Cristina’s Equine Bodywork

01/08/2026

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

📔PALPATION: “an examination of something, usually an organ or part of the body, by touching it with the fingers or hands” Cambridge Dictionary

🤩 Week 1 done 🙌🏻 Congratulations to everyone who is participating- absolutely loving all these amazing posts 💞

I have a MINI CHALLENGE for you … make one of your next posts one where you are palpating your horse. Take a moment to go over them from head to tail. How do they feel?? You’ve probably noticed some things when doing the homework techniques, do you notice something DIFFERENT when you palpate?

Palpation 👐🏻 is not a comprehensive picture but one piece of the puzzle 🧩 to understanding how our horses are feeling. Sometimes, it gives us more information than we had before. All very useful in helping our horses feel their best ♥️

NOTE: Be gentle. We are asking a question when we palpate. We do not need to apply harsh pressure (NO hoof picks required) when palpating.

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01/07/2026

🥹 is Levelling UP!! The Lateral Cervical Flexion technique is NOT easy! She says in her post that Maggie fought this at first … as many do. Bracing against the tension in their necks. But Liseanne did an amazing job 🤩🙌🏻

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01/06/2026

"But Why?”

From a young age, I’ve always been someone who asks why. That curiosity is a big part of what has shaped my work today.

In practice, particularly when working with horses, the question of why comes up frequently, especially when I see joint, tendon, and ligament degeneration in horses under the age of 10.

Was the horse born with a predisposition?
Was there a specific traumatic event?
Or is the issue developing over time due to posture, training methods, and biomechanics?

In many cases, poor posture and movement patterns play a significant role. When that is the underlying cause, treating joints in isolation, without addressing how the horse is moving and loading its body, often provides only temporary relief.

The equine body is inherently strong, but that strength is optimized when the horse is working in correct posture and balance. Deviations from this place uneven stress on joints and soft tissues, which can accelerate breakdown.

Joint injections certainly have their place, and when used thoughtfully, they can help break a pain cycle and allow a horse to move more comfortably. However, without meaningful changes to posture, training, and overall biomechanics, the same issues are likely to return once the effects wear off.

Lasting change requires stepping back and asking what we may be doing, often unintentionally, that contributes to physical strain. By taking the time to reassess and adjust how we support our horses, we can play an active role in promoting long-term soundness and resilience.

Because to truly change outcomes, something has to change.

01/06/2026

Excellent points to follow!! And great visual 😍

Backing up is a low-impact exercise with no moment of suspension. It can be performed in-hand or under saddle, and when done correctly, the horse should move the limbs in diagonal pairs.

When executed with relaxation, impulsion, and a lowered head and neck, backing up:
• Increases thoracic vertebral rotation
• Encourages core engagement, including the abdominals, thoracic sling, and hip flexors
• Improves back mobility, posture, and the horse’s ability to collect

This exercise asks the horse to shift more weight onto the hindquarters, maintaining increased hindlimb, lumbosacral, and spinal joint flexion throughout the entire stride cycle.

👉 For maximum benefit, practice backing up in-hand daily.
Start with 1–2 quality steps and gradually build up to 20 steps.
The goal is slow, controlled, long, marching steps—not speed.

Quality always comes before quantity. 🤍

01/06/2026

📆 Some clients I see every 2 weeks.

📆 Some clients I see monthly.

📆 Some clients I see at intervals.

Those of you I see more often, will have more choices to choose from when selecting follow up care recommendations for the

❓❓What can you do if you don’t have as many choices but want to be competitive in the challenge❓❓…

✨Ask me for suggestions

✨Use what you have - repetition is your friend with this work

✨Try techniques you see other contestants posting

✨Try techniques that you’ve seen online that you’re interested in

✨Look up Masterson Method®️ techniques on YouTube

✨Look up Myofascial release techniques

✨Look up massage techniques … online or in books

✨Use the tools you have

Add 3 minutes (90 seconds per side) per day to your routine and post it!! Contest entered 🙌🏻

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01/06/2026