Helen Choma, Equine Touch Practitioner & Instructor

21/05/2026

These pectoral muscles are so important and I frequently find tension, restriction in movement and/ or scar tissue here. It’s essential to work on the whole horse while giving them bodywork. Equine Touch addresses the whole horse each time we see them.

14/05/2026

03/05/2026

A most enjoyable weekend teaching an Equine Touch Foundation Class with some lovely students and very happy horses.

12/04/2026

Serratus dorsalis
Recently, I was asked about the serratus dorsalis, and I realised it’s one of those muscles we all “know” from books, but rarely really look at in the body.

If we stay with the textbook first, the serratus dorsalis is described as a segmental muscle with multiple semi-separated bellies. It originates from the thoracolumbar fascia and attaches to the ribs, sitting under the latissimus dorsi and covered by the superficial layer of the thoracolumbar fascia. It is divided into a cranial and caudal part, both arising from the deeper layer of the thoracolumbar fascia, but with different fibre directions and rib attachments. The cranial part runs caudoventrally and attaches roughly from the 5th to the 11th or 12th rib, while the caudal part runs cranioventrally and attaches to the last ribs. Functionally, both are described as respiratory muscles—the cranial part assisting inspiration by drawing the ribs forward and outward, and the caudal part assisting expiration by drawing them back. Innervation comes from the thoracic spinal nerves.

All good, all neat, all very logical.

But when you actually look at it in the body, things start to feel a bit less simple.

Across multiple dissections I keep seeing the same pattern. The cranial part has noticeably shorter fibres, but more interesting is that the first two or three bellies are not behaving like the rest of the muscle. They are partially separated, and their aponeurosis blends very specifically with the cranial extension of the thoracolumbar fascia—the structure often referred to as the dorsoscapular ligament. And then there is another detail that keeps catching my eye: those same cranial bellies attach to ribs 5 to 8… exactly the same ribs as the serratus ventralis thoracis.

That makes me pause a bit.

Because now we are no longer just in a “respiratory muscle sitting on the ribs” situation. We are right in the middle of the thoracic sling, in a region where the limb is suspended from the trunk purely by soft tissue—the synsarcosis. And this area is anything but simple.

Under the scapula, the fascia is not just a wrapping layer. It is a highly organised system where collagenous and elastic components transition into each other. You can see it clearly in dissection—the tissue changes character depending on what is needed. Support in one place, compliance in another, but always continuity.

The dorsoscapular ligament, as the cranial continuation of the thoracolumbar fascia, reflects this very well. It is not just a dense sheet. It has a collagenous part, but also elastic components that extend laterally toward the medial surface of the scapula and interdigitate with the serratus ventralis thoracis. When you remove the muscle fibres of the serratus ventralis, those elastic laminae become visible, and you start to see that this is not just “a muscle on a rib”, but a layered system. There is also a continuation back into more collagenous tissue attaching to the cranial ribs, forming what feels like an inner fascial envelope for the serratus ventralis.

And the serratus ventralis itself sits right between these layers. Short fibres, enclosed, supported from both sides. It starts to look much more like a structure designed for controlled load transfer and fine adjustment rather than just simple contraction.

So when I go back to the serratus dorsalis cranialis, especially those first few bellies blending into this system and sharing rib attachments with the serratus ventralis, I can’t help but wonder if calling it purely a respiratory muscle is just… incomplete.

I don’t have an answer for that yet, and I haven’t found anything in the literature that clearly supports another role, so this remains an observation, not a conclusion.

But this is exactly why I love dissection. Because even though we are separating structures, it is the best way to start understanding their continuity. And in this region especially, the body doesn’t behave in isolated parts—it behaves as a connected, adaptive system.

22/03/2026

Change of date for the Equine Touch Foundation Course in May. I still have a couple of space’s available for that weekend. dm or email for further information.

14/02/2026

Our sessions always start with ‘branding’ - scanning the horse’s body with a gentle touch. During branding, we monitor tissue temperature, hydration, tone, and the horse’s behavioural responses, as these reflect real-time nervous system and tissue states.

It is more than just a ritual! In ET, we believe that our touch is a ‘two-way highway’; through our touch, we are receiving information from the body, and at the same time, our touch is an important ‘input’ to the horse’s body.

