1Pony Integrated Equine Bodywork

1Pony Integrated Equine Bodywork This Method creates an interaction between the horse and practitioner in which the horse participates in the process of release.

Utilizing the Masterson Method Equine Bodywork, through skilled touch and a gentle hand, relief and release can be achieved resulting in increased comfort, range of motion, and balance to the horse. The Masterson Method integrates a unique method of bodywork that recognizes and then follows the visual responses of the horse to touch to find and release accumulated muscle and structural stress in k

ey junctions of the horse's body that most affect performance. It is an equally effective tecyhnique for any equin discipline. Due to its intuitive, gentle and interactive nature, it is a wonderful way to increase trusr, bonding and understanding between human and horse.

02/14/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 is the largest of all the cranial nerves and one of the most important to consider when fitting a bridle.
-
This complex nerve has three branches - Opthalmic branch, Maxillary branch and Mandibular branch.
-
This nerve is responsible for sensation to the head and face, and for the motor function of the chewing muscles.
-
The information sent to the brain covers everything from temperature and pressure to proprioception, and pain.
-
For lots more fascinating facts about the horse's head take a look at my book, 𝗜𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘆. Discover how the anatomical structures of the head influence movement and biomechanics, as well as the muscular and skeletal health and performance of the entire horse.
-

02/07/2025

So I posted this on my private page as often we are silenced by the popular but I really want to raise awareness about so called therapy practices that have most decent therapists sat picking their jaw off the floor at what horses are put through in the name of therapy
We often call trainers and riders out on abuse while ego filled therapists seem to get away Scott free

Why should we stay silent because what this guy is doing here is in no way therapeutic for the horse yet the likes and oohs in the comments are to me so disappointing especially as I recognise other therapists
I have called it out before and been at the end of abuse for saying simply what I see

Therapy over the years has degraded and it's sad that while some of us are trying to make a change we get labels such as trouble maker, not playing by the rules and usually the same labels as horses that don't want to put up with people's s**t but I can't sit quiet and say nothing or only share in a place where fellow therapists who I trust are out there not doing this s**t

Simply you cannot hypnotise fu***ng horses, but you certainly can press in areas to appear you are some mystical being😒
Putting the leg over a horses head or sitting on the head does absolutely nothing therapeutic wise

Owners please look at your horses reaction to a therapists hands its not always an explosive reaction that means it's unhappy a horse that is spaced out wobbling side to side with it's head to the floor is probably exploding on the inside
Check people's credentials but also check i with your horse to see if their credentials are worthy

If I get cancelled so be it facebook is not where I earn a living

But please think of the horse not the ego when you call a therapist we are there first to do no harm

Just to add even as militant as I am in being a voice for the horse i to am guilty of being quietened for fear of reprisal by "bigger" names but isn't that exactly what the horse does stays quiet for fear of something worse happening
And people wonder why I don't collab it's because most people are not in it for the horse and those that are are shunned by those who want to stay in cliques

Just adding this isn't a picture it's a screenshot i took off a reel and there is loads of videos even worse are the training vids
P.s I am not a man hater neither do I own a pitchfork 😀😀

01/19/2025
01/18/2025

What is a Good Teacher?

Now, I am a mentor for my hoofcare organization, but I know I’m not the best hoofcare teacher. I have a lot to learn about teaching about hooves - as much as I have to continue to learn about hooves themselves! But I do have a Master’s Degree in Education, so this topic is a bit close to my heart.

In the hoofcare world, like most places, there are a lot of strong opinions.

When we are passionate about something, that can make us see things a bit more “black and white” than they really are in reality.

The best teachers and mentors I have had have been those that have nudged me to consider something different when I was so rigid in my thinking. Those that played a little bit of Devil’s Advocate or pushed me to think outside of the box.

And in terms of my mentors pushing me to not be so “rigid” in my hoofcare thinking, the more hoof rehab cases I saw, the more I realized that every single horse is an individual, and therefore there is no “one size fits all” in hoof rehab cases.

Yes, most rehab cases improve with the tenets of diet, movement, and good hoofcare- and of course, if you’re able to influence their daily management a bit more, “friends, forage, freedom.” But the more we see, the more we realize that some cases need some individual extra support and troubleshooting to become sound.

For example, 90% of laminitis is endocrinopathic - or caused by a metabolic disorder. When I first started in hoof rehab, every case I saw was metabolic, and therefore turned around fairly rapidly with the proper management, so I thought laminitis cases were pretty easy! Change the diet, check bloodwork, get them moving, get a proper trim and use therapy boots and they seemed to come sound quickly and even grow out rotation and reverse distal descent.
….And then I met my first SIRS (“Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome”) laminitis case who had me staying awake at night trying to find out how to stop his feet from completely falling apart. Because with SIRS laminitis, the circulating toxins are the enemy, and diet and metabolic management does nothing.
And once we figured him out, I had a supporting limb laminitis case that threw us all for a loop. Because with supporting limb laminitis, the inability to offweight the opposing limb of a severe injury leads to a lack of circulation/perfusion in that foot that causes laminitis. They NEED to move to prevent this, but often can’t due to intense pain.. a broken bone, a bad tendon tear, etc. The treatment for the injury was contraindicated for the treatment of the laminitis. It took a team and quite a while, but we got that case back to comfort - but it wasn’t just diet or trim or metabolic management.

