Louise Mauferon Vernet - Equine Osteopath

22/04/2025

Softer will get you further faster

Something I wish everyone who works or owns horses knew, is this. Softer will get you further faster with horses.

This doesn't mean not having safe and clear boundaries when being around horses. These keep us and them safe.

What this does mean, is that horses respond well softness. They relax more, they trust more, and so they open up and give more in return.

Recently I was teaching a CPD course on joint alignment. I love doing this CPD because my techniques are soft and look like nothing, but they work incredibly well, and it often surprises people to see it.

During the course I talk a lot about not fighting with our patients and working with them, I explain how I take my time and adjust what I do to what they tell me they're comfortable with.

As we were talking about these concepts and I was encouraging people to slow down on some techniques so that they could test joint mobility further while really listening to the horses feedback, we started talking about what people expect when they call a bodyworker.

Because I know that how I work isn't how people expect me to work. They expect movement, elbow grease, leg lifting and joints popping. And instead I give them stillness, slow movements, and the odd manipulation if needed.

But the reason I still get work is because this approach works incredibly well.

Wanting to make sure I always gave my best to horses, I have tried a lot of ways of working. And what I've seen again and again is that they respond best to slow, soft, kind techniques.

Their bodies relax, their mind start to trust and we take it further and further into their fascia, their emotions and their energies. Deeper and deeper we go.

Most therapists know this. But a lot are worried about looking like they're doing nothing in front of owners. And I get it.

But here's the thing.

By not showing owners that softer is better, we perpetuate the idea that horses need to be "man handled". That the way to interact with them is through fast, big and impressive movements. And I think that's a disservice to people, and most important, it can be a disservice to horses.

Because truly, when it comes to bodywork at least, I can tell you that slow, soft and "looks like nothing", usually is where the deep changes occur.

25/03/2025

On Sunday I came back from co-leading 3 days of equine anatomy deep dive for a group of French osteopaths.

These weekends are always wonderful, and I’m so grateful I get to do them with the best people.

💜🐎Equine Anatomy Weekend🐎💜
🙌A fabulous 3 days of learning & exploring with awesome therapists 🇫🇷

🙏Massive thank you to my amazing team 🙏

🙏Louise Mauferon-Vernet 🫶
🙏Anais Delanoy 🫶
🙏Alix Tidmarsh 🫶
🙏Louise Molcher 🫶

12/03/2025

There's something so incredibly beautiful in seeing the changes in a patient that had so much discomfort.

From the way they move to the texture of their muscles that go from rock solid and tender to soft, open and comfortable, it's a really special feeling.

But I would say the best feeling is noticing how different they feel within themselves and how that changes their behaviors.

Usually horses that have quite a lot going on tend to be more agitated during their first sessions. Some don't understand what they're feeling, some are so uncomfortable that they're just not used to standing still and coming into their bodies, some have intense emotions that they don't know how to handle, and so on.

And so they move around, they distract themselves with leadropes and pockets, they "anxious eat", you know, when they almost look angry with their haynets or just eat as quickly as they can.

But usually after a few sessions, you start to notice the difference.

They're able to come into their bodies and process for longer periods of time. We go from 10 seconds to 10 minutes of being able to stay with the feelings and process.

They interact more with us and with more purpose. From horses who just want to be close while they process, to others who want full blown cuddles (extremely rare but always a heart melting moment), to others who know that taking just one step away from me is enough, that they will get their space with that cue and that they will have the space to come back when ready...

It's absolutely incredible.

It's an unspoken agreement and understanding that they are not only safe, no matter how big their feeling and pains are, but also seen and acknowledged in how they need to deal with their feelings.

This trust and understanding builds over small interactions during each sessions, until they finally feel it with certainty.

Honestly, for me, it's the moment where they look like they come to peace with themselves and come to life with a new sense of calm available to them.

And I will never tire of being present for those moments ❤

03/03/2025

Earlier this week I did a photoshoot with Toni from .co.uk.

We borrowed a few horses and Toni took pictures as I treated them.

And the result is just so beautiful!

Thank you Jaime Stephens for letting me use your horses as models.

And thank you Toni for taking such beautiful pictures and for editing them at the speed of light.

I can't wait to use them all for future posts❤

09/01/2025

I've been trying to find what I wanted to say for the first post of 2025.

Happy new year?

Talk about resolutions?

But the truth is, even though we've entered a new numerical year, we're still deep in winter.

And so rather than setting new goals or "get going", this time of year feels more like an invitation to slow down and reflect, to enjoy the warmth of our home with the people we love and to plan ahead for spring when we can wake up with the rest of nature.

And I don't mean we should do nothing, this ins't how our world currently works.

But I think finding small ways of embracing the colder/darker months can really make a difference in our energy levels and how we feel through winter.

So if you've been struggling to get the energy for the new year, remember that we are still in the middle of winter, and that it's ok to slow down with your horse, to enjoy shorter or less active rides, to opt for groundwork, or to not ride for a few days and just put your horse in the field.

Take the pressure off and embrace winter for what it can be: a slow season ❤

Pic of my window view on the first few days of January in central France.

30/12/2024

This year has been such a wonderful and beautiful year.

I got to marry the most amazing person, twice.

