Savage Equine Services

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Savage Equine Services

Savage Equine Services 🦄 Bodyworker
👩🏻‍🏫 Educator
🚗 Always on the move

12/17/2024

You ride your horse 5 days/week, they must be SUPER fit, right?

*Probably* wrong… They’re more likely super EFFICIENT.

If you do lots of the same stuff, in the same places, each week, your horse’s body will create a more efficient way to do the work. This efficiency means that their body is using less energy and muscle activation to get the job done.

Why is efficiency an issue? In theory, it’s not. But what needs to be considered is the purpose of the rides. Are you going to be competing? Is your intention conditioning? Is your intention strength building?

If you’re competing your horse, it’s important to remember that show days are NOT like your normal rides. They require more from your horse physically and mentally, ESPECIALLY if they’re being trailered day-of, or if they’re staying overnight at the show grounds.

Your super efficient horse isn’t going to hold up to this lifestyle without injuries, stress, or fatigue. You need a super FIT horse. This means proper conditioning, cross-training, working outside of the arena, and varying intensity of rides.

Fit horses take way more work. They require variation in intensity and focus of work. They require changes of scenery and footing. They require proper nutrition and management. They require proper recovery and balance. Fitness is purposeful.

I meet a lot of owners and trainers who think they have fit horses, but more often than not, they’ve got very efficient horses instead. And, as many of you said in response to my story poll, they’ve got horses who are bored af.

12/10/2024

👻 Sudden spookiness in a horse: could it be the neck?

Your horse has jumped the same jumps a thousand times, and now they’re refusing. Or spooking in random places in the arena.

If you live in an area where EPM is common (I do), you may have people suggest it’s EPM. A non-spooky horse suddenly spooking MUST be neurological. Maybe you run a course of treatment and the behavior doesn’t change. Now what?

Welp, it’s possible that the cause is in the neck. But why would neck pain cause a horse to spook, refuse, buck, rear, etc?

A simple cause could be that discomfort is making them anxious, leading to more scaries. Some symptoms of neck pain include: unexplained lameness, muscle atrophy, muscle spasms, reluctance to bend, difficulty changing gaits, changes in behavior (spookiness), etc.

What can cause neck pain?
Muscle strain or injury
Arthritis in the neck
Nerve impingement in the neck
Trauma
Poll or TMJ issues
Dental issues
Poor saddle fit

What can you do?
The course of action will vary depending on your horse’s specific issues, but your best bet will be working with professionals to pinpoint exactly what’s going on, and go from there.

A naughty horse is a communicating horse - the worse they behave, the louder they’re yelling that something is wrong. It’s up to us to listen and do what we can to help them.

12/08/2024

🖤 That’s it. That’s all I’ve got today. Enjoy.

🏷️

12/04/2024

💖 The temptation to have matchy matchy s**t and new things.

I get it. I love a treat yo self moment. But your horse doesn’t care. They don’t care if you have the newest saddle pad. They don’t care if it’s a seasonal release only. They don’t care if it’s got a new style of piping. They don’t care if it matches their unnecessary polo wraps. You know what they would appreciate?

Bodywork.

Maybe instead of buying a new saddle pad, you spend the money on bodywork for your horse. A nifty gifty that’s ACTUALLY for them. And guess what… it’ll benefit you as well.

Working with a horse that feels good and can move properly is worth way more than working with a horse that’s wearing a new saddle pad - especially when I bet you have a box, locker, or room full of them already…

Your choice, tho.

12/02/2024

👀 I bet you’ve seen these before!

Regardless of the wive’s tales (or whatever it technically is), “prophet’s thumbprints” are great examples of scar tissue. ****This post is NOT only applicable to prophet’s/devil’s thumbprints, but to ALL scar tissue!!****

Scar tissue is NOT the same as original tissue - and unfortunately it never will be.

The tissue that replaces damaged muscle tissue is more similar to tendon and ligament tissue than muscle - it’s less forgiving and elastic, and doesn’t function in the same way. While scar tissue is STRONG, the tissue around the scar tissue is weaker than the scar tissue. This can cause the surrounding tissue to become over stretched, weak, and poorly utilized.

