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Chapman Equine Services, Ottawa, ON (2025)

03/13/2024

Balance! Balance! Balance!

Incredibly successful “In The Tack Assessment” done on a dear friend this evening to work on BALANCE and how it transmits into your equine athlete.. Can you spot the difference?! 👀

Stay tuned tomorrow to learn how we got here and what your balance says AND does to your equine partner!🤸🏼‍♀️

_____________________________________________________

02/28/2024

Waking up to the most amazing testimonial from one of my favourite clients certainly brightens my day!☀️🩷

“My horses and I have benefited immensely from being introduced to Chapman Equine Services.
Not only do my horses visually and physically respond to Kayla’s methods, but I feel the difference every time she comes to work with them.
Her professional approach along with her dedication and follow through is a welcome additive to our team at Synergy Farm and Forge.
Her feed back helps me tailor their training and physio programs to keep them in their best possible condition, and most importantly, happy to do the jobs/challenges that we present to them in training and competition.
It takes a village and I am very pleased to have been able to add Kayla’s techniques and insight to ours!” - Lauren Hunkin

02/03/2024

"It's been a journey for my facility to find the right body worker to convince us that what this line of work is, is actually going to work.

Over the years, we have always had a great massage therapist and a great chiropractor, but we still felt like there was something missing.

Very recently we opened our doors to Kayla Chapman.
Immediately upon meeting her we knew we made the right choice, simply by her energy.
The way she spoke, the way she was able to communicate her knowledge, and how she interacted with our equines was at the highest of standards.

Kayla not only has the education to back her work, but has the passion to put that knowledge to work.
I have a wide variety of horses at my barn, from green horses to school masters, hunters to jumpers, and a couple quirky ones conformationally that really tested her expertise.

After riding the horses the week following their treatments, I speak not only for myself but for my clients, that we are forever grateful we opened our doors to Kayla, and we finally found the missing piece.

We can't wait to see our horses transform and are so lucky to add Chapman Equine Services to our team" - Kelsey

🦋🖤

02/03/2024

*** EXCITING NEWS! ***

📚 Continuing education is very important to me and evolving as a professional for not only myself but for my clients is my top priority. As it should be for any profession!

📚 I am BEYOND proud to announce that I am officially enrolled in a fantastic program accredited with the NBCAAM (National Board of Certification through Animal Acupressure and Massage) to be certified with MFM (Movement Feedback Method)!

📚 This approach to Bodywork specializes in trigger points and myo-fascial releases as well as going more in depth with reading pain responses, posture, advanced massage techniques, advanced trigger point techniques, dysfunction and dis-ease throughout the body, treatment plans, and assessing the horse as a whole.

📚 Bodywork goes beyond massaging muscles and I’m so excited to finish the program and add this fabulous certification to my tool box!

The best is yet to come!🩷🫶🏼

02/01/2024

💟 Small check in for us equestrians who are just trying to chase our wild dreams… big or small.💟

It takes no effort at all to be a good human.

In fact it takes more effort to be jealous, hateful, angry, bitter, and miserable, than to smile and be happy towards someone.

In an industry that is incredibly political and prioritizes individuals based on the price of their horse, I find it even more important to focus on lifting others up and providing a safe space to every horse person I meet.

Whether you’re a rider, trainer, veterinarian, farrier, chiropractor, bodyworker, or just someone who likes horses, we all have one thing in common.

The horses.🐴

Our love and passion for these animals outweigh anything else and that is why we choose to be here.

We all do things differently. Climbed our way up differently. Have different opinions. Have different goals. Done things we aren’t proud of. Done things we are proud of.
But at the end of the day, each of us are here for the exact same reason.

Monetary gain is secondary to the health and wellness of these incredible creatures and if you’re threatened by another who offers the same service as you, then I would argue to say you are not in it for the right reasons.

Making these animals feel their best is the smallest thing we can do after everything we ask of them, so in my case if you have a Bodyworker that isn’t me… I am still so damn happy for you AND for the horse!

Who am I to judge whom you resonate with to work on your animals?

Just like who are you to judge or make comments regarding the direction someone takes their life?

So pick your people, stay in your lane, focus on your goals, work hard each day, and give grace. You will always be rewarded.

Life is hard enough as it is, trying to dim someone’s light won’t make you shine brighter. 🤍

Support one another.🫶🏼

01/26/2024

New Case Study!❤️‍🔥

Meet Cali! A 13 year old paint mare who is hot, hot, HOT!

Cali’s owner/rider reached out to me a few weeks ago about booking in a Bodywork and Cold Laser Treatment. She had been having some troubles (for a very, very long time) with getting the mare comfortable and relaxed under saddle. She said she has always carried her head very high, and tracked more up and down as opposed to out in front properly swinging through her shoulder. The mare has had massage, chiro, and all the things one can do to try and make her more comfortable, but nothing seemed to make much of a difference.

Based on my eye ball assessment before I began working on her, I knew I would be dealing with some poll, neck, and shoulder tension, as well as possibly through her back. Solely based on her musculature and her neutral posture position.

