Appleyard Equine

21/04/2025

My favorite Easter bunny 🐰
(ok, three-way tie for favorite)

17/04/2025

I bought this from a wonderful stationary store while I was in college. It’s been with me through a lot and still rings true today. ☮️

12/04/2025

I often speak with students about this. Very well written piece. 👏

We often see images of horses receiving therapy while tied or cross-tied. But for me, this is non-negotiable—and here’s why.

My entire therapeutic philosophy is built around horse-centred care. This means taking into account every aspect of a symptom picture—including behavioral feedback. The essence of osteopathic practice is to see, feel, and investigate the whole being—not just isolated parts.

When a horse is tied, I lose access to one of the most valuable assessment and therapeutic tools available: communication. Palpation is only one instrument in the metaphorical toolkit, and it becomes nearly meaningless if it can’t be correlated with the horse’s responses. When we restrict a horse’s ability to communicate, we move far outside the realm of permission-based therapy—something I strongly oppose.

Cross-ties, in particular, compound the issue. Effective assessment and treatment rely on the horse’s ability to drop into a parasympathetic state. But with the typical height of cross-ties, the head, neck, and mid-thoracic spine are held in extension. This elevation prevents the horse from lowering their head into flexion, which sustains spinal compression. The facet joints—the joints along the back that allow for movement—remain positionally closed, creating excessive force through the vertebrae and potentially compromising the nerves that exit there.

It’s no different than how sustained extension affects humans: while extension is a natural movement, holding it statically is never recommended. Yet in the horse world, it’s frequently normalized—even in training—which makes it no less destructive.

Feedback is critical throughout every stage of treatment. I need to know if what I’m doing is causing discomfort, stress, or a nervous system response. In my human practice, I would lose my license if I treated patients without their ability to move or communicate pain. Can you imagine forcing a person to undergo therapy without the ability to speak or shift? So why is it considered acceptable in the equine world? This is not patient-centred care.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗱?

That’s the question that always follows—and it’s an important one. My answer? If your horse is unable to stand calmly without restraint, that signals a more primary, unmet need.

There are many possible reasons: trauma, unresolved physical pain, a lack of trust, or training methods that have prioritized obedience over relationship. These root causes require thoughtful exploration. In some cases, veterinary investigation may be needed. In others, horsemanship practices may need to shift to prioritize connection and regulation.

Of course, working with horses in a free-choice setting requires practiced awareness and clear safety parameters. But experienced therapists are skilled in reading body language and subtle cues—we receive them long before they escalate into more overt or aversive expressions.

10/04/2025

Happy to get back to these faces today. They ground me and help me remember my deeper self. My soul is at ease in their presence.

07/04/2025

Another amazing Beyond Horse Massage weekend course! I am full of gratitude for 🌟our incredible Tobey Cooper who shared her peaceful, beautiful facility LUXE Equestrian
🌟Liz Pechous and Stacey Gensler for their valuableble assistance
🌟the students who showed up and brought their very best selves,
🌟The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork for showing me a way to be with horses that becomes truly a way of life and of course,
🌟the horses, the real teachers, who never cease to amaze me with their ability to show us the way

01/04/2025

Having biked, boated, and hiked through Myanmar in 2019 was the opportunity of a lifetime. 🪷 I will never forget seeing the lotus flowers blossom from the mud. My heart breaks for the devastation from the earthquake there.

27/03/2025

3 full days of The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork advanced 5-Day course so far! 🌻the students are rocking it. So lucky to study and learn with Sandy Vreeburg and the horses who, as always, are the most incredible teachers.

04/03/2025

How lucky are we to have on our team?!? Super lucky! Dr. Natalia follows what my horses are expressing in their bodies seamlessly. 😊 As she would say, “we are dance partners” and only by being aware and competent in her own sense of self does the beautiful dance unfold. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Natalia!! 🦄 Getty’s face says it all! 😊

21/02/2025

I’ve been sick this week and looking at Diego pictures makes me feel better. So now you can look at them too. He’s really cute, right?! Maybe I’m biased.

20/02/2025

The body yearns to be efficient. Offer the option to break out of a pattern and let the genius inside rearrange the pieces to find balance.

11/02/2025

I’ve been following this guy around, learning everything I can, for 7 years now. 😂 I’m so thankful to call him my teacher. I continue to work with Jim and the staff to bring educational opportunities to Northern Illinois. Stay tuned for what is coming in summer of 2025!! 🙌

06/02/2025

17/01/2025

Working on the things no one can give us and no one can take away. 🌱 For the whole of a forest is hidden in an acorn. 🐿️ 🌰

02/01/2025

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
-Benjamin Franklin

18/12/2024

Tiny stature but big presence. 🌟 I loved helping this little lady feel better in her hind end, particularly stifles and glutes.

13/12/2024

“Every time we are drawn to look up into the night sky and reflect on the awesome beauty of the universe, we are actually the universe reflecting on itself. And this changes everything.”
-Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker