R.G Equine Body works

11/15/2025

SAME for horses.
What a great talk that explains why walking is essential to health and how to do it so the body gets out of it its benefits.

11/14/2025

More and more research is done on fascia these days which changes how we define it.
The latest is that fascia is a system. Yes! We have muscle system, lymph system, nervous system, blood system AND fascia system.
That system is work as a whole unit.
So when we work with the fascia on one area of the body, it’ll reflect in the whole body.

💫

Fascia, Fascia, Fascia: The Updated Map of the Body’s Connective Network

There is a newer, more formal classification of the fascial system that is becoming increasingly recognized in equine anatomy.

Here’s the clear summary of the most current view:

The New Classification of the Fascial System

The Fascia Research Society (FRS) and the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT) have outlined a modern, unified classification that moves far beyond the older “superficial vs. deep fascia” model.

The contemporary definition sees fascia as a body-wide, three-dimensional, continuous connective-tissue network, and the system is divided into four major categories:

1. Superficial Fascia
• Located just under the skin
• Highly hydrated, rich in nerves
• Houses adipose tissue
• Major role in sensory input, thermoregulation, glide, and fluid dynamics

2. Deep/Muscular Fascia
• Dense connective tissue around muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments
• Includes epimysium, perimysium, endomysium
• Responsible for force transmission (including epimuscular force transmission)
• Major role in proprioception and muscle coordination

3. Visceral Fascia (Splanchnic Fascia)
• Connective tissue surrounding and suspending organs
• Includes mesentery, pleura, pericardium, mediastinum
• Involved in visceral mobility, stability, motility, and visceral–somatic pain patterns

4. Neural Fascia (Meningeal Fascia)
• Envelops and supports the nervous system
• Includes dura mater, epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium
• Critical for neural glide, tension regulation, and mechanosensory input

The Most Important Shift

The new classification is based on the concept of the “fascial continuum” — meaning:

Fascia is not a collection of separate sheets but a continuous organ system with regional specializations.

This reclassification also aligns with the concept of fascia as an organ of communication, integrating:
• mechanical sensing
• proprioception
• nociception
• autonomic regulation
• fluid dynamics
• force transmission
• inflammatory responses

Relevance to Equine Science, Massage & Bodywork

For horses, this classification is extremely helpful because:
• The visceral fascia explains referred pain patterns (as in ulcer-induced movement changes).
• The deep fascial system explains global force transmission and compensatory patterns.
• The neural fascia helps explain vagal tone, autonomic responses, and tension patterns.
• The superficial fascia relates heavily to sensation, bracing, coat changes, edema, and swelling.

This is why equine movement, posture, and pain can reflect problems far from the apparent site.

https://koperequine.com/there-are-4-categories-of-fascia/

11/13/2025

With the mild fall weather we are having in the Okanagan, I have notice more then a few horses gain weight ( “on what? There is nothing there…”),
Inflamed, tender footed, and other ailments that are getting a highlight due to the fact the grass is still growing.
This is the time to pull them off it, move the horses more, balance their nutrition and do something!

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 has the potential to grow all year, which is different from many other plants. Certain things are necessary for this growth, but if they are not met, the grass will be dormant, waiting for conditions to improve.

This November, we are seeing greener pastures in much of the UK, as we are experiencing conditions that are suitable for growth.

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Grass can grow at temperatures above 6 deg. C. It will grow quicker when it is above 15 deg. C. But temperate grasses, such as we have in the UK, are not keen on it being too hot so will not thrive above 25 deg. C. If it is very hot, above 30 deg. C., seeds will not germinate. In still conditions, cooler temperatures can result in ground frost, where there is frost on the grass, but the air temperature is a few degrees higher. This will inhibit growth, as will higher ground temperatures in summer, especially where there is little grass cover and the soil absorbs heat, taking its temperature well above that of the air above.

