Cassandra G, Equine Massage Services

08/21/2025

The Body Doesn’t Lie

I’m a little (a lot) increasingly worried and frustrated about the postures I am seeing horses worked in. I saw a post yesterday of a horse being worked in side reins comparing day one of using them to day two; day one — bracing; day two — horse sucking behind the side reins, opening mouth, compressing the wither (and everything else) to avoid pressure.

The day before that, one professional rider riding a 4 year old hyperflexed with draw reins in one clip and a tight martingale in another.

The day before that, a client told me that another therapist had told them to just shut their horses mouth with a flash to stop contact evasions… when in fact this horse is experiencing significant discomfort.

Today, a video saying if your horse leans on the contact to just give them a sharp upward motion of the rein to get them to sit back… because there surely isn’t a physical or rider issue why they do that!?

IF you DON’T think what you are doing is wrong, LOOK and FEEL your horse.

If you’re ignoring their signals in every other way, their body won’t lie. If you’re doing everything right, they’ll look right.

If you’re constantly battling with the same issues, if your physio keeps noticing a tight poll/lacking muscle/stiffness, if you can see your horses ligament clicking and flicking over the top of their neck every time you change bend, please please widen the gaze and realise — this is not right, this is not normal for their body, what is going wrong?

There is no shame in breaking away from a trainer you’ve used for years; or changing from a saddle you once loved to a new one; or giving your horse a little while off whilst you sort your body out and make sure you’re not hindering them. This is the part of the “sport” (I hate that word in this context) that has been so massively overlooked of late.

Even if you’re a professional rider only riding a horse for 30 mins a week, we are our horses GUARDIANS on this planet. Every interaction means we should care for every part of them whole heartedly. If something isn’t right, they will try and tell us however they can — big or small.

Speech and panic over… resume your day 🙃

08/20/2025

Your joy holds value ❤️

Why is the value of joy so underrated?

A few weeks back at a comedy show I got talking to a guy who made the passing comment that his wife, now a mother to his children, use to have horses and now does not and it’s great because he thinks they’re such a waste of time and money.

In that moment my heart broke a little for his wife.

I know all too well how easy it is to lose part or all of yourself in motherhood. It is one of the most important things we will do in our lives; growing, birthing and raising a child. It’s often a thankless task and as mothers, we forsake so much of ourselves for the benefit of our child.

Perhaps his comments hit hard for me because I spent many years being told I was selfish for having horses and spending time with them pursuing personal goals while also raising my two children.

There’s an expectation that mothers put all of their own ambition by the wayside to raise and care for a family and this is often why they lose themselves in the process.

But not everyone has ambition for greatness. I personally have no particular ambition to compete anymore. But I do get immense joy from spending time with my horses and training them. I get gratification out of watching their bodies heal, grow and develop through methodical training. I feel a sense of pride in knowing my work is bettering another being.

And yet…I’m constantly hearing people say that horses are a waste of time and money.

Does my joy hold no value? Does seeing me smile not also bring you joy? Does knowing that in these moments I feel happy and free not appease you?

As parents, there is no greater joy than hearing our children belly laugh. Ohhh it’s my most favourite sound in the world. And anyone else can see the value in that.
But why is the joy I gain from horses of less value than a child’s laughter?

F**k it, guys, seriously.

The next time someone tells you that horses are a waste of time and money, throat punch them and tell them that the value of your smile is priceless.

I’d pay my last dollar to my horse if it meant a smile would cross my face.

08/19/2025

If you do dressage… you should definitely be doing Working Equitation.
Because what’s the point of all that elegance and top line if you’re not using it to open a gate, back through an L, and charge a drum with a garrocha like the queen you are 👑

Join us at Azores Stables for a show that celebrates classical training, modern grit, and style.
Refinement meets real-life skills… you will love it!

08/19/2025

Hey mom! Look what I can do!!!
Caption this photo 😂

08/12/2025

08/06/2025

As we’ve had a bit of rain & cooler nights, some green shoots of rich grass are starting to come through so quick the horse are eating them before we can even see them…!

With this in mind I thought to re-share my graphic that shows the complications of a saddle that sits too narrow on a horses back.

Ensure to monitor your horses weight, top line and any changes in behaviour and movement that could correlate to saddles not fitting correctly.

08/06/2025

You won’t know if your hroses symptoms were caused by a bean until after bean removal - sometimes the changes are immediate, sometimes they need riding a couple of times before they realise they feel better!
This boys potential symptoms were that he seemed a bit tight in the rear - not in a major way, he wasn’t lame, he was still happy, drinking, urinating etc but his owner had only had him two years and this huge Bean has most definitely been building up for much longer than that, so it’s hard to know what is out of character and what isn’t.
We can’t wait to check back in with pony’s owner to hear if there has been improvement - we will be surprised if there isn’t!

08/06/2025

Looking for amerigo, erreplus, prestige & other top brands! Advertised on our website and we will ONLY take $500 from the sale

08/05/2025

08/05/2025

05/22/2025

05/13/2025

Happy Mother's Day From Pipoca and our newest arrival!

Our first Poison C**t in Canada!