Scar tissue WILL affect the horse’s ability to use that muscle. And seeing as we can’t fully eliminate it, this often means the horse will be working with MAYBE 90% of the former ability of that muscle - AND ONLY if work is done to even get the function to that level!

Scar tissue and surrounding tissue will not improve on their own. In fact, the issues created - weakness, compensation, tension, etc. - will only compound if the proper work isn’t being done to counteract the effects of scar tissue formation.

What can we do to mitigate the effects of scar tissue on the surrounding tissue and entire body?
Massage
Stretches
Targeted exercises
Fascia work
PEMF
Decompression therapies such as k tape & cupping
Cold laser

If your horse has scar tissue that you’ve already identified, or they have compensation patterns after an injury, reach out to a bodyworker in your area so you can get them help! If you’re not working to combat the effects of scar tissue, they’re only compounding.

11/27/2024

Ope on a rope is back bc I’m bothered ☺️

🤦🏻‍♀️ I can’t reason with riding muddy horses, so I won’t even list possible excuses - none of them are valid. Anyway, let’s talk about why you shouldn’t ride dirty horses????

📋 Things to consider:

❌ It’s uncomfortable for the horse. Dried mud on long coats will not only grind dirt into the skin (ouch), but will also cause tack to pull the dirty hair away from the skin in motion (double ouch). Dirt on clipped coats will be extra abrasive, giving your tack a lovely sandpaper effect… stop???

❌ You’re missing things. If you’re not grooming your horse thoroughly before riding, you could miss scratches, rain rot, welts, or other issues. Grooming is a time to check your horse over real well so that you’re aware of everything that’s going on, and can stay ahead of skin issues.

❌ Now your tack is gross. So you didn’t have time to groom a muddy horse, but you’ll have time to clean your disgusting tack after using it on them? I bet not. Tacking up a dirty horse will let all that dirt and bacteria and who knows what else transfer to your tack, and now it can just prolong any issues that arise. Cool beans!

❌ It’s lazy. Man, what are we doing? If you have the energy to ride, you have the energy to groom your horse. If you have the time to ride, you have the time to groom your horse. If you don’t have these things… (I bet you know what’s coming…) don’t ride the horse.

🖤 Let’s get it together, people. Riding mud-caked, dirty horses is poor practice. Take care of your horse.

11/26/2024

👀 Have you ever noticed that I’m constantly begging you to be OBJECTIVE?

👩🏻‍🦯 That’s because there’s a major disconnect that I see in the industry, and it’s a lack of objectivity. We’re willing to PERCEIVE a problem, but when it comes to being OBJECTIVE about the possible or probable causes, we’re suddenly blind…? Why? Because acknowledging that something we’re doing is a problem requires CHANGE.

📝 Noticing your horse is struggling is one thing, being objective about solutions is another thing entirely.

🔆 Sometimes change might mean hiring a new farrier, reworking feed practices, new tack, new training practices, etc.

⚖️ Change is hard. Newness is scary. And, oh no, someone might question the reason we changed, and we’ll have to say we found flaws in our way of doing things. But are change and admitting we’re wrong WORSE than poor management/training/riding/care for our horses?

🐴 They deserve better. They deserve objectivity. They deserve growth and change and effort from us, even when it’s hard. Know better, do better.

🏷️

11/25/2024

‼️ Hampton Roads clients ‼️ who doesn’t need festive horse portraits?!?! Wreaths provided! 🎄

11/20/2024

❄️ ’Tis the season…

🚫 First of all, no, I’m not anti-blanket. However, I do notice things during blanketing season that we’re gonna talk about here.

🧥 Most of the horses I see are blanketed in the winter - they’re clipped for shows or comfort during work, and they need clothes. So, all through the cold months here, I see the effects of blankets on the body. And no, this isn’t only with ill-fitting blankets!

🤔 How do blankets affect the body?
❌ Pressure points
❌ Added weight for HOURS per day
❌ Shoulder restriction
❌ Uneven movement

👀 Blanketing causes pressure points along the shoulders and spine - especially if your blanket has a seam going over the withers causing added pressure in one area. These pressure points can cause fascial restrictions, soreness, restricted movement, and poor use of the back.

