Inside Out Equine Bodyworks

01/04/2023

Hives, sweet itch, sensitivity to bug bites, runny nose/eyes . . . Oh my!!

Allergies are a commonplace in the horse world and are generally accepted as something that is part of nature and “just happens.”

Here is the good news for your horse!! It doesn’t have to be that way and they won’t have to live on Benadryl and stall life to make it through the spring.

Let’s take a minute to recap what we know about allergies:
🤧 they result from a compromised gut and an overreactive immune system
🤧 stress, age, and nutritional deficiencies are key players
🤧 inflammation compounds the issue

Now what are the steps to take to begin your horse’s healing journey:

🐴 reduce stress: let them have forage, friends, and freedom. Support them during intense training, competition, and hauling. Give them support for emotional stress as well.

🐴 support age related issues: the older a horse gets, the weaker their immune system become. Give them extra support that they need.

🐴 nutritional deficiencies: check the quality of your forage, minerals, and other daily rations. Eliminate inflammatory ingredients and make sure your horse is actually utilizing their nutrients. Remember, you aren’t just feeding for muscle growth and energy levels, you are feeding for internal health as well.

What we feed them is so important and can either increase or decrease the stress of the gut and in turn the stress of the immune system.

Here is a fantastic place to start:
🪴herbs
🍓🥬 whole foods
🌾 flax and chia
🍠 turmeric
🐮bovine colostrum
🥥 coconut oil

Also, check out the book: Whole Food For Horses

Have a horse with allergies? Feeling overwhelmed and want to talk? Send me a dm, I would love to hear from you.

For those of you who have supported your horses through herbs, foods, and other alternative modalities, drop a comment and be an encouragement!!

24/03/2023

I am looking to start offering mini clinics. If you own a farm and would like to sponsor a clinic contact me and let’s talk! Your personal horse would get a free massage out of the deal!

14/03/2023

I say this lovingly, but find a new barn!
———
Think about all the things that can trigger stress in us?

- big crowds
- loud noises
- overstimulation
- high expectations
- uncertainty
- busy schedules
- not eating enough

As humans, we can process our way through stress or we can talk to someone or remove things from our schedules.

Our horses generally don’t have that luxury.

They can’t say: “I’m feeling off so I’m going to take a day to not train” or “I don’t like the energy this group is bringing, I’m going to leave” or “I’m tired for being cooped up in my stall, I’m going to head outside.”

They have to deal with whatever environment we them in.

Here’s the good news!

Because we created that environment for them, we can make the necessary changes to allow our horse’s to handle less stress.

Even if they are in a boarding/training situation, you can advocate for them! Talk to your trainer about easing them into a heavier work load. Discuss with the barn owner if your horse is struggling to get along with others or if they need more outside time.

And if they don’t want to listen. Here is what you do -

Find a new barn!

Why? Because your horse’s well-being is important. Don’t be afraid to make the changes, even if others think you are crazy.

Interested in my new freebie to help you identify and gauge things that are causing your horse stress? DM me your email and I will get it sent over to you!!🤍🐴

12/03/2023

📣Our horses were created for movement.

Do you know what they weren’t designed for?
- 20+ hours in a stall
- only 1-2 hours of turnout
- the only movement they receive is when they are lunged or ridden

Here’s why. 👇

Horses require the space, freedom, and opportunity to move in order for their body systems to function optimally.

Digestion, circulation, hooves, lymph flow, joints, a healthy mental state, etc all rely upon the horse being able to move.

Horses with limited freedom of movement will begin to show deterioration in their mental and physical wellbeing.

What changes have you seen when your horse was able to increase their movement? Drop me a comment. I would love to hear from you. 🤍🐴

09/03/2023

But, I can’t keep my horse(s) the same way they would live in the wild!

True! And I get it. I am right there with you.

I have two horses who don’t live on as much land as I would prefer and who struggle to get along due to their poor social skills.

However, there are ways to encourage harmony no matter your horse(s) living arrangements.

🤍Access to 24/7 forage spread out so that they don’t feel the need to guard + fight over it.
🤍Limited # of horses per pasture.
🤍Address your horse’s mental/emotional/physical imbalances. Horses with poor social skills (like both of mine) will struggle that much more to get along. A lack of social skills will always have a root cause - early weaning, isolation, orphan, etc. Also, horses that are in pain or feeling unwell will be more likely to display “aggressive” behaviors.

How do you encourage herd harmony? Drop me a comment!