And I so appreciated those mentors and teachers during those times who reminded me that I didn’t have all the answers and there’s always more to learn. My business name may be The “Humble” Hoof, but I’m not immune to letting my pride creep in when it comes to what I’m passionate about. We all can. What I learned from the amazing people who came alongside me and still walk with me in this hoofcare learning journey is that I don’t want to assume I have all the answers, or put others down or shame others for doing something differently than I do, because I haven’t seen every single case or every horse, and will always have more to learn.

Of course- a good teacher in this industry also educates on how to discern when something is helping or hurting, how to apply deductive and inductive reasoning, and teaches to continually pursue further education and latest research to make sure we are helping the horse to the best of our abilities.

And one thing I know for certain, no student effectively changes their mind through angry arguments, bullying, shaming, or constant aggressive challenging. The best growth I’ve seen in the hoofcare world has been through thoughtful conversations, collaborations, looking at cases together, and coming together with a common goal: to help the horse. Because (and I say this all the time) - no one wakes up in the morning thinking “man, I can’t wait to cripple some horses today.” We do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time.

And on this journey, good teachers make it possible to change your position without shame.
Because no one ever knows it all.

01/13/2025

Found this old graphic and thought it was worth sharing again…

12/19/2024
12/18/2024
Interesting
12/18/2024

Interesting

Asymmetrical whorls

When assessing horses before euthanasia I try to be as thorough as possible, gathering information is a huge part of the process. Something I have noted in a number of the ECVM cases I’ve seen is whorls on the pectoral muscles that don’t match. The theory is that whorls form in relation to the tissue below it.

This guy was certainly asymmetrical and you can also note the rib cage rotation in both the points of the shoulder and the sternum sitting to his left side. In fact he was so destabilised that his p***s symphysis was completely unfused at over 8 years old.breaking it in half was easy because there was zero fusion occurring to strengthen the area. This horse had multiple lower hind joint injections that on dissection were relatively clean. The sloppy appearing joints in stifles and hocks were coming from the pelvis in my opinion. He was a well bred 17.2hh warmblood gelding.

To follow his dissection findings he has an album on my patreon page.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/857132/edit

12/18/2024

Asymmetrical whorls

When assessing horses before euthanasia I try to be as thorough as possible, gathering information is a huge part of the process. Something I have noted in a number of the ECVM cases I’ve seen is whorls on the pectoral muscles that don’t match. The theory is that whorls form in relation to the tissue below it.

This guy was certainly asymmetrical and you can also note the rib cage rotation in both the points of the shoulder and the sternum sitting to his left side. In fact he was so destabilised that his p***s symphysis was completely unfused at over 8 years old.breaking it in half was easy because there was zero fusion occurring to strengthen the area. This horse had multiple lower hind joint injections that on dissection were relatively clean. The sloppy appearing joints in stifles and hocks were coming from the pelvis in my opinion. He was a well bred 17.2hh warmblood gelding.

To follow his dissection findings he has an album on my patreon page.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/857132/edit

11/14/2024

"Will you still love me now my riding days are over?"

Your value in this world was never measured by how many races or ribbons you won.

Riding was a small part of your story and there are still so many chapters to be written....

The way you protect your herd with the alertness of a horse half your age.

For that I love you.

The way you nuzzle the silent tears that I hide from the rest of the world gently off my face...

For that I love you.

The way you embrace the smallest little human with such gentleness all whilst using your warm breath to touch their tiny soul.

For that I love you.

For the lives you have changed.

For the souls you have touched.

For the life lessons you have taught.

And for the sunsets you have made me notice.

For that I love you.

So will I still love you the same now your riding days are over?

No my beautiful boy I will not....

For I will love you even more.

And with that love I promise you....

Your belly will always be full...

Your ageing body will never go cold...

And your home will be for life.❤️

Jo Harmer



11/13/2024

Horses are born with about 3-4 inches of tooth root to last them their lifetime. Around age 25, depending on dental care throughout the horses life, the teeth will begin to expire. This is why it is critical to be conservative when making adjustments in the mouth. Over floating can result in premature expiring of teeth.

11/13/2024
10/26/2024

New Research Shows Horses Have 'Super Intelligence:'

Horses are far more intelligent than most people realize, with cognitive abilities that place them among the smartest animals.