These calm strokes can deliver a very important message to the horse’s central nervous system, through the systems of mechanoreceptors that are resident in the skin. It is easy to solely focus on muscles and fascia, but it is important not to forget that the skin is such an important sensory organ!

The skin is richly innervated with mechanoreceptors - sensory nerve endings that detect touch, pressure, stretch and vibration. These include tactile corpuscles, Ruffini endings, and Merkel endings - which all respond to different qualities of mechanical stimulus at the skin’s surface.

We all know that horses, specifically, are very sensitive to tactile stimulation due to the cutaneous nerves under the skin. These nerves transmit a wide range of sensory information from the skin, which means that even light, slow touch provides meaningful input to their nervous system.

For us, it is very important to stimulate specific low-threshold unmyelinated mechanoreceptors (often called C-tactile or C-LTMR afferents) that respond preferentially to gentle, (very) slow stroking of the skin. These are linked to autonomic regulation and affective touch processing in the nervous system.

So when we use a slow, gentle, whole-body stroke, we engage sensory pathways that convey non-nociceptive (not painful) touch and allow the nervous system to integrate input before we progress to deeper manual work.

From the start, we believed that no one technique (including the Equine Touch) can force changes in the body. We always believed that we were providing information to the body to facilitate its own healing. Now we can say it more ‘scientifically’ - Equine Touch provides meaningful sensory input, allowing the nervous system to reorganise tone, movement, and tissue behaviour safely.

Ivana

30/12/2025

Some Equine Touch Course dates for 2026. Please like and share.

07/11/2025

Thanks for sharing another great article Heather. Well worth a read.

Exploring Fascia in Equine Myofascial Pain: An Integrative View of Mechanisms and Healing

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common — yet often misunderstood — sources of chronic musculoskeletal pain in horses. Traditionally, explanations have focused on muscle tension, trigger points, or neurological sensitization. But new research suggests a deeper story: fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds, supports, and integrates every structure in the body, may be a key player in both the cause and persistence of pain.

Recognizing fascia as a living, sensory, and emotionally responsive tissue shifts how we view equine pain. It’s not simply a matter of tight muscles or mechanical imbalance — it’s about communication, perception, and the body’s ongoing relationship with safety and movement.

Fascia as a Sensory and Signaling Tissue
Fascia is far from inert wrapping. It’s a dynamic, contractile, and highly innervated network that helps transmit force, tension, and sensory information throughout the horse’s body.
It houses a vast array of nociceptors (pain receptors) and mechanoreceptors, as well as interoceptors that feed information about internal states back to the nervous system.

When fascia becomes compromised — through injury, repetitive strain, imbalance, saddle pressure, or systemic inflammation — several changes may occur:

Densification: Thickening or dehydration of the ground substance that reduces glide between fascial layers.

Fibrosis: Excess collagen deposition that stiffens tissue and limits elasticity.

Myofibroblast activation: Contractile cells within fascia become overactive, tightening tissue even without muscle contraction.

Inflammatory signaling: Cytokines and neuropeptides released locally can sensitize nerve endings, amplifying pain perception.

In the horse, these changes have wide-reaching consequences. Because fascia connects every region — from hoof to poll — a small restriction in one area can alter movement and tension patterns throughout the entire body. What appears as behavioral resistance or unevenness may actually reflect deep fascial discomfort or altered proprioception.

The Pathophysiological Cascade: From Local to Global

1. Peripheral Mechanisms
Local fascial changes can stimulate nociceptors and chemical mediators, generating a constant stream of pain signals to the spinal cord.
Muscles respond reflexively with increased tone, forming tight bands or “knots.” Circulation and oxygenation decrease, further sensitizing the tissue — a self-perpetuating loop.

2. Central Sensitization
When this nociceptive input continues, the horse’s central nervous system can become hypersensitive.

Normal sensations begin to feel exaggerated or threatening.

This process, known as central sensitization, helps explain why some horses react to light touch or grooming long after the original tissue injury has healed.

3. Whole-Horse Manifestations
• Altered posture and asymmetrical movement.

• Hypervigilance or irritability under saddle.

• Shallow breathing, digestive changes, or reduced engagement.

