Mebane Equine Bodyworks

01/16/2025

I’m often asked by owners how they can best help their horses, usually I’m asked about exercises. The problem is that exercises enhance a specific skill, they aren’t replacements for core concepts and foundational basics. It’s my firm belief, from my own experiences as a rider, owner, saddle fitter and bodyworker that the very best thing we can do for our horses is to learn how to ride them well, learn how their body is built to function, and learn how to ride them in a way that encourages and achieves that. That’s the core premise of classical riding, and in our efforts to achieve results now, we’ve strayed far away from that, and that’s why we’re seeing a number of horses breaking down, needing injections they shouldn’t, etc.

So, if you want to learn more about classical riding, this is an excellent academy and JJ is phenomenal rider and trainer. I also highly recommend following Mary Wanless, and also the page The Riders Mechanic

Classical dressage not only improves our connection with our horse, it can also help them stay sound longer!

By riding our horse as correctly as possible we are helping them use their body in the least strenuous way.

A horse with a solid core, good balance, and low mental stress is putting less wear and tear on their body each ride.

Check out the academy with over 250+ how-to videos for all levels and breeds: www.teamtateacademy.com

Our Online Dressage Academy focuses on improving our relationships with our horses by utilizing the principles of classical dressage.

𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒚!
🩵 𝑱𝑱 𝑻𝒂𝒕𝒆

Join the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamTateTV/
www.teamtateacademy.com |

01/10/2025

That's the list. Not your trainer, not your friend in the barn, not your vet, not your farrier, not your chiropractor, not your bodyworker. Saddle fitting is a specialized skill that requires proper, comprehensive training. Some of the most misguided, albeit well-meaning, saddle fitting advice clients have shared have come from vets! While the information and feedback from these professionals is incredibly valuable, and as a *trained and certified* saddle fitter I WANT their feedback, they should not be giving you saddle fitting ADVICE. Meaning they shouldn't be telling you that your saddle does or doesn't fit, that you should shim a certain way, use a certain pad, your saddle is or isn't broken, etc, they should be referring you to a saddle fitter if they have a concern. Qualified saddle fitters possess the training to identify not just what we see when evaluating a saddle on your horse, but also the WHY for these observations and the appropriate solutions. This depth of knowledge ensures that adjustments or recommendations are not just superficial but are based on a thorough understanding of saddle dynamics.

Not all saddle fitters are equally qualified. It’s essential to verify the credentials of any saddle fitter you consider hiring. Ask about their training, experience, and request verification of their qualifications. Beware of misleading claims, or lack of transparency regarding their expertise. You can find copies of my certificates posted right on my website. Keep in mind that most saddle brand representatives are primarily sales reps with *minimal* training in saddle fitting. Their primary role is to sell, not to provide an in-depth fitting assessment. Before investing in an expensive saddle based on a brand rep's advice, ensure that you are also consulting with a certified fitter.

As a certified saddle fitter and bodyworker in multiple modalities, and a classically trained rider with extensive hoof function knowledge, I provide a holistic approach that ensures every aspect of your horse’s well-being is considered during the fitting process.

Trust your instincts, and your horse's, and always rely on qualified professionals for specialized advice.

Tara C Mebane, CSF, EM/MT, EEMR
Saddle Fitter, Bodyworker, Classical Rider

01/01/2025

Thank you to everyone who trusted me with their horse’s comfort and performance this past year, it means so much to me. With a new year, comes new beginnings, and I’m excited to be presenting to you soon some new service options and packages with some changes to policy and structure, all thoughtfully designed to help you and your horse succeed together. ❤️

12/30/2024

We’re going to be coming into some cold weather starting next week, perfect time of year to get some of that much needed repair work done before hitting spring show season. Total reflocks, billet replacements, etc.

Shoot me a message for quotes.

12/27/2024

Remember from Monday's post where I said I was looking forward to seeing Glimmer's body with a few days of hill walking post bodywork? TAKE A LOOK! These new photos were taken on Tuesday, which is just two weeks from that top photo.