💪🏼 Blankets have weight. Surely, if you blanket horses, you’ve picked up their blankets and thought “oof, that’s heavy!” Or felt relief when removing a blanket and finally dropping it to the floor. Imagine how your horse feels when carrying extra weight for hours (often ~23hrs) per day, which causes stress on muscles and joints.

🫠 No matter how blanket design changes, I continue to see shoulder restriction during blanket season. Often times, you’ll be able to see this without even watching the horse move or assessing posture - you’ll see slight (or major) rubs at the point of the shoulder. I can feel it in the body even when they aren’t balding themselves!

😳 Uneven movement can also occur during blanket season. Your horse rolls, stands a certain way, plays a bit, whatever, and the blanket shifts. This will cause the horse to adjust their movement pattern to the feel of the blanket, leading to potentially shortened stride, altered posture, or any of the above issues.

🖤 Just some things to keep in mind when blanketing, as you’re riding through the cold months, and when you’re considering skipping on bodywork… Your horse needs it to combat the blankets! (And for a million other reasons)

11/15/2024

⚖️ You’ve got two options

👀 Prehab your horse, or rehab them. If you’re not doing the latter, the former is almost inevitable. Let’s talk about it.

🧩 Prehab is everything you can do to prevent injury. It’s the proper training methods, warm up & cool down, leg care, tack fitting, bodywork, nutrition, turnout, farriery, and routine vet care. And unfortunately, I see missing pieces in this puzzle often - even with competition horses.

🤕 The main cause of injury in sport horses is overuse injuries - repetitive overload. Doing the same things all the time, causing inflexibility in joints and supporting structures, as well as soft tissue strain, and ultimately leading to injury when something changes, a foot is put wrong, or you move up a level.

🖼️ Repetitive overload is often what causes the “sudden” blown suspensories or things of that nature. It’s not so sudden when you look at the bigger picture…

📉 Rehab is the “setback” we face with horses when lack of prehab leads to injury. It’s the stall rest, ground work, minimal riding, missing competitions, and potentially coming back under 100%. No one enjoys having an injured horse and having to rehab them, and most people don’t even want time out of the saddle - they have goals. But here’s the kicker…

🤲🏻 You either take the time to adjust and do the work day in and day out to prehab, or you lose the time to rehabbing. There’s even sayings about this - “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” right? What it means is doing a little all the time is better than doing a bunch all at once.

🫠 If there’s one thing people in this industry don’t like, it’s change. And prehab often means an objective look at your management, training, and mindset, ultimately leading to tweaks and even big changes. And unfortunately, admitting “wow, I definitely could be doing this, this, and this better, maybe it’s time to change” is harder than just keeping the blinders on and plugging away.

🖤 I think we owe better to our horses.

10/28/2024

👀 Guess what I did…

😳 I got my shoulders injected. This wasn’t recent, it happened years ago, but it had to happen. And understanding my own process (and working with a doctor who was transparent af) altered the way I view injections in horses. So, I’m gonna take you on a little journey…

😮‍💨 I rode a lot of horses, worked at barns from a young age and continued through college, I had a very disordered relationship with the gym, I didn’t eat enough, and when my body started saying “hey girlie, time to change some things or we’re gonna start falling apart in here!” I ignored it.

🙄 Why? Everyone in the industry is tired, underfed, overworked, and in pain. It’s become memes. Here’s the thing - it’s not funny.

🫠 I got to the point where my shoulders were deteriorating. I couldn’t lift my arms up without pain. But what was I doing? Cleaning stalls, riding, and trying to grit my teeth and bear it (literally - I actually ended up cracking a molar I clench my teeth so hard). And guess what - I fell apart. So, I finally caved and went to an orthopedic specialist.

🫥 Without all the medical details since I only have so much room here… I had bursitis happening, at the ripe age of 22. And it was decided that the best course of action was injections in both shoulders. After that, I have been getting injections on a yearly basis to maintain the joints.

🙌🏼 Jk, because I listened to a professional who cared about my wellbeing and didn’t want to see basically a child get surgery for something that could be prevented. So, he explained in no uncertain terms that this was not a fix - it was meant to alleviate inflammation and pain so that I could build up the support for that joint and function properly going forward.

