The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork

Home
United States
Fairfield, IA
The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork

Improving performance, communication and relationship with your horse. The Masterson Method® is an integrated, multi-modality method of equine massage.
(212)

It is a unique, interactive method of equine massage in which you learn to recognize and use the responses of the horse to your touch to find and release accumulated tension in key junctions of the body that most affect performance. In contrast to most traditional modalities, it enables the horse to actively participate in the process of releasing tension. It is something you do with the horse, ra

ther than to the horse. This participation and interaction are what makes the method fascinating for those who use it. In fact, if you do not allow the horse to participate, it does not work!

09/20/2025

It was a pleasure collaborating with Patrick King Horsemanship & Dressage for HAND IN HAND 2025. His words capture it perfectly: seamless, rewarding, and beyond expectations! We also look forward to doing this again!

09/19/2025

Just in: The September newsletter is packed with highlights—starting with all the ways we’re celebrating Jim’s birthday!

In this issue, you’ll find details about:

🔹 Jim’s Birthday Contest: Share your story (short or long!) about how The Masterson Method® has helped you and your horse. Photos/videos welcome! Winners get a personal call from Jim. Two more chances remain—entries close Sept. 28.

🔹 Jim’s Travels: From Virginia clinics with Patrick King to “Days with Jim” at Briar Creek Farm, filled with learning, laughter, and horses who can’t stop yawning from relaxation!

🔹 Upcoming Sale Alert:
Mark your calendars for our first-ever Birthday Sale! From September 26 through October 31, special deals include:
• Buy a Weekend Course and get the Home Study Course FREE.
• Buy an Advanced 5-Day Course and get the Home Study Course AND three Technique Breakdown Videos of your choice FREE.

Don’t register early—wait until Jim’s birthday to sign up!

You’ll also find stories about MMCPs making an impact, a blog post on Releasing Tension in the Poll-Atlas, our newly certified practitioners, and the updated list of available courses.

Head over to the newsletter to read all the details, enjoy the photos and videos, and stay up to date on everything Masterson Method! Remember, you can always find all our newsletters on the website under Resources, along with Free Educational Videos, the Bodywork Blog, Podcasts, and Articles.

https://f.mtr.cool/vhawltjpvu

Not subscribed yet? Sign up on our website to stay updated:
https://f.mtr.cool/ulajvaeuck

09/17/2025

Why Wednesday ~ My dressage horse usually carries tension in the shoulders, and I think he’s sore in the withers because he reacts when I touch them. I already do some Masterson Method® techniques to help him relax his shoulders. Can I also help release tension in the withers?

Answer: Yes! It’s great that you’re already helping him with the shoulders, and you can also support him by releasing tension in the withers and along the back with the Withers Wiggle technique.

This technique helps release deep-seated tension in the thoracic vertebrae beneath the scapula. It works through gentle, relaxed movement that encourages the muscles and connective tissues to let go.

How to do the Withers Wiggle:

🔹Place your fingers lightly on a wither while watching the horse’s eye.

🔹Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (3x) and pause. Keep it gentle! Think “intention” of movement, not force.

🔹Watch for a blink, then repeat for each spinous process of the withers and continue along the back.

Remember: you’re not actually moving each spinous process. You’re communicating a subtle suggestion of movement through your intention. Gentle, rhythmic wiggles are most effective.

👉 Share this video with anyone who may find it useful! And if you’d like to go deeper, join a hands-on Weekend Course to learn Masterson Method® techniques to improve mobility, release tension, and deepen your bond with your horse.

https://mastersonmethod.com/beyond-horse-massage-weekend-seminar/

09/16/2025

A Story Worth Celebrating!

Jim's Birthday Drawing Winner this week is Bill Duggleby from Lenoir City, TN. Here are some highlights of Bill's story:

“I stumbled onto your website surfing the internet about how to help this new horse I had. I was struck by the method and, luckily, found out about a three-day clinic near Chattanooga, Tennessee, taught by Emma Jones. I loved it!”

