Equine Sports Massage Therapy

08/23/2026

08/16/2026

👀 TRAIN YOUR EYE | Part 4: The Tongue

We’re back with Part 4 of the Looking Beyond the Poll series.

We’ve already explored the poll, the TMJ, and the hyoid apparatus, all structures that work closely together.

Today we’re looking at one that’s often overlooked, despite being one of the busiest muscles in the horse’s body…

The tongue.

Most people think of the tongue as something that simply holds the bit.

In reality, it’s involved in swallowing, chewing, breathing, communication, and maintaining normal function of the hyoid apparatus.

Every movement of the tongue influences the hyoid.

Every movement of the hyoid influences the surrounding muscles and fascia.

And because the hyoid is connected to the poll, jaw and cervical region, changes in one area can influence the others.

That doesn’t mean the tongue is a/the problem, but it does mean it deserves more attention than it often gets.

👀 What might you notice?

Sometimes horses with altered tongue function may show signs such as:

• Playing excessively with the bit
• Tongue over the bit or out of the side of the mouth
• Inconsistent contact
• Difficulty chewing evenly
• Opening the mouth or crossing the jaw
• Difficulty softening through the jaw
• Resistance during flexion
• Increased poll or throatlatch tension

Again… These aren’t diagnoses.

A horse showing these behaviours could be responding to dental discomfort, inappropriate bitting, rider influence, TMJ restriction, hyoid dysfunction, pain elsewhere in the body, or many other factors.

The tongue is simply one part of a much bigger system.

One of the reasons I love studying this area is because it reminds us not to become fixated on symptoms.

If a horse constantly plays with the bit, we shouldn’t immediately ask:

“What bit should I buy?”

Instead, we should be asking:

Why might this horse be using its tongue like this?

Is it trying to avoid pressure?

Is chewing uncomfortable?

Is the hyoid moving freely?

Is the TMJ comfortable?

Is there tension through the cervical muscles?

Is something further back in the body influencing what’s happening at the front?

Those are the questions that move us from simply managing signs to understanding the horse in front of us.

The tongue isn’t just a muscle inside the mouth.

It’s part of a highly coordinated network that links breathing, swallowing, posture and movement.

Understanding those connections helps us become better observers and ultimately better advocates for our horses.

In Part 5, we’ll move into the muscular connections of the neck and explore how the sternocephalicus, brachiocephalicus and surrounding cervical musculature influence everything we’ve discussed so far.

Because the horse doesn’t move in isolated parts.

Everything is connected!

🧠 Has your horse ever played with the bit, put its tongue over the bit, or seemed inconsistent in the contact? What was the underlying cause? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

08/16/2026

🐴 GENERIC vs INDIVIDUALISED HOOF CARE — are we over-generalising?

The hoof-care world is full of strongly held beliefs:

❌ “Shoes are bad.”
❌ “Barefoot is always better.”
❌ “This trim works for every horse.”
❌ “That hoof shape is normal for the breed.”

But horses are individuals — and hoof care should be too.

Through our evidence-informed, welfare-led approach at Holistic Equine, we see both shod and barefoot horses with pathological hoof morphology — where hoof shape, balance, loading and function may be contributing to pain, lameness or wider problems.

So rather than starting with an ideology about what should be on the horse’s foot, we start with the horse.

🐴 What hoof morphology are we seeing?
🐴 How is the hoof loading and functioning?
🐴 What does movement tell us?
🐴 What are the horse’s welfare parameters telling us?
🐴 Are there metabolic, environmental or management factors influencing what we see?
🐴 And most importantly — is our intervention actually improving this individual horse’s welfare state over time?

This allows us to move away from generic solutions and towards an individualised hoof-care plan that can be documented, implemented, measured and continually reassessed.

And this isn’t just important for hoof-care professionals.

I regularly meet horse owners who have assembled an excellent wider equine team — vets, therapists, saddle fitters, dentists, trainers and behaviourists — yet underlying hoof morphology, balance and loading problems have sometimes gone unrecognised while problems elsewhere in the horse are being addressed.

That’s why I believe hoof literacy should extend beyond hoof-care professionals.

If you work with horses professionally, learning to recognise potentially pathological hoof morphology and understanding when hoof balance, loading or metabolic factors may warrant further investigation can add another valuable piece to the whole-horse picture.