I saw the people close to my heart more than I have in years and it really shifted my priorities.

I met so many amazing horse owners.

I shared my approach to the body with amazing and caring bodyworkers of all horizons.

I learned and I grew and I'm so grateful.

But it was also an incredibly sad year.

I lost patients who had reached the end of their time here, and even if this happens every year, this year was particularly tough.

Horses than I met when I was still a young practitioner, horses than I knew well, horses that I saw regularly, horses that taught me so much, horses that I loved being around, horses that I cared for deeply.

There are no words to express the very strange feeling that is to grieve animals that were never your own. But my god it's real.

I'll be forever grateful to the owners who trusted me for years and who introduced me to their horses. I feel this loss with you and I know how special each of those horses were.

So here's to those horses. May you always be as awesome as you were, wherever you are now. You were loved by many ❤

26/12/2024

Merry Christmas from Paris 🎄🥰

24/12/2024

This post has been going round again recently, and I still stand by it very much.

Long reining is an incredible tool for both rehab and training, and I can't recommend having lessons with a skilled "long reiner" enough 🥰

I love longreining. SO MUCH. Whenever I meet a horse that has been diagnosed with kissing spine, I always recommend it, alongside pole work.

But if your horse was recently diagnosed, I'm guessing that this is not what your vet suggested. I bet that what your vet recommended was weeks of pessoa lunging, gradually going from walk only to walk trot and canter.

I'm gonna be honest, I'm not a fan of this gadget. Nope, not enough. I really REALLY don't like this gadget. I don't want to say hate, but I'm not far.

It's often used too short and so almost always restricts the lenght and movement of the neck. So instead of having a long relaxed neck with a long and relaxed back, leaving room for core and back muscle to developp, we have restriction of movement, tension and compensation.

And even if you try to use it in a way that allows for neck movement, the actual ropes aren't long enough for a normal sized horse to move freely in it!

Bad stuff, especially on a body that's trying to recover from pain, and potential surgery 🙄

On the other hand with long reining, the neck can be as long and relaxed as you let it be, you have a lot more power as the handler, and I can tell you that every horse that I've worked with turned a corner the day their owner learned how to long rein.

The truth is that to this day, I still haven't found a gadget that works better.

So you want to know what my best advice is for your rehab?

Ditch the gadget and learn longreining from a good trainer instead.

You're welcome 😂

19/12/2024

Watching horses process is one of my favourite thing.

What are they thinking? What are they feeling? What kind of changes is the body making? What will the body feel like when I put my hands back on?

This lovely boy had just finished his session and we had taken him for his post session gait check when he started to go deeply in processing mode.

And it's not like him. He's a curious horse who likes to know what's going on, so for him to come back to the stable and instantely start to process was lovely.

I really think that letting horses process is a super tool in manual therapies. It's where the nervous system can readjust without our intervention. It's where we see what that body does with the changes we just made. And almost always the tissue and rhythm of the body feels like they've taken a step forward after the horse has processed.

Thank you to the owner for letting me capture this little unexpected moment and for letting me share it here 🥰

16/12/2024

I have noticed over the years that owners can have a feeling about their yards and how it's affecting them and their horse.

For some people it's very easy to articulate. Maybe the school is too deep and they know it's not good for their horse. Maybe the yard is too busy/not busy enough for their horse and they can tell their horse gets anxious/bored, depending. Maybe there is someone very stressful on the yard and they sometimes dread coming to see their horse because of them.

And for some people it's more subtle. It's a feeling, an energy. Them or their horse is anxious on the yard but they can't tell why. They don't really want to linger too long on their yard but again, can't put their finger on why exactly. Nothing is obviously bad, but something is just not quite right.

But when they do decide to leave and change yard, the difference in both people and horses has surprised me again and again.

And it's not necessarily that the original yard is a "bad yard", it's just that when something doesn't suit you or your horse, it just doesn't.

But when something does...

I've seen horses build muscles and gain mobility when they changed yards.

I've seen horses and people calm down and suddenly radiate a soft and calm energy.

I've seen horse's muscles relax and soften.

All by changing environment.

And once these changes happen, moving forward is just so much easier. Horses are able to come deeply into their sessions instead of coming in and out, and keeping things superficial, allowing to bring profound changes to their movement and how they feel in their body.

So if you've been thinking about changing yard, and you're understandably worried about taking the leap, know at least that it can work out really nicely for both horse and human.

I know finding the right yard isn't easy and I know the search (and wait lists) can be long. But if you have that feeling, hang in there and keep looking. Lovely things might be waiting ❤🐴

13/12/2024

Last week I had one of the best feedback I could have ever asked for from the owner of a horse with chronic back problems and sacroiliac pain.

We were casually chatting about his progress and what had been going on the past few weeks when, after telling me that she had been able to increase their time riding easily and comfortably, she ads "and I don't worry when I ride him anymore, I can tell how relaxed and happy he is now so I just ride him and enjoy it".

And honestly my heart sang a little bit.

Because I know exactly what she meant by that. That constant worry when your horse has had a back issue that the time you spend in the saddle will bring the pain back. That slow rise of paranoia as you start to read into every ear movement because you're just so stressed that the pain might come back.

So a comment like that, so casual and honest, absolutely made my day ❤