Once I got my hands on her I knew she would benefit greatly from Cold Laser Therapy to her neck once I finished the manual therapy.
I asked to give her a day or two off following her appointment to allow her body time the time to process the changes I had began making, then start her back on a light stretching ride.

Well, last night I received the best message one can get along with some before and after videos.
The second video is Cali after ONE treatment and the owner couldn’t believe it.

Cali is now on a consistent maintenance schedule to continue getting her muscles in a more relaxed and healthy condition, and we will keep tracking her progress over the next few months!

How amazing is this difference!?😍

01/17/2024

Introducing our newest sponsor horse, T R U M A N!🫶🏼🩷

Was reunited with an old friend today and I couldn’t be happier.
Looking forward to being part of this beautiful boys career!🥹

12/27/2023

Ending 2023 with a BANG! 💥

I am so excited to OFFICIALLY announce Chapman Equine Services newest sponsored rider, Kelsey Currie of Eastwood LLC and her beautiful mount Diamant 394 J, also known as “Truman”!😍

Kelsey started her riding career in the eventing world, working her way up to the FEI level as a junior, and then bridged over to the hunters and jumpers. She did the hunter/jumpers for cross training for her event horses and instantly fell in love!

“I primarily ride/rode in the states, as I’m from New Brunswick originally. I only moved here to start my business 6 years ago.

My goals are to qualify Diamant 394 J for derby finals, and get back in the Grand Prix ring. I have some great up and coming young horses, and a few we have our eyes on over seas that will be joining us in the new year.

I’d like to continue growing my knowledge base, so I can continue to offer my horses and clients the best version of me that I possibly can.”- Kelsey

I am so excited for this partnership and will be looking forward to spending time with Kelsey and her clients at their home base in Ontario as well as the sunny south!

Welcome to the team, .ca / .llc & Truman!🥳

12/16/2023

Did you know ⁉️

You might notice before I begin any treatment I’ll stare at your horses face… but what exactly am I doing?
I’m noting all of their features, but especially their Temporalis Muscle. Why might you ask?

This muscle tells me a lot about the horse including possible dysfunction with:

• TMJ issues
• Bit issues
• Dental issues
• Poll issues
• and a lot of the time your horses weaker direction

Let’s use this mare for example. First photo appears normal, a classic selfie of a beautiful pony. The second photo is clearly a silly angle. BUT that angle tells me everything I need to know. Third photo points out the difference in the Temporalis muscle, the right side being the smaller and less developed side, the left appearing more developed and noticeably larger.

The last photo goes to show how this right side underdevelopment has actually travelled down the entire right side of the body. How FASCINATING!
To me anyways 😂

Go examine your horses face and let me know what you see!👀

12/14/2023

THEY’RE DONE!🤩

Now offering beautifully engraved dandy & body brushes to make your horses feel extra good all the time!

If you’re interested in your own feel free to send a DM and I can hook you up with Jess from wildappyco ! 🥰

12/12/2023

Mark your calendar’s because it’s “Muscle Up Monday”! 🏋🏼‍♀️

I decided I’d like to start a weekly segment of strengthening exercises that are easy to integrate into your horses lifestyle!
Not complicated, little to no equipment needed, and most importantly muscle strengthening!

Our first easy at home exercise is:
STIFLE CONTRACTION 🪄

1. Have your horse stand in cross ties.
2. Ensure their hind legs are standing as square as possible and no legs are resting.
3. Gather their tail in the hand closest to the back of the horse, then gently and slowly pull the tail inwards/towards you, then release.
4. Complete 3 sets of 8-10 reps to each hind leg.

* if you look at the stifle you should see the muscles contracting and relaxing while the gentle pulls of the tail are in motion.*

This exercises acts as a “sit up” but for stifle muscles! The repetitive contraction of the muscles slowly strengthens this area without needing a high intensity workout.

Let me know how you make out! 💪🏼

12/06/2023

Come along with me to a few appointments at one of my favourite places!🥰

I approach every client with a check list which goes a little something like this:

💎 Observe the way they come out of their stall and walk down the aisle. If something stands out I may suggest watching them on the lunge for a minute so I can get a better idea. I will also make mental notes of how they keep their stall if it has not yet been cleaned. Horses with back and hip pain tend to push their bedding towards the walls and stand with their hind legs on it to relieve discomfort.

💎 Make notes of their weight, musculature, how they’re standing, and what their personality is that day.

💎 I always start at the head, then work my way down the right side of the body, then move to the left side of the body, and finish with stretches.

💎 Make notes of what I’m feeling during palpation and their reaction; are there lumps? Bumps? Heat? Cold? Swelling? Hard muscles? Soft muscles? Do they get upset when I touch certain areas? And so on. Their body is a story.

💎 Work through any problem areas that come up with different massage, cranial sacral, and acupressure techniques. Cold Laser Therapy may also be used in certain situations.