Something new is coming…

Very soon, we’re launching our new online community for horse and human wellbeing, including the opportunity to work with me in our VIP Hoof Mentorship Group.

You’ll learn how to:

• Document and map your horse’s hooves
• Recognise different hoof types and morphology
• Identify potential areas of concern
• Develop an individualised hoof-care plan
• Track changes objectively over time
• Ask the crucial question: are we genuinely improving this horse’s welfare state?

This is for horse owners AND equine professionals who want to understand the hoof as part of the whole horse rather than simply following a particular hoof-care philosophy.

💚 Better observation. Better evidence. Better decisions. Better outcomes for horses.

👉 Sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to hear how to join the new community — and receive details of our special launch offer:

https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/subscribe

📸 ABOUT THE IMAGE

The image shows pre-trim (top) and post-trim (bottom) views of a left fore hoof on the left and a left hind hoof on the right.

The hooves have been documented and marked up using the Hoof Map app, allowing us to record, map and compare hoof morphology and changes over time rather than relying on memory or subjective impressions alone.

If you join the VIP Hoof Mentorship Group, you’ll learn how to document and map your own horse’s hooves using Hoof Map.

Every week we meet as a group to discuss your horses’ hooves through an evidence-based and welfare-focused lens — helping you develop your observational skills, understand what you’re seeing, create an individualised hoof-care plan and objectively track whether the horse’s welfare state is improving.

08/09/2026

👀 TRAIN YOUR EYE | Part 3: The Hyoid Apparatus

We’re back with Part 3 of the Looking Beyond the Poll series, and today we’re talking about one of my favourite structures in the horse’s body…

The hyoid apparatus!

If you’ve never heard of it before, don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone. Though, if your horse has received treatment from me, you’ve probably heard about it too much…

It’s a tiny collection of bones, suspended beneath the skull rather than attached directly to it, but despite its size it has connections throughout the entire upper body/axial skeleton.

In fact, every time your horse:
• Swallows
• Chews
• Accepts the bit
• Moves its tongue
• Breathes
• Yawns

…the hyoid apparatus is involved!

One of the things I find most fascinating is that the hyoid has anatomical and fascial connections with the:

✔ Poll
✔ TMJ
✔ Tongue
✔ Larynx
✔ Deep cervical muscles
✔ Cervical fascia
✔ Shoulder and thoracic sling through muscular chains

That’s why tension here doesn’t necessarily stay here.

A restriction affecting the hyoid can influence how comfortably a horse swallows, chews, accepts the contact, lowers the neck, or even how freely it moves through the topline.

Likewise, pain or restriction elsewhere in the body may also create compensatory tension around the hyoid.

What might you notice?

You might see things such as:

• Difficulty softening into the contact
• Playing with the bit or excessive chewing
• Tongue evasions
• Reluctance to stretch forwards and down
• Head tilting or crookedness
• Poll or throatlatch tension
• Difficulty swallowing after work
• Noisy breathing in some horses
• Resistance during ridden work

None of these signs automatically mean the hyoid is the problem.

They’re simply pieces of information that help build the bigger picture.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is chasing the place where we see tension.

The real question is:

Why is this horse choosing to hold tension here?

That’s where clinical reasoning begins.

The body is brilliantly interconnected, and the hyoid is one of the best examples of that.

Sometimes it’s not the structure that’s injured…

It’s simply the structure that’s speaking the loudest.

In the next post we’ll continue following the chain and explore another structure connected to the poll, helping you build a better understanding of how these regions influence one another.

Because horses don’t move in isolated parts.

They move as one connected system.

Have you ever heard of the hyoid apparatus before, or is this a completely new structure for you? I’d love to know in the comments.

07/30/2026

Sleep deprevation in horses
This is one of my old posts (as you can see by the drawing 😁), but I also want to say that often we think something is common because we come together as a collective group through social media, yet in my working life over 10 years with horses I have only come across a handful of horses with this, and I have only met one narcoleptic horse.

The causes were often pain, pain in either the act of laying down or pain when getting up, pain in horses like us will interfere into the sleep patterns including wakefulness, but i have also met horses whos enviroment played a factor and its where we have to not assume and ask questions, one horse was even just simply exhausted as their previous home had never took out bankings and rats had made runs through it, so a stable was a place of having to be alert. Again if the obvious had been thought of a simple environment change may have helped the horse adjust to a more calm exterior helping with a calmer interior.