They have demonstrated skills in problem-solving, emotional intelligence, memory, and learning that rival those of many other species. For example, horses are known for their cleverness in opening stable doors or untying knots, showcasing their capacity for strategic thinking.

Emotionally, they form deep, empathetic bonds with humans and can sense feelings like pride or shame, often mirroring their human companions' emotions.

Their impressive cognitive skills also allow them to recognize symbols, communicate preferences, and adapt to complex situations, such as responding to commands in therapeutic environments.

One study even revealed that horses can adjust their communication based on whether humans are aware of hidden food, increasing visual and tactile signals like looking or nudging when their caretakers were unaware.

This ability to understand and respond to the knowledge state of others—previously thought to be unique to primates—illustrates the sophistication of horse cognition. Horses actively attempt to communicate with humans in much the same way they would with their herd members, making horse-human communication a true two-way street.

While horses may not match the intellectual capabilities of elephants, they are often considered more intelligent than dogs or cats in some areas, excelling in equine-assisted therapies where their sensitivity to human emotions makes them invaluable in psychological treatments.

ABOUT GELDING SCARS:When a stallion is castrated, his entire functioning body system is turned upside down. (The same ap...
10/18/2024

ABOUT GELDING SCARS:
When a stallion is castrated, his entire functioning body system is turned upside down. (The same applies to dogs, cats and other animals!) The flow of energy is interrupted.
Castration therefore represents a trauma for every gelding, both physically and psychologically, no matter how uncomplicated it is.
Castration changes a lot psychologically, especially in terms of gender-typical behavior. Removing the testicles reduces testosterone production. Testosterone is responsible for sexually motivated behavior, aggression and activity. This is why most geldings become calmer after castration. But castration also has an impact on the physical level - and this is often not even considered. Castration results in a scar. The inflammatory substances that are formed during the surgical procedure cause adhesions between the skin layers, muscle layers and the fascia tissue. This can lead to pain and tension.

The influence of castration on the pelvic diaphragm:

Horses have a very long lasting pain memory. During castration, the horse mentally separates itself from its hindquarters. As a result of castration, for example, it walks with its legs wide apart, very narrow, or it pulls upwards like a cat's hunchback. A gelding can have problems using his hindquarters correctly. Castration therefore negatively affects the function of the craniosacral system and the mobility of the pelvic diaphragm in the long term.
The pelvic diaphragm runs from the p***c bone to the sacrum and is connected to the organs of the urogenital tract. The front part of the pelvic diaphragm is the boundary to the abdominal cavity. This area is disturbed in its own movement by castration. The pelvic diaphragm also has a major influence on the mobility of the sacrum and caudal vertebrae.
If the mobility of the pelvic diaphragm is negatively affected, this can lead to a blockage of the sacrum and the lumbar spine and thus to imbalances in the movement sequence. A possible consequence would be inactive hindquarters. The blockages in the spine are the symptom. The actual cause is the restriction of movement of the pelvic diaphragm.

Always look at the body as a whole!

The sacroiliac joint is located directly under the highest point of the croup and connects the bones of the pelvic girdle to the trunk and transmits the forces and movement impulses of the hindquarters forward to the spine and trunk. The individual body parts are connected to each other, which is why they can never be treated separately from one another.
If the hindquarters are inactive due to a blockage in the sacroiliac joint or a tight pelvic diaphragm, the forehand is put under greater strain, which causes further blockages in the atlas, cervical spine, thoracic spine and sternum. This leads to pressure on the head and thus headaches.
It can also be the other way around and a blockage in the cervical area can lead to an inactive hindquarters.
If a bodyworker only looks at the hindquarters, the visible symptom will be remedied in the short term, but in the long term the problem will keep reoccurring until the actual cause, i.e. the blockage in the cervical vertebra area, is found and corrected. Cause and effect (visible symptom) are not always directly related.
Adjusting joints, as is often practiced by chiropractors, does not help if the castration scar is disturbed: When adjusting, an impulse is sent out that the body cannot implement. This is a shock for the body and it cannot sustain this change, which for example is caused by muscles being pulled apart. The muscle retracts again and the problem persists. Only when the actual cause is found can the problem be solved

Connection between the spine and organs:

Not only movement restrictions are caused by unresolved castration trauma, but also organic problems. If the body's natural flow, which consists of blood, lymph and spinal fluid, is hindered by restricted mobility, then the tissue is less supplied with blood. Metabolism is disrupted, which in turn has negative effects on organs and other structures in the body.
If the hindquarters are blocked, the movement of the internal organs is also disrupted. This leads to many metabolic diseases such as water in f***s, diarrhea, cough, etc.
Conversely, organ problems show up as spinal problems. Both areas should therefore never be viewed separately from each other.
The diaphragm is a large plate made up of muscles and tendons. It separates the thorax from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm is the most important breathing muscle.