💎 Finish with some stretching that correlates to my findings that day.

💎 Chat to owner/trainer if anything unusual comes up and put together a plan.

💎 Complete notes on that days appointment as well as some exercises that would be beneficial to the client, which is always included in invoicing.

Finish the day with a hike with my favourite boy…
And VOILA! All in a days work.
🙏🏼🩷

12/01/2023

💥 Pain vs. Productivity 💥

Let’s talk about it!👇🏼

During a bodywork/massage treatment, you are manipulating muscles and fascia to release tension. Which means you are moving stagnant Lymphatic fluid and helping relax any contracted muscle fibres we commonly call “knots”.
In turn, finding areas within the horse that are more contracted than others, can cause discomfort when palpating. Much like finding knots in our own backs and shoulders. It can be uncomfortable!

🐴 Signs of equine discomfort:

• Ear pinning
• Nostril snarled
• Throwing their head up and down consistently
• Pawing
• Moving away from you or back dropping down
• Kicking out
• Stomping
• Legs buckling

These 👆🏼 are words to horses. I look for these signs to hear where they’re uncomfortable.
It is common to work on an area and they’ll continue to show a bit of discomfort, but if those signs continue to accelerate then you are either being too aggressive and need to ease up on pressure, or you need to stop the treatment entirely.
You can do significant damage to muscle tissue if you massage an area to vigorously or incorrectly.

🚨 Your horse should NEVER NEED to be restrained during a treatment to achieve a desired outcome!🚨

If the horse is being loud enough that you feel the need to require a handler to hold them “still” and “control them”, put a chain over there nose, or they continue kicking, biting, or dancing around the entire time they’re being worked on, then the treatment should stop immediately. A discussion should be had with the owner/trainer to further investigate what is going on and put together a treatment plan (including the veterinarian) that properly suits the needs and comfort of the horse.

✨ Results are not achieved by force. ✨

🌟 Results are achieved by listening, feeling, and slowly undoing years of compensation.🌟

Horses are not genetically hardwired to know how to “plan” to misbehave. Their brains are wired to live in the moment and respond accordingly to every single good or bad feeling.
👉🏼Fight or flight response👈🏼

Slow and steady will always win the race, especially with those who need you the most. 🫶🏼

11/17/2023

As my clientele continues to grow and I have many new faces on my platforms, I thought I’d reintroduce myself and share some things I’m so passionate about and proud of. 🥰

Hi! 👋
My names Kayla and I’m the owner and operator of Chapman Equine Services.
I’ve had a passion for horses my whole life and I grew up on the Toronto “A” circuit.

Once I graduated highschool I moved to Kingston, Ontario where I attended St. Lawrence College and graduated with honours from the Veterinary Assistance Program.
From there I knew the small animal vet med field wasn’t for me so I packed up my horse, car, and myself and I went south! All the way to the horse capital of the world, Ocala Florida where I would spend the next 5 years of my life attending a new College and riding for some top international professionals.

This year marked the 10 year anniversary of graduating from the College of Central Florida where I dedicated 5 years of my life to the sunny south to learn, grow, and evolve as a rider and horsewoman.

I take pride in my education in that I felt it was important to do more than the occasional weekend course to say I’m certified in a field that is extremely critical (in my opinion) to have hundreds of hours of hands on learning.

Becoming an international student in the horse capital of the world gave me much more than just two honorary degrees. It immersed me in the sport in various disciplines to learn from the inside out of what makes these four-legged athletes operate at optimal performance.

We dissected every style of riding from hunters, jumpers, western reiners/cutters, dressage horses, race horses, and even gaited horses!

We spent countless hours in and out of lab dissecting fresh cadavers of horses who passed from catastrophic accidents, learning what went wrong internally to cause such fatal injuries.

We stood on the side lines studying performances in their industry of expertise and filmed on high resolution equipment to then take home and study the biomechanics of their gate, striding, movement, and recovery and where they can improve.

We were taught how to help improve their performance through lameness assessments, massage therapy, proper training and rehabilitation. Experiencing and assisting first hand several rehabilitation cases which included Laser Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Theraplates, and Hyperbaric Chambers.

•

Studying full time while showing and living with a well known family who breeds top Grand Prix horses of all disciplines, and who’s son is a equine vet whom also represents Colombia in several Nations Cups was truly an experience of a lifetime.

When I got back to Canada I hadn’t quite decided what I wanted to do career wise so I got back into grooming and managing.

It may have taken me longer than some to put those years of blood, sweat, tears, exams, practicals, and lectures to good use, but better late than never, right!?

I will forever be grateful for the directions my life has taken me and continue to go and I can’t wait to continue immersing myself in an industry I will forever be obsessed with.

Happy Friday and never stop learning!🤩

Chapman Equine Services

03/13/2024

02/28/2024

02/03/2024

02/03/2024

02/01/2024

01/26/2024

01/17/2024

12/27/2023

12/16/2023

12/14/2023

12/12/2023

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11/17/2023

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