• “Mystery” lameness or tension patterns that shift from one area to another.

These are not random — they reflect a body whose connective tissue and nervous system are caught in protective overdrive.

Somatic Memory: When Fascia Remembers -

Click here for the rest of the article - https://koperequine.com/exploring-fascia-in-equine-myofascial-pain-an-integrative-view-of-mechanisms-and-healing/

05/11/2025

People ask me why they hear loud gut sounds from their horses during an Equine Touch session or what is causing the deep states of relaxation they see in their horses. This may help explain a little of what is going on.

Did you know?
Digestion Starts With the Nervous System: How Massage Supports the Gut–Brain Connection in Horses

Most people think digestion begins in the mouth — when a horse takes the first bite of hay or grass.
But true digestion begins before a single chew.

It begins in the nervous system.

For the gut to function, the body must shift into the parasympathetic state — the “rest-and-digest” mode where physiology turns toward nourishment, repair, and balance.

The Gut–Brain Connection

Horses have one of the most sensitive nervous systems in the animal world. As prey animals, they constantly scan for safety — even when life appears calm.

If they sense tension, pain, insecurity, or discomfort, the nervous system transitions into sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) mode, where survival takes priority over digestion.

In this state:
• Digestive motility slows
• Blood moves to muscles, not the GI tract
• Nutrient absorption decreases
• Microbiome balance may shift
• The body prepares to react, not digest

This is why horses who are:
• Tight through the poll and jaw
• Braced through the sternum and ribs
• Holding abdominal tension
• Managing chronic soreness or ulcers
• Anxious, watchful, or reactive

often show digestive challenges, fluctuating stool, gas, mild colic tendencies, or difficulty maintaining weight and topline.

Their systems are not failing — they are protecting.
But protection mode and digestion mode cannot run together.

When Calm Arrives, Digestion Activates

When a horse feels safe, supported, and able to soften into their body, the nervous system shifts.
Relaxation is the signal that unlocks the digestive system.

From there, the brain communicates through the vagus nerve and enteric nervous system to:
• Activate digestive enzymes
• Initiate peristalsis (gut movement)
• Increase blood flow to digestive organs
• Support hydration and nutrient exchange
• Prepare the body to heal and replenish

Digestion is not a mechanical event — it is a neurological permission state.

How Massage Supports Digestive Health

Massage and myofascial bodywork don’t “treat” digestion directly.
They create the internal environment digestion requires to function well.

Skilled touch influences:
• 🧠 Autonomic nervous system balance
• 🌬️ Breathing and rib mobility
• 🩸 Circulation and lymph flow
• 🪢 Fascial mobility and abdominal motion
• 🌱 Vagal tone and parasympathetic activation

When the nervous system feels safe, the body says:

“You can rest. You can digest. You can heal.”

Signs of Neuro-Digestive Release During Bodywork

Owners often notice:
• Gut gurgling
• Soft chewing and licking
• Yawning and stretching
• Deeper, slower breathing
• Passing gas
• Softening of topline and ribs
• A calmer, more connected demeanor afterward

These responses are the body shifting back into a physiologic state where digestion and repair can resume.

Why This Matters

Digestive health isn’t just about what goes into the bucket.
It is deeply tied to:
• Nervous system safety
• Comfort and movement
• Fascial freedom
• Breath and diaphragm function
• Emotional regulation

Massage is one of the few modalities that can influence all of these at once.

When a horse regularly accesses parasympathetic balance, we often see:
• Better nutrient absorption
• Improved weight and topline
• More consistent stool and gut comfort
• Softer behavior and focus
• Better immune function and recovery capacity

A relaxed horse digests better, learns better, and lives better.

The Takeaway

Digestion doesn’t start in the stomach — it starts in the brain and nervous system.

Through mindful touch and nervous-system-aware bodywork, we help horses:
• Release tension
• Breathe fully
• Settle their mind and body
• Enter the “rest-and-digest” mode
• Support natural digestive function

When a horse can digest life with ease,
they move better, feel better, behave better, and heal better.

27/10/2025

Another very enjoyable weekend teaching Equine Touch to some lovely students. And Steph joining us for a CPD day. Lots of happy horses again loving their sessions.