🫶🏼 I had a physical therapist. I did my homework. I started eating enough. I changed how I worked out. I TOOK TIME OFF TO ADDRESS MY COMPENSATIONS AND PAIN. And my life changed. Now, I feel slight discomfort happening, and I take it as a sign to reevaluate everything I’m doing habitually, and make changes accordingly. It’s been almost 10 years.

🖤 We owe it to our horses to do better by them.

10/21/2024

🖤 Past time to do one of these, so, here we go…

👋🏼 If you’re new here - I’m Jenn Savage. I’m an equine bodyworker, educator, and aspiring cult leader. I’ve got a pretty effective team here at Savage Equine Services, consisting of myself, my 13yo “street dog” Kahlua, and my 3yo Standard Poodle Laszlo. It’s rare you’ll catch me without them. They travel with me to local clients, long distance clients, and when I host events or stay away for shows.

🫶🏼 I am passionate about equine welfare and owner empowerment. My goal is to educate owners so that they feel confident and capable of being involved in their horses’ welfare and management. In the equestrian world, owners are often gaslit and talked out of listening to their gut when they feel like their horse needs something or when something is a little off. I want to help change that.

🖤 I started my business in spring 2021, and it has since grown and evolved in ways I never imagined. I currently have multiple courses and ebooks available to help bodyworkers, horse owners, and riders alike. I don’t have a fun story about why I got into this industry - honestly, I had a bodyworker out for my horse, it made a difference, and I was obsessed. I saw a need in the equine industry especially among our performance horses, and I wanted to help.

🎓 I truly believe that no one should ever stop learning. I love collaborating with other bodyworkers, sharing case studies and techniques, and taking continuing education courses and webinars. I also buy way too many books about equine wellness, movement, bodywork, training, etc.

💼 Currently, tools I work with in sessions include: K tape, cups, cold laser, red light pad, stability pads, and a gua sha scraper. Every tool has its place, and I love having options, and the ability to pivot during sessions when needed.

✨ Outside of this business, I run an Etsy shop where I sell bookish stickers and other goodies. I read a lot (fantasy and romance mainly), game a little (Hogwarts Legacy all day, baby), and jumping from one ADHD project to another.

👀 If I missed something that you suggested in my IG stories, remind me in the comments!

10/16/2024

Schitt’s Creek meme time 😘

🏷️

10/09/2024

🎁 I don’t actually feel like making content, so have some more memes I had lying in wait 😂

09/25/2024

⚙️ Something’s been really grinding my gears…

Bodyworkers saying things along the lines of “my goal is to get your horse to the point where I don’t need to see them anymore.” And that’s absolutely ridiculous.

There is no world in which your horse, job or not, isn’t moving with some type of tension, restriction, spasms, scarring, discomfort, compensation, SOMETHING going on. And here’s how I know…

If you sit in a chair for 8 hours a day and aren’t doing some crazy workouts or manual labor - you’ll still get sore or tense or “tweak” something.

If you have a physical job and throw hay bales or muck stalls or do something else in the physical labor realm - you’ll get sore, tense, or “tweak” something.

If you workout regularly and are super strong and fit - you’ll still be prone to strains, sprains, or “tweaks.”

If you’re building muscle through a new routine - you’ll have imbalances, restrictions, or potential injury.

Do you see where I’m going with this? When’s the last time you “slept wrong” and felt like you needed a massage or chiro? When’s the last time you did something stupid like slip or trip and “tweak” something and have a little muscle injury? When’s the last time you had sore joints?

Our horses are not made for most of the things they do. They’re poorly designed. They have old or existing injuries. They have compensation patterns. They act foolish in the fields even when they’re alone. They slip, fall, get muscle spasms, strain things, form compensation patterns, and have restrictions.

Bodywork is not something that you get rid of once something is “fixed.” It’s a lifelong, supportive tool to maintain your horse’s quality of movement, comfort, and life as they perform and age. While schedules for bodywork vary depending on the horse and management - it is not something that should be stopped altogether.