𝗠𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Grass of course needs moisture to grow. Generally, this is from rain, but we should not underestimate the effect of heavy dew. This is more likely in still conditions. Snow melt will often result in muddy conditions because it is often still too cold for the grass to grow and take up the moisture. Sun and wind remove moisture, so very overcast, still conditions, such as we may see for instance under high pressure in the autumn, can result in a gradual increase in moisture, supporting plant growth if other factors are favourable. Grass species generally are shallow rooting, so are not able to access water deeper in the soil, unlike deeper rooting forage plants such as sainfoin, lucerne and the vetch family. A few grass types are deeper rooting than the others and so more drought tolerant. These include Cocksfoot and Timothy. Organic matter in the soil helps to retain moisture, so efforts to increase organic matter will be rewarded with improved grass, especially on light, sandy soils.

𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Healthy soil will produce healthy grass, to support our horses’ health. Grazing can result in gradually reduced pH in the soil, making it more acidic. A pH 6 – 6.5 is a good level to aim for. If the pH is below 5.5 then it is worth taking measures to correct it, by applying a liming agent or Simple System's Natural Paddock Recovery. This may also help improve surface drainage, especially on heavy clay soils, by breaking up the solid nature of such soils. Ditches and field drains need to be well maintained to prevent water logging. Healthy microbes will benefit the grass and the horses. They in turn will benefit from organic matter in the soil, so we must return in some way the organic matter removed by grazing. On sufficient acreage, resting and harrowing disperses droppings to return nutrients. On restricted acreage, poo-picking is usual, but will result in a gradual decline in soil quality unless the rotted muck is spread back on the paddock.

𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆. If conditions are not favourable, the grass will become stressed, and this will result in it making sugars. It may also make a seed head to ensure the next generation, rather than making leaf. Seed heads are borne on tough stalks which are high in fibre but low in nutrition. When conditions are not great, grass rarely dies but will wait until conditions improve. For instance, if it is too cold to grow, but it is sunny, the grass will still make sugar but cannot process it into growth. The sugar will build up, which is why in frosty conditions, the risk of laminitis can increase. Conversely, very dull, mild, damp weather is probably safer for those prone to laminitis, provided they don’t become overweight.

11/11/2025

Fantastic article by Jean Luc Cornille.
If the horse world will adapt even a sliver of this, we are heading to a good place.

Quantum Riding.

Quantum mathematics transcends the classical notions of physics. Biotensegrity surpasses the classical notion of riding. Quantum mathematics requires a departure from intuitive logic. Biotensegrity necessitates a departure from traditional notions of riding and training.
Light, for instance, demonstrates both wave-like and particle-like properties. When observed as a wave, it exhibits interference and diffraction patterns. However, when analyzed as particles, photons exhibit quantized behavior and discrete interactions with matter. This duality challenges classical notions of physics, which generally categorize entities distinctly as either waves or particles. Classical notions of riding generally associate performance with obedience. Biotensegrity demonstrates that many elements of a horse's athletic performance, including fascia lines, closed kinematic chains, and muscle synergies, are not controlled by the rider’s aids.
The rider-horse duality, which leads to sound performances, is a partnership that gives more credit to the horse’s mental processing and willingness. A horse can execute the same movement using different muscles. We cannot control which muscles the horse uses, but we can feel which combination produces better movement. We can reward the horse when he executes the best movement, but that is too simplistic. By observing and analyzing the horse's overall body coordination, we can identify and recreate the conditions that lead to optimal performance,
Considering that the horse’s solution might be better than the dogma we have been trained to apply is a departure from the traditional notion of riding and training. We also need to expand beyond the linear theories to which we have been conditioned such as balance being a backward shift of the weight over the haunches or tearing of the lower legs’ long tendons is an elongation beyond the normal compliance of the tendon. Tendons are auxetic, they expand simultaneously in multiple directions. In the study ” Mechanical and possible auxetic properties of human Achilles tendon during in vitro testing to failure on the human Achilles tendon,” Christopher V. Nagelli and all observed a remarkable degree of medio-lateral auxetic behavior. We think longitudinally when, in fact, lateral forces and vibrations are significant causes of failure. The advantage of advanced knowledge is that we can prevent injuries by addressing the real problem instead of submitting the horse to traditional beliefs. We can reduce the intensity of lateral shifts and vibrations, creating authentic balance.

Authentic balance cannot be achieved by shifting the weight backward. Actual knowledge demonstrates that balance is a forward concept where the thoracolumbar spine muscles manage multidirectional forces around the center of mass and above the base of support. The language is foreign to classical thinking, but familiar to the horse. Indeed, it is the horse who processes efficient body coordination, if we create conditions guiding the horse mental processing toward efficient coordination of the horse’s physique.

