Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage

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Jayne Connors - Equine Osteopath & Sports Massage

Sports Massage Therapist (human & equine), equine osteopath and WINBACK therapist covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire

27/10/2025

TMJ tension can develop for many reasons — often a combination of physical and mechanical influences.

💡 Common causes include:
- Dental imbalances or uneven wear
- Bit, bridle, or noseband pressure
- Rider asymmetry or inconsistent rein contact
- Past trauma to the head, neck, or poll
- Compensations from back, pelvis, or limb discomfort

Because the jaw plays such a central role in posture and balance, small restrictions here can lead to bigger issues elsewhere in the body.

Next week: we’ll look at how to spot the signs of TMJ dysfunction.

📍 Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.

24/10/2025

As the colder months approach, your horse’s workload, routine, and even muscle tone begin to shift.

You might notice a bit more stiffness, changes in posture, or loss of topline as turnout reduces and exercise patterns change.

Now is the perfect time to check in with how your horse is feeling.
A pre-winter osteopathy or sports massage session can help:
- Loosen residual summer tension
- Support circulation and flexibility
- Prepare muscles and joints for the colder weather ahead

✨ Preventing issues now means fewer setbacks when the ground gets heavy and the rugs go on.

👐 Keeping your horse comfortable, supple, and ready for the season ahead.

📍 Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.

22/10/2025

A well-fitting saddle does more than just keep your horse comfortable — it allows the back, core, and hindquarters to move in harmony.

When the fit isn’t right, even small imbalances can have a ripple effect through the whole body.

A saddle that’s too tight, unbalanced, or sitting in the wrong place can compress key muscles like the longissimus dorsi and trapezius. This limits the horse’s ability to lift through the back, shortens stride, and restricts shoulder movement. Over time, the horse begins to compensate, tightening one side more than the other and developing uneven muscle tone.

These muscular changes don’t stay local. Tightness through the back can affect the thoracic sling, neck, and pelvis, leading to:
- Shortened or choppy stride
- Resistance in transitions
- Difficulty bending or maintaining straightness
- Reluctance to stretch long and low

It’s not “naughty behaviour” — it’s the body protecting itself.

As tension builds, joint mobility and overall movement patterns can change, even influencing how the horse carries weight through the limbs and hooves.

👐 Osteopathy and sports massage can help by releasing tension, improving spinal mobility, and rebalancing muscle tone once the saddle fit has been addressed.
By restoring normal movement and comfort through the back and core, your horse can move more freely, engage more effectively, and perform with confidence again.

✨ A balanced saddle supports a balanced horse — from poll to pelvis.

20/10/2025

The TMJ -What it is and Why it Matters?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your horse’s jaw to their skull — just below the ear.

It’s responsible for chewing, bit contact, and balance of the head and neck. There are two joints, one on each side.
But it’s much more than just a jaw joint — because of the deep fascial, nerve and muscular links through the poll, neck, and spine, tension here can affect movement and comfort through the ENTIRE body.

✨ When the TMJ isn’t moving freely, you may see changes in contact, straightness, posture and even overall way of going.

Next week: we’ll look at what can cause TMJ tension in horses.

📍 Equine Osteopath and Sports Masseur Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.

17/10/2025

The Importance of a Good Warm-Up

As the temperatures drop, you might notice your horse feels a little stiffer or slower to loosen up at the start of a ride.

Just like us, horses’ muscles and joints take longer to warm when it’s cold — and rushing this stage can increase tension or discomfort.

💡 A good warm-up helps to:
- Increase blood flow to muscles
- Improve joint mobility and flexibility
- Prepare tendons and ligaments for work
- Reduce the risk of strains or stiffness later

🐴 Take your time — start with plenty of walk work, gentle suppling exercises, and gradual transitions before asking for more collection or power.

✨ Small changes to your warm-up can make a big difference to your horse’s comfort this winter.

15/10/2025

🐴 Understanding SI Joint Dysfunction

Does your horse struggle to engage behind, feel uneven in canter, or resist transitions?

It could be linked to discomfort around the sacroiliac (SI) joint — the vital connection between the spine and hindquarters.