Bodywork is necessary as long as your horse is existing. No matter how stoic your horse is, how well they perform DESPITE what’s happening internally, I have yet to put my hands on a horse who felt perfect everywhere. Bodywork is a forever thing.

09/21/2024

They’re back lol. I think they speak for themselves 🤷🏻‍♀️

🏷️

09/11/2024

🕵🏻‍♀️ Don’t send me on a blind scavenger hunt during our sessions

💬 Everyone on your horse’s wellness team should always be fully informed when working with your horse. Bodywork sessions are not a time to test your practitioner’s ability to suss out issues. Conversely, if we find something during our work with your horse, being honest about training practices, management, veterinary intervention, and overall care are crucial to getting your horse on the right path.

🔑 We aren’t here to judge you or spy or do some weird s**t. We’re here to help your horse as best we can, and help YOU help your horse! Being honest with your farrier, bodyworker, vet, chiro, etc is critical when you expect these people to give you your money’s worth and make sure your horse is feeling and performing well.

🗒️ We need the facts. We need the training regimen. We need the incident report. We need to know what your trainer is begging you to change in the saddle. And here’s the thing. We understand it’s sometimes embarrassing. That sometimes it involves sharing how you learned a lesson the hard way, and maybe your horse tweaked something in the process.

🖤 But here’s the big secret: all we care about is making sure we help your horse recover, pivot, improve, maintain, whatever the goal. We are here to help. We want what’s best for your horse, and in-turn, for you. We want you to feel informed and empowered and useful. That’s it.

🤝🏼 I couldn’t give two s**ts for any reason other than knowing the root of the problem makes it possible for us to find a true solution.

🏷️

09/09/2024

👀 Have you ever felt called out by something a pro in the industry posted about? [It’s okay if it was me]

🪶 Pros are gonna ruffle feathers. We’re gonna say things that you might not agree with. We’re gonna say things that might feel uncomfortable. But here’s the thing:
All we want is to share information so that more owners can help their horses.

🤦🏻‍♀️ I firmly believe that when we know better, we do better. Unfortunately, in the equestrian world, people get set in their ways. They learn things and never change the way they work. Fast-forward 20 years, and they’re continuing to teach new generations outdated or harmful practices. Why? Because they believe they’ve learned what they need to know.

🫠 I think it’s a massive disservice to the industry as a whole and every human and horse we work with if we stop learning. It’s a dangerous thing! This isn’t an industry where nothing changes. This is an industry constantly in reform. One where welfare is being brought to the forefront, kinesiology is better understood, and we are utilizing more professionals than ever.

🌱 We have to keep up. Pros especially, we all need to be learning constantly. Evolve and grow. It’s okay to realize that the way you’ve done it for 20 years isn’t ACTUALLY the best way. It’s okay to change your management, training, or teaching practices. It’s okay to admit that you didn’t know better. What’s important is the learning.

🖤 When we stop learning, we stop being able to help others (horse or human) and we start backsliding to where we’ll be doing more harm than good. Learning is a forever thing, as is growth and evolution. Know better to do better.

🏷️

Address

Virginia Beach, VA
23452

Telephone

+17573552240

Website

https://www.savageequineservices.com/links

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🖤 Gotta do the work if you want the results, I don’t make the rules ✨ Wanna help your horse even more? Comment 🦄 for a link to my equine massage course for horse owners, and I’ll even throw in a special discount! 🏷️ #horses #horsememes #equestrianmemes #horseriding #horsereels #equestrainlife #equinebiomechanics #equineanatomy #horsegirl #horseowner #horselove #horseowners #horseshow #equinelifestyle #equestrianproblems

Invaluable knowledge - how to palpate your horse AND alleviate tension yourself. Sometimes a bodyworker can’t get to you as fast as you’d like. Sometimes you can FEEL something off with your horse when riding but can’t pinpoint the cause. Sometimes you just want to take care of your buddy and bond more with them. Let me help you! Comment 🦄 to get the course link and a discount code! 🏷️ #EquestrianLife #HorseRiding #EquestrianStyle #EquestrianCommunity #EquineMassage #HorseMassage #EquineTherapy #HorseHealth #EquineWellness #EquestrianLife #HorseCare #EquineTraining #HorseLovers #EquineBodywork #horsegirl #horsereel #equestrianreels

