SAGA Equine

12/31/2025

Wednesday Wisdom. The Dressage stigma is real... It is really interesting how many people have told me that "they aren't into dressage." When I ask them why, they talk about all the things that are running rampant in our world right now, especially on social media. Unhappy horses, snobbery, horses being ridden behind the vertical, and the list goes on and on. But what I find really interesting is that many of them do not understand what "dressage" really is. So many of these same people automatically assume that dressage is merely another competitive discipline, because they lack the understanding of what "dressage" is.

At it's roots, dressage is defined as training. That's when I usually explain the difference between the 2 major schools of thought that exist - dressage as a sport and dressage as a method of training your horse.

For most classically trained riders, competitive dressage is merely a display of every day training. The techniques used in dressage not only make the horse a better athlete, they also help promote longevity, mental health and physical well being. Each level builds on the previous one(s) to make the horse a well-rounded, happy athlete capable of carrying a rider well. Movements are not a means to an end. Rather, they are designed to help diagnose holes in training and weaknesses that may exist, help strengthen the horse systematically for optimal performance for the longest period of time and serve to rehabilitate horses that have sustained injuries. The best part is that most horses find the movements that are asked of them in dressage training to be intuitive and they are happy to comply with the rider's requests when asked in a way that works in concert with their biomechanical nature and thought processes. That leads to my next point about dressage training - it is about understanding and developing a mutually respectful relationship.

I encourage those who say that they "just aren't into dressage" to study its roots and seek understanding. This knowledge can be applied and will help improve any training, discipline, horse and/or rider without fail. Happy New Year.

12/30/2025

More exercises for developing the haunches in. Great for suppleness, proprioception and carrying capacity of the hindquarter.

Training Tip Tuesday. Another exercise to develop the haunches-in. This helps to increase suppleness with the changes of direction and preps the angle for the haunches with the volte. As with all haunches in exercises, this exercise will help the horse to develop proprioception, balance and carrying capacity of the hind legs. This exercise can be performed in all 3 gaits. At the canter, you can do a simple or flying change of lead at the quarter line after the tear drop.

12/30/2025

12/30/2025

“The Hands of a Horseman” – Why Massage Belongs at the Heart of Horsemanship

When you hear the word horseman—or horsewoman—what comes to mind?
Not a rider.
Not a competitor.
Not someone chasing ribbons or results.
A horseman, in the traditional sense, is someone who puts the horse first.
Someone who sees the horse not as a machine, but as a partner.
A friend.
A helper who gives us their strength, their trust, and often their entire working life.
True horsemanship has never been about dominance.
It’s been about responsibility.
And with responsibility comes a question we all have to answer:
Are we truly listening to our horses—or only asking things of them?

Horses are honest—but they are also generous to a fault.
They don’t complain when something first feels wrong.
They adapt.
They compensate.
They try harder.
Until one day we notice:
stiffness
resistance
behavioral changes
“attitude problems”
loss of performance
And too often, we ask:
“What’s wrong with this horse?”
When the better question is:
“What has this horse been carrying in silence?”
Muscle tension.
Old injuries.
Unbalanced riding.
Poor saddle fit.
Emotional stress.
These things don’t show up on an X-ray.
But they live in the body.
And this is where traditional horsemanship meets modern responsibility.

Some people still think of massage as a luxury.
Something extra.
Something optional.
Something you do after things go wrong.
But real horsemen have always worked with their hands.
They groomed with intention.
They noticed heat, swelling, tightness.
They knew when a horse felt “off” long before science could explain why.
Massage is not new.
It’s simply formalized listening.
Through educated hands, massage allows you to:
feel restrictions before they become injuries
improve circulation and recovery
support soundness and longevity
reduce pain without medication
deepen trust and communication
Most importantly—it gives the horse a voice.
A true horseman does not wait for lameness.
They respond to whispers before they become cries for help.