Today, Bill volunteers at the Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, where “I help the riders and horses, and together we all get better. Beyond Heroes Day, I give my time to provide Masterson Method Massage to several horses at STAR. I can see them relax and release their tension.”

Thank you, Bill, for sharing your journey and the beautiful ways you’re using The Masterson Method® to help horses and people.

Stories like Bill’s remind us that The Masterson Method® is more than bodywork. It’s about building trust, creating relaxation, and discovering a new level of partnership with our horses while also helping people.

We’d love for you to share your Masterson Method moments or experiences with us. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be long or fancy. It can be:

🔸 A quick note about a moment that stood out when practicing The Masterson Method
🔸 A longer story about your (or your horse’s) journey
🔸 A photo or video with your horse and just a few words

Whatever format feels comfortable for you is perfect. Each week in September, we’re celebrating a new drawing to win a phone call with Jim Masterson!

Every entry (video, photo, or written story) is another chance to win and to inspire someone else who may need this work right now.

📅 New winner announced every week.
📌 Details here: https://mastersonmethod.com/how-has-the-masterson-method-shaped-your-journey/

09/12/2025

Sometimes a little humor goes a long way. In this clip, Jim playfully whistles while approaching a horse’s poll, one of the more sensitive spots for this horse. But behind the joke is a powerful lesson: horses pick up on our intention. That’s why, when practicing The Masterson Method®, it is best to keep our intention as neutral as possible.

Want a chance to chat with Jim himself? Share how The Masterson Method has influenced you or your horse, and you could win a one-on-one phone call with him!

Ways to share your story (videos or photos with a caption encouraged!):
▪️ Email: [email protected]
▪️ Post on social media + tag
▪️ Send us a Direct Message on Facebook/Instagram

Next drawing will be September 15 — send your story in soon!

09/11/2025

If there’s one thing horse people share, it’s that our horses’ well-being comes first. Yet, because of their nature, horses are experts at hiding discomfort. Often, we don’t realize what’s going on until something feels “off.”

That’s why so many of us found our way to The Masterson Method®, searching for a gentle, effective way to help our horses feel and perform their best. And when we see them let go of tension, move freely again, or simply soften into our hands, it changes everything: our partnership, our confidence, our trust.

This September, as we celebrate Jim Masterson’s birthday, we want to celebrate your story. How has The Masterson Method made a difference for you and your horse?

🔸 Has it deepened your connection?
🔸 Supported your horse’s comfort or performance?
🔸 Shifted something in your own journey with horses?

Every Monday in September, Jim will select one story to win a personal phone call with him. Share a new story each week for more chances!

Submit your story (video/photos encouraged!) via:

▪️Email: [email protected]
▪️Post on social media + tag
▪️Send us a Direct Message on Instagram

Find more information about this contest here:

www.mastersonmethod.com/how-has-the-masterson-method-shaped-your-journey

Your story could inspire another horse owner who’s searching for hope right now.

09/10/2025

Why Wednesday ~ My horse and I jump regularly, but I’ve noticed he’s a bit restricted in the hind end—especially tight in the hamstrings. Can The Masterson Method help?

Answer: Yes! The hamstrings, hocks, and sacrum are all connected, so tension in one affects the others. If your horse is very restricted, we always recommend contacting one of our certified practitioners for a comprehensive Masterson Method session to improve your horse’s overall well-being and mobility. That said, you can also try some techniques yourself—like the Sacrum Float Technique.

This gentle technique helps release the sacrum and, indirectly, the hamstrings and hocks—improving comfort, mobility, and performance.

How to do it: Place your hand under the tail (or gently lift with the tail hairs if your horse is sensitive). Raise slightly, then pause and watch for subtle responses—blinks, lip twitches, changes in breathing. Stay there until your horse releases—often shown by licking, chewing, or yawning.

Want to learn more? Practice this and other techniques from the Beyond Horse Massage book at our Weekend Course.

