Equine Bodywork Solutions

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Equine Bodywork Solutions

Equine Sports & Rehabilitation Massage Therapist
Trauma Informed Horse Trainer
Covering Kent & the East Sussex Border

I'm Cath Hammond, an equine sports and rehabilitation massage therapist working in Kent that wants to help you connect with your horse on a deeper level. By taking the time to get to know both of you and undertake treatment plans with a holistic approach, we can encourage your horse to carry their body correctly and restore balance in mind, body and spirit by releasing tension and pain held in the muscles. My qualification is with the world renowned Equissage Europe, a UK Rural Skills accredited course. I am committed to expanding my knowledge and skills further by regularly attending training courses such as understanding equine body language and behaviour, the biomechanics of how they move and how we can affect it; negatively and positively and by learning new techniques to add to my treatments. I believe my personal life experiences and practical involvement with horses who have trauma, abuse and neglect in their backgrounds has given me the personal attributes to maintain a regulated nervous system and treat each horse in a way that they wish to be treated and in their own timeline, I have no expectations of them and use all my senses to listen and respond.

01/03/2026

It’s giving Spring vibes ☀️🌳

You can feel the change in the air - longer days, daffodils, and finally loosing an extra base layer. Spring is on its way 🪻

For many of us winter can be a quieter time, whether due to limited facilities, weather or lack of daylight lots of horses have had a couple of months off from ridden work.

And that’s absolutely ok, and should be done without guilt or a fear of being judged.

When a day like last Wednesday arrives out of the blue, it’s soooo tempting to get straight back on and head out for a long hack. However, a little patience and preparation now can make the return to work smoother and more comfortable for your horse, as well as preventing injury.

For riders and horses at all levels - happy hackers included - this is a perfect time to reintroduce exercise gently.

In many areas the ground is still recovering, so starting with some dynamic mobilisation exercises, specific to your horse, 3-4 times a week is not only an important step but also a kind and effective way of training.

These exercises can:

💪Stimulate synovial fluid
💪Encourage healthy joint movement
💪Wake up postural muscles and re-engage the brain-body connection

After 2-3 weeks you could introduce some in-hand hacking or long reining. From there consider reintroducing the rider gradually, for the last 10 minutes for example, and gradually build up.

Every horse has individual needs so your plan should be specific to their current condition, health and history.

If your horse is indicating any signs of pain or lameness a vet should be consulted before progressing.

If you’re unsure where or how to start, send me a message by clicking below ⬇️ and I’d be happy to have a chat with you.

Cath 💚

12/02/2026

What's your love language??

❤️Words of affirmation
❤️Quality time
❤️Acts of service
❤️Physical touch
❤️Gift giving

10/02/2026

Who gives the best hugs….mares or geldings???
❤️❤️

01/02/2026

Equestrianism is a unique sport in several ways...

⭐️The physical (and emotional) health of the rider affects the horse, and vice versa
⭐️Many of the heavy duty activities involved in horse care can attribute to the physical well-being of the rider
⭐️Most continue to ride, and care for horses, well into their 60's and 70's - with no plans to retire!

These factors are just a few of the reasons that lower back pain and altered range of motion within the joints are a given when assessing riders.

25/01/2026

Friends at the End 💔

Throughout January I completed my training to become a volunteer with The British Horse Society as a Friend at the End.

“Friends” are available to offer in person or online support to horse owners and carers who are facing - or have experienced- one of the hardest decisions they will ever have to make.

They can help by talking through your horses quality of life, sensitively explain what to expect with the different types of euthanasia, and support you with practical logistics if needed. There is often so much to consider and it can feel overwhelming.

Having someone impartial to listen, without judgement, to your thoughts, emotions and memories can make a real difference to the grieving process. I also believe that grief doesn’t only come from loss through death. It can appear if circumstances change and you lose the life you’ve dreamt of as a horse owner, and it’s ok to feel that.

There’s no right or wrong way to grieve and no timescale you have to work to. Many of us, I’m sure, are still grieving the loss of our first ponies as young horse girls.

If you need a “Friend” contact BHS and they will find someone in your area.
✉️friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk
☎️02476 840517

📷This is Hose (🌈) who lost his lifelong friend a few years ago. Watching him make new friends in the herd and lean on his human herd for emotional support was heart warming ❣️

19/01/2026

Should we be looking beyond Friends, Forage, Freedom❓

Created in 1994 The Five Domain module was introduced to expand on the already developed Five Freedoms.

These guidelines were implemented to assess the physical and emotional welfare of livestock and is now widely being used in equine welfare cases.

When we can see our horses in this way it reminds us that comfort, emotional state and overall quality of life are closely connected.

Holistic practices such as sports massage can play a valuable role in helping your horse feel more comfortable in their body, and more emotionally settled 💚

Which of the five domains do you feel you give more focus?

No right or wrong because each horse is treated as an individual. But I would love to hear some other perspectives, I feel I often focus on how physical changes - even subtle ones - can make an impact.

14/01/2026

Second opinions ✔️ or ✖️

When it comes to treating horses I genuinely believe that gaining another perspective can be valuable. Open discussion and shared insights within your horses care team should be encouraged.