If your horse gives you:
their back to carry you
their legs to move you
their nervous system to respond to your cues
Then isn’t it only fair that you learn how to care for that body?
We’ve learned:
how to ride
how to train
how to feed
how to condition
But many people never learn how to restore.
Massage is not about fixing a broken horse.
It’s about honoring a working one.
It is an essential skill for anyone who claims the title of horseman—because it places welfare above ego.
Above competition.
Above tradition for tradition’s sake.
It says:
“I will not ask more of my horse than I am willing to give back.”

Vitality in Motion was created for people exactly like you.
Not for those looking to rush through techniques.
Not for those chasing certificates for status.
But for horsemen and horsewomen who want:
practical, safe, effective skills
a deeper understanding of equine anatomy
confidence in their hands
a stronger partnership with their horse
All horsemen should know:
how to read muscle tone and tension
where pain hides and how it compensates
how to support recovery after work
how to prevent small issues from becoming career-ending ones
And just as importantly—when not to push.
Respect your horse.

Every horse we own will one day slow down.
They will give us their best years.
And when they can no longer perform—we will face a choice.
Were they just useful?
Or were they valued?
Massage is one of the few things that allows us to give comfort back to a horse without asking anything in return.
No bridle.
No saddle.
No demands.
Just hands.
Breath.
Trust.
That moment—when a horse sighs, lowers their head, softens into your touch—that is horsemanship at its purest.
And it’s a skill worth passing on.

This is an invitation.
An invitation to step deeper into the responsibility that comes with loving horses.
To become the kind of horseman who:
notices early
acts kindly
and puts welfare first—even when no one is watching
If you believe a horse is more than a tool…
If you believe skill should serve compassion…
If you believe horsemanship begins with listening…
Then massage was built for you.
Not to make you something new.
But to help you become what horsemen have always been meant to be.

“The Hands of a Horseman”
When you hear the word horseman—or horsewoman—it doesn’t mean someone who simply rides a horse.
It means someone who puts the horse first.
A true horseman sees the horse as a partner, a helper, a friend—an animal who gives us their strength, their trust, and often the best years of their life.

And with that gift comes responsibility.
- Horses are honest, but they’re also generous.
- They don’t complain when something first feels wrong.
- They adapt.
- They carry tension, soreness, and fatigue in silence—until one day it shows up as stiffness, resistance, or “behavior problems.”

Too often we ask, “What’s wrong with this horse?”
When the better question is, “What has this horse been carrying for me?”

This is where massage belongs—not as a luxury, but as an essential skill of horsemanship.

Horsemen have always worked with their hands.
They noticed heat, tightness, and imbalance long before modern tools existed.

Massage is simply educated listening.
It allows us to feel what the horse cannot say—to release tension, support soundness, and prevent small problems from becoming lifelong ones.

More than that, massage gives something back.
No bridle.
No saddle.
No demands.
Just your hands, your attention, and your respect.

Vitality in Motion is for horsemen and horsewomen who believe that care is as important as training.

For people who want to understand the body they ask so much from—and learn how to restore it with kindness and skill.

Every horse we own will one day slow down.
What they remember isn’t the work—they remember how they were treated.

If you believe horsemanship means listening as much as asking…
If you believe welfare comes before performance…

Then learning to care for your horse with your hands isn’t optional.
It’s part of the promise we make when we choose to call ourselves horsemen.

If that promise matters to you, I invite you to join us and learn this skill—quietly, respectfully, and for the sake of the horse.

12/25/2025

We wish you a Merry Christmas!!!

12/18/2025

A great read especially for our followers interested in bodywork and massage.

Respecting Fascia’s Nature

Fascia Is Not an Elastic Band: Why Stretching Misses the Point

A Common Misconception:

In many therapeutic disciplines, it’s common to hear practitioners talk about stretching the fascia to improve flexibility and mobility. But this widespread belief is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding: fascia does not respond to stretch the way muscle fibers do.

Fascia is a dense, fibrous, and reticulated tissue composed mainly of collagen and elastic fibers. It’s structured for support, connection, and tensile integrity, not extensibility.

Unlike muscle, which can actively lengthen and shorten, thanks to its contractile fibers, fascia lacks this mechanism and is not built to stretch.
Applying force with the goal of elongating fascia can cause a defensive response—or worse, cause micro-injuries to the fascial matrix.