The SI joint transfers power from the hind end through the back.
When movement here becomes restricted, your horse may start to:
- Lose impulsion or push
- Feel tight or crooked
- Show resistance in transitions or lateral work
- Appear “lazy” or uneven behind

💡 Common causes include:
- Slipping in the field or on hard ground
- Repetitive or uneven workload
- Poor saddle fit or rider imbalance
- Compensation from back, pelvic, or hock issues

👐 How osteopathy can help:
Osteopathy works to restore movement and balance through the pelvis, spine, and surrounding soft tissues.

By improving mobility and reducing compensatory tension, it helps your horse move more freely, comfortably, and powerfully from behind.

✨ A balanced pelvis = better engagement, smoother transitions, and a happier horse.

📍Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.

13/10/2025

Equine sports massage isn’t about pampering — it’s about keeping your horse’s body working at its best.

Just like human athletes, horses benefit from regular soft tissue work to support training, comfort, and recovery.

Benefits of sports massage include:
- Improved circulation and oxygen delivery to muscles
- Reduced muscle tension and stiffness
- Support for suppleness and flexibility
- Faster recovery after work or competition
- Helping spot small issues before they develop further

Whether your horse is competing regularly or enjoying relaxed hacks, sports massage can make a big difference to their comfort and willingness under saddle.

A horse that feels good in their body moves more freely, trains more happily, and performs more confidently.

10/10/2025

With wetter weather here, horses often slip, twist, or jar themselves in the field. Even small slips can leave them with:
- Muscle soreness
- Stiffness through the back or hindquarters
- Subtle changes in their way of going

Osteopathy and sports massage can help resolve these niggles before they develop into something bigger — keeping your horse comfortable through the muddy months.

📍Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

08/10/2025

It’s normal for horses to need a cool down after exercise, but if your horse regularly feels stiff or sore the next day, it could be a sign that their body is struggling to recover.

From a sports massage and osteopathy perspective, this might suggest:
- Muscular fatigue – tight, overworked muscles holding onto tension
- Joint restrictions – movement not flowing smoothly through the body
- Imbalance – one area compensating for another, leading to uneven strain

💆 Sports massage can improve circulation and ease tired muscles.
👐 Osteopathy can restore mobility and balance, helping the whole body recover more effectively.

Together, these approaches mean your horse can bounce back faster — staying supple, comfortable, and ready for the next session.

If your horse often feels stiff the day after exercise, send us a message — we’d love to help!

📍 Covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

06/10/2025

When your horse shows discomfort — a sore back, shortened stride, head tossing, or even changes in behaviour — it’s easy to focus only on the area that looks painful.

But here’s the truth 👇
The body doesn’t work in isolation.

A sore back may come from the hindquarters.
A shortened stride might be linked to the pelvis.
Head tossing could be influenced by tension in the poll or neck.

That’s why in osteopathy and sports massage, we look at the whole horse, not just one spot. By restoring balance and mobility throughout the body, we can relieve the cause — not just the symptom.

✨ A holistic approach = a more comfortable, happier horse.

05/10/2025

Give me a shout

03/10/2025

When it comes to keeping horses comfortable and performing at their best, no single approach works in isolation. That’s why osteopathy and sports massage complement each other so well.

✨ Sports Massage works on the soft tissues — relieving muscle tension, improving circulation, and supporting flexibility. It’s excellent for easing tightness after work, helping muscles recover, and maintaining suppleness.

✨ Osteopathy takes a whole-horse approach, looking at how the body’s structure and movement link together. By restoring joint mobility, releasing restrictions, and improving overall balance, osteopathy helps the body work in harmony.

When combined, these treatments address both:
- Muscles (where tension often builds up first)
- Joints and structure (the deeper cause of imbalance or restriction)

Together, they create a more complete approach — one that doesn’t just ease tension in the moment, but helps your horse move more freely, comfortably, and willingly over the long term.

📍Appointments available next week in the Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire areas.

Address

Oxford
OX44

Telephone

+447970270204

Website

http://www.jayneconnors.co.uk/

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