Now again, we aren't going to overanalyze but you can very clearly see the change in the overall tension of her body, and that's what I want to point out. Ignore her neck forward for the moment and look at the length of her thorax compared to the top photo--you can see how much longer her body is, as well as her topline.

The most significant change is in her thoracic sling. You can really see it in her chest and wither--she's no longer dropped through towards the ground--no longer stuck in inversion, it's back to neutral. Check out her wither in the before and after. Now her neck can hang and extend more appropriately, and she's not pulling herself forward from the base of her neck, she's pushing off her hind end and over back. She's so much softer through her whole shoulder and there's much more motility through her back. The third photo matches the her angle in the top photo a little better so can get a better comparison.

These changes are happening quickly because of 1) better turnout on varied terrain 2) my bodywork and 3) LEAVING HER ALONE. Oh and 4), she has balanced feet. My job as a bodyworker is to facilitate the body's own healing and change. This is why the majority of my sessions are fascia centric, I'm releasing restrictions and disrupting old patterns so that new, more correct ones, can lay down and form. But I do this strategically, like peeling layers from an onion. I have not done a full session yet, this is after just two short, targeted sessions. I can't, and shouldn't, disrupt or remove all patterns at once. This is part of why I don't ride my new horses in the first 30-90 days, I'm trying to get to a clean slate so that I *know* what I'm working with going forward. Next big check list item for her is chiro in Feb with the fabulous Dr Libby Engle! So until then, the and hills have more work to do!

12/26/2024

Biggie fittingly breaking in my new bale! Now I don’t have to ask to borrow stools all the time!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas!!!🎄🎁

12/23/2024

While I'm not a big fan of before and after photos or over critiquing single photos as they are just snapshots of a split second in time, there are still a few things we can assess from Glimmer's posture here.

The first photo is a little over a week after her arrival to Dry Creek Farm. You can see here that primarily her muscling is in the ventral chain instead of the dorsal chain, emphasized by how short her neck and back is, compared to how long her belly is, if that makes sense--she's upside down. Her lumbar is not neutral, and she's a little stuck at T17/T18. Her chest is dropping down with her lower neck braced, sort of forming a V through her shoulder and neck. This mare was very tight in her poll, wither, sternum, lumbar, iliopsoas and sacrum. This is the typical posture of a horse that has been moving more inverted through their body and her recent bone scan confirmed that.

The second photo is a little less than a week later and shows one of the reasons I opted to board her here than take her home--THE HILLS! Look what it's already doing for her! Getting a larger, more hilly turnout space is making her use her body more correctly--this is why hill work is often recommended in rehab. She's lengthening and using her neck more correctly to balance, but pushing through her hind end and up over her back--look at the lifted tail! Now you can still see the tension in the iliopsoas here, but both of these photos were before I had done any bodywork on her since arriving. I've done two small sessions in the field, the first one more cranial work, the second more focus on her iliopsoas and decompressing the lumbrosacral junction. I can't wait to see what she looks like on Tuesday with a few days of hill walking since her sessions. We already know her body and compensation patterns are changing because we can see it in her feet! She's barefoot, so changes can happen more quickly, and her wear patterns and breakover are correcting.

This is why proper turnout is so important to their health and well being, horses need to MOVE.

12/23/2024

Festivus: The Saddle Industry Edition

As per my post last week, I have *A LOT* of grievances with the horse industry right now, but I'll pick one topic for today. Let's begin, shall we?

Saddle Makers:
1. TRAIN your reps. You are sending them out unprepared, and setting them up to fail, with the horse paying the ultimate price. A week (if you're even doing that) of training is *NOT ENOUGH*. Your saddles do not fit everything, I don't care your fitting philosophy, or what kind of magic tree you think you have--so stop telling them they do, because it's just not true. Teach them what horses your saddles fit, and stop encouraging them to sell saddles to horses they don't. Be better stewards of your product, and the horse.

