Moss Equine Matrix

08/05/2026

💚🐴💚

Is your horse always tight through the poll?

👀 We’re back with the ‘Train Your Eye’ series that so many of you have been enjoying!

This time, we’re diving into something a little different…

Is your horse always ‘tight through the poll’?

Do they seem to carry a lot of tension through their head and neck?

For many owners, the poll is the first place they notice a ‘problem’.

Maybe your horse resists bending, feels stiff in one rein, braces in the contact or simply doesn’t seem comfortable.

But here’s something to think about…

What if the poll isn’t actually where the issue begins?

The poll is only one small part of a much bigger, interconnected system.

It’s closely linked with the:

• TMJ (temporomandibular joint)
• Hyoid apparatus
• Tongue
• Sternocephalicus
• Brachiocephalicus
• Splenius
• Deep cervical musculature

These structures all communicate through muscles, fascia, connective tissues and normal movement. If one area becomes restricted or isn’t functioning as efficiently as it should, that tension can be transferred elsewhere.

That doesn’t mean every horse with a tight poll has a hyoid problem, or that every horse with a contact issue has TMJ dysfunction. It’s simply a reminder that the body is incredibly well connected, and rarely works in isolation.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is chasing the place that feels tight without asking why it’s tight in the first place.

That’s exactly what this new Train Your Eye series is all about.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be looking at each of these structures individually, breaking down:

✔️ What they do
✔️ Why they’re important
✔️ What you might observe
✔️ How they influence movement and performance
✔️ Why the whole picture always matters more than one isolated finding

The aim isn’t to diagnose your horse from a photograph or a Facebook post.

It’s to help you become better at observing, asking questions and understanding how the horse functions as one connected system.

Because sometimes the poll is simply the area expressing tension - not necessarily the place it began.

👇 Which structure are you most interested in learning about first?

08/01/2026

💚🐴💚 this!!! This exactly why I preach that bodywork can help with longevity. It’s not “spoiling” or “splurging” to help our friends feel their best. 😉👍

When Does a Horse Become “Older”?

Years ago, while studying senior canine massage therapy, one of my instructors gave a definition of “senior” that I’ve never forgotten.

A dog becomes a senior when it starts saving its energy for the things that matter most.

It doesn’t leap off the couch quite so often because it wants to save that energy for its walk. It greets you happily, but with a little more thought than before. Not because it has lost its enthusiasm, but because movement has become a resource worth managing.

I often think about that definition when I watch horses.

Horses don’t usually stop working overnight. More often, they begin making small compromises.

They don’t gallop across the paddock as often as they once did.

They pause a little longer before lying down or getting back up.

They choose to stand quietly instead of wandering the pasture.

Perhaps they still perform beautifully under saddle, but they no longer play quite as enthusiastically during turnout. Maybe they warm up more slowly, or they seem a little less inclined to waste energy on unnecessary movement.

These changes are easy to dismiss as “just getting older.”

But perhaps they tell us something more important.

Perhaps they tell us that movement has become a little more expensive.

Every stride now carries a slightly higher cost. Years of athletic work, normal age-related changes, previous injuries, reduced tissue elasticity, and the accumulation of everyday wear all influence how efficiently the body moves. Horses, like us, naturally begin to budget their physical resources.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a horse is lame or in pain. It means it has become more economical with its movement.

This is where massage therapy can play an especially valuable role.

Massage cannot stop the aging process, but it can help support the aging horse by reducing unnecessary muscular tension, improving soft tissue mobility, encouraging circulation, and helping maintain comfortable, efficient movement. When the body moves with less restriction, everyday activities often require less effort.

For many older horses, the goal is no longer to produce bigger movement or achieve a higher level of performance. The goal is to help them continue enjoying an active, comfortable life for as long as possible.

That might mean feeling loose enough to canter across the field with their friends, staying comfortable on the trail, continuing to enjoy light schooling, or simply walking out to graze with the same ease they always have.

