Sophie Elfleet Equine Body Worker

Sophie Elfleet Equine Body Worker >Qualified >Insured >Equinology trained >Combination of techniques >Improve wellbeing/performance

BSc(Hons) Equine Science and Equinology Equine Body Worker (EEBW)

01/03/2026

Ok so I'm a broken record about this but please can we all prioritize ground work with our horses, particularly when we are bringing them back into work.

You wouldn't go to the gym and start working out with extra weights before you had built yourself up to that point right?
so why do we expect our horses to do that?

Particularly over their backs their muscles already have a job stabilizing the spine and pelvis and carrying the huge weight that is their internal organs and that's just the surface of it. So if we start inappropriately loading muscles that are not ready we are already starting on the back foot and will most likely build compensation rather than true strength.

But let's not overlook the wonderful opportunity to bond and build communication with our horse. To be able to observe and open up the space for a conversation with them, to listen and see how they are feeling and moving. This is so valuable and can tell you so much important information.

Making the time to work on ground work will also give you the opportunity to work on yourself and notice how you move and interact with your horse. It takes the pressure off the body while you can work to build your own fitness and stability to be able to help your horse.

There is so much we can do from the ground!
• Ground work patterns
• long lining
• Free lunging
• walk work
• pole work
• Liberty
• Dynamic mobilization stretches (carrot stretches)
• mobilization and activation

The list goes on! And these can be 10 minutes or an hour, they are so flexible and do soooooo much good for the body.

These are what truly build the foundation of stability and strength for our horses and in doing so aid in balance, suppleness, coordination, comfort and longevity.

Lets just slow down, prioritize ground work and listen.

21/02/2026

It's allllllll in the video
Keeping it simple

21/02/2026

The power of groundwork.

This was after only 10mins of groundwork patterns and looks at the lovely relaxed posture, the soft blinking, the gentle involuntary twitches as she processes the changes in her body. These are all lovely signs of being in the rest and digest state (parasympathetic nervous system).

Using groundwork is chronically undervalued and underused and it is truly game changing!

Not only is it valuable to help your horse feel comfortable and confident in their own bodies and space, but it can help improve posture, symmetry, flexibility and adaptability as well as build muscle and stabilise and improve bonding and communication.

There are loads of sources you can use to find groundwork patterns you can do at home. I had in my ear with a listen along as I follow her patron. There are others on patron, YouTube and other social media sites you can find and see what suits you best. You don't need fancy equipment or an arena. Just a heads collar, lead rope/lung line and space (I did it in the field).

This time of year many of us are bringing our horses back into work after a winter break so what better time to start their fitness from the ground!?

And this is what we are starting with. I am putting my money where my mouth is and this is the before. Rou has had 3 mon...
17/02/2026

And this is what we are starting with.
I am putting my money where my mouth is and this is the before.

Rou has had 3 months off, for no other reason than life was getting on top of me and something had to give. So, Rou was happy to take one for the team and just go be a horse for 3 months!

Yesterday the holiday came to an end and we started with some ground work patterns.
We will focus on ground work for 4-8 weeks depending on how she is going/feeling and then will get back on board. This will give me time to get my head down and work on my own fitness and strength also.

I will be applying the advice I give out to my clients and use my experience and knowledge as a bodyworker to try to do the best by my girl.

But I have to be realistic and know it won't be a perfect model as like so many others I am juggling motherhood, two other jobs and just general life along side horses.

Here goes 💪

As a body worker it has become more and more clear to me that I am putting out fires of physiological dysfunction and lo...
08/02/2026

As a body worker it has become more and more clear to me that I am putting out fires of physiological dysfunction and long past prevention. What is becoming oh so very clear to me is that a huge part of dysfunction in horses is actually attributed to their very basic care and environment. I'm talking about freedom of movement, diet and opportunity to socialise or the 3 F’s - Freedom, Forage and Friends.

