OP equine therapy

06/03/2025

Poppy is a very helpful pony, telling me all about how she feels before & after her massage- making sure I take my notes😂 📝

I like to ensure clients have a written report post-treatment to reflect on past treatments, and truly understand how their horse is feeling physically. In the report there is notes of any tension in the body and how I released the tension to ensure suppleness in the body. It is really interesting reflecting back on past reports with clients to compare how the body feels over time, how they change muscularly and develop.

The weather is warmer ☀️ riding is slightly more do-able with lighter evenings☀️ make sure your horse is feeling in tip-top condition and book in for a treatment 🙌🏻💕

14/01/2025

That first massage of 2025 hitting the spot for Duffy 😍🙌🏻 Videoed above is the massaging gun releasing tension through the Longissimus Dorsi. Lower back tension can build for a multitude of reasons and it is my job to ensure this tension is released, leaving the horse feeling more comfortable and free to use their body. Duffy is treated on a regular schedule and so tension is built between treatments, rather than long lasted. This promotes the importance for regular treatments!🐴 Pre-massage machine, Duffy had a treatment by hand and with the tuning fork to release trigger points. Post massage gun, I then used the infra-red laser to continue releasing tension. This helps to reduce any potential pain and promotes blood flow. 🐴 If you feel your horse could benefit from a treatment, please do get in contact! 🙌🏻💕

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas to all of my lovely clients & their horses!! As always, thankyou for the never-ending support 🙌🏻❤️ Let’s make 2025 the best one yet! 🐴

19/10/2024

A new environment, a new experience, 6 years old and enjoying a treatment as much as this💕

Lasering is so beneficial for relaxing tension. I tend to laser after a massage by hand to relax the area, release lasting tension and to promote blood flow to the area.
It is so great to see a young horse still unsure of her new surroundings relax into the treatment as much as she did. 🐴
Hopefully, Roo will be feeling much better in her mind & body ready for her education to continue. 💕
Please do contact for any questions or queries🐴💕

24/09/2024

The dreaded W word is looming before us, as much as we don’t want to admit it! 🌨️⛄️🥶

Equine massage is particularly important during the cold winter months for several reasons…

- 🌨️ Cold weather leads to an increase in muscle stiffness, specifically with lower temperatures and slippy footing. Massage helps to relax tight muscles and improve range of motion, releasing stiff muscles.

- 🌨️ Dipping winter temperatures can reduce blood flow drastically. Massage stimulates circulation to ensure muscles receive regular blood flow for overall health and recovery. (Laser treatment also stimulates blood flow to the body!)

- 🌨️ Horses are more prone to injury during winter months due to a decrease in activity levels and slippery surfaces. Regular massage treatments can address potential issues before they lead to injuries. For example, compensation is a common form of injury-causing movement due to tension in the body.

I would always advise to keep on top of regular treatments in general and specifically during winter months for these few reasons. Please do message for any questions! 🐴

30/07/2024

Life here at OP Equine Therapy has been ticking away 🙌🏻🐴

I have treated all over the country in the past couple of months, meeting different horses with their own abilities - show jumpers to retired horses. I love the variation and questions that come with each treatment- not one session is ever the same. I find it interesting to adapt and use my tool bag in different ways for each individual 🐴

This video features Freddie, a firm favourite of mine as he enjoys his treatments so obviously. As soon as the hands are on, he relaxes down and knows what’s to come 💆🏼‍♀️

Please do message for any questions or queries. 💕🐴

18/06/2024

Really interesting post- definitely worth the read! 🙌🏻

Saddles will affect how the horse feels, grows and develops through the muscular system throughout its life. It is SO important to ensure your horse is comfortable both in their bodies and in the tack you are putting on them. 🐴💕

Let's talk about adjustable saddles 🤔

The horse world has made some staggering progress in a relatively short period of time understanding how much a horse can grow and change both as a young horse, but also through work and seasonal changes. This is great! 🌟 Rather than fitting a 4yo with their saddle for life, we are expecting change and we are actively looking for signs than adjustments are needed to protect the horse and to enable their continued development 🫶

Now, we know horses change. And we know saddles are adjustable. So why is it that I can't guarantee at an ADJUSTABLE saddle can be altered to fit for the length of a horses ridden career?

Simply put, the way a horse grows and changes isn't black and white.