I will premise this post by saying some of this I will be giving my experience meeting different horses with this throughout my time as a equine therapist but often finding the cause can be a long and distressing time for both the owner and the horse

But first let's talk about sleep and why it is important your horse has access to all stages.
If you think about if there has ever been a time when you as a human could not sleep and especially if the insomnia is due to pain or discomfort then each subsequent day becomes just a little more difficult to function especially cognitive function and often if we flip it back to horses often they don't have the choice in taking a break as again we compartmentalise as sleep deprevation as one thing and awake and ready for work as another yet one will affect the other.

We often forget that one of the stages of sleep is wakefulness because what happens When the horse is awake will have an adverse affect on the quality of the other 3 stages of sleep.

Stage 1. Wakefullness
When the horse is awake it should be alert, aware of its surroundings and able to display a normal range of behaviour yet I think we have all met a few horses in our time who can be the total opposite, the internalised horse, the slow to react horse, the shut down horse are just some examples how will they sleep if their awake time is full of worry or fear. There is an increased sympathetic tone and decreased parasympathetic tone which is important for the organ systems to be on alert

Stage 2. Drowsiness or light sleep.
We may seem this as the horse relaxes in its enviroment using the stay apparatus which enables the horse to lock its limbs for little muscle effort yet can still move away quickly if the horse is alerted to danger approaching, horses are classed as polyphasic sleepers which means they can have mini sleeps throughout the day although the majority of the deeper sleep is done through the night.

Stage 3. Slow wave sleep or SWS
This is the lighter stage of deep sleep where the brainwaves become slow and regular, this stage can again be done standing up or the horse may then lay down which takes us onto the next stage
If we look at the complexities of the stay apparatus then if one link in that chain stops working then all are affected

Stage 4. Rapid eye movement or REM
To achieve REM horses have to lay down often in lateral recumbency (state of lying down or reclining), they can also lay down in sternal recumbency but to achieve REM the muzzle and full body must be touching the ground (does the horse live in an environment it cannot lay down comfortably). Horses need this stage and although can be around 30 minutes the more important point it is the final stage of the sleep pattern and all must be done for the horse to remain in good physical and mental health.
The brain waves are similar to when the horse is at wakefulness and you will see the rapid eye movement, muscle twitching and even vocalisation.

Now here comes my own opinion from the horses i have seen most I have dealt with pain or discomfort was the root cause, from athritis where the horse feels unsafe or unable to lay down or get back up so will then not lay down, ulcers are a huge issue, respiratory issues, unsafe environments ranging from a horse that was bullied to a horse on its own that didn't feel safe enough to utilise all the stages of sleep.
But if you haven't got an answer then keep digging because there is always a cause
I very rarely have come across foot pain as a reason in fact usually the opposite a horse with sore feet often will lay down more than it should which could bring a whole host of other issues

Doing bodywork on a sleep deprived horse, well first if like me your in the UK vet consent would probably be required, first to rule out narcolepsy which is a completely different thing and second like I said you should already have the vet investigating to try and find the primary cause.
Now for me I really don't like seeing horses swaying or collapsing during bodywork If I feel they are zoning out I stop the session because they should be aware they do have a stay apparatus and that is often why you see that jerk reaction in the horse because they have zoned out to much, and remember part of the stages of sleep is the ability to lock their limbs and we are simply overriding it and putting them to much into the parasympathetic nervous system.

If I have a horse that is doing the above then we need to ask why ?? Is there horse getting enough sleep ?? Does the horse have an underlying issue that when you remove some pain they need to lay down?? And if you feel they are going to lay down then I simply stop the session and allow the horse to make the choice and leave them in peace because in order to feel safe we should not be clambering for a photo opportunity.
If the horse continually does this everytime it has a session then a good idea is to ask the owner to keep a sleep diary for the horse in case a vet referral is needed.

Would I ride or ask a horse who is sleep deprived to work ??? For me the answer would be no, because again cognitive skills would be compromised and even if we give the horse choice unless we have owned the horse from a foal we do not know wether the horse may have been reprimanded for answering no so will just give in on the second or third time we ask.
Sleep deprevation makes judgement on safety cloudy and mistakes may happen that result in you or horse being injured.

