Two Hands Equine Massage

05/10/2026

05/09/2026

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Need more explanation than a vague statement? I'm glad you asked "why" because that's being a responsible horse owner. Allow me to give you some more explanation on why it's not a good idea to use PEMF on dehydrated horses (or people).

I could attempt to impress you by talking about cellular metabolism, increased metabolic load, and tissue tolerance... Or I could just keep it simple like this:

✔️ Since PEMF is a stimulation type of therapy, when we "wake up" the body and "get cells excited" the cells start to work harder so they require more hydration and minerals to recover.

▪️If the body isn't well hydrated, the tissues are more restricted and you may not get the true benefits of the session.
Dehydration = less circulation = a body that blocks stimulation vs using it

👉 "PEMF makes my horse drink." This statement is a misconception. I understand owners might think this, but a manufacturer, sales person or practitioner making this statement is a red flag to me on their education level.
▪️ When this happens it's most likely helping to relax a horse that is overstimulated and allowing them to return to a parasympathetic state. When the body is out of flight, the appetite returns to normal.
▪️ No healing equipment can "make" the body to anything. You can't force balance but you can support it.

👉 Can PEMF help improve circulation? Absolutely, but hydration is key to achieving these benefits.

▪️ Pulsing over dehydrated muscles and fascia can cause muscle tension and soreness. In severe cases, it can cause tying up and colic episodes. If the horse is overstimulated, hot, or exhausted... This isn't the time for a session.

👉 I get called in to correct these types of cases all the time. Mares with o***y pain that are pulsed at too high of intensity and they tie up shortly after. I also always suspect dehydration with o***y pain, because I see it about 90% of the time in women with the same symptoms.
Horses at shows that are fatigued and muscle sore and dehydrated that tie up or act colicky after being pulsed at too high of intensity.

👉 If you are consistently working the show scene and say you haven't encountered a dehydrated horse, I suggest that you start looking a bit closer. So many horses (and humans) show signs of dehydration at a week-long show due to performance fatigue and environment.

▪️ You also need to have an awareness of what medications dehydrate the body and fascia. This makes a difference on when and how PEMF should be used.

👉 Lasix, stimulants, some herbal supplements, and sedatives can alter your time window of when you should do PEMF sessions. It's important to know the effects of those things in the body and how to use equipment around them.

✔️ So is PEMF bad?

▪️ Absolutely not. If you know me, you know it's one of my favorite therapies.

▪️ Type of equipment, intensity and coil coverage makes a big difference on how it should be used.

💁‍♀️ My hot take is.... Does matter how many people say... "Well I NEVER have ANY trouble with my XYZ brand and I do stuff alllllll the time."

A true therapist will:
- Acknowledge the effect the equipment has on the body
- Be able to explain contraindications (because every type of equipment has them)
- Make the best decisions for your horse as an individual, not just do the same routine on everything they encounter.
- Will have education to back up their skills and know the recommendations from their equipment manufacturer

Ask questions... Ask why... Choose qualified people to work with your horse.

04/13/2026

Groom with intention.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C8A15zcpA/

Most riders groom to remove mud. I groom to find the ‘drop’.

The first minutes on the yard are often rushed, yet they are the most critical window for your horse’s performance. If your horse is tight or distracted before you tack up, that tension follows you into the arena.

The shoulder and neck contain high concentrations of tactile receptors linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. Proven research shows that slow, rhythmic pressure in this zone triggers a physiological shift. When your horse lowers their head, licks, or chews, they aren't just being ‘good’: they are physically shifting from a sympathetic (alert) state to a parasympathetic (relaxed) state.

I call this ‘The Shoulder Minute’. Dedicating the first 60 seconds of your session to deliberate, calming strokes in this area signals safety to the brain. You aren’t just cleaning a coat; you are regulating a nervous system.

Save this for your next ride and observe the change in focus. To master the science of equine regulation, my ebook ‘The Regulated Horse’ details these protocols. Message me ‘RELAX’ for the link.

04/12/2026

Im sure everyone is desperate to find a solution to decrease ticks on their farms/property. Seems this might be effective! https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1KC6hHmFD5/

04/12/2026

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Why Some Horses Feel “Different” or Slightly Uncoordinated the Day After a Massage

It is common for a horse to feel a little loose, wiggly, or not quite put together the day after a massage. This is not a setback. It is a normal phase in which the body and nervous system are integrating new freedom and reorganizing movement patterns.