Want to know more about how to support your horse(s) so there is less fighting and more peace? Leave me a 🙋‍♀️ and I’ll be in touch. I would love to help!

08/03/2023

I will be in Holly on March 18th in the morning. Comment or send me a message to get your horse on the schedule!!

03/03/2023

The newest, shiniest, best marketed hoof supplement isn’t always the answer!

And here is why.

If your horse’s diet is unbalanced, their feet will reflect that in the form of cracks, chips, and/or stress lines.

You can try to apply bandaids to the situation with this supplement or that feed or a different type of shoe, but in the end it isn’t going to make a difference until you get to the root of the problem.

Once your horse begins eating things they can actual utilize, such as the proper minerals, forage based diets, and bioavailable nutrients, etc, THAT is when you will start to see changes.

*pssst* Add a balanced trim + movement to truly help your horse’s hooves thrive. It all works together!!

Want to see your horse’s hoof health change for the better? Drop me a 🤍 in the comments.

Have you seen a diet change fix a hoof issue?

28/02/2023

Free forms for your equine business!

27/02/2023

Actually, she’s not just being a witch!

Mares put up with a lot of crap for how they act and it is time to take a step back and consider: “why is she displaying this behavior?”

One word: hormones.

When out of balance, hormones can wreck havoc. And, then add in the pain of a heat cycle!

So, how can you better support your mare?

🤍compassion and understanding
🤍track her cycles so you can give her time off
🤍schedule a massage/bodywork
🤍offer her essential oils + herbs to help bring about balance and pain relief
🤍use Bach Flowers

Drop me a 🙋‍♀️ if you find yourself struggling with how your mare acts OR if you want to know where to start with supporting her!

I am offering one free phone/email consultation until March 1st.

25/02/2023

Do you own a mare? If yes, do you want to know how to better help and support her during her cycle AND every day?

I am offering 2 free consultation calls for the rest of the month (only a few days!). Drop me a 🙋‍♀️ in the comments to save your spot and let’s discover how to best bring about healing for your mare together. 🐴🤍

24/02/2023

🅳🆁🅰🅶🅾🅽 🆃🅸🅼🅴.

Is your mare struggling during her heat cycles or have abnormal heat cycles? Is she clingy? Moody? Hating life?

Does she act like you during “that time of the month?” There is a pretty good chance that she feels like you too!

It might be time to get your hands on some Dragon Time essential oil to help give her some support and relief when she is cycling.

A blend of fennel, clary sage, marjoram, lavender, yarrow, and jasmine, Dragon Time is the perfect combination for all things female + hormonal.

Your mare would probably also appreciate some empathy, time off, and extra TLC. 🤍🐴

23/02/2023

I will be in Holly on March 1st and Columbiaville on March 4th if anyone wants to get their horse(s) on the schedule for bodywork. 🤍🐴

22/02/2023

“Smack her when she pins her ears like that.”
“He is just throwing a temper tantrum, kick him through it.”
“If you let them act like that, they will think that can disrespect you.”

I heard these and other similar things growing up and I acted on it despite the pit in my stomach - and you probably have too.

What no one ever told me as an impressionable lesson kid was this:

📣Behavior is communication. Your horse is trying to tell you something, not disrespect you. It is okay to listen.📣

But, it is not necessarily your fault since this is a glaring flaw of the horse world! So, let’s say ❌no❌ to this toxic energy.

The good news is that we can make steps to change it. We can listen. We can deep dive into the behavior to see what the actual problem is. We can fix the pain. We can release the trapped emotions.

Massage, energy work, aromatherapy, and herbal self selection are all amazing ways to facilitate healing and bring your horse into balance and harmony.

Also consider positive reinforcement training

Where are all my likeminded horse lovers? Drop me a ❤️ in the comments!

17/02/2023

-Bucking and “bad” behavior?
-Saddle fit issues?
-Training issues?
-Club foot?
-Front legs turning out?
-Won’t pick up canter lead?
-Heaviness on the forehand?
-Biting when being girthed?
-Difficulty turning?
- Difficult for the farrier?

This is just a drop in the bucket of some signs your horse could be exhibiting from the first rib being out of alignment.

A rib out of place will not only affect how well the shoulder can open and move, but it will compromise your horse as a whole - overloading foreleg tendons/ligaments, pulling vertebrae out of alignment, pinching nerves, affecting hooves, etc.

Training the imbalance out of a misaligned horse is only going to cause more harm than good. The repetitive and most likely painful movements continue to stress the body and can even lead to premature arthritis.

