Equine Massage and Cryotherapy

19/01/2025

Good morning, I never get sick of mornings with views like this 💗

15/01/2025

Kickstart the 2025 Competition Season!

As you bring your horse back into work after the Christmas break, give them the ultimate advantage with the perfect combination of Cryotherapy and Massage.

Together, these therapies provide the optimum experience to:

✔️ Reduce muscle soreness
✔️ Speed up recovery
✔️ Improve flexibility and performance

📎 Check out the attachment to learn how this powerful duo can support your horse’s return to work and set them up to perform at their absolute best this season!

Don’t wait—message me to book the ultimate session for your horse and help them shine in 2025! 💙✨

14/01/2025

Wise words

Why you will not see me being spectacular on a young horse:

Klaus Balkenhol explains, "Although breeders have created a better horse, the market has created a demand for a stronger, healthier, more powerful horse. It's easier to sell a horse that looks like a carefully developed eight-year-old, and not like a three- or four-year-old just beginning his career. If you force it, you can get a three-year-old to physically look like a developed eight-year-old. Too many colts remain stallions which, if approved, promise breeders higher prices as three-year-olds. Now 250 to 300 young stallions are presented each year, when only 40 or 50 will be approved.
Few breeders have the sense to geld the yearling stallions and leave them on the pasture to mature naturally. Instead, yearling stallions are brought into a stall, fed too much grain, and at three, look like six- or seven-year-olds. They have muscle mass, but not enough bone structure to support it. They look mature from the outside but aren't . . . and when started to work, degeneration sets in. Competitions also create pressure to push horses too fast as competitions are now scheduled throughout the year without any breaks."
Common Mistakes In Pushing Too Fast
Tightening the noseband: "A horse resists by sticking out his tongue. Tightening the noseband too much puts pressure on the nose and on the poll. If it is necessary to tighten the noseband very tightly, then something has gone very wrong in the basic training of the horse. The horse cannot be relaxed, the first step on the training scale," warns Klaus.
Specializing too early: "Drilling every day in the indoor arena is too intense for the young horse. It's very important, especially in the first two years of training, not to specialize the young horse. Training should include a variety of activities, including trail riding, which is good for the mind as well as building strength with hill work. It should include jumping, either free or low jumps under saddle, including small natural obstacles on the trail, and cavaletti. A variety of work will allow the horse to stay mentally fresh and to enjoy his work. Only when the horse is happy can dressage become art."
Not checking tack frequently: "Saddle and tack need to be checked constantly for proper fit and adjusted as the horse's body changes with growth, and as his fitness improves with the training. If the noseband gets too low, for example, and the skin between the noseband and the bit is rubbed and becomes sore, this causes the horse discomfort and loss of relaxation. Regularly check for sharp edges and bit problems in the horse's mouth and teeth."
Working too long: "The goal of our training is to build the horse's mind and his muscles. Suppleness and relaxation require adequate muscle strength. strengthening requires both contraction and relaxation. Blood flow and oxygenation occur when the muscle relaxes. If the muscle is kept in a constant state of contraction, it loses power and strength, and actually becomes smaller. Frequent rest periods, especially for a young horse at a free walk on a long rein, are necessary. The rest periods are not for a rider's fatigue, but to allow the horse to stretch and relax his muscles. The rest breaks will give you a completely new horse. This is the systematic gymnasticizing of the horse."
Riding when the horseman is tense: "Horses are particularly sensitive to the rider's mood. A rider shouldn't ride if she is under undue stress or doesn't have the time to ride. If the rider has a bad day, give the horse a rest day or go for a relaxing trail ride; don't work in the arena. The horse mirrors the rider's mood."
Not praising the horse enough: "The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing. If the horse offers piaffe, for instance, because he's excited, praise him for it. You shouldn't stop the lesson at that point nor make a big deal out of it. If you don't want piaffe, quietly urge him forward into trot, but you should NEVER punish him for offering the piaffe. - Klaus Blakenhol

31/12/2024

🐴 Curious About Cryotherapy & Bodywork? ❄️

Discover how these powerful therapies can help your horse feel and perform at their best! From relieving muscle tension to speeding up recovery, the benefits are endless.

📎 Check out the attachments to learn more and see how cryotherapy and bodywork could make a difference for your horse today!

Have questions? Drop them in the comments or send me a message—I’m here to help! 💙✨

30/12/2024

🐴 Why Does Your Horse Yawn or Lick During Bodywork? 💤👅

Ever noticed your horse yawning, licking, or chewing during a bodywork session? These behaviours are their way of showing release!

When tension is relieved in the muscles and fascia, your horse’s nervous system signals it's safe to relax. Yawning and licking are natural signs that they’re letting go of stress, improving circulation, and finding comfort.

