Touch Equine

12/02/2025

Rushing a horse after a long period of time off can result in injury!

Bringing your horse back into work after a break?

Take it slow! 🐎✨

Bypass the “back to work bootcamp”…
Just like us, horses need time to rebuild strength, flexibility, and fitness to prevent injuries. Start with groundwork, focus on mobility, and gradually reintroduce ridden exercise. Patience now means longevity later 💪🐴 After a light few weeks, and then a week off last week, Meji’s sessions have involved simple, confidence building exercises focusing no on suppleness, relaxation and connection.

11/02/2025

I have space for 1 horse tomorrow in the Norwich area. Message me if you’d like it.

11/02/2025

31/01/2025

Pre-Season Checkups: Setting Your Horse Up for Success

As equine therapists, we often see horses after issues arise—when tight muscles, uneven movement, or soreness have already started affecting performance, behaviour and the horses acceptance.
But what if we could get ahead of these problems before they even start?

A pre-season checkup should be a key part of your horse’s preparation plan, just like fitness conditioning, saddle fitting, and nutrition. Here’s why:

✅ Catch Small Issues Early – Tightness, asymmetries, or restrictions might not be obvious to the eye yet, but they can turn into compensations and soreness over time. Addressing them early prevents setbacks later. = saves money 💰

✅ Optimize Performance – A supple, comfortable horse can move freely, train effectively, and give their best effort from day one—rather than starting the season already fighting stiffness. This is a downhill projectory to injury.

✅ Reduce Risk of Injury – Many injuries stem from underlying tension, imbalances, or fatigue. Regular bodywork helps maintain symmetry and fluid movement, lowering the chances of strain.

✅ Support Mental Well-Being – Just like us, horses perform better when they feel good. Regular therapy sessions reduce stress, improve relaxation, and promote a happy, willing attitude.
So overlooked in our equine athletes, yet accepted and understood for human athletes.

Instead of waiting until your horse feels sore or resistant, make pre-season bodywork part of your routine care.

Prevention is always better than rehab!

⚠️. 🐎 THE WHOLE HORSE:
For me, this means

🐴The parietal system
🐴The craniosacral system
🐴The myofascial connections
🐴The viscera



Image; Google

27/01/2025

Only 8 weekends until the clocks go forward and we start to ride more 🎉

If you would like your horse to have a thorough bodywork MOT I’m now starting to fill my March and April diary so please don’t delay getting booked in 📆 don’t forget multi horse discounts so ask on your yard if anyone else would like their horse checked.

24/01/2025

This is why I use both MFR and sports massage 👏

14/01/2025

I have many clients booking every 4-6 weeks and they’re horses are in amazing shape

Why Consistency 🐎📔

I agree, an occasional massage for your horse might feel like a nice treat, but the reality is that one session isn’t going to last for weeks or months especially if there was something “brewing” Horses are always on the move—running, turning, playing, and sometimes getting into mischief! All that activity takes a toll on their bodies.

Regular bodywork can make a world of difference for preventing injuries and spotting things BEFORE they become a real issue . By scheduling consistent sessions, you’re not just addressing current aches or imbalances—you’re also taking proactive steps to prevent future issues. Just like human athletes, horses benefit greatly from maintaining flexibility, range of motion, and muscle tone. This leads to better performance and lowers the risk of injury.

While you’ll likely notice improvements after a single session, it’s important to remember that ongoing care is key to keeping your horse in top shape. Chat with your massage therapist/bodyworker to create a schedule that works best for your horse’s needs ❤️

Learn some techniques to use between your therapists visits to get the most from their treatments ⬇️

https://www.woldsequinemassage.co.uk/course/owners-free

08/01/2025

Very insightful read

**𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟**

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴

Clayton, H.M *, Williams, Murray, R., J.M., Nixon, J., Fisher, M., Fisher, D., Walker, V., MacKechnie-Guire, R

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 (read without a subscription):

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.14451

For the past four years, we have investigated the pressures beneath nosebands adjusted from 2.0 to 0.0 finger tightness with 0.0 finger tightness indicating that the noseband was touching but not compressing the skin.

In this study we measured pressures beneath the noseband when horses were standing still and when the ingested and chewed a treat.

The research addresses the concern that poor noseband adjustment could create high pressures that may risk pain or tissue damage. This study, along with our previous one, provide quantitative data regarding pressures associated with different degrees of noseband tightness.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀:

🐴 Sub-noseband pressures were highest under the mandibles followed by the sides of the nasal bones.

🐴 All horses willingly ingested and chewed a treat at all noseband tightness levels.

🐴 Noseband pressures were higher when chewing a treat vs. standing at all noseband settings.

🐴 There was no difference in noseband pressure between 2.0 and 1.5 finger tightness when standing or chewing a treat.

🐴Eye temperature and blink rate, which are indicators of pain/discomfort, did not change when the noseband was tightened.

🐴 Even at the tightest setting (0:0 fingers = noseband just touching the skin NOT compressing), maximal noseband pressures were considerably lower than those reported to cause pain/discomfort.

As always, this is a team effort. Thank you to our research assistants, riders, owners and horses.

Thank you to our funders, World Horse Welfare, British Equestrian, Canadian Sport Horse Association, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers and Hartpury University.

04/01/2025

This is why regular bodywork is just as important

02/01/2025

Hope you all had a fabulous Xmas break with your horses. I’m back to work tomorrow and still have some availability for January so if you’re wanting a winter check over please do get in touch 📞

01/01/2025

Happy New Year 🎉 here’s to a wonderful 2025 with our beloved horses 🐴

23/12/2024

Wishing all my past, present and future clients a very Happy Christmas 🎄🎅