Time For Me To Fly Equine Performance Bodywork

08/24/2024

Rotation of P3 is caused by incorrect hoof care NOT dietary related

Please please STOP thinning the front of the hoof capsule and neglecting the heels.

08/23/2024

08/22/2024

Whenever I slice onions in the kitchen, thoughts of horses come to mind! It might sound a bit strange, but here's the connection: Jim Masterson often compares horses to onions, explaining that just like peeling back layers of an onion reveals deeper levels, continued bodywork on a horse unveils hidden tension and strain. Releasing this resistance allows the horse greater freedom of movement.

The horse's muscular system operates like a sophisticated pulley system, requiring equal tension throughout. Even the slightest imbalance can lead to a range of issues. From the moment a horse is born, tension starts to accumulate. Whether from work, play, ill-fitting tack, injuries, rider imbalances, dental issues, or numerous other factors, tension builds up over time. Unfortunately, it never reaches perfect balance and can result in restricted movement.

Many horse owners are unaware that rest does not alleviate tension; instead, horses learn to ignore it. As time passes, layer upon layer of tension accumulates, potentially turning into physical restrictions. It's crucial to remember that muscles dictate bone movement.

As a horse's performance and behavior gradually decline, owners often attribute it to various factors like age, attitude, or stubbornness. However, these changes may indicate underlying muscle tension or restrictions. If your horse struggles with leads, inverts its back, rushes jumps, or exhibits lameness, these issues could stem from tension.

While addressing factors that cause tension is essential, incorporating bodywork can significantly benefit your horse. As a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner, I am trained to help horses release deep-seated tension through gentle techniques. By working with a horse's natural responses and inducing relaxation, we can prompt the central nervous system to release tension in inaccessible areas. What sets The Masterson Method apart is that it requires the horse's active participation.

If you desire to ride a relaxed, supple horse that enjoys its job, rather than a tense and burdened "onion," consider scheduling a session for your horse today. Both your horse and you will be delighted with the results!

Now booking for the Ocala, FL, area! Text/call 240-298-4656 email [email protected]

https://www.timeformetoflyequine.com

08/21/2024

Does anyone have a tissue?! Thank you so much, Lauren Blizek of Connect the Spots for this rare and beautiful anatomical Breyer horse.

Lauren has one of her own that she always brings along to the courses she assists me in teaching and I shamelessly covet it.

Now, thanks to her thoughtfulness and generosity I have one to call my own. I have wanted one for FORVER! I cant thank you enough, Lauren!

Don’t forget, if you’re in southern Maryland and needing a bodywork session for your horse, I highly recommend Lauren and I’ve referred all my clients to her. And from what I’ve heard, she’s killing it!

08/18/2024

I’m on Wix!

08/18/2024

Now that we are pretty much settled down here in central Florida and Polo season is gearing up, we took a ride to our local Polo facility to offer up my services for the season. The horses are still on a well-deserved vacation. So beautiful!

08/18/2024

My yellow boy just stopping by with a reminder 💛

08/17/2024

Love this!

08/14/2024

08/13/2024

08/12/2024

I’m currently scheduling equine bodywork sessions beginning the end of September in the Ocala, Florida, area.

If I haven’t gotten back to you, please reach out. My FB business page and website have gone through some changes and I’m ubable to locate some information I had previously received for booking new clients. My sincere apologies, if this is you.

To book a session, you may call/text 240-298-4656, email [email protected] and private message here on Facebook. (Please note: Messages may be lost with this form of communication, due to FB glitches).

https://www.timeformetoflyequine.com

08/11/2024

Lost in time! No matter the discipline, we need to get back to this, not only for for the sake of the horse’s performance but more importantly for their health, happiness and longevity.

I found this educational sign today at Beamish museum in County Durham. The Equine Defence League who produced this, was founded in 1909 by Francis Cox, his initial objective being to improve the conditions for pit ponies working in the mines. His cause was supported by such big names as Jerome K Jerome, Jack London, James Keir Hardy and Winston Churchill.

These signs could at one time be found in places where horses would be pulling heavy loads up hill.

But this is so relevant to every situation in which a horse might be worked today. Perhaps more than ever before.

08/11/2024

08/08/2024

The wonderful Lise Lunde, Instructior, discussing what The Masterson Method Equine Specialist course is about.

08/08/2024

Was your horse prematurely (4-7 months) weaned? It may be very important to know when your horse was weaned. There’s always a root cause for eveything.

INDUSTRY STANDARD PREMATURE WEANING PRACTICES

Weaning is naturally gradual, whereby the physical and psychological bond between mother and offspring is ended. To date, there are numerous studies, across a wide range of species, showing the physical and mental harm that is done when animals are prematurely and forcibly weaned. The act compromises an animal's welfare and goes against best-practices for raising a physically and behaviourally healthy animal. Therefore, it should be avoided.

Premature weaning of horses (~4-7 months of age) is sadly still a common practice in the horse world. While young horses can physically be kept alive when weaned at this age, the practice is harmful in the short-term. It can also result in the creation of unwanted behaviour problems in the long-term.

