My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Freedom is a thin-skinned horse who is very sensitive to touch. Basically, he’d prefer you didn’t touch him at all some days. He will tolerate grooming, but just can’t tolerate the stimulation of a bare hand — it’s too much energy transfer for him. He benefits greatly from massage, but of course that generally means […]
Read MoreFreedom carries a lot of tension in his poll. I don’t know if it’s because he’s a cribber and the collar bothers him, but he always needs to be released in this area. Here’s a helpful video from Jim Masterson that shows one way to do it.
Read MoreOn Sunday I wrote about the importance of touch and horses. Learning how to touch horses more effectively is easier to learn today than even just a few years ago because there are more “instruction manuals.” Even better, there are videos. Videos are a great way to learn about bodywork because you can see how […]
Read MoreLast week I read a post at Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch that really struck home, Routine Tasks with no Inherent Meaning Diminish the Spirit of the Horse. There’s a lot in the post that I agree with. But it was this paragraph that really resonated with me. It refers to how we can motivate our […]
Read MoreI’ve been working a lot with my TB, Freedom, to help him get over the death of his best friend. Every morning I spend some extra time with him. I’ve been giving him massages and I’ve also been using acupressure points known for their calming effect. So far, I’ve found several acupressure points that help. […]
Read MoreWhen Gary Severson comes to my barn to fit saddles, the first thing he does is check the horses’ backs. If they are sore, or tense, he will often do some body work to help release the tension. He’s the only saddle fitter that I’ve worked with who helps “fix” their backs when he fixes […]
Read MoreEver since the Jim Masterson DVD arrived I’ve been practicing the bodywork techniques on my two boys (massage techniques to try at home). The two horses are very different; I’ve gotten a much better understanding of where each one holds tension in their bodies and how each one likes to be touched. It’s been a […]
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