
07/10/2025
CASE OF THE WEEK: DOZER
Quarter Horse mare, sore-footed and body sore to match.
Dozer came in hurting—front feet clearly uncomfortable, and it was showing in her posture, movement, and overall tension. Instead of chasing symptoms, I took a peek at the bigger picture. She got a full-body session designed specifically for her, because rehab isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Here’s what her plan looked like:
*Hind-end focus to shift weight off her sore fronts
*Pre- and post-thermals to assess blood flow
*Red and blue light acupoint work
*Craniosacral therapy to calm her system
*Myofascial + neuromyofascial release
*Resona set to Brain Balance
*Revitavet Ankle Savers
*BEMER cuffs for circulation
Kinesiology taping to support suspensory and boost hoof blood flow.
And guess what? Her thermals told the story. Before? Cold, uneven circulation. After? Increased blood flow—proof that strategic work matters.
Before anyone comes at me swinging: Massage alone wouldn’t have touched this.without the thermals I wouldn't have known there was uneven blood flow to the front feet. (Yes, she has fly boots on in the original thermal but there's still uneven blood flow). And yes, Dozer girl is under expertise farrier care.
Also to add: If you’re doing the same thing for every horse, every time—you’re missing the mark. Successful rehab means pulling from multiple modalities and adjusting every session to what that horse shows you that day.
Cookie-cutter approaches don’t work for sore horses.
And there’s way more to rehab than just rubbing muscles.