Bodywork isn’t just physical—it’s a reset for their whole body and mind. Give your horse the gift of true relaxation! 🐾✨

📞 Message Natalie to book a session and see these amazing responses for yourself!

29/12/2024

💡 Did You Know? 💡

Your horse's muscles play a huge role in guiding their movement and posture! 🐴💪

Muscles don’t just create movement; they tell the bones what to do by pulling and stabilizing them. When muscles are tense, overworked, or imbalanced, they can affect your horse's skeletal alignment, leading to discomfort, reduced performance, or even injury.

That’s where bodywork comes in! By releasing tension and restoring balance, we help your horse move freely, comfortably, and at their best.

Give your horse the care they need—because healthy muscles mean a happy, healthy horse! 💕

📞 Message Natalie today to learn more or book a session!

27/12/2024

Why is Bodywork essential for your horse, a short read for the holidays. :-)

23/12/2024

What can I say 🤷‍♀️

❤❤...!!
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Reading books daily brings many benefits, improving both intellectually and emotionally. Here are 10 reasons why you should read books every day:
1. Expand your knowledge: Reading exposes you to new information and deepens your understanding of various topics such as culture, history, science, art, and everyday life.
2. Enhance critical thinking and analysis: Regular reading improves your ability to reason, analyze, and solve problems logically and creatively.
3. Improve writing and communication skills: Exposure to a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures helps you refine your expression and writing abilities.
4. Reduce stress and anxiety: Reading helps reduce stress by transporting you into different worlds, allowing your mind to relax and unwind.
5. Develop focus and patience: Reading requires concentration and patience to follow complex narratives or concepts, improving these skills over time.
6. Boost imagination and creativity: Reading, especially fiction, stimulates your imagination and enhances creativity by helping you visualize scenes, characters, and scenarios.
7. Improve memory: Reading encourages you to remember details about characters, plots, and information, which strengthens your memory retention.
8. Develop critical thinking: Many books, particularly those on science, philosophy, or politics, challenge you to think deeply and develop your critical reasoning abilities.
9. Inspire and motivate: Self-help books, biographies of successful individuals, or inspiring stories can provide motivation and guidance for your own life.
10. Increase empathy and social skills: Reading about other people’s lives and emotions helps you understand and empathize with them, which enhances your ability to connect with others socially.
Reading daily is a positive habit that benefits your mental health and fosters personal growth.

18/12/2024

🎄CHRISTMAS MESSAGE🎄

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas! 🎅🐴

Thank you for your friendship, support, and for trusting me with the care of your incredible horses throughout 2024. It’s been an honour to help them feel and perform at their best, and I’m so grateful to be part of your journey.

Please note, I’ll be taking a short break from 23rd December to 8th January, but I’ll be ready to hit the ground running in the new year.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas filled with love, laughter, and of course, plenty of horse cuddles! 💙✨

Natalie
🩷🎅🎄

15/12/2024

🎄 Struggling for Gift Ideas? 🎁

Why not give the horse lover in your life something truly special – a Gift Voucher from Equine Massage! 🐴✨

Help improve their equine partner’s Performance, Recovery, and Overall Well-Being with the benefits of Massage and Cryotherapy.

💳 Vouchers available in any value – tailored to suit your needs!

📩 Message Natalie today to make their Christmas extra memorable! 🎅❤️

12/12/2024

🎄 Struggling for Gift Ideas? 🎁

Why not give the horse lover in your life something truly special – a Gift Voucher from Equine Massage! 🐴✨

Help improve their equine partner’s Performance, Recovery, and Overall Well-Being with the benefits of Massage and Cryotherapy.

💳 Vouchers available in any value – tailored to suit your needs!

📩 Message Natalie today to make their Christmas extra memorable! 🎅❤️

11/12/2024

🎄 Struggling for Christmas Gift ideas? 🎁

Why not give the horse lover in your life something truly special – a Gift Voucher from Equine Massage! 🐴✨

Help improve their equine partner’s Performance, Recovery, and Overall Well-Being with the benefits of massage and cryotherapy.

💳 Vouchers available in any value – tailored to suit your needs!

📩 Message Natalie today to make their Christmas extra memorable! 🎅❤️

08/12/2024

I always enjoy this view on my way to work off a Monday.

05/12/2024

This is an interesting and informative read on gag bits.

Most people don’t use them, but it’s always good to have some knowledge of how they and other equipment work in the right hands.

Another nerdy bit post. This one is about ring gag bits used almost exclusively in polo. A ring gag is different from many bits today that are called gag bits. I'm writing this to elaborate on a post about how the horse-are-pets people want to ban what they believe are "torture" equipment like draw reins and gag bits.

