Soft Touch Rejuvenation

09/06/2024

Yesterday I had the opportunity to share some knowledge with Carroll and Ogle Ciunty youth.Oscar and I even made the news. https://www.wifr.com/2024/09/05/ogle-carroll-co-students-learn-agricultural-sciences/

08/12/2024

Filled. Thank you! Pecatonica to Mt. Carroll area. Equine Massage availability from about 9:30/10am to 2pm open. Message me to get on the schedule.

08/06/2024

I am taking the day off Friday the 9th to take my daughter to state for 4-H. 😄

08/02/2024

Rare 3 day opening Aug.7, 8, & 9. Schedule your massages soon. Ask about barn specials for 3+ horses.

07/30/2024

Massage followed by taping for relaxation of neck muscles.

03/16/2024

My tiniest client! This little lady is a joy to work on. Huge shout out to her owner. After the first visit I left her with some homework of some stretching and light exercises. She did not disappoint. The increased range of motion and stretch has nearly doubled.

01/27/2024

I am unavailable today and tomorrow. I will return any and all messages Monday morning.

01/25/2024

A ligament takes 7x longer to strengthen than a muscle 🤯

01/21/2024

For the Rider
☆ Before your morning ☕️ drink a glass of water.
☆Full body stretch 10-15 minutes every morning.
☆No snacking or drinking sugary or caffeine an hour before bed.

Try these for 1 week. By the end of the week I can almost guarantee you'll feel better. More energy, improve sleep, and less tummy issues.

01/13/2024

These Temps are enough to make most hibernate. Tune in later for fun beneficial exercises for your horse during this cold weather.

01/07/2024

The Saddle vs The Horse.

If your horse is crooked your Saddle will not fit them right. As we girth them up we force their back to align with the saddle.

If you have a saddle fitted to your horse while they are crooked and then you fix your horse, the saddle will no longer fit and will need to be refitted.

Align your horse before you spend the money fitting and refitting a saddle. This will save you money in the long run. This will save your horse's back as well. If you're having a saddle fitter out whether for a new saddle or for a check on your current saddle I would advise you to align it with when they have a body work and or chiropractic session. If they are shifted in their ribs, uneven in their hips and/or shoulders this will all affect the saddle fit.

Pads will not fix the saddle' fit. The purpose of a saddle pad is to make the leather sit more comfortably on the horse, and to absorb sweat. This prevents the saddle from rubbing against the skin and causing sweat burns and loss of hair.

In a perfect situation, the saddle needs nothing else but a regular saddle pad underneath. However, in some cases, riders need to put some more cushion under the saddle, such as: Sheepskins, Gel pads, Shock absorbent pads, and pads that prevent the saddle from sliding.

The 1st thing to do after fitting the saddle is to make sure that the saddle fits even with your saddle pad. For instance, a saddle pad that is too thick can cause the saddle to sway from side to side, or to side backwards or forwards. A saddle pad that is too thin might not absorb sweat well enough and it may cause skin problems.

Always remember to have a professional saddle fitter to come and fit your saddle for the horse. They can, when needed, also guide you about the use of gel pads and other pads underneath the saddle.

Now let's talk saddle fitters. Not all saddle fitters are created equally. A saddle fitter that is brand specific is trained to only fit that particular brand of saddle. A saddle fitter that is a trained equine ergonomist is trained fit the horse and rider with the saddle that they need without consideration to brand typically.

As an owner, trainer, rider this is where it gets to be frustrating, confusing and overwhelming. We want what's best for both our horse and ourselves. You could have 5 different fitters out and get 5 different answers. So who do you believe? When you are spending thousands of dollars on a saddle you want to be as educated as you can to ask good questions.

I implore you to push the saddle fitters to give you answers. Know the difference in tree types ( English and western), difference between panels difference in twist, what type of back does your horse have? Know that the age and development of your horse between growth and training can change the fit of your saddle.

The more educated the saddle fitter the better job they will do. If I have a fitter out that's associated with a particular brand and they end up telling me their saddle isn't right for my horse they have just earned my business. I will trust them far more because they are putting the welfare on my horse 1st vs a sale. The saddle fitter that advises what needs to be fixed on my horse first to obtain the best saddle fit is going to earn my respect because they are again after the horses welfare. These type of fitters know that they have earned my business if not that day then in the future. That is what will build loyalty to them.

There are great resources out there. Talk to your trainer, body worker, vet, saddle fitters. Know that it's OK to not be satisfied with the first answer.

I am not a saddle fitter, but back pain and poor performance due to saddle fit is one of the most common issues I see and deal with in horses as a body worker.

01/02/2024

With the forecast of another polar vortex looming later this month and managing our horses in cold weather, there are a number of things that we need to be proactive in.
• Most importantly is food and water. Make sure your horse is getting sufficient hay throughout the day to keep them warm. A horse needs to eat appropriately 2% of their body weight to stay healthy. During winter this can easily increase to 3%-5%. When it's extremely cold the body uses more calories in an effort to stay warm. Forages contain higher fiber compared to grains. Fiber is utilized through bacterial fermentation within the cecum and large intestine. A lot more heat is produced in bacterial fiber fermentation than in digestion and absorption of nutrients within the small intestine (grains).
Water is equally as important. Many horses decrease the amount of water they drink with cold weather. Increase salt in their diet and offer Luke warm water. They need to have 24/7 access to water. If water is heated they will drink more, but if offered a choice they will pick icy water. Typically horses drink between 10-15 gallons a day. During winter their water needs increase. If they have access to a large trough or automatic water it's hard to measure their intake. This means that we need to be more observant.