Changes after treatment:

After treatment of a gelding scar adhesion the posture often changes, the top line appears more even, and a potential cat hump disappears.
Also, many horses scratch themselves on different parts of their body because the energy flow, which was previously disturbed, is working again and all parts of the body are sufficiently supplied with blood.
After treatment riders notice that the hindquarters are more active, the tail swings more loosely and the horse appears more balanced.

ABOUT GELDING SCARS:
When a stallion is castrated, his entire functioning body system is turned upside down. (The same applies to dogs, cats and other animals!) The flow of energy is interrupted.
Castration therefore represents a trauma for every gelding, both physically and psychologically, no matter how uncomplicated it is.
Castration changes a lot psychologically, especially in terms of gender-typical behavior. Removing the testicles reduces testosterone production. Testosterone is responsible for sexually motivated behavior, aggression and activity. This is why most geldings become calmer after castration. But castration also has an impact on the physical level - and this is often not even considered. Castration results in a scar. The inflammatory substances that are formed during the surgical procedure cause adhesions between the skin layers, muscle layers and the fascia tissue. This can lead to pain and tension.

The influence of castration on the pelvic diaphragm:

Horses have a very long lasting pain memory. During castration, the horse mentally separates itself from its hindquarters. As a result of castration, for example, it walks with its legs wide apart, very narrow, or it pulls upwards like a cat's hunchback. A gelding can have problems using his hindquarters correctly. Castration therefore negatively affects the function of the craniosacral system and the mobility of the pelvic diaphragm in the long term.
The pelvic diaphragm runs from the p***c bone to the sacrum and is connected to the organs of the urogenital tract. The front part of the pelvic diaphragm is the boundary to the abdominal cavity. This area is disturbed in its own movement by castration. The pelvic diaphragm also has a major influence on the mobility of the sacrum and caudal vertebrae.
If the mobility of the pelvic diaphragm is negatively affected, this can lead to a blockage of the sacrum and the lumbar spine and thus to imbalances in the movement sequence. A possible consequence would be inactive hindquarters. The blockages in the spine are the symptom. The actual cause is the restriction of movement of the pelvic diaphragm.

Always look at the body as a whole!

The sacroiliac joint is located directly under the highest point of the croup and connects the bones of the pelvic girdle to the trunk and transmits the forces and movement impulses of the hindquarters forward to the spine and trunk. The individual body parts are connected to each other, which is why they can never be treated separately from one another.
If the hindquarters are inactive due to a blockage in the sacroiliac joint or a tight pelvic diaphragm, the forehand is put under greater strain, which causes further blockages in the atlas, cervical spine, thoracic spine and sternum. This leads to pressure on the head and thus headaches.
It can also be the other way around and a blockage in the cervical area can lead to an inactive hindquarters.
If a bodyworker only looks at the hindquarters, the visible symptom will be remedied in the short term, but in the long term the problem will keep reoccurring until the actual cause, i.e. the blockage in the cervical vertebra area, is found and corrected. Cause and effect (visible symptom) are not always directly related.
Adjusting joints, as is often practiced by chiropractors, does not help if the castration scar is disturbed: When adjusting, an impulse is sent out that the body cannot implement. This is a shock for the body and it cannot sustain this change, which for example is caused by muscles being pulled apart. The muscle retracts again and the problem persists. Only when the actual cause is found can the problem be solved

Connection between the spine and organs:

Not only movement restrictions are caused by unresolved castration trauma, but also organic problems. If the body's natural flow, which consists of blood, lymph and spinal fluid, is hindered by restricted mobility, then the tissue is less supplied with blood. Metabolism is disrupted, which in turn has negative effects on organs and other structures in the body.
If the hindquarters are blocked, the movement of the internal organs is also disrupted. This leads to many metabolic diseases such as water in f***s, diarrhea, cough, etc.
Conversely, organ problems show up as spinal problems. Both areas should therefore never be viewed separately from each other.
The diaphragm is a large plate made up of muscles and tendons. It separates the thorax from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm is the most important breathing muscle.

Changes after treatment:

After treatment of a gelding scar adhesion the posture often changes, the top line appears more even, and a potential cat hump disappears.
Also, many horses scratch themselves on different parts of their body because the energy flow, which was previously disturbed, is working again and all parts of the body are sufficiently supplied with blood.
After treatment riders notice that the hindquarters are more active, the tail swings more loosely and the horse appears more balanced.

(Stock image of a female cat to draw general attention to the topic of surgical scars, something more visible as most people don't recognise a gelding scar as such)

10/04/2023

Here are three questions to ask yourself when trying to determine if your horse has an abscess brewing in his hoof.

09/29/2023
09/29/2023

Address

Muscatine, IA

Telephone

319-572-4225

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 1Pony Integrated Equine Bodywork posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to 1Pony Integrated Equine Bodywork:

Share