Helen Rackstraw Equine Touch Practitioner

16/10/2025

Listening is everything 🧡

14/10/2025

14/10/2025

So true 🤎

13/10/2025

Some big releases from Ivy this afternoon, I'm sure she will sleep well tonight 😴 🩷

04/10/2025

Food for thought. Times change, a lot was simpler way back before matchy matchy. I do like to look smart and coordinate colours (not necessarily matchy brands, just what I throw together!) Life was more simple back then, but theres room for conversion, as the horses probably wore shared tack years ago that perhaps didn't fit well and I can't remember ever hearing a horse having any form of bodywork as regular maintenance, only if a horse had an issue and the vet suggested a physio (or back man!). So many people now are thinking more about preventative bodywork as we continue to learn. Education is key and as long as the horses welfare is at the centre of our world, then that's all that matters in our horse world evolution ❤️😊

Not a Lemieux product in sight.

The early 2000s horse world was a very different planet. Ponies stood in yards on plain headcollars and knotted lead ropes, riders turned up in whatever jeans or tracksuit bottoms were clean, matching sets were unheard of unless you count mud stains. There were no “saddle pad drops,” no Instagram ready photoshoots, and zero pressure to coordinate your horse like a boutique catalogue. It was simpler, scruffier, and somehow far more fun.

Those days were filled with hacking for hours, jumping ditches, ba****ck races across fields, and coming home looking like a creature of mud and hair. Designer gear? Optional. Fun? Mandatory. And somehow, that’s exactly what mattered.

Looking back now, I think we’ve lost a bit of that. Somewhere between the saddle pad drops and the endless new “musthaves,” the horse world got a little distracted.

Don’t get me wrong, nice kit has its place, but the real magic is in those scruffy, unbranded, unforgettable days.

Sometimes, a picture like this reminds us, it was never about what we wore, or what the saddle pad looked like. It was about who stood beside us, muddy, scrappy, and utterly unbothered.

The farmer’s daughter aka myself and my cousin plus the queen of the farm, Storm, the Connie aged 4.

20/09/2025

Happy weekend everyone ❤️

16/09/2025

Just this!....

07/09/2025

Lovely afternoon of chill out vibes and catching up with Seren and her owner Kelly ❤️

06/09/2025

Annie enjoyed her 2nd Equine Touch Session this week. She's had some arthritic changes in her stifles & hocks in the past which have both been medicated, she also has seasonal allergies which results in head shaking, which her owner manages well. As a result Equine Touch helped her release a lot of built up tension she has been carrying for some time, she spent a lot of time processing as you can see in this picture. She is definitely another Equine Touch Addict 🩷

03/09/2025

What a fabulous story, this might give others hope if they have got a 'wonky' horse of their own! Time, patience, good training and good body work (Equine Touch!) Can really make the difference ❤️

01/09/2025

Only a few slots left for September Equine Touch bookings. A couple next week and then its into October 👻
Get in touch soon!

26/08/2025

100% true! ❤️

Is your horse just a hack? 🖤
I often hear people say to me, “Oh, my horse is just a hack.”
But let’s think about that for a minute because there’s no “just” about it.

Hacking gives so much to both horse and rider! For the horse, it’s healthy, rhythmic movement that keeps joints mobile, muscles supple, and minds relaxed. Hills, varied terrain, and long stretches at walk are brilliant for strength and circulation, literally all the things we look to support as a bodyworker.

For the rider, it’s space to breathe. The fresh air, the scenery, and just being present with your horse can reset the nervous system and help you completely de-stress.

Horses who hack are athletes in their own right, maintaining fitness, balance, and mental wellbeing through steady, low-pressure work. And riders who hack are giving their horses one of the greatest gifts, variety, relaxation, and connection.

You’re not “just hacking”, you’re building sound bodies, healthy minds, and strong partnerships every single ride! 🖤

www.woldsequinemassage.co.uk