Fascia Loses Is Mobility—Not Elasticity

What truly limits movement in restricted fascia isn’t tightness in the way a rubber band is tight—it’s the loss of gliding mobility between fascial layers. This can result from trauma, repetitive stress, inflammation, overtraining or prolonged immobility. In response, fascia densifies—becomes stiffer—and loses its natural fluidity and adaptability.

The result? Restricted motion, chronic tension, compensatory movement patterns, and persistent pain. Stability over mobility.

Mobility and Fascial Slip

Fascial mobility refers to the ability of fascial layers to slip across one another during movement. This is what allows smooth force transmission and functional range of motion. The fascia is not a rigid and inert structure. It adapts and changes depending on the stimulus it experiences.

Attempting to stretch fascia beyond its natural glide range triggers protective density and rigidity. Stretch it too far, and you risk micro-tearing, leading to more adhesions, fibrosis, and further mobility loss.

Forcing fascia to stretch doesn’t increase flexibility—it increases dysfunction.

❌ The Risk of Force-Based Techniques
A fascia traumatized or densified (solidified) by a chronic restriction does not regain its flexibility by a simple stretch.

Transform, Don’t Stretch

Useful myofascial release doesn’t try to force fascia to change—it works with the tissue’s own dynamics to encourage transformation.
How it works:
🔹 Recognizes fascia as a dynamic, responsive tissue.
🔹 Applies gentle, sustained pressure to stimulate rehydration and matrix remodeling.
🔹 Facilitates fluid exchange and restores fascial glide.
🔹 Avoids aggressive compression or manipulation to prevent new adhesions.
🔹 Understands that this is a process that can take time.

Fascia wants you to liberate it—to reintroduce movement, slide, and adaptability.

This leads to freer movement, reduced pain, and greater integration across joints and systems.

The Role of Conscious Movement

Manual soft tissue manipulation is only part of the equation. Recovery of fascial mobility is best supported by movement that is:

• Slow and fluid: smooth and deliberate, which help to integrate movement and proprioception. Focus on a conscious release of tension rather than forcing a stretch.

Fascial fitness: training that supports the horse’s natural tensegrity by enhancing the elastic recoil, adaptability, motion and resilience of the fascial web. Movement that emphasizes multidirectional loading, bouncing, and dynamic stretching help maintain the fascia’s ability to transmit force efficiently while preserving glide between layers. This dynamic approach not only improves structural integrity, joint stability and proprioception but also restores the fascia’s fluid, responsive nature essential for pain-free, efficient movement.

The Bottom Line: Work With the Fascia, Not Against It

Fascia doesn’t need to be stretched—it needs to be understood.

Mobility, not extensibility, is what fascia loses through trauma and stress. Forcing fascia into elongation is a physiological mistake that can backfire. Effective fascial therapy honors the tissue’s structure, responding to it with respectful pressure, not force.

The key to restoring freedom of movement isn’t about making fascia longer. It’s about making it free to move again.

https://koperequine.com/what-is-motor-mapping-and-how-does-sub-clinical-pain-or-injury-change-it/

12/15/2025

Knowledge is power. Its articles like this one that remind us why it is so important to continue learning and understanding our horse's body.

https://www.facebook.com/share/17uMGgZq3Y/

This is the kind of info you will learn about in our programs. If this ki d of info fascinates or excites you, check out our equine massage program.

11/30/2025

A little over a day left to get your copy before Christmas. Makes a great gift for riders and trainers - and even your horse. 😉

Dressage for Every Horse & Rider Yoga for Horses 52 Gymnastic Exercises for a More Supple & Responsive Horse Improve balance, softness, and co

11/26/2025

From all of us at SAGA

Thankful for you...

We are so grateful for our horse community and the dedication that you have to your horses and helping them feel their best through quality training. To date, our Training Tip Tuesdays have been by far the most popular posts that we have made on our page. We absolutely love hearing from all of you. We love the experiences that you have shared and the questions that you have asked. It is truly amazing to see the progress that you have made with your horses. You should be so proud of all that you have done. Because of you, we have achieved so many of our goals this year too...

