Your Horse In Connected Balance

21/08/2025

Snoring puppies. ❤️

14/08/2025

So happy to announce that the work we did on thermography following equine leg wound healing and LLLT was published today. A hopeful step forward in the field.
Reach out if you'd like the full article.

14/07/2025

See alot of hind end/SI issues lately. THIS!

29/06/2025

Happy to announce that I am now certified as a veterinary thermographer through AAT. It has been quite a year of learning. I want to thank many that contributed to the over 2,000 images taken over this past year to get me to this level. The clinical trials, the findings and updates have all been extremely helpful in my journey.
I look forward to working with my equine and veterinary community to serve the good of the horse!

14/06/2025

Non stop baby making at my front door this year. Third round 💕

05/06/2025

Another practitioner got me thinking (dangerous sometimes ha!). She expounded that the horses were not licking and chewing due to relaxation but stress. I found that so off putting because it is such a marker of my work when I am looking for relaxation responses from the work in the horse.
My own research led me to this article linked below (which basically concurs with her statement). Licking and chewing (non nutritive) is a response to stress (which restricts saliva).
So, in theory our presence alone can create stress in a horse. In theory the horse relaxes once it sees we are not a threat but actually there as a help. Therefore, the release of stress (chewing to generate release of the previously restricted saliva due to stress) happens as a sign of stress release.

So, I will continue to look for these signs of letting go of stress in my work (along with Masterson and Warwick...)

Kerry Mack continues her exploration of what we might learn from science, this time looking at chewing and licking behaviour and what it can tell us.

05/04/2025

At horse show offering saddle thermal imaging (demo free of charge for riders)

25/03/2025

So as I celebrate 10 years in business, I am reflecting on my business model and purpose. My purpose hasn't changed. I started with the name The Connected Balance because working with a horse with pain, we have no brain, with no brain we have no relaxation, with no relaxation, we have no learning. Everything is off balance and disconnected. It is a conundrum.

Often a horse in too much pain, I can not work with. They just can't gain benefit and need more care than I can provide. However, most horses live in subclinical pain and discomfort. They are masters at hiding pain! In order to survive, they can not look weak. It's just who they are.
So, connecting all of that, if I can get relaxation, I get their brain, if I get their brain, I get learning and listening. That is the sweet spot that horses tune in and listen to their body. My calling attention to the areas of their discomfort is uncomfortable for awhile and then there is the release. They let go of their pain. As they release, there is less pain, as there is less pain, there is more relaxation. As they get more relaxation and less pain, they trust me more and look for more releasing.

It takes a bit to gain horses trust. Especially where pain and vulnerability is involved. It is why I love what I do. It's like a dance. They trust me and they feel better and ask for more. The energy work sets in at the soul level and we fly together.

I say it's like unpeeling an onion, one layer at a time. Give it time, they are sensitive and guarded. Let them learn their body and how they can help themselves.

It's not a sprint, it's a marathon!

I tell my clients that watching me work is sometimes like watching paint dry! It looks like I am not doing anything. Trust that there is alot going on in the conversation between me and your horse.

Thank you to all the horses and owners who trust me with their pain and vulnerability. I cherish and protect every moment.🥰

18/03/2025

New article on thermal imaging and equipment variances on my website: http://www.yourhorseinconnectedbalance.com/articles-of-interest.html

12/03/2025

Celebrating 10 years as an equine bodyworker this year. I look back and thank all the owners trainers and especially the horses who contributed to my growth and learning. All my current clients benefit from you all ❤️❤️❤️❤️

04/03/2025

A client session today reminded me of a part of the equine body that is highly ignored but extremely important. It is the Hyoid Apparatus. Hidden in the jaw of the horse, it's mainly known as working with the tongue and airways. However, many do not realize that the hyoid is connected to the horse basically from the nose to the tail!
This tiny little apparatus is a big contributor to tension in the jaw, tmj, and neck. Despite its small size, dysfunction of the hyoid bone can have extensive effects on a horse’s gait and performance, especially during exercise. This often manifests as the horse's tendency to go behind the bit to alleviate tongue pressure and reduce tension in the neck’s ventral muscles.

You should be attentive to some of these signs, as they may indicate Hyoid restrictions in your horse:

Mouth pain or difficulty accepting the bit

Changes in gait, Reluctance to move forward or engage the hindquarters

Holding their head to one side when ridden

Difficulty swallowing

Incorrect canter lead

One-sided chewing

Head shaking or tossing

Struggling to soften onto the bit

Preference for one rein over the other

Teeth grinding

Opening their mouth when ridden

22/02/2025