In regard of the traditional concept of obedience, this is a quantum leap which includes accepting that the horse is willing, capable of feeling touches that we don’t have the sensitivity to feel, and process sophisticated body coordination. Most premier human athletes are talented but dysfunctional. If not corrected, the dysfunction limits the athlete’s potential and leads to injury. The horse is not different. We have knowledge of the performance’s athletic demands, and we need to teach this knowledge to the horse. Teaching first-grade kids is easy as they know nothing. Teaching fifth grade teenagers is difficult as they know all. The horse does not have an ego problem, but protects instinctively morphological flaws, muscle imbalance or other issues such as memories. We can ignore the horse’s protection and resort to obedience. The horse will submit finding a compromise which, over time, develops pathology.

Reducing lateral shifts of the tendons and vibrations, can be theoretically included in the concept of straightness, but in a dimension that is not approached in any school of thoughts. From the simpler understanding of straightness placing the shoulders in front of the haunches, we need to evolve to the concept of channeling the forces moving the horse’s thoracic spine between our upper thighs and the steadiness of our whole physique. This is Biotensegrity, integrity of our whole physique and subtle nuances in muscle tone. It is easier to channel the forces through our whole physique than synchronizing mechanical actions, but we need to evolve from the order of priorities to the understanding, that balance, forwardness, straightness, lightness, all develop simultaneously. It is a gradual orchestration of the horse’s whole physique. All the priorities interact, each adjustment at one end of the horse’s physique triggers adjustment of the whole physique. We are not different. We cannot have soft hands if we are not in neutral balance over our seat bones, with proper tensegrity of our whole physique interacting with the horse forces and energy through subtle nuances of our body tone. If we think which muscles, should I use, we are locked in mechanical thinking; actions-reactions, that are far away from the horse’s comfort zone and can only trigger protective reflex contractions.

We have no physical difficulty riding at such level of subtlety if we dish the aids and communicate with the horse through nuances of our whole-body tone. Quantum mathematics transcends the classical notions of physics. Quantum riding transcends the classical notions of training. If we practice shoulder in and the horse expresses difficulties bending the thoracic spine to the right, we consider the components of lateral bending, latero-flexion, transversal rotation, and longitudinal flexion. If the horse carries the trunk low between the shoulder blades, he will have difficulties bending the thoracic spine laterally. If the low carriage of the trunk is coupled with a preferential rotation shifting the dorsal spines to the left, the horse will have difficulties bending the thoracic spine to the right.

The horse cannot complete this level of analysis, but we do. We might have to lift the trunk between the forelegs before asking for lateral bending of the thoracic spine. This is a very simple example. It could be for instance that the transversal rotation that is part of lateral bending causes the horse difficulty bending the thoracic spine to the right. We can stimulate transversal rotation by asking for adduction of the right hind leg. The horse will react positively if the adjustment that we create eases the ex*****on of the performance. Other adjustments such as balance and slower cadence might be necessary. It is a conversation where we analyze the horse’s reaction as a partial answer to our question.

Resisting a gait or performance is not behavior. Resistances are expressions of pain or discomfort that we must identify and correct. If we believe that repeating a movement educates the horse’s body, we insist on practicing the right shoulder in and the horse intensifies or switch protections. One way or the other, pathology will develop and we inject the joints hoping that the horse will perform better. He will for a short time as hyaluronic acid or corticoids ease the pain, but they also accelerate the development of arthritis. The cure resides in our ability to transcend our classical notions.

Jean Luc Cornille

11/10/2025

💫 Working with fascia

I took the advantage of the mild weather ( 10 degree Celsius ) to work on one of the seniors in the herd.
My agenda was to bring him and Cass to a quiet area where the other horses would not bother us so I can film it for a colleague , but the horses had a different agenda.
They wanted to stay by the fresh hay bale.
I have already done most of my palpation work in a different day, and well aware of the restrictions this horse has.
What you see is an 8 some minute condensed to 2.5 minutes..
To see the immediate priority, I feel the fascia , you can see it in the few first seconds of the video, then I start to work with the fascia system. In this case, there was a restriction in the glide around the thorasic- lumbar junction and last ribs, to begin with.

