Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage

Home
United Kingdom
Oxford
Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage

Sports Massage Therapist (human & equine), equine osteopath and WINBACK therapist covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire

15/08/2025

Start Strong – Set Your Horse Up for Success 🐴

Why wait for discomfort to show before taking action?
Equine osteopathy isn’t only for horses who are injured or in pain — it’s also about prevention and building the best possible foundation for the future.

Young horses go through a lot before they even start their ridden career:

- Growth spurts that change balance and posture
- Slips or knocks in the field that create subtle restrictions
- Natural asymmetries that, if left unchecked, can lead to uneven muscle development.

Osteopathic care at this stage helps to:
✅ Support correct skeletal and muscular development
✅ Encourage healthy posture and symmetry
✅ Improve proprioception (body awareness) and coordination
✅ Reduce the risk of future strain or injury

A horse that moves freely, comfortably, and in balance from the start is more likely to stay sound and perform at their best for years to come.

✨ Think of it as “prehabilitation” — investing in their future before issues arise.

To Book, please Dm the page!

13/08/2025

Understanding the Horse’s Body – Part 3: The Neck & Poll – The Connection Hub 🐴

The neck and poll are more than just the place where the bridle sits — they’re a central hub for balance, movement, and communication.

When tension builds here, it can ripple through the rest of the body, affecting stride length, bend, transitions, and even behaviour.

Common causes include poor tack fit, dental issues, repetitive schooling patterns, or even old knocks and falls.

By restoring freedom of movement in this area, we can help the horse find better balance, improve proprioception, and move more efficiently — making work easier and more comfortable.

🔍 In osteopathy, we look at the whole horse, but the neck and poll often tell us an important part of the story.

Follow along for Part 4 in this series, where we’ll explore another key area of the horse’s body and how it impacts performance.

11/08/2025

Subtle Signs Your Horse May Be Uncomfortable

Not every sign of discomfort is obvious — your horse may be telling you something in small ways:

🔍 Things to watch for:

- Taking longer to warm up
- Slight changes in gait rhythm
- Reluctance in transitions
- Resistance on one rein
- More frequent tail swishing or head tossing

These can be early indicators of muscular tension or restrictions. Addressing them early helps prevent bigger issues and keeps your horse performing at their best.

🧠 Sometimes, prevention is the best treatment.

08/08/2025

Does your horse:
🔹 Rush fences or refuse jumps?
🔹 Struggle to maintain a soft contact?
🔹 Pin ears during grooming or saddling?

It’s easy to think these are training problems — but often, they’re your horse’s way of saying:

“I’m uncomfortable.”

Tension, restricted movement, or pain can quickly turn into frustration under saddle.
By identifying and addressing these physical issues early, we can often resolve behaviours without changing training — because we’ve removed the cause.

🧠 Remember: Horses rarely act out for no reason.
Listen to the small signs before they become big ones.

06/08/2025

The Role of the Pelvis in Movement

The pelvis is the powerhouse of your horse’s movement.
Every stride, jump, and transition begins here.

When the pelvis moves freely, your horse can:
✅ Engage the hindquarters correctly
✅ Lift through the back and core
✅ Maintain rhythm and straightness
✅ Transfer power efficiently through the body

But when it’s restricted or misaligned, you may notice:
🔸 Struggling to pick up a canter lead
🔸 Difficulty with collection or lateral work
🔸 Uneven muscle development over the hindquarters
🔸 Shortened or choppy stride

Osteopathy focuses on restoring pelvic mobility and releasing surrounding tension so the rest of the body can work in balance.

💡 Tip: Subtle changes in stride length or leads are often the first clue the pelvis needs attention.

04/08/2025

Keep Competition Horses Feeling Their Best!

Busy competition schedules, travel, and harder training all put extra demand on your horse’s body.

Sports massage and osteopathy can help by:
✅ Supporting post-event recovery
✅ Reducing muscular tension from repetitive work
✅ Maintaining flexibility and stride quality
✅ Preventing compensations that can lead to injury

Even small improvements in comfort can make a big difference in the ring.

📍 Serving Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire

01/08/2025

Early signs of compensation, discomfort, or muscular tension — and they’re often over-looked.

Here are a few common ones that are often over-looked:

🔸 Stiffness on one rein
🔸 Rushing or reluctance in transitions
🔸 Tail swishing or head tossing
🔸 Difficulty standing square
🔸 Flattening in lateral work
🔸 Shortened stride behind
🔸 Restlessness when being groomed or tacked up

Horses are incredibly good at adapting — but those adaptations often come at a cost. When they begin compensating for a restriction, it places extra strain on other areas… and over time, that leads to more obvious discomfort or loss of performance.