There are some excellent physios and other equine professionals posting educational posts on how treatment/work/time/muscle development can take a horses posture and shape from one thing to something entirely different. And that is truly amazing 😍. But let's not pretend that these amazing changes won't affect how your saddle fits and what can be done to adjust it to fit.

When looking at possible options to fit a horse, we are looking at back shape and width initially to determine which brands/models/trees could work. And this can change drastically over time.

Now let's imagine you've bought a spindly youngster who has been lucky enough to have had a slow start in life just turned out with some ground work. This horse most likely has a big old grass tummy and lacks muscle along its back, as is only fair.

This lack of muscle means there's a natural increase in curvature through its back, and the added weight of a rider sits the saddle RIGHT back. So we look at saddles with the most suitable tree shape, a supportive length of point to give ample wither clearance, and a generous rear gusset in the panel to bring the rider back up into balance and discuss a plan to regularly check and adjust the saddle to fit. All good. ✅️

Now fast forward through the next year of this horses life. The cavaletti poles and ground work have done their job. You've been taking it slow and steady and your youngster has started to become supple and balanced. It even has core strength!

Now we've been checking it regularly and adjusting it as needed, but can we keep that original saddle fitting well to continue to allow the horse continued development and growth? Not necessarily. Lets say its core strengthened and it's back lifted. It was more able to work from behind and is no longer the shape of a fruit bowl. It's widened, through natural growth as its young and through correct training and muscle development.

So we can widen the saddle and that will solve it? Possibly not in this case. By widening the saddle to the correct width for the horse the balance has been affected. It's just doing a massive face plant now. Okay, lets lift it with flocking in front? Maybe the panel will allow it, but maybe not. And lets not forget that generous panel at the back that helped with the weak back which is no longer weak. It's making it bridge, we don't want that. So we soften the back to try and make it as level and even as possible, that will work right? Maybe. But maybe not. And even if it does, is this still the BEST fit for your horse to be allowing it to work as comfortably as possible?

Now not every horse is going to change drastically, some really do seem to be able to stay in the same saddle very happily for YEARS!!

And saddle adjustability is constantly developing. Whilst you cannot change the shape of the tree from front to back; you can change the width, how it's flocked, the girthing arrangement and in some saddles, the panels and flaps.

Saddle fitters are generally not out to sell you a saddle that is going to be unsuitable after a short period of time. We fit to the horse we see on the day, and if that horse no longer suits a saddle, despite our best efforts to adjust it, it is out duty of care to make that known. Now that not to say that a temporary fix with pads or otherwise can't work, but you hear of so many people wary of fitters who are 'just out there to sell'. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but maybe reframe the perspective to that person being accountable for the fit of the saddle and their duty of care to the horse.

And to flip it in on its head, a horse who is in great shape when a saddle has been fitted and who develops issues or has inconsistent work can start to lose muscle and change shape. Sure, poor saddle fit can also cause this, but we can't always blame the saddle, other factors can also be the cause.

The subject of adjustable saddles is vast and I've prattled on for long enough 😂

And just because, here's a photo of the lovely Gudrun from David Dyer Saddles and her beautiful youngster Belzon when we had a crack at finding the right saddle for this absolute stunner 😍 🦄

14/06/2024

Life has been endlessly busy over here at OP Equine Therapy. Horses have been treated one after another in the sunshine (and odd rain shower, it is England of course! 🌧️) for the last few weeks.

Here above we have Freddie enjoying a lasering session after his massage. He usually feels slightly tense in his lower back and so his 5-weekly treatments keep him feeling refreshed and supple. Freddie struggles with relaxing into his treatments, however on this day, he couldn’t get enough 🥰

Please do contact for any questions or queries! 💕🐴

06/06/2024

So nice to hear such kind words from a client today. It makes all the hard work worth it🙌🏻💕

28/04/2024

Smile if it’s treatment day! (>>swipe for a surprise! 😁)

It has been a very busy few weeks treating lots of lovely horses & ponies. Fred (above) is treated 5 weeks regularly to ensure he is feeling his best at all times. It is my goal to keep him supple and soft, with his body sitting straight in the correct position. Fred enjoys the massaging gun most through his lower back, as well as a lasering session to release lasting tension. 🙌🏻

Regardless of how often Fred is worked between treatments, he builds tension in his usual areas and so it is important that we keep him up to date to avoid pain due to increased tension. Fred’s time period between treatments is what works best for him- every horse is different and this is assessed based on their individual needs.

