Equiform - Equine bodywork

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Equiform - Equine bodywork

Helping performance horses feel good and move better. Equine massage & skeletal alignment, done with feel. Trusted by trainers. Backed by results.

06/09/2025

🔥 Don’t Overlook the Cervical Spine in Performance Horses 🔥

The cervical spine (neck) is key to balance, flexion, and softness in the bridle. If it’s restricted or out of alignment, your horse’s performance - and comfort - can suffer.

🧠 What Cervical Restrictions Can Cause:

Resistance at the poll

Trouble bending or flexing

Head tilting or uneven contact

Lead change or lateral work issues

Bracing through transitions

💆‍♀️ Massage Therapy Helps By:

Releasing tension in overused or compensating muscles

Improving flexibility and poll mobility

Reducing muscle guarding around misalignments

🦴 Skeletal Alignments Can:

Restore proper vertebral motion

Improve symmetry and head carriage

Support clearer rein communication

Enhance overall posture and movement

💡 Why This Matters:
Your horse can’t perform at their best if they’re compensating for pain or restriction. What looks like a training issue may be a structural imbalance.

✅ Better willingness
✅ Clearer connection
✅ Enhanced collection
✅ Fewer behavioral struggles

📌 Regular bodywork and alignment are essential - not optional - for serious performance horses.

Want to know if your horse is showing signs of cervical restriction? Drop a 🐴 below or send a message to chat.

03/09/2025

💡 Did you know TMJ issues can seriously affect your horse’s performance in the campdraft arena?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge of the jaw - where the lower jaw connects to the skull. It’s a critical point for softness, balance, and communication between horse and rider.

In campdrafting, it’s under constant strain:
🔹 Bit pressure while rating and turning
🔹 Sudden flexion through the jaw and neck
🔹 Mental and physical tension from working cattle

When the TMJ is tight or sore, you might notice:
🐴 Bracing or stiffness in turns
🐴 Head tossing or uneven bit contact
🐴 Resistance to flex or soften
🐴 Struggling to track consistently

Tension here doesn’t just affect the face - it can flow through the poll, neck, and shoulders, throwing off feel and timing in the camp.

It’s one of the areas I regularly assess in bodywork sessions, especially for horses in high-pressure cow work.

📩 If your horse feels resistant or off up front, flick me a message - it might be something simple holding them back.

31/08/2025

🏇 Stockman’s Challenge season is just around the corner!
Now’s the time to fine-tune both horse and rider so you’re hitting the first event sharp and ready.

Your horse needs to be more than just fit – they need to be supple, balanced, and able to handle the quick changes of direction, stops, and cattle work without feeling tight or sore. That’s where good preparation comes in.

💪 Bodywork can help:

Improve flexibility through the shoulders, back & hindquarters

Ease muscle tension from hard training sessions

Support recovery so your horse stays feeling fresh through the season

Help them move freely to get the job done in the dry work and the wet work

It’s always more fun to compete on a horse that feels good under you. If you want yours going into the season at their best, now’s the time to get them checked over.

📅 I’m out working with horses all the time – send me a message if you’d like to book your Challenge partner in.

28/08/2025

Supporting Performance in Polo Horses with Bodywork

Polo horses work hard - fast accelerations, sudden stops, tight turns, and plenty of contact. That kind of workload puts real pressure on their bodies, and over time, small issues can turn into bigger ones.

Massage and skeletal alignment can help address common issues like:

🌀 Shortened stride after repeated stops and turns
🔄 One-sidedness when riding off
🐎 Resistance in the neck or poll when changing direction
💥 Tight backs from repeated acceleration/deceleration
⚖️ Sacroiliac imbalances from fast turns and asymmetrical loading

These aren’t just general “maintenance” treatments - they’re about restoring balance, comfort, and performance in horses that give 100% every chukka.

26/08/2025

I’m not here to waste your time (or money).

When I work on your horse, the goal is simple: help them feel and move better 🐎✨. But sometimes, bodywork isn’t the full answer.

If we’re not getting the results we should, I don’t just keep turning up and doing the same thing. That’s not fair on you - or your horse ❤️.

Instead, I’ll look at the bigger picture 🔎. Often the real issue isn’t muscular at all. It could be:

🐴 Feet that need balancing by a farrier

🦷 Teeth causing discomfort that a dentist needs to address

🩺 Health concerns or bony changes that only a vet can diagnose and treat

In those cases, I’ll tell you straight and point you to the right professional 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️.

Because at the end of the day, my job isn’t to sell you sessions. It’s to help your horse - and if I can’t fix the problem, I’ll make sure you know who can ✅.

23/08/2025

It’s Not You, It’s My Brain 🐴

I’m always grateful when someone offers me a bed while I’m travelling for work - it’s a kind gesture.
But by the end of a day working with horses, my brain is fried.
I’ve spent hours watching, thinking, problem-solving, and adjusting.

By the time I finish, I need quiet to recharge so I can give 100% the next day.
So if I politely say no to staying over, it’s never about you - it’s about making sure your horse gets me at my best.

21/08/2025

Horses: the kings and queens of compensation. 👑🐎

How many times have you seen a horse slip, bang into something, take a few funny steps… and then just carry on like nothing happened?
Yeah. They’re not fine.
They just have to pretend they are, so the lions don’t eat them.

Earlier this year I had one of the best examples of this I’ve come across in my whole career.

The Jemalong Polo Club got in touch and asked if I’d be interested in working on some of their horses.
The new manager and I had a mutual friend in Aiden Nunn who’d recommended me - even though it was a bit out of my usual area.

Jake (the manager) was a sceptic.
He’d not seen results with their previous bodyworker, but the owner wanted to give it a go… so I got the call.