🫣 Ope on a rope. I know human massage/bodywork seem like “luxuries” but check out human athletes. Whether you “treat yourself” to proper physical maintenance or not, don’t skimp on it for your horse! 🏷️ #horsereels #horsememes #equestrianmeme #horseshow #horsesofinsta #horsegirl #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #equineanatomy #equinebodywork #spaday #horsecare #athlete #equinephotography #horseriding #horsebackriding #ottb #ottbsofinstagram #ottbofinstagram

🙃 No, I love it. Tell me more how you do chiro and theraplate and BEMER and Magnawave and acupuncture and feed 3739262827 supplements but you don’t use a bodyworker. Address the soft tissue with HANDS or you’re not able to fully address the soft tissue. Do we need to talk more about this??? 🏷️ #horses #horseshow #horseshowlife #horsememes #horsereel #bodyworkers #equinebodywork #equineosteopathy #equinephysio #equinephysiotherapy #equinerehab #equinerehabilitation #horsetraining #horsetrainer

✨ All it takes is a sprinkle of grit and a dash of delusion. What a ride, though 🤠 🏷️ #equestrian #horsegirl #gritty #cowgirls #letsgogirls #horsegirlenergy #horsesofinstagram #equestrianlife #equestrianbusiness #equinebusiness #businessowner #equestriansport #equestriansofinsta #instahorse #horsereels #horseriding #horseblogger

✨ Idk what to say with new clients, and when I ask too many questions it feels like I’m interrogating them. I promise I’m not mean, I’m just awkward! 🏷️ #tism #clientlove #equinebodywork #equestrianbusiness #equestrianbusinesswomen #equestrian #equinepassion #equestrianlifestyle #awkward #capcutedit #horsereels #relatable #equestrianmemes #equestrianreels #horsebackriding

😅 Every time, without fail 🏷️ #equestrian #equinebodywork #equinebusiness #equestrianblogger #ottb #horsesofinstagram #horseriding #horsereels #equestrianmemes #horsetraining #horses #equine #equinephotographer #horsestagram #horsepower #horselife

🎉 But seriously. Every time I get a notification that someone enrolled, or about their progress, I am Michael Gary Scott. 🖤 It just warms my little black heart every time someone chooses to prioritize their horse and learn techniques to help them move and feel better. I am ✨passionate✨ about it. Link in my bio to enroll 🔗 🏷️ #equestrian #horseofinstagram #horse #horselove #equinemassage #equinephysio #equinerehab #horsegirl #horsememe #horsereels #horsegram #horseriding #equestrianlife #horseshow

✨ When you’re thanking your team and your supporters, don’t forget yourself. Here with Uncle Snoop to remind you - you did the work, don’t give all the credit to everyone else. 🖤 🏷️ #snoopdogg #unclesnoop #iwannathankme #equestrian #businessowner #goalgetter #equinebusiness #equestrianbusiness #ottb #horsegirl #horsereels #horseriding #equinepassion #equinephotography #horsephysiotherapist #equestrianblogger

🤷🏻‍♀️ Hate to break it to ya, but it you haven’t heard - the lunging rigs, side reins, neck stretchers, and draw reins are ruining your horse’s body… 🏷️ #horsereels #horsesofinstagram #horsememes #horsereel #horsetraining #ottbsofinstagram #equestrian #horsegirl #horseshow #equinebodywork #equinebodyworker #horseriding

👏🏼 So damn proud of the equestrians putting their horses first. My Equine Massage for Horse Owners course is full of knowledge, tools, and techniques to help you help your horse. They deserve it. Enroll using the link in my bio! 🏷️ #equine #equineeducation #horsereels #equinebodywork #equinemassage #horsegirl #horsegirlvibes #horsememe #horsememes #equestrianlife #ottbsofinstagram #horseriding

🫶🏼 Hard work? Absolutely. Worth it? Without a doubt. 🏷️ #equestrianentrepreneurs #equestrianbusiness #equinebusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurlife #horsegirls #equestrianmemes #horsetraining #horsetrainer #equine #equestrainlife