Masterful Massage Equine Bodywork

04/23/2025

It's a beautiful day out! I hope you're enjoying your horses.

03/25/2025

Now that spring has arrived and you are spending more hours in the saddle, does your horse need some extra TLC? Bodywork helps them move on from the winter stiffness and soreness and get them feeling ready for the activity of spring. Reach out for your appointment today!

03/22/2025

Feeling all the feels in his hind end. Ahhh.

02/14/2025

Happy Valentines Day!

01/26/2025

I just saw an ad for a new bridle called Better Bridle. I love that it focuses on giving clearance to the sensitive places on the horse's face, such as the TMJ and facial crest. I see so much tension here in horses when I do bodywork. I may have to test one out and see for myself! Has anyone tried one yet? I'd love to hear what you think. And no, Better Bridal is not a sponsor of mine. But they could be! , sponsor my business, lol.

01/10/2025

Ill-fitting tack is one of the primary causes of discomfort and, ultimately, lameness in horses. There is cartilage along the top of the scapula that can be damaged by pressure if your saddle sits or rubs against it. A good saddle fitter should be a part of your team, but here is a helpful basic guide.

01/10/2025

How do we become better? We learn. We put our hands on as many horses as we can and we feel. We focus on the areas where the horses tell us they need help, and we help them. We try different techniques, and they feel better. We read. We study. We listen to experts and, read research papers. We consult other experts - bodyworkers, vets, farriers, osteopaths, dentists, saddle fitters, and chiropractors. And we get more knowledgeable so the horses get better and feel better.
I've been on this bodyworker journey for 5 years now, and I began so I could make my own horse feel better. Now I have 2 horses of my own that benefit from all the skills I have learned to help them.

What can I do to help your horse?

12/25/2024

Happy holidays from my herd to yours. Wishing peace and good health this season!

12/09/2024

Started a 3-week intensive twice per week session schedule for my personal horse today. At the beginning of the session, he could not pick up his right leg at all. But the end, D&F and D&B with some relaxation and ROM. We have a long way to go, but pretty happy with these improvements. There were also big releases from accordions on his left hind end, not surprisingly. Looking forward to getting my guy feeling better to hopefully be able to reveal the primary issues that have been there since I've had him. I'm so grateful for the skills that MM has given me and for the support of the horse community at large!

11/11/2024

Honoring all those who have served our country on this Veterans Day.

10/14/2024

Can you recognize a painful face? If you can, what do you do? Call the vet? Wait and see? Try some home remedies? Ride anyway? With an increased focus on equine welfare, it's important to recognize when something isn't right with your horse and step up to help. You are his advocate and his only voice. For more information on this topic, check out Sue Dyson's work on the pain ethogram.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZgtrqbMVI

07/31/2024

Feeling his feels (and trying to hide them!). Reach out if you have someone who wants to feel this good.

07/20/2024

The Masterson Method is Olympics bound!

By Walter Saxe If someone had predicted ten years ago where my Masterson Method® journey would lead me in 2024, I would have thought they were crazy. Now I am facing the best experience one can imagine as a horse therapist. In two weeks, I will be taking care of the horses of the Polish Eventing Na...

07/04/2024

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

06/30/2024

Let's talk carrot stretches.🥕🥕 They are good for activating core muscles 💪, increasing range of motion, warming up muscles, releasing tension, and more. When they are done CORRECTLY.
The biggest error I see is when flexing the neck toward the girth. If the horse corkscrew his head, he may be unable to achieve the range of motion you are asking for. Go slowly, and stop when he reaches his limit. Ask for just a little more the next time, and before you know it, you and your horse will see the benefits!
*Done correctly on the left, incorrectly on the right.

06/18/2024

Let's talk parasites - always a hot topic. Here are the newest guidelines explained.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners just released their updated parasite control guidelines, and, since internal parasites are a subject that horse owners have been hit over the head with for decades, I thought I'd go through them an give you a summary. There's lots to read here in addition to a link to the guidelines themselves, but it's something that's good to pay attention to, particularly since many of the current approaches probably aren't doing much good. Here's the link:

As most of you know, guidelines for internal parasite control in horses have changed a lot over the past 10 years or so. This is a good thing, because we’ve come to realize that: The idea that any parasite living in any horse is the worst thing that could possibly happen (to the horse) has […]