Now at that stage I wasn’t being asked to look after their top string - I was thrown straight into the deep end.
Old horses, overused horses, injured horses. Real trial by fire stuff. 🔥

There are a few good stories from that group, but let me tell you about one: the little grey mare, Justice.

Justice had ongoing lameness in her near hind.
She’d had multiple vet checks, x-rays, joint blocks… the works.
No answers.
It was literally down to me or a bullet. No pressure, right?

We agreed I’d work on her three times - and if they weren’t happy, that was it.

First session: she was sore everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything wrong in the near hind. What I did find was a very restricted off shoulder. And it looked like it had been that way for a while.

Feedback after session one?
“Not much different.”

Session two?
They used her to umpire a little.

Session three?
“Maybe we’ll try a few practice chukkas.”

Fast forward a few months - Justice went from a retirement paddock (or worse) to playing by the end of the season. 🏇

What had actually happened?

She’d probably injured that off shoulder at some point - a slip in the paddock, a knock during a chukka, who knows.
But she compensated so much through the diagonal hind that that’s where she eventually broke down.

By simply releasing the tension and restriction in the original site - the shoulder - we got a sound horse back.

Just a reminder that where the horse is sore isn’t always where the problem is.

And the best bit? After that, I wasn’t just seeing the broken ones anymore - I got trusted with the top horses too.
Oh, and did I mention they went on to win the High Goal at Ellerston and Garangula that season? 🏆🐴

19/08/2025

“Was that a crack?” 🧐

If you've ever had a bodywork session (horse or human!) and heard a little pop or crack during an adjustment - it’s not bones cracking back into place. That’s a myth.

What you're actually hearing is gas - yep, gas - being released from the joint. 💨

Joints are filled with synovial fluid, which helps keep everything moving smoothly. When a joint is adjusted or stretched quickly, the space in the joint increases and tiny gas bubbles can form and collapse. That’s what creates the sound. It’s called cavitation, and it’s completely normal.

It doesn’t mean the adjustment was better or worse - it just means the joint moved in a way that created that pressure change. Some adjustments are silent. Still effective. Still doing the job.

So no, I’m not cracking your horse like bubble wrap. Just helping the body move the way it’s supposed to. 🐴💪

17/08/2025

Why My Horses Get Dynavyte Microbiome 🐴💪

I’m pretty picky about what I put into my horses - if it doesn’t help them feel and perform their best, it doesn’t make the cut.

Dynavyte Microbiome has become a non-negotiable in my feed room because I’ve seen the difference:
✅ Better gut health = more consistent energy
✅ Improved nutrient absorption = they get more out of every feed
✅ Shinier coats, healthier hooves, and happier bellies
✅ Cheaper per dose than most products on the market
✅ It’s a liquid - so they can’t pick it out or leave it in the feed bin

A healthy gut is the foundation for a healthy, performing horse.
If I expect them to give me their best, it’s my job to give their bodies the tools to do it. Dynavyte just ticks all the boxes for me.

💡 I’m also a Dynavyte stockist, so if your horse could use a gut health upgrade, send me a message and I can get you sorted.

15/08/2025

🐴 What’s So Special About Soybean Meal? Let’s Talk Amino Acids 💥

Soybean meal gets tossed around a lot in feed discussions, but it’s more than “just protein.” What really matters for your horse is the amino acid profile - and soybean meal delivers the goods.

🌱 Why soybean meal stands out:

🔹 Lysine powerhouse
Lysine is the first limiting amino acid in most equine diets. If there’s not enough lysine, your horse can't fully utilise the rest of the protein they’re eating - no matter how much is in the bucket.
Soybean meal contains around 2.8-3.2% lysine, which is high for a plant-based source.

🔹 Balanced profile = better results
Soybean meal doesn’t stop at lysine - it also contains key levels of:

Threonine - important for gut health, muscle repair, and immune support.

Methionine - essential for hoof quality, coat condition, and cellular function.

Combined, these help support:
✅ Muscle development and topline
✅ Tissue repair post-training
✅ Coat and hoof health
✅ Immune system function

🔹 Highly digestible when properly processed
Soybeans are naturally high in protein, but raw beans contain enzyme inhibitors. That’s why you’ll only want heat-treated or extruded soybean meal - not raw beans. Once processed, the amino acids in soybean meal are highly digestible and well-utilised by horses.

When might it be useful?
✅ Growing young horses
✅ Broodmares (especially lactating)
✅ Performance horses in regular work
✅ Horses recovering from injury or condition loss
✅ Horses needing topline support despite “eating plenty”

And yep - it’s low in starch and sugars compared to many grains, so it’s also useful for horses with metabolic sensitivities (depending on the rest of the diet).

🧠 Smart feeding = results
It’s not about feeding more. It’s about feeding better quality protein, with the right amino acids in the right balance. Soybean meal makes that a lot easier to achieve.

Got questions about feeding for muscle, performance or recovery? I’m always happy to chat feed room strategies.

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My Story

Hello horse lovers, owners, riders and trainers,

I’ve always had horses in my life one way or another, and as I grew older and realised I needed to care more for my own body, I decided the same applied to my horses. As owners, trainers and riders, we want to know that our horse is able to perform at his best, with no discomfort or pain present.

I believe that to perform at their best, our horses as athletes need to be in top shape. You know your horse, and you know when he just isn’t right. Regular massage will assist the muscles to remain supple and elastic, and non-invasive alignments will ensure he can function to his full potential.

Whether you aim to perform at the top of your chosen sport, or want to be safe and happy on the trails with your horse, I can work with you to make that happen!