That’s why early intervention is key.
Equine osteopathy and sports massage help identify and release tension before it becomes a bigger problem — supporting long-term soundness and comfort.

📩 Think your horse might be showing subtle signs? Get in touch — I’m happy to chat.

30/07/2025

New weekly series! Each week we’ll explore a key area of the horse’s body and how it affects performance, comfort, and wellbeing.

Part 1: Posture – The Foundation of Movement
Did you know your horse’s natural posture can impact everything from stride length to injury risk?

Poor posture often stems from:
• Muscle imbalances
• Pain or compensation
• Poor saddle fit or hoof balance
• Habits developed from workload or lifestyle

🌀 When posture is compromised, the body begins to shift and compensate — leading to tension, asymmetry, and performance issues.

As an osteopath, I assess posture first — because how a horse stands tells me how they move.

📆 Stay tuned next week for Part 2: The Role of the Pelvis in Movement.

28/07/2025

📅 Competing this summer? Out hacking more in the warmer weather? Or increasing your horse’s training?

Now’s a great time for a mid-season check-in with sports massage or osteopathy.

Regular bodywork helps to:
✔️ Keep movement fluid and balanced
✔️ Reduce the risk of injury or fatigue
✔️ Support recovery between training or events
✔️ Ensure small issues don’t turn into big ones

📍 Oxfordshire | Buckinghamshire | Berkshire
📩 Drop me a message to book or ask questions.

25/07/2025

Did you know… horses carry approximately 60% of their weight on the forehand at rest — and even more when unbalanced?

This is why so many horses struggle with:
🔸 Shoulder tension
🔸 Shortened front-end movement
🔸 Difficulty lifting through the back or engaging the hindquarters

Regular osteopathy and sports massage can help support better posture, release front-end tightness, and reduce overload through the forelimbs — helping your horse move more freely and efficiently.

23/07/2025

Your horse works hard — make sure their body can keep up.

Whether they’re a competition athlete or a happy hacker, every horse deserves to feel comfortable in their body.

Equine Osteopathy and Sports Massage can:
✅ Improve mobility and flexibility
✅ Relieve muscle tension and fascial restrictions
✅ Support postural alignment and balance
✅ Help prevent compensatory injuries

If your horse is showing subtle signs of discomfort — stiffness on one rein, dropping performance, or just not feeling quite right — it might be time for a check-in.

📍 Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire
📩 Message to book or find out more.

21/07/2025

🔍 “Your Horse Is Hiding More Than You Think”

Understanding how horses compensate and why early intervention matters.

Horses are incredibly stoic animals. As prey animals, they’re biologically wired to hide signs of pain or weakness — it’s a survival instinct. This means they often continue to perform while quietly compensating for discomfort, until the issue becomes much more noticeable… and sometimes harder to treat.

That’s why as owners, riders, and therapists, we need to learn to listen to the whispers before they become shouts.

🧠 What Does “Compensation” Look Like in a Horse?
Discomfort rarely shows up where the actual issue began. For example:

🔹 A restriction in the pelvis might show up as a sore back.
🔹 Tension around the poll or jaw can affect balance, contact, and gait.
🔹 A subtle change in hoof balance may lead to tension up the entire limb chain.
🔹 Previous tack or saddle pressure can create fascia restrictions that linger long after the fit is corrected.

And all of these can lead to one-sidedness, stiffness, irregular stride length, tension under saddle, or behavioural changes like tail swishing or reluctance to move forward.

📚 Why This Matters
If we only focus on what’s obviously sore — the back, the shoulder, the girth area — we risk treating symptoms without ever addressing the cause.

That’s where equine osteopathy and sports massage come in. They help:

✔️ Identify compensatory patterns
✔️ Improve overall mobility and nervous system tone
✔️ Release fascial and muscular tension
✔️ Restore balance and coordination
✔️ Prevent future strain or injury

🔎 Key Takeaway
Just because your horse isn't "lame" doesn't mean everything is fine.
Minor, ongoing restrictions can quietly undermine performance, comfort, and longevity.

Early intervention is key. Catching and addressing subtle changes in movement or posture means your horse can stay healthier, more comfortable, and better able to perform their job — whatever that may be.

📩 If something feels "just a bit off" — you're probably right. Trust your instincts. I'm here to help.

Address

Oxford
OX44

Telephone

+447970270204

Website

http://www.jayneconnors.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service in Oxford?