A body out of balance and in pain will also suffer emotionally. Let’s get our horses back in balance.

Did you know this about the first rib or did you learn something new? Drop me a comment! I would love to hear from you. 🐴🤍

For more information, check out April Love and/or Bill Hackett.

15/02/2023

𝙳𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚣𝚎 𝙴𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝙾𝚒𝚕

A blend of tarragon, ginger, peppermint, juniper, fennel, lemongrass, patchouli, and anise, digize is for the horse struggling with digestive issues.

✨This oil is pre-diluted and safe to ingest. ✨

Not only does it help with gas, bloating, diarrhea, candida overgrowth & constipation, you can also add it to your deworming schedule.

When dealing with a bout of colic and while waiting for the vet, massage digize on your horse’s umbilical area and drip a few drops into your horse’s lip to offer support.

Have you ever used essential oils to help with a colic episode or other digestive problems?

If so, leave me a: 🙌🏻 or drop me a comment. I would love to hear from you guys. 🤍🐴

13/02/2023

Our horses have the ability to heal themselves - hooves included!! -when we set them up for success and allow them to live as closely to their roots as possible.

Human error and interference is the cause for many of our horses issues.

It is when we allow them to get back to nature that we will see true and lasting changes.

How do you allow your horse to get back to their roots? Pasture living? 24/7 forage with feed nets? Increased movement through a track system? Herbal self selection? Varied herd mates? Tell us all about it in the comments!!

If you believe that horses can heal when given the right tools, drop me a: 🤘

If you want this for your horse but it feels overwhelming, feel free to reach out to me and I would love to help. 🤍🐴

12/02/2023

With Spring around the corner and pastures turning wet and muddy, it is time to prepare yourself with the knowledge to deal with possible thrush episodes.

❌Avoid those caustic commercial thrush treatments that are causing more harm than good❌

Instead use natural methods that not only work, but preserve and support health tissue while working to clear up the thrush infection.

Switch out your bleach or thrush buster for:
- 50/50 diluted apple cider vinegar + water
- diluted Thieves household cleaner
- Artimud
- Equisalve
- Essential oils blends

Also, team up with a holistic/natural equine practitioner/hoof care provider to help get to the root cause of your horse’s thrush issues and better support them for future prevention.

If you don’t have an alternative equine practitioner, feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to help.

What is your thrush protocol? Drop me a comment!! I would love to hear from you. 🤍🐴

11/02/2023

One size does NOT fit all and neither does every supplement, regardless of what the back of the container says.

Like us, horses are unique individuals and their supplements should reflect that. They need more than just the same scoop of joint support/calming aid/hoof builder/etc as all the other horses in the barn.

They require so much more as their needs shift due to stress, activity level, life changes, emotions, health issues, seasons, etc.

Knowing what your horse needs nutritionally will save you time, money, resources, and frustration AND you will see better results all while having a happier and healthier equine companion.

So, where do you start? You can start with what is called muscle response testing.

What is muscle testing? Muscle testing is the technique of “asking” an individual’s body a question and receiving an “answer” via the neuromuscular system through energy/frequency.

I know it sounds “woo woo”, but I promise it’s not and it actually works. I will talk about it a little deeper in my stories and later posts.

Do you believe horses are individuals and their supplements should reflect that? Leave me a: 💯
Have you tried muscle testing before and seen the benefits?
Drop me a: 🙌🏻

If you have any other questions or comments leave me a response. I would love to connect. 🤍🐴

11/02/2023

Maybe it’s just me, but giving my page and logo a new look feels like a 𝒷𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓉𝒽 ℴ𝒻 𝒻𝓇ℯ𝓈𝒽 𝒶𝒾𝓇!

And is helping me feel motivated to get back on IG to start sharing and making connections again.

For those who don’t know or haven’t been here before:

ℋℯ𝓁𝓁ℴ!! My name is Emily and I am the hands and heart behind Inside Out Equine Bodyworks.

I am based in Michigan and have been offering various alternative modalities for several years all with the intention of bringing horses back to their healthiest selves.

From massage to nutrition and emotional balance to herbal support, the whole horse is taken into consideration since the entire body works together.

This is my passion and I love sharing with others!

Drop me a question or comment - I would love to connect with you! And, check out my website to learn more.

If you would like to talk to me one-on-one, dm me and we can schedule a consultation call/email. 🐴🤍

07/02/2023

25/01/2023

Hey everyone! I will be out in Holly on the 15th if anyone would like to get their horse on my schedule for that day!