👉Find the course nearest to you here:
https://mastersonmethod.com/beyond-horse-massage-weekend.../

09/08/2025

🏆 This Week’s Winner – Jim Masterson Birthday Drawing!

Congratulations to Willow Reavley! Jim was so touched by Willow's path in helping her mare, Molly, with The Masterson Method that he personally chose to call her to chat.

At 18, Molly was stiff, arthritic, and often defensive when handled. With patience and care, Willow helped her release long-held tension, regain freedom of movement, and open up to trust again. Today, Molly shows Willow where she needs support, enjoys light, playful rides, and moves with far more ease. Their bond has deepened into a partnership built on understanding, softness, and joy.

Want a chance to be next week’s winner? Share your story — video or photos encouraged — about how The Masterson Method® has helped you or your horse improve their mobility and feel more relaxed, connected, or happy.

📅 Weekly drawings:

Every Monday in September

Share a new story each week for more chances to win!

📌 Learn more and see how to participate:
https://mastersonmethod.com/how-has-the-masterson-method-shaped-your-journey/

09/08/2025

We couldn’t agree more with what Dauphin Horsemanship says—this Summit is all about true collaboration, learning, and putting the horse first. 🐎

Right now, the Best Horse Practices Summit is offering a "One-Week Helluva Deal"
(Sept 7–13 only)! Register as a group of three, and the 4th registration is FREE—that’s just $525 per person.

📍 When: Oct 31–Nov 2
📍 Where: Santa Fe, NM
• All-day access to presenters

👉 More information on this deal here:

https://www.besthorsepracticessummit.org/one-week-helluva-deal/

Join us in supporting an event that truly puts horsemanship and the horse’s well-being above all.

09/05/2025

⏰ Don’t miss this contest!

Jim Masterson’s birthday month contest is happening now — and you could be the next to get a personal call from Jim. 📞

All you need to do is share your story, for example:

🔸 How has The Masterson Method® improved your horse’s comfort and mobility? or
🔸 How has it deepened your bond together? or
🔸 How has it made a difference in your journey with your horse?

Submit your story (video/photos encouraged!) and find more information on how to participate here:

https://mastersonmethod.com/how-has-the-masterson-method-shaped-your-journey/

✨ Every Monday in September, a new winner is drawn. Share a new story each week for more chances!

Let’s make Jim’s birthday month one full of connection, improved performance, and transformation — for both horses and people.

09/03/2025

Why Wednesday: Lately, I have noticed that my horse reacts when touching his lumbar area. How can I help him release tension there?

Answer: One of the most effective (and gentlest) ways to do this is to do the Lateral Wiggle Technique. The horse’s back is built as a very stable, rigid structure. Unlike a dog’s spine, it doesn’t have much natural ability to bend side-to-side. That’s why releasing tension here can be tricky — but also why it makes such a difference for your horse’s comfort and movement.

By standing near the hip and gently wiggling the sacrum side-to-side, you create a subtle “wave” of motion that travels through the spine all the way to the nose. With the right rhythm, the horse’s back begins to relax, the ribs move more freely, and the muscles that assist with breathing soften.

Once the back has released, you can focus that movement into the lumbar area. This brings awareness to the deeper core muscles around the lumbosacral junction. Releasing tension here helps the horse step underneath himself more easily, lengthen his stride, and move with greater freedom.

The magic of this technique is in its subtlety: light touch, gentle rhythm, and allowing enough time (usually 20–30 seconds) for the spine to let go.

Watch Jim demonstrate how rocking softly from head to tail can free up the horse’s back and support whole-body relaxation.

Share this video with your friends! If you want to learn these techniques hands-on, join one of our Weekend Courses or Light to the Core Courses and discover how gentle, mindful bodywork can transform your horse’s movement and comfort.

https://mastersonmethod.com/courses/

Address

1916 Highway 1
Fairfield, IA
52556

Telephone

+16414721312

Website

http://www.mastersonmethod.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork 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 The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork:

Shortcuts

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