- We have gained over 25000 followers in the past 5 months.
- Over 10,800,000 views this year.
- Over 283,000 interactions with followers
- Launched our online learning platform to help make quality dressage training available to everyone regardless of location and access to in-person training.
- And, we published our first exercise book - Link in the comments below.

We absolutely love helping our dressage community and each one of our followers and their horses. Together, we are making a difference... for our horses, ourselves and the dressage community as a whole. Thank you for all that you do and the inspiration that you have provided.

In 2026, we are committed to providing you even more amazing tips and insights to help you reach your goals. We are dedicated to answering your questions and helping you along the way. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, please accept our deepest, most heart felt gratitude and thanks. All the best. The Dressage Academy crew.

11/13/2025

Training Tip Tuesday. More exercises to prepare the horse for the flying changes - The 20 meter walk or trot counter shoulder in to canter volte. In this exercise, the horse will be asked to mobilize the shoulder during the counter shoulder in phase. The canter will occur on the 10 meter volte with the depart taking place over centerline. These elements will encourage the horse to sit more resulting in a more expressive, uphill transition. Riding the volte in a slight shoulder fore position will add to the level of collection and the expression of the canter. This is an excellent way to improve suppleness, self carriage, hindquarter engagement and balance. Accuracy, geometry and timing are of the utmost importance in this exercise.

11/13/2025

Wednesday Wisdom. It has been a crazy weather week for us. We are heading into winter and we had our first snow and sub-freezing temperatures. Like every year, we are seeing a shift in our rider's mindset from the competition season to a slower, more relaxed mindset. With the "pressures" of the show season behind them, many of our riders are interested in trying new things and re-connecting with their horses on a more relational level.

This time of year, we love to re-introduce ground work and building strong relationships and mental skills that will carry through into the next season. We often go back to the very things that we worked on when we were preparing our horses for backing.

In hand sessions, where the horses can develop a stronger connection and master many of lateral movements and higher level movements without the interference of a rider. In hand sessions provide valuable insights and a closeness that is not possible when mounted.

Mental equitation and horsemanship. Where the rider is challenged to reduce stress and anxiety and prepare the horse for more challenging work in a systematic and positive approach. This is a great time to become grounded and slowing things down so that the horse has time to process what is being asked while the rider focuses on creating a positive learning environment for their horse.

Lunging with purpose. We talked about this a few weeks ago. Lunging well is an art form, but so extremely beneficial when done correctly. The rider can see how the horse is moving and how the body is influenced by different aids. The horse can adjust his movement and body without the restriction of tack or a rider.

Walk work. An amazing amount of muscle building, stamina and body control can happen with basic walk work. Core strengthening, stretching and mobilization sessions are all benefits of well planned walk sessions. Adding ground poles can bring even more to the table.

When the weather is less than perfect for riding, take the opportunity to re-connect with your horse. Enjoy watching the wheels turn and their bodies transform through simple, slow and methodical work that engages the mind and the body. You will be amazed at the results.

We'd love to know what some of your favorite exercises, training techniques and games you play with your horses over the winter months.

11/06/2025

Wednesday Wisdom. “Good riding is about doing as little as possible, but as much as necessary.” - Klaus Balkenhol

So often students will ask how to get a horse that is light and responsive to the aids. This is a delicate balancing act of asking, listening, receiving and praising. The rider should learn to ask lightly first and listen for the horse's response. If the horse responds appropriately, he should be praised. This will help to encourage the horse to continue responding promptly and with the slightest aid.

If the horse does not respond appropriately, we must first reflect on our aids and how we asked. Then, we must determine the cause of the failed communication and how to explain the request more clearly to the horse. This may require a more intense aid or modifications to help clarify the desired result. This dialogue and escalation continues throughout the ride to determine the appropriate aids and intensity needed to cultivate the desired response. The rider should always return to asking lightly, listening and praising to give the horse the opportunity to respond appropriately to the light aids.

When trained like this, the horse will learn to respond to the slightest aids creating a picture of harmony and synchronicity. Once achieved, enjoy the ride.