I offer more than just massage. I also offer:
- essential oil self selections
- herbal self selections
- nutrition + feed program reboot
- clicker training start up

🤍🐴

11/10/2022

Have you ever had your horse massaged and wondered what the bodyworker was looking for?

We are searching for responses and releases.

Responses let us know we have found a spot that is causing issues. There are big responses such as: pinned ears, tail swishing, stomping, teeth grinding, etc.

The same goes for releases. That informs us that they were more than ready to let go of the tension/pain they were holding in that area. Again, some horses have obvious tension releases: yawns, licks, chews, and my personal favorite 🅃🄷🄴 🅂🅃🅃🄴🅃🄲🄷.

But what about the horse that isn’t so obvious? Is anything happening!

Yes! The difference is that some horses are guarded and aren’t ready to let go in such a big way as other horses are.

I have a gelding that is guarded - he learned to do so at his previous home due to unfair handling/training and feeling the need to hang on to things to protect himself. When I do bodywork on him, we go slow and I look for more subtle signs in both responses and releases.

I do my best to tune in to every little shift, skin twitch, ear flick, and eye lid flutter. I then compare his form of communication to what area or muscle I’m working on.

Just like with everything else that pertains to horses, listening during a massage session is key to success. Any bodyworker worth their salt will be open and willing to let the horse tell them what they need in that moment.

Do you have or work on more guarded horses? What have you seen work?

Feel free to drop me a comment! I love to hear from you guys and help where I can. ☺️

08/10/2022

“We don’t have to be in a battle with our horses as if it is us vs. them.”
- The Willing Equine ()

If you haven’t started following Adele on her Instagram page or subscribed to her podcast, I would encourage you to do so.

In what ways have you broken the traditional training cycle with your horse and gone from “battling” one another to working together?

Drop your comment below! 🤍🐴

06/10/2022

Did you know this about your horse’s organs?

12/09/2022

Finished up a 3 day hoof protection and booting clinic in Illinois!

09/09/2022

Introduction: How Our Health and Wellness Affects Our Animals

🐴If you caught my IG story the other day, I mentioned a series I am going to start covering - with the help of some special guest speakers. The focus of this series is our health + wellbeing and how it can directly link to how our pets are feeling + acting.

If you missed the story, you can find it my my ‘ramblings’ highlight. If you don’t want to catch up because you don’t want to hear me talk, I understand lol, and you can start here!

🐶So, how does our health + wellness affect our animals?

If you are anything like me 🙋‍♀️, you spend more time with your animals than you do with most people lol. And because of this, you swear your dog or horse or (insert other animal here) knows you best or can read your mind or understand what you are feeling.

🐴That’s because they were created to be intelligent creatures! In a herd, horses can pick up one another’s heartbeats before they themselves sense danger. In a pack, non-domesticated canines are able to communicate through facial expressions.

(Did you know that fact about dogs reading other dogs facial expressions? I didn’t until I was doing some research recently!)

🐶Now, combine this intelligence with the close proximity in which animals live and interact with us and it makes them highly susceptible to how we feel - both on an emotional and physical level. And this in turn affects them both positively and negatively!

I am so excited to bring you this series as we break down different pieces of health and wellness and share with you strategies to start helping you and your pets.

🐴As always, feel free to drop me a question or comment or if you just want to let me know how excited you are by this too! I always love to hear from everyone.

03/09/2022

The reddish-brown tm salt blocks you can buy at the feed store are super convenient to just throw out in the pasture for your horse.

However, when it comes to these mineral blocks, there are 4 red flags to consider before you buy:

🚩 They are actually 94-99% salt
🚩 The teeny tiny amount of minerals they do contain are not enough to even come close to meeting your horse’s mineral needs.
🚩 The block’s smooth surface is actually meant for cattle with rough tongues.
🚩 Horses may become frustrated with licking the block and resort to biting it instead which result in jaw and teeth issues.

Here are some tips to help you select a better mineral for your horse:

- loose is best: you are able to offer it free choice and monitor how much your horse consumes.

- look for chelated minerals: these will be much more bioavailable for your horse. Minerals that are not bioavailable can wreak havoc via free radicals.

- make sure to check the labels: avoid fillers, binders, sugars, & artificial colors/flavors.

What type of mineral do you use?

Feel free to drop me a question or comment! I would love to help where I can. For help with your horse’s diet you can reach out to me via dms and we can schedule a conformation call! 🤍