2. Put more information on your websites, make it easy for the reps, independent fitters, AND CONSUMERS, to understand WHAT BUILD OF HORSE your saddle is designed for--break down the models. It's really not a trade secret. You're helping no one by not making this information easily available, and quite frankly, probably costing you sales you don't realize.

3. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP PUTTING POINT BILLETS ON EVERY DRESSAGE SADDLE. Most horses DO NOT NEED THEM. Lets not take already ill fitting saddles and ratchet them down, further restricting thoracic sling function and locomotion.

4. Fix your seat depth and knee block positions--no one rides with a stick straight leg. We need more forward flaps in the dressage saddles and shorter, more angled blocks. You're giving riders no where to sit, which again, helps no one, especially the horse. Fix your balance points while you're at it.

5. More tree options please. We're riding quite a variety of horses and builds and your saddles aren't keeping up. Pay closer attention to anatomy and biomechanics. There is much more to fitting the horse than just their scapula and the top of the back.

6. More panel options, or at least stop angling them so steep they don't offer any support. We need broader surface areas for better weight distribution and protection.

That's all the text that will fit for both instagram and Facebook, so I'll guess I'll stop here for now lol.

HAPPY FESTIVUS EVERYONE!!

12/20/2024

Still need that last-minute Christmas gift? I’ve got the perfect one. 😉

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12/19/2024

 I recently read on one of my mentors Instagram pages that if I wanted to be a change in the industry, then I need to use my platform. I’ve been really disgusted by a lot of what I’ve seen in the industry as a whole over the last couple years, to the point I’ve almost quit a few times. A lot of owners and horses being taken advantage of, whether intentionally or not. So I’m gonna start being more vocal.

One thing I’m going to do is just start opening up more about my philosophy and practices as an owner, a rider, and a professional.  No I’m not perfect, but 30+ years of ownership and I’ve never had to deal with a lot of things that are considered normal these days: ulcers, sore backs, soundness issues, injection schedules, rain rot, scratches, etc. That used to be considered the norm and we need to go back to that for the sake of our horses.

You guys all know I have a new mare now, so here’s a little insight into what I do when I get a new horse. It may shock you a little, but I’m happy to answer any questions.

Oh the one thing I forgot to put in the video is deworming! That’s one of the first things done too! A tube of ivermectin. Then potentially a powerpak.

And I believe I forgot to list teeth as well 🤦🏼‍♀️, I kind of forgot about it here because my vet was also her vet and did her teeth recently.

12/15/2024

Got to see this pretty girl for the first time in a couple years and see how much she’s grown! She did a fantastic job with her myofascial work today, loosening the pull on her spine so can extend her frame by flexing her spine and lifting through her topline. We were best friends in the end ❤️

12/15/2024

As an independent fitter, I keep multiple flocking types in the truck, real American sheep long roving wool and a high quality synthetic from Passier. This morning was a synthetic morning.

12/15/2024

Thank you and for these name decals, the crew love that they have their own serving buckets now! Can’t wait to set up Glimmer’s now that she has a new name!

12/12/2024

She doesn’t know this is her new name yet, but yes, I’m an 80’s kid, so she’s named after *that* Glimmer, Princess of Bright Moon! It also means moment of joy and peace, and is a fun and sparkly name for her.

12/10/2024

MEB has a new team member! This little lady joined the team after Thanksgiving and you’ll get to follow along with our adventures here! I’ll give her a proper introduction when I decide on her new name, sometimes I feel a fresh start is needed and a new name goes with it. I’ll chronicle my process of intaking a new horse and how I approach ownership and work. For now, she’s at step one, which is big field turnout! I’ll start breaking things down more in other posts, but for now say hello!

12/09/2024

Give the gift of this holiday season with a $100 MEB gift card! Perfect gift for trainers, barn mates, or any horse riding friend!

Purchase here: https://square.link/u/Ff5d3DnK