Do I have any answers on how to solve it?? Sadly the answer to the issue can be as complicated as the issue itself and often its a big checklist that owners slowly tick off through trial and error.
It could be something as simple as one area of pain or restriction or dysfunction is addressed then everything is fine or it could be as complicated as chasing pathologies around the body trying to put out fires as quickly as they alight.

But like everything a post sparks conversation and in that conversation one owner may just be the person that helps another so all comments welcome you never know you could be that someone that someone else needs to hear

07/29/2026

07/08/2026

Anhidrosis (sometimes called non-sweating syndrome) is a condition in which a horse produces little or no sweat, making it difficult to regulate body temperature. Because sweating is the horse’s primary cooling mechanism, affected horses are at much greater risk of overheating, particularly during exercise or in hot, humid weather.

Here are the key facts:

What is anhidrosis?

Anhidrosis is the partial or complete inability to sweat normally. It can affect horses of any breed but is most commonly seen in horses living in hot, humid climates.

Why is sweating so important?

A horse generates tremendous amounts of heat during exercise. Sweat cools the body through evaporation. Without adequate sweating, core body temperature rises rapidly.

What causes anhidrosis?

The exact cause is still unknown. Current research suggests the sweat glands become less responsive to stimulation, possibly from prolonged exposure to heat and high levels of circulating stress hormones such as adrenaline. It is likely a multifactorial condition.

Which horses are most at risk?

* Horses living in hot, humid climates
* Horses worked frequently in warm weather
* Performance horses
* Horses that have recently moved from cooler to hotter climates

Common signs include:

* Little or no sweating
* Rapid breathing that persists after exercise
* Elevated body temperature
* Slow recovery after work
* Poor performance
* Lethargy
* Seeking shade constantly
* Reluctance to exercise
* Warm, dry skin despite being overheated

Why is it dangerous?

Without sweating, horses cannot dissipate heat efficiently. Their body temperature may continue rising, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, organ damage, collapse, and even death if not treated promptly.

How is it diagnosed?

Veterinarians often diagnose anhidrosis based on the horse’s history and clinical signs. Specialized sweat gland stimulation (intradermal terbutaline) tests can help confirm the diagnosis.

Can it be treated?

There is no universally effective cure. Management focuses on reducing heat stress:

* Exercise during the coolest parts of the day.
* Provide shade and excellent ventilation.
* Use fans and frequent cold-water cooling.
* Allow unlimited access to fresh water.
* Replace electrolytes as needed.
* Reduce workload during hot, humid weather.
* Some horses improve after moving to a cooler, drier climate.

Does it ever resolve?

Some horses recover during cooler months or after relocating to a cooler environment. Others may experience recurring or permanent problems.

Prevention

Because the exact cause is unknown, there is no guaranteed prevention. Good heat management, gradual acclimation to hot weather, maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance, and avoiding excessive heat stress may help reduce risk.

Quick Facts

* Sweating is the horse’s primary cooling mechanism.
* Horses with anhidrosis are often called “non-sweaters.”
* It is most common in hot, humid regions.
* Performance horses may be affected more frequently because of increased heat production.
* A horse that is hot, breathing hard, and not sweating should be considered a veterinary emergency until proven otherwise.

Anhidrosis is one of the most important heat-related conditions horse owners should recognize because early intervention can prevent life-threatening heat illness.

https://koperequine.com/24-interesting-facts-about-anhidrosis-in-horses/

07/07/2026

👀 TRAIN YOUR EYE 👀 | PART 2 OF 5

The Thoracic Sling

One of the most misunderstood structures in the horse’s body isn’t actually a joint, ligament or tendon…

It’s the thoracic sling.

Unlike us, horses don’t have a collarbone. Their ribcage and trunk aren’t attached to the forelimbs by bone - they’re suspended by a complex network of muscles, fascia and connective tissue known as the ‘thoracic sling’.

Think of it as a living suspension system.

Every single step your horse takes relies on these muscles helping to:
✔ support the weight of the trunk
✔ absorb concussion
✔ stabilise the shoulder girdle
✔ control movement through the forehand
✔ allow the forelimbs to move freely

So what are we actually looking for?

When I assess a horse from underneath, I’m not looking for the “biggest muscles.”