• Next is shelter. They need access to shelter to get out of the elements. Providing deep bedding also provides warmth. This becomes increasingly important for older horses or those with health conditions.

• The 3rd almost equally important thing is exercise. Often horses have reduced movement during the winter. Older horses especially do not move around as much during the winter. The reduction of movement results in stiffness of muscles and joints, reduced range of motion, reduced blood flow, and reduced gut activity.
By lightly exercising your horse (no matter age) we improve all of the above. Within 5 minutes of hand walking the horse is likely to have at least 1 bowel movement. They begin to relax and swing in their movement by 10 minutes typically. Taking a short break to do stretching with them at this point is more beneficial to their muscles as they've started to warm up. Adding in ground poles, serpentine, etc further engages muscles, assists with proprioception and offers mental engagement. This can be done in an indoor, a barn isle or outside. One doesn't need to have a fancy facility to improve their quality of life during the winter.
Exercise will increase blood flow, their water intake and gut and bowel movement.

Winter is hard on all. Blanketing can be beneficial for some horses or is required for some, but the above tips could save you a vet visit .

12/31/2023

New Year Special:

☆Schedule 3 massages all within 45 days and get save $10 on the last massage.

☆Massage and lesson a $90 value for $70! Your choice of massage and under saddle balancing or 1 massage and 1 lesson to be had separately.

☆ Barn Special- Minimum of 3 horses per visit. $35/Horse massage.

☆New: Rehab Renew an owners guide. $70. A how to for owners to help maintain between massage and chiropractic visits and a program to follow to aid in recovery or recondition. Specialized per horse per facility.

Get on the schedule now before prices increase in April. Massages will be increasing to $50.
*Trip fee may apply if outside an hour.

Message me today. Deals are good through February 15, 2023.

12/31/2023

Tip 4: Your goals need to be flexible. It's not your time schedule you're on but your horse's.

12/29/2023

Tip 3: A stretch a day will keep the doctor way.

Stretching regularly helps to prevent injury by strengthening the muscle tissues and gaurds against muscles tightening. It improves range of motion, increases blood flow, reduces post exercise muscle fatigue, soreness & stiffness.

Stretching regularly can be used as a diagnostic tool. When they suddenly have a reduced range of motion compared to the day before you will be able to be proactive in what steps need to be taken for your horses care.

It is important that stretching be done correctly, because as with people if done incorrectly there can be aggravation of injury & you can injure your horse. Stretching is for everyone, but not every stretch is for every horse. Work with a Certified Equine Massage Therapist and/or your vet on what is best for your horse at that particular time. Remember, over time these exercises will likely change as your horse progresses.
Certified Equine Massage Therapist.

12/28/2023

January February 2024 deals announced the 30th. Stay tuned.

12/28/2023

Tip 2: Open your mind and be willing to try something new. There is never just 1 way.

12/27/2023

4 Tips to end 2023 with and start 2024.

Tip 1: Wear a watch every ride to know exactly how long you spend on exercises and total ride time. Track this in your ride/training journal.

12/22/2023

NW Illinois needs a Pony Club. I'm happy to do the leg work if there' enough interest.

11/07/2023

Tuesday Knowledge:

Synovial fluid nourishes and lubricates the articular cartilage. It is derived from synovial membrane cells and blood plasma. In horse joints it is possible to find 20-40ml of synovialfluids. It is transparent to light yellow (horses) and is usually very thick, due to high hyaluronic acid.

As the joint is engaged, the fluid circulates, keeping the bones from grinding against each other and also acting as a shock absorber. Waste products are removed and oxygen and nutrients are replenished.

It can take approximately 10-15 minutes for this fluid to circulate throughout the joints if a horse has been stalled for 6 or more hours. Walking is extremely important for horses to allow this to happen.

So the tip of the day is to not underestimate the value of spending time walking. So much good can come from it.

09/04/2023

This little guy was starting to have problems with his left lead. Here I'm working primarily on the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and then starting to work into the intercostal muscles. I am working pretty deep here and he is leaning in and rocking with it.

When these muscles become tight it will cause your horses to have lead problem, they will trouble bending and moving straight. This was a deep session for this guy so we made sure that he had access to plenty of water and will receive another session in 3 days.

Contact STR to see how massage therapy can help you horse.

07/07/2023

Jammed finger. Applied KT taping and pain has been reduced by 50% within 10 minutes.

07/05/2023

05/31/2023

"Vitals & I.C.E. Seminar"
with Dr. Anderson from Country View Equine Clinic

June 7th
Time: 6:00PM
&J Stables in Platteville WI
Cost: Asking $10.00/person to cover supplies and equipment
All ages and experience levels Welcome!!

Gain hands - on skills to help you be better prepared to deal with equine emergencies, communication with your veterinarian and equine first aid skills.

Respiratory, pulse/heart rate, gut sounds, hydration levels......

Common emergencies: colic, choke, acute lameness, choke....

Applications: safely administering oral medication, properly applying a twitch, wrapping legs, hoof poultices...

Communication: Learn key terms, descriptions and what to know before you call your emergency vet...

Dr. Anderson will be able to give some hands on exposure and demonstrations and answer questions. Seminar will be held in the indoor arena and some horses will be provided.
Questions encouraged and if you have requests please don't hesitate to reach out and ask and we can try to accommodate! 🐴🐴