Jennifer Daley Equine Sports Massage

12/04/2026

Stretching your horse on a regularly base can significantly prevent injuries by improving flexibility, enhancing joint mobility, and increase blood circulation to muscles. Incorporating stretches into your cool-down routines reduces stiffness and protects against muscle, tendon, and ligament damage. The key benefits include improved performance, reduced pain, and enhanced overall well-being.

09/04/2026

Bendemeer Rodeo I will be there on Saturday, if you would like to book your horse in for a treatment send me through a msg.

01/04/2026

Thanks Bonnie Douglas for these awesome patches she done for my small business 🙌🤩

25/03/2026

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Backing Up has Big Benefits

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know this is one of Gillian’s all-time favourite exercises and for good reason.

Backing up is a simple, low-impact movement with no moment of suspension, making it ideal for horses at all levels. It can be performed both in-hand and under saddle, with the horse stepping in clear diagonal pairs.

When done correctly — with relaxation, impulsion, and a softly lowered head, backing up offers powerful benefits:
✨ Increases thoracic vertebral rotation
✨ Encourages core engagement (abdominals, thoracic sling, and hip flexors)
✨ Improves back mobility and posture
✨ Supports collection and overall way of going

This exercise asks your horse to shift more weight onto the hindquarters, maintaining flexion through the hindlimbs, lumbosacral area, and back throughout each step.

How to get started:
Begin with just 1–2 quality steps, and gradually build up to around 20. Focus on long, marching, correct steps rather than rushing or quantity.

Consistency is key. Try to include backing up as part of your daily in-hand work.

Want to perfect your technique?
Comment 'back' below and we’ll send you Gillian’s top tips video for a better back-up.

17/03/2026

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Did you know canter is a brilliant way to tone your horse’s abdominal muscles?
Think of it as the equine equivalent of doing sit-ups.

But that’s not all… canter also helps to:
✅ Warm up the back
✅ Improve suppleness through the spine
✅ Condition the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems
✅ Strengthen and mobilise the thoracic sling
✅ Support better posture
✅ Build muscular strength and power

Not a bad list for one gait!

So next time you head out for a ride, enjoy that canter – just remember to keep the rhythm, balance, and work evenly on both reins.

12/03/2026

If you look 👀 closely enough you can see Smokey's muscle Fasciculation ( small, involuntary muscle twitches or "pops") the muscle which is twitching is harmless and often indicates that the muscle is working effectively to release tension 😊

09/03/2026

Stretching your horse will help improve flexibility, joint health and muscle comfort, best to perform your stretches after exercise when the muscles are warm.
A few key stretches to remember include carrot stretches (neck bends to girth/fetlock), belly lifts for back strength. Always ensure your horses is warmed up and never force a stretch beyond your horses comfortable range.

09/03/2026

Very Interesting Read :)

The Nuchal Ligament - one of the most important structures in the horse's body

It's a strong, elastic, rope-like ligament that is made from fibrous material with a relatively poor blood supply. It runs from the poll to the top of the spinous processes at the withers.

The nuchal ligament has several major functions, including:
🔹 Helping to support the weight of the head and neck, holding it in position
🔹 Acting as an energy saving device for reducing the amount of muscular effort needed to support the head and neck
🔹 Allowing the head and neck to be raised & lowered
🔹 Restraining and stabilising the movement of the spinous processes at the highest point of the withers
🔹 Maintaining the correct alignment of the cervical vetebrae

The nuchal ligament has 2 parts
1. The funicular part - 2 parallel cords that run along the nuchal crest from the occipital bone to the top of the spinous processes at the withers.
2. The lamellar part - made up of finger-like projections that run from the funicular cord to the tops of the cervical neck vertebrae below it.

The nuchal ligament continues as the supraspinous ligament, linking the tops of each vertebral spinous process from the withers to the end of the sacrum.

✅ Like and follow us for more....

24/02/2026

Last week I had pleasure of Cody Millgate capturing beautiful photos of me and smokey working. Smokey loved the attention 😍

23/02/2026

Looking to organise a run to the Cooranbong Area. Send me a msg if would like to book your horse in for a treatment 🤩

24/11/2025

Have you ever felt your horse stuck! Refusing to move forward, changing leads during your workout sessions.
If you think your horse needs a full body treatment 😊 send me msg and we can arrange a time 🐴