I’ll often seek input from your saddle fitter or ask for feedback from your farrier.

Likewise, bodyworkers who practice different modalities can be great sources of referral.
Even though, from a business point of view, it can feel a bit risky, I never hesitate to refer on to a chiropractor or physiotherapist if I think that’s what your horse needs.

However, if you’re seeking a direct second opinion, it’s worth keeping a few things in mind:

🟢They aren’t seeing the same horse your original therapist treated

Time will have passed for the initial treatment to settle, and in response, your horse may have adjusted their movement.

Their environment may also have changed - perhaps the fields have become slippery from rain or they’ve spent more time than usual in the stable.

Training and management between treatments also play a role:
▫️How has your riding or groundwork influenced your horse?
▫️Have you followed the advice and prescribed exercises?
▫️Or, have changes been made based on well meaning advice from friends on the yard or social media?

🟢Every professional brings a different perspective

While we all meet required industry standards to become certified, our learning journeys are very individual. We’ve trained with different professionals, seen varying case studies and been influenced by our backgrounds, experiences and ongoing education.

As a result it’s natural for opinions to vary, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that one is right and another is wrong.

🟢Please consider the human element

Behind every assessment and treatment is a person who does this work out of a passion for horses and a genuine desire to help them.

Most of us are self-employed and this is very different from providing a product or service within a large organisation.

Many of us form real attachments to your horse and spend evenings and weekends reading, learning and thinking about how we can do better for them.

Second opinions can absolutely be helpful, when approached with understanding, context and kindness.

Communication and mutual respect help everyone work towards the same goal - a happy and comfortable horse 💚

The results of a study carried out by the University of Sussex have been summarised by Justine Harrison on her Facebook ...

11/01/2026

The results of a study carried out by the University of Sussex have been summarised by Justine Harrison on her page.

The results show that domestic horses - when given a choice - will approach a person with submissive body language over someone with dominant body language.

For more specific details and information on the study please go to Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist

The outdated methods used to train or handle horses with dominance are slowly being replaced.

There is, however, still a long way to go 💚

08/01/2026

“Head Down”

I put together this simple training exercise for Prada’s Mum a couple of weeks ago.

At 18.2hh, Shire horse Prada presents a few unique challenges. One of them cropped up recently when she needed to enter a barn with a low doorway for medical procedures.

Height, wasn’t the only factor, Prada has a complex history, and as a result, carries a low level phobia of entering unknown buildings.

Teaching a “head down” response using voice cue rather than physical pressure can be helpful in many everyday situations. More importantly it’s a kinder way to ⭐️encourage⭐️ activation of the parasympathetic nervous system - the body’s rest and digest state.

Lowering the head can support a return to balance and homeostasis, allowing breathing, temperature regulation and blood pressure to settle.

It’s not about ✖️forcing✖️relaxation, but about creating the conditions for it to happen.

The key word here is ⭐️encourage⭐️
After all, has someone telling you to calm down ever actually made you feel calmer?

💚

05/01/2026

I hope everyone is coping well and staying safe in these temperatures.

You either love them or hate them but either way our horses need a little extra attention at the moment 💚

I've collected together just a few tips for you, please share any that you have in the comments below ⬇️

As always we can refer back to:
⭐️Friends
⭐️Forage
⭐️Freedom

The key elements that your horses will need are friends, to huddle with and keep warm, constant access to forage to keep them warm from the inside out and freedom to gain access to shelter from cold winds.

If your horse is on reduced forage for a medical condition there are inventive ways to make it last longer!
🥕Line a bucket with a snuffle mat for dry forage or feed - hay, chaff, straw, ready grass
🥕Serve warm mash or wet feeds on licki mats
🥕Place a treat ball, jolly, ball, exercise ball, football - whatever you can get - into a haynet. Stuff the hay around it and hang from a tree or the center of the barn/stable
🥕Serve your hard feeds in multiple buckets and spread them out - this will take longer to eat
🥕Use large bottomed feed buckets, this also slows down eating

If you'd like more specific, personalised help with enrichment send me a message and I'll work with you to create a plan.

Take Care,
Cath 💚

04/01/2026

If anyone gets a message or friend request from the below it’s not me, even though her profile picture is me, I’ve no idea who she is but about to do some investigating.
Please let me know if you receive anything.
Thanks
Cath

30/12/2025

🚨 The impact of fireworks on horses is growing... and it's heart-breaking.

This year we’ve recorded:
💥 211 firework-related incidents
🐴 20 horses injured
💔 1 horse fatality
🧑 12 people injured

❗Most of these were caused by domestic fireworks set off in back gardens and private events.

These are not just statistics. They are moments of panic, trauma, and loss. Every incident recorded strengthens our call for change. As part of our role in the Fireworks Impact Coalition, we can evidence to MPs the scale of damage fireworks can cause to our horses

📲 If your horse is affected by fireworks, please log the incident using our Horse i app.
It only takes a few minutes 👉 https://bit.ly/3KR1TiG

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http://www.equinebodyworksolutions.co.uk/

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