Massage is just one part of that picture, alongside appropriate exercise, good nutrition, veterinary care, hoof care, dental care, and thoughtful management. Together, these pieces help maintain not only physical function, but also quality of life.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give an aging horse is not asking it to keep proving how young it still is.

Perhaps it is helping every stride cost a little less.

https://koperequine.com/bodywork-for-the-aged-horse/

07/26/2026

I love helping horses 💚🐴💚

07/24/2026

💚🐴💚

The TMJ is not simply a jaw joint, and treating it as one misses the entire point. 🐴👇

The equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a complex, highly loaded sensory-motor system.

During chewing, the jaw doesn't simply open and close like a hinge. It rotates, glides forwards and backwards, and moves laterally to grind forage efficiently.

TMJ movement is inseparable from dental occlusion. Dental balance influences how the jaw moves, while TMJ mobility influences how the teeth meet and wear. Dysfunction in one can perpetuate dysfunction in the other.

But the TMJ's influence doesn't stop at chewing>it forms part of an important neurological network.

🧠🔄 The Neurological Connection

The trigeminal nerve supplies the muscles of mastication while continuously transmitting information about pressure, load and joint position to the brain.
The spinal trigeminal nucleus extends into the upper cervical spinal cord, creating an area of neurological convergence between the jaw and upper neck. This helps explain why dysfunction in one region may influence the other.

A reciprocal compensation pattern can develop:
⚠️ TMJ or dental dysfunction
⬇️
⚠️ Altered sensory input and cervical muscle tone
⬇️
⚠️ Changes in head and neck posture
⬇️
⚠️ Compensation through the thoracic sling
⬇️
⚠️ Altered scapular freedom and unequal forelimb loading

Because horses have no bony attachment between the forelimb and trunk, (we have our collar bones) the thorax is suspended between the forelimbs by a muscular sling.
Yes ......the thoracic sling.

Changes in head and neck posture can therefore influence how forces are distributed through the shoulders and forelimbs.

What Might You See?
• Reduced freedom through one shoulder
• Difficulty bending or turning in one direction
• Resistance to the bit
• Poll stiffness or a persistent head tilt
• Unequal forelimb loading or shortened stride
• Headshaking-type behaviours or facial sensitivity

This doesn't mean every lameness or training issue starts in the jaw. It does mean the TMJ should never be assessed in isolation. The teeth, hyoid apparatus, poll, cervical spine and thoracic sling all contribute to the horse's movement strategy.

Simply "releasing the TMJ" is rarely a complete treatment.

The more important clinical question is:
Why has the TMJ adopted this pattern? What is maintaining it, and how is the rest of the horse adapting?

💬 Have you ever traced a forelimb restriction, poll issue or bitting problem back to the TMJ or dental balance? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Image credit: Anatomy of the Horse: An Illustrated Text by Klaus-Dieter Budras, W.O. Sack & Sabine Rock.

07/21/2026

💚🐴💚

It's been a long, sweaty summer and it's still not over. Click the link in the comments to learn some fascinating (yes, fascinating) facts about perspiration in in horses.

06/16/2026

For the final part of our immersion, we got real about the business side. You can be the best bodyworker in the world, but if you don't have a legal foundation, you won't last!

We covered the "Non-Negotiables":
Business Legitimacy: Setting up an LLC, hiring a good accountant, and separating business/personal finances.

Protection: Investing in a solid liability insurance policy and having a lawyer-approved waiver—you shouldn't touch a horse without them!

Customer Service: Remember, the human pays the bill, not the horse! Great customer service and "show and tell" during sessions provide massive value to the client.

Strategy: We discussed route density—scheduling with a strategy so you aren't spending all your profit on gas!.
It was an honor to mentor these future pros! 🌟

06/14/2026

You know, a fan can help blow all your worries away… and make you look like a beauty commercial. I mean, whatever you’re going for 💚🐴😂🤷🏻‍♀️😉💚

06/13/2026

I care a lot.

