Equuheart Integrated Bodywork & Saddle Fitting

04/24/2026

Broken hair, burn marks, rubs of any kind cannot be ignored.

It's a crystal clear sign there is a problem with how the saddle fits.

The horse's continued compliance and performance is not a free pass to ignore these injuries.

Yes, they are injuries. Nip them in the bud while they're a small issue.

04/22/2026

I am so thrilled to announce my new partnership with Lovas Equestrian saddles!

I've been on the hunt for another brand that ticks all of my boxes:
- Multiple tree shapes
- Adjustable tree
- Flocked panels
- Long tree points
-Wide gullet channel
- Full grain and calfskin options
- Unlimited glamour upgrades for NO CHARGE (arguably the best part?)

PLUS I have known the founder, Katrina Chapman for more than ten years. She was my very first saddle fitter on Vancouver Island!

We see eye to eye on all things saddle fit related. This company was born out of her passion for equine welfare and a desire to to better for our horses. That is something I can get behind!

I have a few jump and dressage demo saddles to start and will be distributing these saddles in the Okanagan/ Interior region.

Please check out the Lovas website as I work on getting mine updated with inventory.

If you have questions or would like to try a saddle, reach out! equuheart@gmail.com

https://lovasequestrian.com/collections/saddles

04/12/2026

Some deep sling work.

Opening pathways for the brachial plexus always elicits a dramatic response.

04/08/2026

What's better than hanging out with a group of baby horses sleepy and yawning in the morning sun?
Nothing. Nothing, is the answer 😁

I have some availability in Kamloops between April 13-18 for bodywork before I head down to Oregon.

04/06/2026

Save the date for May 12 at 5:30pm at Meadow Lane Equine Clinic in Surrey, BC.

I am delighted to join the veterinary team for an engaging presentation exploring the systemic impact of saddle fit on horses.

The discussion will delve into the physiological effects of saddles on horses' bodies, encompassing both superficial and musculoskeletal aspects.

RSVP to meadowlaneequineclinic@gmail.com to reserve your spot. Spaces are limited.

03/20/2026

This mare really tugged at my heart strings 🖤

Big thanks to Sasha at Equuheart Integrated Bodywork for treating a few horses here yesterday. I always love watching her work her magic! Extra big thanks for showing me new ways to interact with our newest mare Lady Riju. This mare is so sensitive and has such a mistrust for people, along with being an introvert who freezes and tries to hold all her emotions inside, making the small changes towards accepting things so easy to miss - and easy to push her too far if you miss them 🤦‍♀️. Sasha helped me recognize the tightness in her jaw, the long slow blinks vs. hard fast blinks, the way her muzzle twitches when she’s even thinking about releasing, letting down her guard and truly relaxing. She’s come a long ways from when I first met her in December. When I approached her, still 20 feet away and reached out my hand, her shoulder just started trembling as she was so afraid. Every horse has something new to teach us. I love learning new things to help our horses thrive ❤️

03/11/2026

🧘🏼Hind leg yoga

One of my favourite "diagnostic" poses for any horse.

It tells me a great deal about their proprioception, coordination and balance.

Here's some ways a restricted horse will respond:

-Inability to pick up the opposite hind leg when I ask
-Snatching up the leg/ kicking out/ over reactivity
-Inability to release the leg across midline
-Touching down the toe and falling out of it immediately
- Bracing the back and ventral neck to balance.

Here's what we work towards:

-Picking up the opposite hind with ease and lightness when I ask
- Slowly releasing the leg and opening the fetlock as it glides across midline.
- Ability to relax the head and neck down
-Holding the pose when I step away and breathing into it for at least 30 seconds.

I cannot stress the benefits of this pose enough. Not only is it wonderful for lengthening hind end abductor muscles, it creates a spiral through the trunk, opening the opposite rib cage and lengthening the opposite longissimus.

Major bonus points if the horse can relax and recruit the diaphragm while holding the pose, massaging the visceral system with every breath 🫁

03/05/2026

Tuesday May 12- Mark your calendars!

I am so excited to announce the first saddle fitting and anatomy lecture hosted by Meadow Lane Equine Veterinary Clinic in Surrey, BC.

I will be joined by Dr. Robyn Kopala and Dr. Grace Bailey to have an in depth, interactive and educational conversation about saddle fit.

We will go deep into the anatomical structures of the horse as they relate to the saddle.

We will talk about common saddle fit problems and how to identify them.

We're going to hack into some saddles to discover just what's inside.

Dr. Kopola is going to take live back X-rays of a few demo horses on site so we all have a clear understanding of what a healthy back looks like, and what it doesn't look like. (How freaking cool is that).

There will be lots of time built in for questions as well.

This is going to be such a fun afternoon of learning. Please stay tuned for registration, I will be sharing it here in the coming weeks!

03/01/2026

I can maintain a performance horse every 2-3 months.

I can improve a performance horse once a month.

March availability: 3-15th

02/27/2026

Compression...

Nearly every single interaction we have with our horses involves pressing into their bodies.

Halters hang over their polls, pressing the backs of their ears.
Curry combs and brushes and hoof picks are pushed, rubbed and scraped into their skin and feet.
Girths are tightened around rib cages.
Nosebands buckled around noses
Bits press into tongues.
Legs squeeze into ribs.
Rider weight bears down on backs.

Dont get me wrong, physical pressure isn't inherently bad.

But if it's the only thing they ever experience from us, the result is a shut down body packed with tension.

This is why horses can appear "re-inflated" after a bodywork session.

Consider the time you spend with your horse, does any of it encourage expansion or is it 100% compression?

Don't know how to incorporate expansion into your daily routine? Reach out for an equine bodywork session🤓

12/18/2025

12/15/2025

Weaving Masterson Method ideology - staying below survival brace to find range of motion...

With

Academic/ classical principals- teaching the horse how to speak our language (aids) in a low stress environment.

My first time doing anything other than bodywork with this horse, possibly his first time wearing a cavesson.

I am introducing the direct rein aid which looks for lateral poll flexion.

"First you teach them the individual letters, then words, then they can communicate in sentences"

Because once you work with a horse in lightness, there's really no going back.