Wildfire Integrative Bodyworks, LLC

08/28/2026

Do you use PEMF, Microcurrent(Acuscope) or other machines on your horse?

In Washington, to be a legal bodyworker you have to go to an approved school with so many hours, lots of exams, national boards, more exams and licensing. There is extensive education on anatomy, biomechanics and all the different systems. That being said there are a lot of grey areas with people using machines and not their hands that are not regulated.
But here is where I get frustrated for the client, lately I have come behind someone using either a microcurrent(Acuscope) or PEMF who treated and focused on a certain area because the machine “told them there was a problem” and missed the actually cause or primary issue. Now while that may be true and there is an issue where the machine told you and it will give some relief to that area, what that machine doesn’t tell you is if that problem is the primary issue or the result of something more somewhere else in the body. And if that “practitioner” doesn’t have knowledge of the 205 bones, 700 muscles with their insertion/origin points and function, joints, fascia lines, organs or biomechanics… then how can they look at the whole horse and truly put the puzzle together to help that horse? Now I’m not talking about someone purchasing a machine to work on your own horses, I’m talking about people taking money to work on other people’s horses.
In the human world, you have to be a doctor, physical therapist or someone with a foundational education and knowledge of the body to use these machines and work on people(legally). Why are horses any different?

There are many outstanding licensed therapists that offer these tools and machines in their practice. They have a solid knowledge of the body and biomechanics. I will always recommend using one of them(and no, I’m not talking about pushing people to just use me). Not to be mean or not want everyone to succeed or have business, but because I advocate for horses and the owners who eat top ramen so they can give their horse everything they deserve to help them feel their best. So owners, do your homework, ask for credentials and licensing(not certifications unless they also carry a license).

I’m sure this post will trigger some people and that’s ok. If it helps even just one owner and their horse then it was worth it. If you need help finding a practitioner feel free to message me and I will help if I can.

08/13/2026

Sorry guys, I’m down a Bemer 🤷‍♀️ Mew has claimed it as her own. I laid it out to clean it and she decided it was now hers. Who’s gonna tell her…

08/09/2026

PSHA State friends! Less than a week away and I am working on my lineup for bodywork and Performance prep. If you are going and want your horse on my list please reach out to me. I’m so excited for another fun weekend!

07/25/2026

Well it looks like I am being requested to come work on horses at The Team Extreme at Bits and Spurs. So, if you are wanted your horses worked on please let me know so I can add you to the list!

07/20/2026

South Whidbey friends! I have a cancellation for this upcoming Thursday so therefore a rare opening in your area. Time would be around 11:30 depending on location.

07/19/2026

06/26/2026

July is going to be insane! I will be traveling(Virginia, Texas, Ellensburg, Spokane)to work on horses about 2 weeks out of the month. That means squeezing in about 75 regular rotation horses into the days I am home and flexibility will be limited. Thank you to those clients working with me shifting your appointments around this month. And if you need to cancel or change your appointment please let me know asap.

Bless my wonderful husband for supporting me and my crazy dreams and holding down the fort at home while I travel the country lol

06/25/2026

What is one of my triggers as an equine bodyworker?

Resistance bands

Like any tool, these training aids can be beneficial or detrimental depending on how it is being used. 90% of the time, they are being used incorrectly.

If we are working out and use resistance bands, we are using slow and methodical movement. Maybe while doing lunges or working on our abductors. I haven’t seen one person use them on a treadmill or let’s take that a step farther… use them on a treadmill while pushing our belly out and tipping our head towards the sky. Feel like being experimental? Go run for 60 seconds belly out and head up. Then come back and tell me how you feel and where you are aching.

Whether scrolling Facebook or at barns, I see people with both equibands or pessoas(don’t even get me started on that one) with their horse trotting or loping head up, back hollow, horse sprung out and no idea he even has a caboose. All this is doing is job security for me. Just because your horse has a rubber band on their belly and butt does not mean they are building core, topline, hind end or anything else. They are strengthening dysfunction, developing new compensation patterns and planning the next vet appointment for a preventable injury or injections.

Ok now let’s break it down a bit on biomechanics and muscles.
1. no core, no topline. You cannot build a topline if you don’t have a core. You can’t build a core if the head is in the air.
2. If head is high, the back physically can’t soften and round = no topline =severe back tension
3. Forcing the head down or poll to break with tie downs, side reins or whatever other bandaid out on the market will not give you the promised results you hear about. This will give you forced or false collection.
4. No core, tight back, psoas working double time and pi**ed, diaphragm now restricted because of it, diaphragm can’t do its job so now you potentially have a bleeder if it’s a speed horse. With the tight back and diaphragm we now have an SI/sacrum without correct nutation and counter nutation which now means more hock/stifle/SI injections, suspensory issues, locked lumbars, let’s add in potential kissing spine. Guys we haven’t even gotten to the front end.

Ok let me slow down a bit as I will end up teaching anatomy and biomechanics in one post that will take a year to read. We all want to do what’s best for our horse. We want to strengthen and condition them to be able to perform their best. No one is purposely going out and intentionally trying to break their horse down faster. We are doing the best we can with the knowledge we have. And we don’t know what we don’t know. Can you successfully use a resistance band in your program? Yes. So here are a few words of encouragement and recommendations.
1. we strengthen at a WALK. Can you do things at a trot? Eventually but horses are also working on different things at a trot. Walking with a neutral head set for short amounts of time then slowly increasing the time each week. Then maybe add some ground poles to WALK over.
2. Get rid of the head training aids and bigger bits. They will only cause more problems, bracing and a false sense of collection. If you can’t trot or lope your horse(without the bands) with a soft feel in the face and without the head in the air then your horse isn’t ready.
3. If you are struggling to be able to get your horse soft in the face, elevating their front end, engaging their core/rounding their back and really driving with the hind end, ask for help.
4. If you ask for help… well this is another can of worms for another day but when choosing a trainer/coach, watch them ride their horses. Think of it this way. You want to become a doctor. You don’t just go straight into school for that career. You need your preschool first. Your undergrad. Your foundation. Then you go for your degree. When teaching a horse correct movement/biomechanics and muscle development… that’s preschool and undergrad. Different trainers do different things. Some undergrad and some career. I can honestly count on one hand the undergrad trainers in a 100 mile radius I would ever let touch my horse. This is not a dig at trainers and it’s not because they are bad people or bad intentions. They don’t know what they don’t know and are doing the best they can. We all are.

Ok, rant over. Good morning and happy Thursday!!

Wildfire Integrative Bodyworks, LLC

06/06/2026

I will be at this upcoming Friday Night Lights on June 12. If you are wanting Performance Prep, taping, saddle checking or saddle fitting let me know!

06/06/2026

Time for an updated summer show schedule!

June 12: Friday Night Lights

June 26: Friday Night Lights

June 30-July 3: Virginia

July 15-18: Spokane

July 31: Friday Night Lights

August 13-16: PSHA State Finals Wenatchee

August 28(my birthday!): Friday Night Lights

I already have my lists of horses started. If you are wanting on my lists for shows please let me know.

Services:
- Performance Prep(most popular)
- Kinesiotaping
- Saddle Fitting
- Bemer
- Microcurrent Electrotherapy
- Musculoskeletal Manual Manipulation
- Mini Sessions/Focal Areas
- Kinetic Fascia Line Therapy

As always, I work on horses very differently at shows vs regular sessions. My goal is to increase performance and decrease risk of injury. I don’t make big changes or do deep tissue at shows.