Reille McLaren Equine Sports Therapist

08/08/2025

" Reille has been working on my horse for years, and I couldn’t be happier with the care and results she provides. Her bodywork has made a noticeable difference in my horses comfort, movement, and overall well-being. She’s skilled, intuitive, and truly has a gift for knowing what each horse needs. I can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking to keep their horse feeling and performing their best. "
~Megan Buksa

08/08/2025

Brandon – I’m here and ready for an amazing week! 🌧️ The rain won’t stop us – it’s all part of the show week adventure. I’m here to keep your beautiful horses feeling their best so they can give their best in the ring. Let’s make it a great one! 🐴✨

Text me to get on the list !
7806607345

08/06/2025

Good luck to everyone heading to Nationals ❤️ see you soon !

Showing horses is SO fun! Here are just a few of the glamorous, totally enjoyable things you get to do:

💄 Sweat through your shapewear while pretending you’re not about to black out in the lineup — but smile, obviously, because the judge is watching.

💎 Lose a $300 earring in the arena footing and seriously consider calling a time out to retrieve it.

📸 Get tagged in a show photo where your horse looks like a Breyer model… and you look like you just sneezed mid-panic attack.

🫣 Spend thousands on a custom show suit and boots… then tromp through mud, manure, and mystery liquids like you picked the whole look up at Goodwill.

🧼 Realize 30 seconds before your class that your horse’s tail hasn’t been brushed and start aggressively whispering at your team like it’s a hostage negotiation.

And somehow, this is our idea of fun.

🚨 How to NOT Annoy the Judge 🚨
Because if you’re going to suffer publicly in couture and compression garments…
You might as well win while you’re at it.

08/02/2025

This past week reminded me just how much I love what I do.

I’ve been doing equine therapy full-time on and off since COVID, and somewhere along the way, I also started my embroidery business. Wearing both hats is something I’m incredibly proud of—but I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s a lot for my soul, even if I love every minute of it.

In preparation for leaving in August, I had to shift a few things around. This week, I got the rare chance to wear just one hat—my bodywork hat. And wow… I didn’t realize how much I missed it. From Friday to Friday, I worked on 40 horses. I wasn’t sure how my body or brain would handle it, but I’m happy to report: really freaking great 😂

It felt like the good old days—sunrise to sunset, sandwich breaks on the side of the road, taking a minute to breathe and appreciate the view.

After over 10 years in this career, I’ve made so many incredible connections. I get to work on some of the best horses and with clients I now call friends. This week was filled with familiar faces and even a few new ones, and it filled my cup in a way I didn’t know I needed.

Going forward, I want to create more space for weeks like this. I love this work. I love seeing the changes in the horses. I love being part of their health care team. Thank you for having me. ❤️

07/29/2025

🌟 Show Season Stress is Real — Even for Your Horse 🐴

Long hauls, strange stalls, early mornings, and high expectations — your horse may be keeping it together in the ring, but that doesn’t mean their body isn’t feeling the strain.

Even the fittest athletes need recovery time.

💆‍♀️ Equine bodywork helps: ✅ Ease post-class muscle tension
✅ Improve circulation for faster recovery
✅ Settle the nervous system (yep, they get show jitters too)
✅ Keep them soft, balanced, and focused between classes

Think of it as active recovery — not just pampering, but performance support.

💬 “He was just a little off yesterday, but then he loosened up after his session and nailed it today.” — Actual client feedback.

📍Available throughout Nationals for pre-class tune-ups and post-class resets.

Let’s keep your show partner feeling like the champion they are — in and out of the ring. 🥇

07/27/2025

🇨🇦✨ Heading to the Canadian Arabian Nationals! ✨🇨🇦

I’ll be in Brandon, Manitoba from August 8–16 offering equine sports massage therapy throughout the show! 🐴💆‍♀️

Whether your horse needs help recovering from a big class, staying limber through a busy show week, or just a moment to reset, I’ve got you covered with targeted bodywork for performance and recovery.

🔹 Certified in Equine Sports Therapy
🔹 Over 10 years of hands-on experience
🔹 Sessions are $120 CAD
🔹 Limited daily spots available – book early!

📩 Message me to reserve your horse’s session and give them the care they deserve during one of the biggest weeks of the season!

See you at Nationals! 🇨🇦🐎

07/27/2025

Describe your job poorly:

I'll go first!

Strangers pay me to pet their ponies and make them yawn and chew so they can run really fast, dance in the sand, and jump sticks like pros.

When I’m not doing that, I play with robots that stab thread into fabric 1,000 times a minute to make pretty pictures. 🐴🧵

Your turn ! Comment down below and let's see if we can guess 😉

07/24/2025

🚨 Last Chance to Book! 🚨
I'm heading to the Canadian Arabian Nationals in August, so this is your final chance to book a session before I go!

📅 I still have limited openings available on:
July 30th, 31st & August 1st
📍 Strathcona County area

If your horse could use some bodywork mid show season or just needs a tune-up—now’s the time to lock it in.

📩 Message me to grab a spot!

07/17/2025

🐴 What Happens During an Equine Therapy Session?

Every session is a little different—because every horse is different.

For first-time visits, I start by chatting with you the owner about your horse’s history, age, discipline, and workload. This gives me a solid starting point to tailor the session to your horse’s specific needs.

Next, I’ll ask you to walk your horse in a straight line, both away from me and toward me. This helps me observe movement patterns, compensation lines, and asymmetries so I can start building a mental map of how your horse moves—and where we might need to help them feel better.

My sessions combine a variety of bodywork techniques, but I primarily use massage and acupressure release. I often begin with the topline and front end, usually on the side that looks most functional. This gives me a sense of what healthy, relaxed tissue feels like in your horse—and it lets them get used to my touch.

I call this part “dinner and a movie”—some easygoing, feel-good work to help us both get acquainted before diving into the more therapeutic, and sometimes uncomfortable, “meat and potatoes” of the session.

From there, we work slowly. I follow your horse’s feedback, moving back and forth between different areas—front to hind, side to side—based on how they respond. Horses don’t know it’ll feel better tomorrow like we do, so I always approach each session with patience, kindness, and a willingness to listen.

Sometimes we only peel back one or two layers in a session—and that’s okay. That trust and communication are what allow us to do deeper work together over time.

💬 Questions about booking or whether your horse would benefit from a session? I’m always happy to chat!

07/15/2025

Home vs. Horse Show Massage – What’s the Difference?

Not all therapy sessions are created equal — and that’s by design!

🏡 At Home:
This is where we can really get into the deeper layers of the body. With time to rest and recover, we’re able to address longstanding tension, restrictions, and compensation patterns. Just like people, horses may feel a little sore or wobbly (what I call the “drunk sailor” effect) after deeper work — and that’s totally normal! The body continues to process and release for up to 4 days after a big session.

🏇 At Shows:
During competition, the focus shifts. Show massages are more about gentle, superficial releases to help the body feel open, balanced, and ready to perform. These sessions aren’t about deep work — they’re about supporting the horse’s immediate comfort and movement without overloading their system when recovery time is limited.

Both styles have their place in a well-rounded wellness plan.
💆‍♀️🦄

07/09/2025

Another beautiful summer day 🌞❤️ I really do have the best job in the world. July is filling up and I'm gone for 11 days in August to the Canadian Arabian National Show. So it if you haven't yet book your spot before they are all gone !

02/28/2025

Who's feeling the show season itch ? I know afew people are because March is starting to fill up 😉