While we have selectively bred horses to perform a wide range of activities for us, we have not been able to breed out the basic needs which they still share with their wilder relatives. Studying how horses behave under natural conditions gives us valuable information on how best we can provide for our domestic horses. For example, horses have evolved to need fulltime access to what I call the 3 F's of Friends, Forage, and Freedom: living in direct contact with other horses, having continual access to forage so that they can trickle feed, and having the ability to freely engage in a wide range of normal behaviours in their environment. When horses are denied access to one or more of these three F's, or when we interfere with their ability to engage in normal behaviours it results in stress, decreased welfare, and can result in the creation of unwanted behaviours.

To better understand the effects of weaning practices, researchers in France and Iceland examined how and when foals wean themselves when living under natural conditions. Of the 16 mare-foal pairs they observed, they found that all of the foals spontaneously weaned themselves at around 9-10 months of age. Two weeks prior to self-weaning, the mares and foals remained closer to one another than they did to others in the group, usually within 1-5 horse lengths of one another. Suckling bouts also didn't decrease in the two weeks prior to weaning, and the foals made no attempts to suckle once weaned. This self-directed weaning also caused no signs of stress to either party.

A frequent rationale for premature weaning is to preserve the physical condition of the mare. Interestingly, none of the mares in this study lost physical condition, despite the length of time mares and foals were together.

In summary, to quote the authors:

"Modern breeding practices generally impose strong constraints as compared to the conditions of development of foals in a more natural environment. One major aspect is the early artificial weaning, which is not just a stage of diet transition but also a stage of social separation. There is increasing evidence that such a practice, although carried out on a routine basis by horse breeders, leads to short- and in some cases to long-term severe negative outcomes.

There is therefore a clear need to better understand the factors at stake (e.g., cessation of milk intake, immature digestive system, maternal deprivation, absence of adult models, additional changes in feeding or housing…), to improve the domestic management of weaning and animal welfare."

You can read the full paper, 'Domestic Foal Weaning: Need for Re-Thinking Breeding Practices?' by accessing it at this link: https://tinyurl.com/PrematureWeaningHorses

Image by Hans Benn from Pixabay

08/07/2024

08/07/2024

❤️🐴❤️

08/06/2024

💯

08/05/2024

Wow! Wow, I find this absolutely captivating! Maintaining a strong and flexible muscular system is crucial for safeguarding against tendon injuries and numerous other health issues.

Organic engineering of the fore limb! Magic

All of the muscles attached to their lower limb tendons, to see how they operate head to my Patreon page.

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn

08/02/2024

Thank you, Skye Design for giving my website a much needed makeover!

Below is a link to my updated website and a link to Skye Design FB page! I highly recommend Karen. She was very patient and worked hard to get me up and running.

I hope you’ll check us both out!

https://www.timeformetoflyequine.com

https://www.facebook.com/skyedesignllc?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Since childhood, Alice has been surrounded by horses, forming deep connections with each one and finding joy in their care. Her passion for equine bodywork stems from this lifelong bond, as she strives to provide "natural solutions for the whole horse." Through techniques such as sports massage, cra...

08/02/2024

Just over a year ago, my husband and I made a bold choice to embark on a new chapter in our lives. After much effort and adjustments, we bid farewell to southern Maryland and have now found our home in the beautiful Ocala, Florida area. We couldn't be happier with our decision so far!

Currently, I am in the process of rebuilding my business in this new location. As a certified Masterson Method Practitioner and Equine Specialist, I also serve as a local and traveling instructor for Masterson Equine Services. I am qualified to teach a range of courses including the Weekend Seminar, Advanced 5-Day course, and the Masterson Method Equine Specialist course.

But, there's one crucial element missing - YOU! Our courses rely on wonderful hosts and the horses at their facility to come to life. If you are interested in hosting any of these courses, please reach out to me without hesitation. I am here to guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Hosting one of these incredible courses can also earn you a free spot to participate. These courses tend to fill up quickly due to their popularity.

You can contact me at 240-298-4656 (call/text), [email protected], or send me a private message here on Facebook.

For more information on each course and to learn more, click the links below:

-At the Weekend Seminar you’ll learn how to recognize and use the visual responses of the horse to your touch to find and release accumulated stress in key junctions of the body that most affect performance.
https://mastersonmethod.com/want-to-host-a-masterson-method-weekend-seminar/

-Horses in your care will benefit further by your participation in the Advanced 5-Day Course. You will become more adept at The Masterson Method® techniques that will help relieve your horse’s stress and build stronger human-horse relationships. The Advanced Course is required before entering the Fieldwork Course. (The Weekend Seminar course is a prerequisite to the 5 day course)
https://mastersonmethod.com/advanced-5-day-course/

-Do you work or volunteer in equine-assisted services program (e.g., equine-assisted learning, equine-assisted psychotherapy, therapeutic or adaptive riding, etc.) and want to put the horse’s welfare at the center of your activities? Do you want to benefit both the people served in these programs, and the horses who work hard in their job?
https://mastersonmethod.com/equinespecialist/

If you’re interested in learning more about me and my qualifications, please click this link: https://mastersonmethod.com/practitioner/listing/alice-long-mmcp/

**Please note that only individuals who have completed the Masterson Method Certification Program are authorized to use The Masterson Method® name and logo. Unauthorized use is a violation of trademark rights. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.