Touched by Horses

07/26/2022

03/20/2022

03/04/2022

Dr. Julie Storts MSACN, CESMT, of Touched by Horses, is a Doctor of Chiropractic. She holds a Masters degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition and is a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist. Join her at WNY Equifest as she demonstrates Equine Massage on Sunday, March 20th.
For a schedule of events, visit ➡ https://bit.ly/EquifestSchedule2022

03/04/2022

Not full yet, but this is what my picture reel looks like!

Does your camera roll look like this?

03/04/2022

Advances in equine health care have extended the potential lifespan of senior horses. What you should expect as yours grows older?

02/20/2022

—- Pony Owners —-
Diebe and Harte Hasselbach

Photographer:
Dieke Gelderman

02/09/2022

Q&A: Will soaking hay pellets in hot water have any effect on nutrient content?

02/02/2022

Ways to improve your horsemanship’s position.

Practice these eight exercises from an AQHA international horsemanship camp to develop into a more functional rider.

02/01/2022

If someone were to ask you what your first horse lesson entailed, you might recall playing games on horseback. If you progressed to showing horses, your lessons probably became more serious. The games turned into core exercises, and the patterns were no longer figure 8’s around the cones. While yo...

02/01/2022

Every horse owner or caretaker should know how to take a horse's temperature, pulse, and respiration.

01/31/2022

01/25/2022

01/24/2022

In this visual guide, learn about the vital hoof structures of the navicular apparatus and what can go wrong with them.

01/20/2022

Stolen....

How a horsewoman knows she is rich:

I am rich. I have $15 in my checking account and a beautiful sorrel mare with a flaxen mane and tail in the barn.

I am rich. I have a truck and a horse trailer that mostly works and enough gas to get to wherever my heart desires any day this week.

I am rich. I have lots of chicken and hamburger in my pantry and enough hay to feed my horse through the winter.

I am rich. I have enough old coats and sweaters to layer up and stay warm while I do barn chores.

I am rich. I vacation by camping with my horses and going to cheer on my horse riding friends at horse shows. Sometimes I even play too, and spend $20 to bring home a fifty cent ribbon that I will treasure more than a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.

I am rich. I have tools: duct tape and baling twine and the know how to fix just about anything with these tools.

I am rich. I find joy in making my own things, making do, and making right. I have a 30 year old saddle, that I got from my brother, a 63 year old body, and the wonder and joy of a 6 year old child learning that my horse can still give her wings.

I am rich.

My wealth is not measured in dollar signs but in horsey snorts and nickers. My riches aren't spent on electronics and fancy clothes but are shared with my human and four footed friends.

Next time someone finds out that I have a horse and says, " You must be rich to afford a horse " I will smile, and agree....and say " Yes, I am rich"

01/20/2022

We are heartbroken at the loss of one of our own.

Clark Bradley was the quintessential horseman, showman, instructor and mentor to so many people. We are honored to have ridden beside him and to have learned from him, and we are forever changed for knowing him.

We thank Clark for making all of us better people. His legacy will live on in the graduates and future graduates of our program.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward

01/19/2022

*I never expected this to go viral like it did. I’m really excited to see the interest and understanding in this. I will be posting more information soon. Follow this page so you don’t miss it!*

Had one of the most bizarre experiences this morning I’d like to share:

I am an equine massage therapist and classify my style as physical therapy. I do deep tissue massage with an emphasis on performance enhancement. While it is important to have myself mentally centered before starting, I will be the first to tell you I don’t “do energy work”.

That said, on occasion I get a horse that is holding onto something emotionally, internally, mentally, or however that I do feel I help to filter and remove. Sometimes I will leave a barn and find myself tired, depressed, or just a bit down and I realize that I had taken those emotions off of an animal.

This morning was different. This is a mare that we have been trying to figure out for YEARS. The owner has tried every single avenue she could and still we deal with various pains as well as just an extreme almost bipolar mare attitude.

As I was working on her today and she was being her normal “mareish” self, she finally let me have it. I truthfully don’t even know what “it” was! It was something I have never felt before. It was almost as if she was a teenage girl that had a breakdown and in a meltdown starts yelling “fine! Have it! Just take it!”. It was an immediate heaviness I felt...my heart started racing. I don’t know what it was she gave me, but I’m confident that whatever “it” is is what we have been hung up on for years now! Maybe all this time it was less physical, more emotional/ energy.

Immediately her demeanor changed to a mare I’ve never seen before. She was soft, pleasant, stable, and calm. 30 or so mins later, she was down and dreaming in the arena (see below). At complete peace.

I don’t know what I did differently to be able to release that from her today vs any time in the past but I’m so glad it worked. I can handle the heaviness. I can Re-center and release it myself. But to be able to take that load off of her...incredible.

I truly appreciate you reading my ramble. It’s difficult to explain something that you’ve never felt before. But I hope it is understood! I feel like today was a huge learning experience for myself and growth opportunity to get results at an even deeper level.

01/19/2022

🖤🖤🖤

Happy Tuesday!

12/12/2021

11/25/2021

Horse power.

11/25/2021

I DID NOT KNOW... by Alissa Kelly

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know. ❤️❤️

11/22/2021

FACTS.

11/15/2021

To keep the horse’s outside shoulder from bulging out as you turn, imagine your horse is a car skidding on ice and you must turn in the direction of the skid to counteract it. So, if your horse’s shoulder bulges out during a turn, it may be helpful to counter-flex him slightly (steer into the skid) to rebalance and keep him following the curved line.—Jeremy Beale

Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz