Horsynergy

I believe soundness and performance come from supporting the whole horse, not just training the body. Horsynergy is more than a training program.

Through nutrition, nervous system-based bodywork, and thoughtful movement, I help horses rediscover balance, ease, and resilience. My work is rooted in supporting the body from the inside out. Nutrition forms the foundation, followed by nervous system–based bodywork to restore mobility, reduce chronic tension, and create space where the body has adapted or guarded. From there, movement therapy and

thoughtful training are used to build strength, balance, and coordination when the horse is ready. This approach applies equally to horses in rehabilitation and those in ongoing training, with longevity and soundness always at the forefront. It’s a philosophy that values balance, integration, and true collaboration between horse and human. The Celtic five-fold symbol woven into the brand represents the harmony found in nature and the importance of unity and interconnectedness. It serves as a reminder that when all systems are supported and working together, horses can move, learn, and exist with greater ease and resilience.

05/29/2026

When people talk about laterality in horses, the conversation often gets simplified into “left brained/right brained” or a horse simply being stiff on one side and hollow on the other, but laterality is much more layered than that.

One layer involves sensory preference, particularly which eye the horse prefers to use when observing something.

Studies suggest that information from the left eye is primarily processed by the right hemisphere of the brain, while information from the right eye is processed by the left hemisphere.

Those hemispheres process information differently.

The right hemisphere is associated with stronger emotional arousal, rapid responses, and physiological stress reactions. The left hemisphere is more associated with familiar routines and learned patterns.

This helps explain why horses often prefer to keep unfamiliar or suspicious stimuli in the left eye. They are processing that information through the part of the brain that is more specialized for assessing novelty and potential threat.

But laterality doesn’t stop at sensory processing.

There is also an anatomical layer.

The horse’s internal anatomy is not perfectly symmetrical (neither is ours). Organs such as the liver and lungs have heavier right lobes, which influences how weight is distributed internally. In response, horses often develop increased contraction through the left side of the body as a way of counterbalancing that asymmetry.

Over time, those tendencies can influence another layer of laterality: habitual muscular contraction patterns.

Habitual posture is essentially the body’s default unconscious organization based on resting muscle tone and there are many ways those patterns become established.

Pain and injury can create protective compensations through the withdrawal reflex.

Repeated exposure to stress or startle responses can habituate associated muscle contractions until the horse no longer realizes they are holding those patterns.

Repetitive movement patterns can also shape the body over time. Hauling, living on a slope, uneven hoof balance, or carrying a crooked rider can all gradually influence posture and coordination until those patterns become unconscious defaults.

All of these layers influence each other.

Sensory preference can influence movement.

Movement patterns influence muscular development and posture.

Posture influences balance, coordination, and nervous system organization.

This is why I don’t think the goal should necessarily be straightness.

In fact, I’ve heard it suggested that the word often translated as “straightness” in the training scale may be more accurately understood as balance.

That perspective makes sense to me.

The goal is not to create a horse that is perfectly symmetrical, but to help the horse become more comfortable, organized, and fluid using both sides of the body with greater ease and adaptability.

Part of that involves restoring access to areas that have become limited by chronic tension or motor-sensory amnesia.

And part of it involves training practices that thoughtfully develop both sides of the horse through movement as well as exposure, handling, and interaction with their environment.

Balance has a physical component but it also has neurological, emotional, and behavioral elements.

05/28/2026

My first horse turned 29 this month.

I’ve had him since he was three and I was twelve so we basically grew up together.

He was there long before I had language for nervous system regulation, posture, or rehabilitation.

The relationship has changed over the years, and he is retired now, but there’s something really special about a horse who has been part of your life through so many different seasons.

I know many people don’t get the opportunity to keep their childhood horses into adulthood and offer them a safe landing place in their senior years.

I’m very grateful he’s still here, and I’ve had the privilege of caring for him through every stage of his life.

05/27/2026

One of the biggest things Valor’s rehabilitation process has reinforced for me is that the body does not compartmentalize experience the way we often try to.

The nervous system does not function independently from posture and posture does not function independently from movement and movement does not function independently from internal physiology.

And none of those systems exist separately from the horse’s lived experience over time.

It can be tempting to look for a single explanation or a single solution: a supplement, training exercise, bodywork technique or a diagnosis but rehabilitation rarely unfolds that way.

In Valor’s case, progress came through layers.

Supporting his nervous system nutritionally helped improve his internal resilience and recovery capacity.

Supporting his gut health improved not only digestion and nutrient absorption, but also immune regulation and stress tolerance.

Equine Hanna Somatics®️ helped restore awareness and resolve deeply habituated compensatory patterns that no longer reflected his actual capabilities.

BTMM pillars then gave him a way to reorganize movement patterns with greater balance, coordination, and stability.

None of those pieces replaced the others; they complemented each other.

What I find meaningful about rehabilitation work is not just watching a horse improve physically.

It’s watching them gradually regain options.

When enough pieces begin working together, change often happens in an integrated way and it isn't because of any single intervention, but because the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

05/25/2026

As Valor developed more awareness through Equine Hanna Somatics®️, we began incorporating the BTMM (Balance Through Movement Method) pillars into his training sessions.

It was clear that he had a good relationship to connection and it was relatively easy for him to find pillar one. That gave us a foundation to begin carefully introducing pillars two and three.

A large portion of this work initially happened at the halt.

Rather than focusing on bigger movements immediately, we spent time improving his ability to organize within stillness first.

One of the early priorities was mobility through the poll, specifically ensuring he had enough extension available through the atlanto-occipital joint to allow a small degree of true lateral flexion.

From there, we began exploring subtle weight shifts between the shoulders.

This helped him begin organizing the shape of left and right bend while also improving his awareness of balance between the front limbs.

Once that became more available, we could begin shifting the center of gravity slightly up and back through engagement of the pectoral muscles.

Before asking for larger outward movements, he first needed the ability to organize and stabilize through adduction.

Only after those pieces became more established did we begin progressing into movements involving abduction.

One exercise we used frequently involved halting, stepping backward a stride or two to offset the front limbs, and then asking the outside forelimb to step into abduction.

This helped open the shoulders and improve mobility through the front end, while also encouraging him to ground more effectively into the hind limbs for stability.

What I found particularly valuable about this progression was that each piece prepared the next.

Once those building blocks became more established, we began carrying the principles of the pillars into lateral work.

He is currently practicing shoulder-in and haunches-in, which continue to improve his coordination and engagement through the body as a whole.

What this process continues to reinforce for me is that healthy movement isn’t forced.

It develops when the horse has enough awareness, stability, and preparation to organize the movement from within.

05/22/2026

Another significant piece of Valor’s rehabilitation involved restoring awareness and organization within his body.

Following EPM, he demonstrated clear compensatory patterns.

His default posture strongly reflected what we refer to in Equine Hanna Somatics®️as a Green Light pattern: elevated head carriage, a contracted and extended back, anterior pelvic tilt, and camped-out hind limbs.

He also demonstrated significant co-contractions.

Initially, those co-contractions created the appearance of straightness through the spine. But as layers of chronic tension began to release through EHS, a distinct left C-curve became visible. This also aligned with what we were seeing functionally in his groundwork, particularly his preference for left bend.

Even basic balance tasks were difficult in the beginning.

During his early EHS sessions, picking up a foot and balancing on three limbs was a significant challenge for him. It became very clear that the sessions needed to be structured around his nervous system’s current capacity rather than around completing a full protocol.

Instead of attempting the entire sequence in one session, I worked in shorter partial protocols over time.

I found that he responded best when sessions began with the hind limbs for the initial pick-ups, then alternated between the front limbs after each pandiculation.

My hypothesis is that he felt more neurologically and mechanically stable on his front limbs. Beginning with the hind limbs appeared to help increase awareness and organization through the back half of his body, which then gave him more confidence balancing on those limbs while a front foot was lifted.

Over time, his balance and coordination improved markedly.

As his awareness increased, there was also a noticeable shift in his overall posture and spinal organization.

What I find particularly important about this process is that none of these changes were forced mechanically.

The goal was not to place his body into a position but to help resolve motor-sensory amnesia so his nervous system could begin recognizing more efficient options again.

That distinction is important because when compensation patterns have existed long enough, they stop feeling like compensation to the horse. They simply become the default.

EHS works by interrupting those habituated patterns and helping the horse reconnect with movement options that have gradually been lost beneath layers of chronic contraction and protective organization.

And in Valor’s case, that restoration of awareness became a foundational part of rebuilding balance, coordination, and stability following neurological injury.

05/20/2026

One of the things Valor’s case reinforced for me is that treatment and rehabilitation are not the same thing.

The medications used for EPM are intended to kill the protozoa but they do not repair the damage left behind in the nervous system and I think that piece often gets overlooked.

During treatment, Valor received diclazuril and levamisole for 30 days, while also being supported with a targeted nutraceutical protocol for the following six months.

His nutritional support included a trace mineral ration balancer, additional magnesium, vitamin E, gut support, and a product called Spine and Nerve from Immubiome.

Each piece was chosen with nervous system recovery and immune resilience in mind.

Magnesium plays an important role in nerve health. It helps regulate neurotransmitters, supports neuromuscular function, and acts as a neuroprotective agent.

Vitamin E is also critical for neurological health because it helps protect nerve tissue from oxidative damage and supports cellular integrity.

Gut support was another major focus.

One of the less discussed aspects of EPM is the relationship between immune function, gut health, and susceptibility. A compromised digestive system and weakened microbiome can increase vulnerability by weakening barrier function and immune regulation.

The gut and immune system are deeply interconnected. A healthy and diverse microbiome helps regulate inflammation, supports nutrient absorption, protects against pathogens, and helps train immune responses appropriately.

Spine and Nerve from Immubiome was included specifically because of its emphasis on neurological support. It contains Lion’s Mane mushroom which is known for supporting nerve regeneration and healthy neurological function, along with several additional mushroom species that provide antioxidant and immune support. It also includes bovine colostrum, probiotics, and prebiotics to further support repair, resilience, and digestive health.

Then, at the beginning of his formal rehab process, I ran a hair tissue mineral analysis to evaluate what patterns were still present internally.

Most of his mineral levels were within normal range, but he showed low sodium along with low sodium-to-potassium and sodium-to-magnesium ratios. He also showed borderline low cobalt.

Those patterns suggested chronic stress physiology and potentially decreased digestive efficiency.

To address that, I increased his sodium intake and added a comprehensive probiotic.
In his case, I used Gut Soothe by Adored Beast to help support microbial balance, digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall immune function.

What I find so important about cases like Valor’s is that they highlight how interconnected these systems really are.

The nervous system does not exist independently from the gut; the gut does not function independently from the immune system, and rehabilitation is rarely just about restoring movement.

Often, it involves creating enough internal support that the body can begin organizing and recovering more effectively as a whole.

05/19/2026

Valor is an 8-year-old mustang from the Choke Cherry HMA in Utah.

A few years ago, he was diagnosed with EPM.

He was treated with diclazuril and levamisole for 30 days, while also being supported with an intensive nutraceutical protocol over the following six months.

After treatment, he spent the next 18 months turned out with two geldings in a pasture with rolling hills and varied terrain. That environment became an important part of his recovery. The natural movement and social interaction created daily opportunities for proprioception, coordination, and neuromuscular awareness.

When it came time to start his formal rehab, it was clear that a holistic approach would be most effective.

I evaluated mineral balance and adjusted his diet to address underlying physiological stress patterns. His sodium was low, along with his sodium-to-potassium and sodium-to-magnesium ratios. He also showed borderline low cobalt, which can point toward digestive inefficiency.

We addressed those areas through dietary changes, including increased sodium and the addition of a comprehensive probiotic.

At the same time, we began incorporating Equine Hanna Somatics®️ to address the motor-sensory amnesia and compensatory patterns that he had developed to cope with EPM.

His default posture strongly reflected what we refer to in EHS as a Green Light pattern: high head carriage, a contracted back, and camped-out limbs.

We also incorporated the BTMM pillars into his groundwork. He found pillar one relatively easily and showed a good relationship to connection, which allowed us to begin introducing pillars two and three. Shifting his center of gravity back and improving spinal organization became important pieces of his movement work, particularly within lateral exercises.

What Valor continues to reinforce for me is that these systems do not exist in isolation, and in many cases, progress comes not from a single intervention, but from the way multiple supportive pieces begin working together.

Over the next few posts, I’m going to break down each part of his rehab process in more detail because there’s far more nuance inside each of these pieces than can fit into a single post.

**I also want to acknowledge that this before and after is the beginning of a much longer process.

Valor still has significant strengthening and unwinding ahead of him as his body continues to relearn how to organize itself with greater efficiency and ease.

What I’m sharing is the early stages of what becomes possible when multiple systems are supported together over time.

05/18/2026

Horses are incredibly perceptive when it comes to body language. They notice changes in posture often before we realize we’re giving those signals.

Because of that, body language can be a really useful starting point in training. It creates clarity in the early stages and gives the horse something they can easily recognize and respond to.

But there’s an important distinction that develops over time.

