassures me as to what I was thinking.”
— J