09/16/2024
Just finished 30 days on this mare. 11 year old QH with 6 spots of Kissing spine. Owner was wanting to try a non-surgical approach and help her start using her body better.
My focus was to help her understand how to properly use and soften her body, not just kink her neck and carry herself in a false frame. We also really needed to get some weight off, can you tell she likes her food?
When asked to canter she would turn 90 degrees and just stop. While it is possible to interpret this as a behavioral problem, working through it I definitely felt there was a fear response buried there too. The anxiety sweats and stress responses would start as soon as I indicated I wanted a canter, and the amount of releases we got immediately after we got through the canter have not been nearly as intense by the end of the month. She still has a long way to go, but I'm very excited to see her continue to find herself. I will be continuing to maintain her over the next 30 days along with her owner riding and taking lessons. Owner education is just as important as the work I do on the horse in every training client.
This mare also receives regular bodywork and chiropractic. At the end of the 30 days she had a regular adjustment and the chiro remarked how much less sore and stiff she was in comparison to previous sessions.
Dressage benefits EVERY horse!