The hard truth is that what is known and widely accepted as standard equine husbandry is actually the root of so many physical and mental issues in our horses;
- Turnout during the day and stabled at night - often 12hrs + in a relatively small, isolated, closed space.
- Individual turnout on a restricted area
- Concentrate feed and managed haynets

Horses are mobile, herd animals, built to function through almost constant movement and constant companionship. Biologically their entire body relies on movement from musculoskeletal health to digestion and without appropriate space to roam their bodies fall into dysfunction.

Horses are hardwired to sync their heart rate and nervous system to other horses around them so when you stave a horse of companionship they quickly become unregulated and this in turn then has deleterious effects on their bodily functions and mental wellbeing. Horses rely on a complex social structure and interaction to communicate, form bonds and survive. Being able to carry out social behaviours and interactions feed into positive wellbeing, regulation and ultimately health.

The digestive system is designed for trickling feeding of high fibre, low calorie mixed forage with supplementary herbs, wildflowers and shrubs, because of this it struggles with high sugar and starch concentrate feeds and intermittent periods of starvation. A horse will experience starvation mode after 4hrs of no access to food. There is no design to store acid and once the stomach has completed digesting and emptied the acids and enzymes will begin to digest the stomach and intestines causing ulceration and the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Digestion also relies on physical locomotion for efficient gut mobility, keeping the small amounts of food constantly moving through the system.

Horses need space to move and the freedom of choice to move in different spaces ideally 24/7. Horses need companionship of other horses, so they can carry out social behaviours and regulate naturally. Horses need a forage based ad-lib diet. A horse with constant access to appropriate food will in fact eat less and self regulate compared to a horse experiencing intermittent starvation and dietary control. Fulfill these and you are setting your horse up to thrive.

I can not stress enough the importance of fulfilling the 3 Fs. These are the fundamental needs of horses as a species. Without fulfilling these you are already on the back foot and setting them up for failure. No matter how much training, rehabilitation, therapy or other you do, if the basic needs are not appropriately met there will always be issues and your horse won't be able to thrive.

Did you know a horse's thermoregulation zone is 25-5 degrees celsius? What this means is that they can comfortably regul...
05/02/2026

Did you know a horse's thermoregulation zone is 25-5 degrees celsius?
What this means is that they can comfortably regulate their body temperature within this threshold.
Comparing that to our own thermoregulation zone of 32-20 degrees highlights just how differently a horse copes with temperature changes. When we feel cold, the honest truth is that our horses simply don't.

Horse's core body temperature is also higher than our own. Human's sits around 37C (98.6F) and a horse is around 38C (100.4F). It doesn't seem like a lot but that 1 degree makes a surprisingly big difference.

Being larger animals also means horses expend less energy to keep themselves warm. This is known as Bergmann's rule and it states that larger animals have a lower surface-area-to-volume ratio so retain heat much easier.

These are just 3 things to take into consideration when rugging and managing our horses. It goes without saying that all horses are individuals and their needs will vary depending on things like health and age. However you must not discount the biological makeup of the species, be it an uncomfortable truth or not.

29/01/2026

100% this

A small reminder to just enjoy it. Slow things down and take the pressure off. Spending time with our horses is just as ...
28/01/2026

A small reminder to just enjoy it.
Slow things down and take the pressure off.

Spending time with our horses is just as important as riding then, possibly more so.

This time of year can be hard and it can feel like we can't do anything with our horses or we feel pressured by ourselves or others to be out doing something (and that means very different things to different people) and that can feel crushing.

It's all the little things we can do with our horses, like hand grazing, going for a walk, a slow winters hack or a long grooming session (to name only a few) that can be really healing and build up to the bogs things like connection and regulation which in turn helps ... Everything else!

So here is to just enjoying it ☺️
You do you ❤️

21/01/2026

Movement is a pillar of care for our horses.
All horses need to be able to move freely on a daily basis.
But at this time of year often turnout is restricted and their freedom to move is significantly restricted. Going out for a walk will only have benefits, physical and mental.

Joint health relies on movement, muscle health relies on movement, circulation relies on movement, digestion relies on movement, hoof health relies on movement..... you get the point. So any opportunity to allow as much free movement as possible, do it.

It's also good fun to go on a little adventure with your hoofed best friend.

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