See you in 5 weeks Fred! 😁💕🙌🏻

Please do contact for any questions or queries!

15/04/2024

When the sun is out, you’re having a massage and life is great ☀️

Joey is a common feature on my page. He is treated every 5 or 6 weeks, dependent on how he has been feeling. The change in Joey’s body is absolutely brilliant over the last year, he has gained lots of muscle and is learning to use his body correctly. It’s my job to make sure his muscles are soft and supple, and his body is sitting straight and correct. 🐴

This job is SO worth it when you see how much the horse enjoys the treatment🙌🏻
Please do contact for any questions or queries! I cover lots of areas in and around Kent! ☀️
More pics& vids in the comments! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

09/03/2024

Lasering to support laminitis 🐴

The laser is such an effect tool in many different areas. This week, Woody has had an intense lasering course to help his inflammation and pain after his diagnosis last week. When researching, case studies from other therapists prove lasering to be HIGHLY effective with the management of laminitis. Woody is laminitic and arthritic - this does not go hand in hand as we need mobility AND rest. He has had 2 lasering sessions a day and he is finally comfortable enough to lay down and rest, which he had not been doing pre- diagnosis. At the grand age of 37, we will do all we can to help this chap💕

Please do contact for any questions or queries.

25/02/2024

After each treatment, I have form for the client to have. This form details how the horse was feeling, where I have felt tension, tools that were used and overall feedback. There is also a diagram of tense areas and a bit about the oils that they preferred. This is efficient in keeping track of sessions over time, lots of my lovely regular clients have a folder with a stack of sheets to compare to 🥰

It is just as important for the horse to analyse feedback, as demonstrated by Joey ☺️💕

18/02/2024

Tomorrow 2 spaces left

Next adult equine learning Sunday 18 February

£55 pp early bird rate )£65 from 1st Feb

Tagging those who have expressed interest 💖All welcome 🙏

10.30 start bring refreshments and dress for the weather 💖

18/02/2024

❤️ red light therapy lasering is hugely beneficial to the treatment of your horse. Did you know that lasering will….

🐴- reduce any pain and inflammation, either within the body or from injury.

🐴- relaxes and releases tension in muscles.

🐴- supports joint pain, such as arthritis.

🐴- aids in rebuilding connective soft tissue from any damage.

I use the laser as a part of treating, alongside massage therapy and other techniques I use during a session. I have found with experience the laser is great to break down tension initially, before massage, to soften muscles. I also have found lasering to be great after a massage to release any lasting tension. This is a brilliant tool that I am fortunate to have and means I can help in as many ways as possible.

Please do contact for any bookings or queries! 🐴

14/02/2024

The Process Of Releasing - kindly demonstrated by Freddie 🐴❤️

Freddie tends to hold himself in a fairly tense frame; he has a playful personality and a short attention span. This means that when other things are going on around us, he finds it challenging to relax into the treatment. During his session yesterday, he released down and allowed his body to melt into the massage. Body language signs (such as licking, chewing, heavy blinking, yawning e.c.t) are all great indicators of release. This is SO positive to see, especially for Freddie.

Fred is regularly treated on a 5 week schedule to keep his muscles supple and reduce tension in the body. His ridden work has improved leeps and bounds overtime, as he is able to use his body correctly.

Well done Freddie, for the hard work, and for being such a pleasure to help 🐴💕

06/02/2024

What is included in a treatment with OP Equine Therapy?

Here is a question I am commonly asked when booking a session. The label ‘Massage Therapist’ can be confining to one department. A treatment can consist of massaging techniques by hand, red light laser therapy, use of the massaging gun, tuning fork vibrational therapy, manipulation of the fascia, healing with the pendulum and smelling essential oils. Most importantly: treatments are based off each individual horse and their needs. Treating intuitively means we can help the horse specifically, rather than just following the same routine.

I think this is why I enjoy my job so much, every horse brings a new opportunity and approach to treat using the skills that I have. This way, we can come together to help the horse as a team.

If you are interested in booking a treatment, send over a message and we can go from there. Here to help 🐴💕

08/01/2024

Really interesting read about bridle fitting, which I feel as though is commonly overlooked. Much about the TMJ and how a cheek piece position can effect the head - especially with additional tension in this area!