A horse can respond to body language without necessarily understanding the aids.

And at some point, those need to become separate.

When we’re on the ground, our whole body is available as a visual signal. When we’re on their back, that changes.

Riding is more or less leading from the horse’s back where the conversation shifts to more specific points of contact: the hand, the reins, the seat, and the leg.

For those to be meaningful, they need to be understood on their own.

Body language can help build that understanding, but it isn’t the end point.

For example, when you walk backward in front of a horse, your body can function as the “hand.”

If you increase your energy or step backward more quickly, the horse often follows with more forward movement. This is like a giving hand.

If you slow down and they begin to rate with you, this is the equivalent of a halt or half-halt.

In the beginning, the horse is responding to your body.

With clarity, repetition and a sequencing of cues, that response can transfer to the aid itself.

Pairing a new signal with an already understood one allows the horse to make that connection without confusion. The familiar cue provides clarity, and over time, the new one begins to carry meaning on its own.

That transition can also be supported by changing your position relative to the horse during groundwork.

For example, if you step slightly back toward the hindquarters, does the horse still understand a whip aid the same way they did when you were positioned more forward? Or was their response tied to where you were standing?

Small shifts like that help clarify whether the horse is understanding the aid itself, or the context around it.

The aids need to stand on their own so that when you pick up a rein, apply a leg, or influence through your seat, they understand what is being asked even in the absence of the larger body language that first introduced it.

And when that understanding is in place, the transition from groundwork to riding tends to feel less like an abrupt change and more like a continuation.

05/13/2026

I’ve seen some conversation around posture photos and whether static comparisons are a useful way to track progress.

A common point that comes up is that a single photo doesn’t show how a horse organizes in motion and that movement is ultimately what matters most.

There’s truth in that.

A still image can’t fully represent how a horse uses their body dynamically. It’s one moment in time, not the whole picture.

But I think there are a couple of pieces that are worth considering alongside that.

Even photos that capture a horse in a more “dynamic” moment are still a snapshot. They’re still a single frame pulled out of a much larger pattern.

And while movement gives us valuable information, so does stillness.

Domestic horses spend a significant amount of time standing. Even with good turnout, there are hours each day where they are simply at rest. In many cases, especially with stalled horses, that time is even greater.

So the posture they return to in those moments, the way they organize themselves when nothing is being asked of them, is not insignificant.

It’s their baseline.

Over time, that baseline reflects what has become familiar in the nervous system. It tells us something about how the body is holding itself when it’s not being influenced by external pressure or direction.

From that perspective, static posture is more about observing a pattern.

That said, how those photos are taken does matter.

Consistency helps. Similar angles, footing, time of day, and lighting all make comparisons more meaningful and easier to interpret over time.

Are photos the whole story? No.

But they can be a useful piece of it.

They offer a way to step back and see changes that are easy to miss day-to-day especially when those changes happen gradually.

And in many cases, shifts in static posture are one of the first places those changes begin to show.

It’s not about choosing between static or dynamic. It’s about learning to observe both, and understanding what each one can tell you.

05/11/2026

I recently planted an herb garden for my horses as an enrichment space.

It includes fennel, cilantro, sage, marjoram, lemon balm, calendula, chicory, echinacea, dill, mint, basil, chamomile, thyme, rosemary, flat and curly parsley, and oregano.

When I bring the horses up to feed, they have free access to it and are able to self-select what they’re drawn to.

What I’ve found is that this kind of setup offers nutrition as well as creates an opportunity for autonomy.

Horses get to make choices about what their bodies are drawn to in that moment and over time, those choices can become a form of communication.

Watching what they choose gives me information to observe more closely.

My older mare, Mouse, gave me a really clear example of this.

She consistently chose fennel, dill, calendula and chamomile.

All four of these herbs have digestive support as part of their profile, but they also each carry additional systemic effects:

Fennel seed can support gas and bloating, while also having respiratory benefits.

Dill is often used for digestive support and is also known for its calming influence on the nervous system.

Calendula supports digestive function including gastric ulcers, while also offering support to the liver and immune system.

Chamomile supports digestion and a calming effect on overall nervous system tone.

What stood out wasn’t just the individual herbs but the pattern in what she selected.

From there, I added dried versions of those herbs into her ration and used her choices as a starting point for a deeper look at her gut health and overall comfort.

This is something I come back to often in my work with horses.

When we create space for choice, they often show us where to look more closely.

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Houston, TX

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+12817315004

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http://www.horsynergy.com/

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