Riders may describe this as mild uncoordination, extra bendiness, or a horse that feels freer but temporarily less organized. These sensations are typically short-lived—and they are often signs that meaningful change has occurred.
Why This Happens

The Brain–Body Map Has Just Changed
Massage and myofascial work alter the sensory information sent to the brain. When restrictions release, the body suddenly moves differently, and the nervous system must update its internal map of posture, balance, and coordination.
This may show up as:

A different sense of balance
A new shape under saddle
More movement than the horse can immediately organize

This integration process typically settles within 24–48 hours.

Fascia Is Hydrating and Reorganizing

Following myofascial release, fascial layers often regain elasticity and glide. Fascia continues adapting over the next day or so, which can temporarily create a feeling of looseness or instability as tension patterns reorganize across the body.

The horse is adjusting to a body that moves differently.

Muscle Tone Drops Before It Rebalances

Massage temporarily lowers resting muscle tone as protective tension releases. Before postural and stabilizing muscles - https://koperequine.com/some-horses-feel-different-or-slightly-uncoordinated-the-day-after-a-massage/

03/10/2026

Most horse owners think about minerals in terms of individual levels. "My horse needs more zinc." "The hay is low in selenium." "I should add magnesium."

But minerals don't work that way.

Minerals operate in relationships. They compete for absorption, affect each other's utilization, and function in ratios rather than absolute amounts. Adding one mineral without understanding its relationships with others doesn't just fail to help. It can create entirely new imbalances.

Here's an example most people have never considered.

Excess zinc impairs copper absorption. Copper is essential for connective tissue integrity, coat pigmentation, immune function, and iron metabolism. So the zinc supplement you added to address a deficiency may be quietly tanking your horse's copper status.

Iron overload, one of the most common mineral imbalances in horses, interferes with copper, zinc, and manganese utilization simultaneously. And here's the part that surprises most people. Not all horses eliminate excess iron efficiently. That capacity depends on whether detoxification pathways are unburdened and functional.

Calcium and phosphorus must be balanced. Calcium and magnesium ratios affect neuromuscular function. Sodium and potassium ratios reflect adrenal health.

This is why a mineral block in the pasture and a scoop of the same supplement for every horse in the barn doesn't work. You're treating minerals like they're independent actors when they're actually a web of interconnected relationships.

Tag someone who's adding supplements without testing first.

03/08/2026

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03/08/2026

Every veterinarian has them. The cases that don't respond to standard protocols. The horse where bloodwork is normal, imaging is clean, and the owner is sitting across from you saying, "But something is still wrong."

Functional nutrition provides a framework for approaching these cases. It evaluates six foundational systems, each of which must function properly before downstream health can stabilize.

Digestion. Is the horse actually absorbing the nutrients it's consuming? Compromised stomach acid production, inadequate enzyme secretion, and disrupted microbiome communities can render even perfectly formulated diets ineffective.

Blood sugar regulation. Chronic insulin cycling depletes B vitamins, elevates cortisol, promotes systemic inflammation, and shifts the body into a catabolic state. This affects every horse consuming significant starch loads, not only those presenting with metabolic syndrome.

Hydration. Mild chronic dehydration impairs gut motility, reduces blood volume, concentrates waste products, and diminishes nutrient transport. Access to water and adequate intake are not equivalent measures.

Mineral balance. Minerals function in ratios and competitive relationships. Correcting one deficiency without attending to these relationships creates new imbalances. Iron overload, for example, simultaneously interferes with copper, zinc, and manganese utilization.

Fatty acid balance. The shift from omega-3 dominant ancestral forages to omega-6 dominant commercial feeds fundamentally alters inflammatory tone at the cellular level.

Nutrient density. Guaranteed analysis values do not distinguish between nutrient sources. Bioavailability, form, and the presence of anti-nutritive factors determine actual nutritional value.

If you're encountering cases that don't fit the textbook, I'd welcome the conversation.

stephaniecarterntp.com

03/08/2026

Read that again. Then read your horse's environment before you read another supplement label.