Instead I’m asking questions such as:

• Is one side noticeably fuller than the other?
• Does one side appear flatter or underdeveloped?
• Is the thoracic sling broad and well-supported or does it appear narrow?
• Does the body appear evenly suspended between both forelimbs?
• Is there evidence that one side is consistently carrying more load?

These observations don’t tell me what is wrong.

They simply help build a picture of how this horse may be using its body.

Why does it matter?

A weak or overloaded thoracic sling can influence far more than just the shoulders.

It can contribute to:

➡ shortened stride length
➡ difficulty lifting through the withers
➡ reduced shoulder freedom
➡ altered loading through the forelimbs
➡ compensatory neck tension
➡ changes throughout the rest of the body

Remember…

The horse works as one interconnected system.

If the suspension system isn’t functioning efficiently, the body will often find another way to cope.

One photograph is never enough.

This is where social media can become misleading.

A single still image can be affected by:
• camera angle
• lighting
• stance
• where the horse is looking
• whether weight is shifted onto one limb
• even the exact moment the photo was taken.

That’s why these posts are about training your eye, not making diagnoses.

They’re designed to help you become better at recognising patterns, asking better questions and appreciating how interconnected the equine body really is.

The real assessment always happens when static posture, movement, palpation, history and clinical findings are all considered together.

Observe first. Diagnose never.

Next in the series: Part 3 – The Axillary Space

07/04/2026

The Emerging Science of Fascia and Expanding Our Understanding

Modern research has shown that fascia is far more than connective tissue. It forms a continuous body-wide network that senses mechanical forces, communicates with the nervous system, distributes load, stores and returns elastic energy, and adapts to training, injury, and rehabilitation.

Some researchers have even proposed that the fascial network—and perhaps its water-rich extracellular matrix—functions as a highly responsive biological communication system, or even an “antenna” for mechanical information. While this hypothesis remains under active investigation, it reflects just how rapidly our understanding of fascia is evolving.

As scientists continue to study this remarkable tissue, fascia is emerging as one of the most important integrative systems in the horse’s body, influencing movement, coordination, performance, and recovery in ways that were unimaginable only a few decades ago.

Fascia is a Sensory Hub

Many fascial tissues contain substantially more sensory nerve endings than adjacent muscle, including mechanoreceptors that detect tension, pressure, stretch, vibration, and movement. These receptors continuously send information to the nervous system about body position, loading, and movement, contributing to proprioception and motor control.

Rather than acting as an inert wrapping around muscles, fascia functions as an active sensory interface between the body and the nervous system.

Movement begins before muscles contract.

Emerging research suggests that the fascial network is continually maintained under a degree of resting tension, sometimes referred to as pre-stress. This tension may help pre-position and pre-load the body, allowing movement to begin more efficiently.

Instead of movement being initiated solely by muscle contraction, fascia participates in preparing the body for movement while simultaneously providing continuous sensory feedback to the nervous system.

Fascia, it seems, contributes to movement in ways that extend beyond far beyond simply connecting muscles together.

Fascia Transfers Force Throughout the Body

Fascia forms a continuous three-dimensional connective tissue network that links muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and organs.

Through this network, fascial pathways distribute force is across multiple regions of the body.

A well-conditioned fascial network improves the efficiency of force transmission, coordination, and movement while also contributing to elastic energy storage and return during locomotion.

Fascia is Dynamic and Adaptable

Fascial tissues constantly respond to movement and loading.

Their mechanical properties change with exercise, training, injury, hydration, age, and recovery stage. Fascia continually remodels in response to the demands placed upon it.

This adaptability helps explain why movement quality, conditioning, recovery, and bodywork can all influence how the body functions.

Fascia Also Has Unique Electrical Properties

Collagen-rich fascial tissues exhibit piezoelectric properties, meaning that mechanical loading can generate tiny electrical potentials within the tissue.

These signals are thought to contribute to cellular communication, tissue adaptation, and remodeling. The water-rich extracellular matrix surrounding fascial tissues also plays an important role in their mechanical and electrical behavior, making this an active area of research in mechanobiology.

An Expanding Understanding

Modern fascia research increasingly recognizes fascia as one of the body’s primary integrative tissues, linking sensation, movement, force transmission, adaptation, and communication. As our understanding continues to expand, fascia is reshaping how we think about equine movement, performance, rehabilitation, and bodywork.

https://koperequine.com/fascial-integration-in-the-equine-forelimb-a-dynamic-shock-absorption-system/