These ring gags are very specialized training tools that require education and experience to be used correctly. Their misuse is what has the horses-are pets crowd wanting to ban them when education is the solution.

The #1 image is a horse pulling on their tied lead rope and reacting intensely to poll pressure. Poll pressure will cause this extreme reaction unless a horse is trained out of this instinctual reaction. The #2 image shows a ring gag in a horse's mouth with some rein pressure. The yellowish rope is called a gag-round that is attached to the reins. You can see how when rein pressure is applied the ring rotates. As the ring rotates, the rein pressure goes up to the bridle's crown piece and applies the rein pressure there.

The mouthpiece seen in image #2 stays in the same place in the mouth as the ring rotates in a sort of "clutch" action that allows the mouthpiece to stay where it is without much increased mouth pressure even when rein pressure is increased. The mouthpiece slides freely on the ring until the ring's rotation reaches the place on the ring where the round goes through the ring. At that point, when the mouthpiece reaches the round, the ring engages the mouthpiece and then increased pressure is put on the mouthpiece from the reins.

This simple ring mechanism first isolates the poll pressure from the mouth pressure and as the reins are pulled harder, the mouthpiece pressure is added into the poll pressure at a specific point in the ring's rotation.

Why do we want to isolate the poll pressure at first? Because this isolated poll pressure can tap into the impulse we see in image #1 but to a much lesser degree. This action on the poll is a quick warning or alert of things to come, sort of a wakeup call.

When the mouthpiece action gets added into the poll pressure, a rider "has a hold of the head" and a rider must use this hold very briefly because the poll pressure is an unusual pressure or warning, and eventually the added ring gag's mouthpiece action acts like any other bit except the poll pressure is used in sequence and combination with it. If a rider hangs on a ring gag without release, a horse can get used to it and the impact of this type bit is diminished. Therefore, using ring gags requires specific and delicate on-and-off contact, which suits the stop, turn and go nature of polo.

Image #3 is a ring gag with a small ring. This means that the "clutch" action of the ring engages the mouthpiece sooner than a ring gag with a larger ring. This bit has a double snaffle offset mouthpiece called a Barry gag after its inventor. In my view, the combination of its small ring and the intense mouthpiece make this a pretty intense bit requiring very soft hands.

By comparison, the #4 ring gag with its larger ring and simple mouthpiece is a more typical ring gag. The rotation of the larger ring provides more poll pressure and slower mouthpiece engagement as well as less intense mouth action than the Barry gag mouthpiece. The #4 is a very common polo ring gag.

The #3, #4 and #5 images show the different sizes of rings used in ring gags. A smaller ring, like #3, has less rotation and thus it provides less poll pressure and quicker mouthpiece engagement. #5 is the opposite. The rotating large ring can multiply the poll pressure while it delays the engagement of the mouthpiece. And like with the three bears, #4 is usually just right for the average horse.

Bits #6 and #7 have medium size rings and very different mouth pieces. The #6, with the Barry double offset snaffle mouthpiece, is the one of the most intense mouths of all ring gags. The #7 with the link snaffle mouthpiece might be one of the least intense ring gag mouth pieces.

Hopefully this will explain the possible variations in ring gags, a somewhat obscure specialized bit type. These bits can be challenging to understand and difficult to predict how they will affect a particular horse. In fact, in about one out of ten prospects, when the horse feels the poll pressure from a ring gag, they will duck their head down, not lift it up as seen in image #1. This is because they have been trained to release against poll pressure.

From these pictures you can imagine the countless possible variations of the combinations of ring sizes and mouthpiece types available with ring gags. Therefore, selecting a ring gag bit for prospects requires a lot of experience and a pile of ring gags to pick from. The process of selecting a ring gag is part experience and part trial and error. Some horses do not go well in a ring gag and polo players then tend to use pelham bits.

I want to thank my friend Jim Groesbeck Horsemanship for his comment on my other post about how the horse-are-pets people think gags and draw reins are the work of the devil. It inspired this post. I hope this explanation explains ring gags better.

Link to former post that included ring gag info & comments -
www.facebook.com/BobWoodHorsesForLife/posts/pfbid02jopGj4arRj377d6wp4hDzj7BS6bt3i7zNqkYLs9naxQDa3fCY15FjFA3CfK5rmral

24/11/2024

🌟 Client Testimonial Highlight 🌟

I'm so grateful to hear how cryotherapy has made a difference for horses dealing with laminitis. Knowing I've been able to help these amazing animals find comfort and relief means the world to me. 💙

A huge thank you to my wonderful clients for trusting me with the care of their beloved horses — I'm honored to be a part of their journey. 🐴❄️

If your horse is struggling, I'm here to help! Reach out to learn more about how cryotherapy can support your horsey. 💪✨