To my surprise ( and this is how I know this work is real and diving deep , is the Cass came closer the moment I connected deeper ( with my self, the horse in front of me, and its fascia system). Cass was helping to facilitate the session and was literally my right hand in the matter.
A magical moment indeed, as this is not something you see often.
After working with the fascia system ( it is a slow work so the horse can stay in parasympathetic nervous system realm ), I checked again the glide in the area, which was restored, then proceeded to the other side of the horse.
Cass followed me to that side as well.
These are the gifts we get when we truly slow down, listen, and come with an open mind.

11/09/2025

Great words from Philippe Karl

11/08/2025

From today:
Fall season in its glory.
Healthy hooves.
K-tape to bring more flow to the body.

11/07/2025

Excellent article about Fascia.
This tissue is remarkable and that is why I love working with it.
It takes you deep …

Exploring Fascia in Equine Myofascial Pain: An Integrative View of Mechanisms and Healing

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common — yet often misunderstood — sources of chronic musculoskeletal pain in horses. Traditionally, explanations have focused on muscle tension, trigger points, or neurological sensitization. But new research suggests a deeper story: fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds, supports, and integrates every structure in the body, may be a key player in both the cause and persistence of pain.

Recognizing fascia as a living, sensory, and emotionally responsive tissue shifts how we view equine pain. It’s not simply a matter of tight muscles or mechanical imbalance — it’s about communication, perception, and the body’s ongoing relationship with safety and movement.

Fascia as a Sensory and Signaling Tissue
Fascia is far from inert wrapping. It’s a dynamic, contractile, and highly innervated network that helps transmit force, tension, and sensory information throughout the horse’s body.
It houses a vast array of nociceptors (pain receptors) and mechanoreceptors, as well as interoceptors that feed information about internal states back to the nervous system.

When fascia becomes compromised — through injury, repetitive strain, imbalance, saddle pressure, or systemic inflammation — several changes may occur:

Densification: Thickening or dehydration of the ground substance that reduces glide between fascial layers.

Fibrosis: Excess collagen deposition that stiffens tissue and limits elasticity.

Myofibroblast activation: Contractile cells within fascia become overactive, tightening tissue even without muscle contraction.

Inflammatory signaling: Cytokines and neuropeptides released locally can sensitize nerve endings, amplifying pain perception.

In the horse, these changes have wide-reaching consequences. Because fascia connects every region — from hoof to poll — a small restriction in one area can alter movement and tension patterns throughout the entire body. What appears as behavioral resistance or unevenness may actually reflect deep fascial discomfort or altered proprioception.

The Pathophysiological Cascade: From Local to Global

1. Peripheral Mechanisms
Local fascial changes can stimulate nociceptors and chemical mediators, generating a constant stream of pain signals to the spinal cord.
Muscles respond reflexively with increased tone, forming tight bands or “knots.” Circulation and oxygenation decrease, further sensitizing the tissue — a self-perpetuating loop.

2. Central Sensitization
When this nociceptive input continues, the horse’s central nervous system can become hypersensitive.

Normal sensations begin to feel exaggerated or threatening.

This process, known as central sensitization, helps explain why some horses react to light touch or grooming long after the original tissue injury has healed.

3. Whole-Horse Manifestations
• Altered posture and asymmetrical movement.

• Hypervigilance or irritability under saddle.

• Shallow breathing, digestive changes, or reduced engagement.

• “Mystery” lameness or tension patterns that shift from one area to another.

These are not random — they reflect a body whose connective tissue and nervous system are caught in protective overdrive.

Somatic Memory: When Fascia Remembers -

Click here for the rest of the article - https://koperequine.com/exploring-fascia-in-equine-myofascial-pain-an-integrative-view-of-mechanisms-and-healing/

11/06/2025

From today.

11/05/2025

Homeopathy is amazing!!

Antibiotic Resistant Wound Heals with Homeopathy.
A 4-year-old gelding quickly responded to homeopathy for delayed wound healing and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
https://homeopathyplus.com/case-report-implications-for-antibiotic-resistant-infections-infected-horse-wound-successfully-treated-with-homeopathy/
Learn How to Use Homeopathy with our 30 Day Course: https://homeopathyplus.com/homeopathy-in-30-days-course/