Prepare For Your Session

 

• Allow time for feeding and settling into the session area, before the start of the appointment

• Brush before the session - the horse should be relatively mud free and dry.

  • Use a cooler in winter to dry off and warm up the horse. Apply fly spray before session, or set up a fan, in summer.​

  • Please do not use any show sheen or hoof oils. These aren't necessary for a bodywork session, and can actually inhibit my ability to work on your horse

• The session should take place in a quiet, low-traffic area. Avoid being next to the feed room!

• If no barn is available, a shelter will work, depending on the weather (summer only), and the horse’s paddock mates.

• Avoid scheduling bodywork on the same day as the vet, farrier, or other bodyworkers. The horse’s nervous system will experience too much input, and the sessions won’t be effective!​

  • Bodywork can be done 2-3 days before the farrier, but you may adjust for each individual ​

  • Plan for a minimum of 7 days between full bodywork sessions.

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What To Expect In The First Session

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• We’ll discuss:

  • Your horse’s history, incl. any past injuries or health issues​

  • Your concerns regarding your horse’s wellbeing

  • Behaviour and training routine

  • Living arrangements, diet, hoof and dental health, and tack and equipment

  • Your goals regarding your horse's wellbeing, and regarding his/her intended use

• I will assess your horse’s posture, watch your horse move, and perform a hands-on assessment of their muscle tone.

• If there are concerns about your horse’s behaviour under certain situations (such as during jumping), a video of the issue may be helpful. Please send this before the session.

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What To Expect During & After A Session

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• As I work on your horse, s/he may feel the need to move around or paw - these behaviours are allowed during a session, as they can tell me if the horse is uncomfortable or worried. If these behaviours become excessive, if may be a sign that I need to adjust the work, or even end the session

• Kicking and Biting: Please inform me – before I start! – of any sensitive areas that will cause your horse to bite or kick out. Sometimes bodywork can cause an otherwise calm horse to bite or kick, if we find a spot of tension or soreness. Please do your best to direct the horse’s teeth/feet away from me, but
  do not punish the horse during the session!

• Some signs of processing bodywork include:

  • yawning, licking & chewing​

  • becoming very still, quiet, with closed eyes

  • Deep breaths and digestive sounds

  • Pawing, stretching, etc.

• After the session, the horse should be taken for a 10-15 minute walk, but should also be offered water, and may need to urinate.