I have a client who calls me “Magic Hands” and I giggled the first time heard it. Now it’s helped affirm what I already knew, sometimes, my hands really are magic.

I want to be a part of your team. Any horse owner knows it takes a full team of professionals to keep our horses happy and healthy and around for a long time. Let my magic hands and my heart for people and horses be a part of your team.

When your horse does a horse thing and tweaks something, and you panic because they aren’t moving right, let me part of the team that helps. When you get to feel the results of my magic and you let me know… I’ll be just as excited as you. 💚🐴💚

06/11/2026

💚🐴💚

I’m going to do another 4-part series starting by discussing the anatomy and function of the hyoid apparatus!!

Aka one of my all-time FAVORITE anatomical topics to nerd out about🤭

The hyoid apparatus looks a lot like a swing from a playground located in between the two mandibles. Attaching up to the skull underneath the temporal bone (underneath the ear) at the temperohyoid joint.

Dysfunction of the hyoid can present as a slew of different symptoms such as behavior issues, mysterious lameness, and/or neurologic changes, etc. I’ve seen it first hand with Booty… leading me to where I am today, so impressed by anatomical connections from head to tail…literally! HOW COOL is the body?!

The hyoid apparatus is a team of several bones that work together to assist the body in many functions.

Some of the key functions -
𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
The hyoid apparatus provides the primary skeletal framework supporting the tongue.
Without it, coordinated tongue movement would not be possible.

𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠
During swallowing, the hyoid apparatus elevates and moves caudally, coordinating movement of the tongue, pharynx, and larynx.
Super important in protecting the airway and moving feed towards the esophagus!!

𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 / 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
**We’re going to dive more into this later… Follow along in this series 😉**
Helps stabilize the larynx

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐥 + 𝐒𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬
Because the stylohyoid bones connect to the temporal bones, movement of the tongue and larynx can influence forces transmitted to the skull.
Likewise, restrictions at the poll or temporohyoid region may affect hyoid function.

𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬
This is where things get SO cool.

The hyoid apparatus functions as a biomechanical bridge between from the head, ultimately throughout the entire body through muscular and fascial connections.

Several major muscles attach directly to the hyoid apparatus establishing direct connections between the head, sternum, shoulder, throughout the trunk, all the way back to the hind end. There’s a lot to this that I will talk about more specifically in later posts.

𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒚!
Starting with the bony structures -

𝐓𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Small cartilage connecting the stylohyoid to the temporal bone

𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
The longest pair, articulating to the temporal bone
Extend dorsally (up… think dorsal… dolfin fin) toward the skull
Most susceptible to temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO)

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Located between the stylohyoid and ceratohyoid

𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Connects the epihyoid to the basihyoid
Extend from the basihyoid toward the skull
Transmit forces between the tongue, pharynx, and upper hyoid structures

𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Attaches to the thyroid cartilage of the larynx
“Thyro”hyoid…Attaches to “thyro”id cartilage😉

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Supports the lingual process of the tongue
Located beneath the tongue… The “base”
Primary attachment point for numerous muscles assisting in tongue movement, swallowing and laryngeal position

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬
Projecting rostrally (towards the front) from the basihyoid
Extends into the base of the tongue

𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔!!

Tongue Muscles
• Genioglossus
• Hyoglossus
• Styloglossus

Suprahyoid Muscles
• Mylohyoideus
• Geniohyoideus
• Digastricus

Infrahyoid Muscles
• Sternohyoideus
• Sternothyroideus
• Omohyoideus

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬
Connects the hyoid to the sternum, continuing into the pectorals, abdominals, all the way to the pelvis through fascia

𝐎𝐦𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Connects the hyoid to fascia around the shoulder joint medially (towards the midline)
From the shoulder, the ventral fascia line continues through the body running back the hind limb

𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞
Connects the hyoid to the poll, linking through the dorsal line (nuchal ligament and dorsal fascia) back to the hind end

Next, we’ll dive deeper making connections between the larynx and pharynx with the hyoid!!

#𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