Equilibrium Equine Bodywork

09/03/2025

So, what am I getting at?

I’ve been a horse girl my whole life. I perched on the back of a little Welsh pony before my legs even reached the bottom of the saddle flaps. My bedroom walls were plastered with Horse & Pony magazine posters. My biggest dream was to grow up, live in the country, and have horses of my own (check!). Horses have always been the thing that carried me through the hard times.

But here’s the thing. I’m not just a horse lover. I’ve been lucky enough to make this my work. For over a decade I’ve been learning everything I can about equine bodywork and biomechanics. How horses are supposed to move, what goes wrong, and how to keep them strong and sound for the long haul.

And then there’s social media. My feed is wall-to-wall horses. High level dressage. Explosive barrel runs. Everything in between. But I’ve noticed something I can’t unsee. More and more, I see horses being moved in ways that will break them down. Movements that create pain instead of freedom. Even at the very top of the sport. The worst part? Those movements are being rewarded. World Champions. Gold Medallists. Smiling faces around a horse who is probably already chronically lame. Injections have become the norm at many barns. Some barns have "Injection Day" like it's a monthly celebration.

I can’t just keep scrolling by. I can’t pretend it doesn’t matter.

So here it is. Every great journey begins with a single step, and this is mine: The Sound Horse Project.

This isn’t about any one breed or discipline. It’s not about ribbons or medals. It’s about every horse, at every age, and keeping them sound as they grow older.

Here’s how it works. You send in a video of your horse. I assess it using my unique BiomEq scoring system. You get a score, plus feedback on how to improve. You can follow up with me weeks or months later and see if your score has changed, and how. It's a ladder to longevity for your horse.

What’s the prize? Honestly, it’s knowing you’re giving your horse the best chance at a long and comfortable life. That’s it. No money. No medals. Just sound horses.

If that speaks to you, welcome. You’re in the right place. There will be more information soon.

08/28/2025

Facebook tells me I’ve not posted here in over a year. Anybody who cares about algorithms would think my business was dead. Quite the opposite. I’m still working on horses, but I’m not chasing barns full of competition riders or attending big events. I’m not adding the latest gadget to my tool box. I don’t even take my box with me any longer. Just my hands, and my trusty fascia tool. I’ve been tending to a handful of difficult, curious cases. Extreme injuries, or indeterminate lameness. Quirky ways of going. Unusual behavior that’s slowly exacerbating. And I’ve been coaching riders as they ease their horses into more productive biomechanics.

And that’s where my new idea came in. I’m working on it slowly. This isn’t going to be the Next Big Thing, but I do hope it’s a thing for everybody. It’s called The Sound Horse Project, and I want you to be part of it.

07/02/2024

Some things I’ve heard during coaching sessions:

“This feels so amazing.”

“I love this.”

“She seems so happy. I think she really enjoys this work!”

“I’ve stopped fighting him.”

“He is getting stronger.”

“I didn’t know my horse could do that!”

“When can you come back?”

Bodywork is amazing, but when you are riding your horse with biomechanical soundness at the front and center, that’s when things get really, really magical. I can help you. Whether you do dressage or run barrels, eventing or cow work, your horse is a horse and we can find that sweet spot of freedom and power. Message me to get on my schedule (and it’s filling up…)

And just a cool old picture, because I’ve always wanted to try side-saddle.

06/10/2024

I often feel inadequate.

There are the equine therapists who have trademarked their programs and sell their education for thousands of dollars. There are the therapists who tout their self-taught skills and unique methods, and have amassed a huge following and a large client base. There are the therapists who post about the intricacies of anatomy and kinesiology, lymphatics and neurology, and they spill technical terminology as easily as my kids spill their water. There are the therapists who embody that ethereal, magical side of what we do and have the time to do glamorous photo shoots. There are the therapists who meticulously document their “before and after” progress, who mark up their images so we can see the dramatic changes. There are the therapists who share their creative and colorful kinesiotaping work.

And I am not any of those therapists. What even do I do? I lug my box of “tools” with me to every appointment, and invariably I only use my hands. I hardly ever take photos, and if I do, it’s usually pictures of the feet to share with my farrier husband for his input. Do I have a method? A program I could sell?

No… None of that. And I’ve tried. I’ve tried to be like all those other therapists.

But I’m not like them. When I meet a horse for a session, I go into another place where I cannot document a simple before and after. I cannot spell out my method, or my unique techniques. I step in to that enormous electromagnetic field that pulses from the horse’s heart, and I ask humbly if there is anything I can do to help. I offer to listen. I hold space. I suggest that they put aside the burdens they have been carrying. I help them to process pain, but also memories and emotions.

Yes, I use my hands. I do massage, and myofascial release, trigger points, and all those lovely buzz words. I know how to do those things. If all you are looking for is a well-skilled manual therapist, I am absolutely qualified. My box is full of gadgets and colorful tape.

But that’s not what I’m doing when I work. I am exploring a landscape of bones and soft tissue, navigating around nerves and networks of fascia, and feeling - really feeling - through the horse’s body for any clues about how I can help. My hands sometimes take on a life of their own. They will stay in one place even though I think I have done what I can, and if I stay with them and wait, invariably we find a new level of release for the horse. I find strange little swirls in the fascia that seem innocuous enough until I follow them and find just how far-reaching they are. Sometimes I feel compelled to move to a specific spot even though it does not flow in the sequence I intended. But that’s where I will find what we are looking for.

Sometimes I receive thoughts and feelings and memories that do not belong to me. Sometimes a horse is afraid to go to that place in their complex inner world until they feel sure that I can help them through it. Sometimes they have been waiting for me to arrive, and before we begin they are already working on their bodies. Some horses wait for me to leave before they can fully absorb the work. Some horses try to come with me, and I still feel them as I move through my day. Some have been screaming about their struggles and I must help them remember what it is to feel quiet. Some have held everything inside and I must help them to let a little of it out.

How do you write this down? How do I describe this in anatomical terms? You can see it when I am finished: the change in the body is clearly visible. The yawns and the licking and chewing are sure signs. The sudden need to scratch as sensation is restored. The change in the eyes. That much is easy to identify. But how can I possibly explain how it feels when a horse begins to deeply unwind from just a light touch on their head? How do I explain this sensation that I have of the release before it happens? I know it is in there, and I can feel it coming to the surface like a great bubble in a deep lake.

How do I capture this for social media? How can I ever turn this strange and wonderful journey into the incredible business that I see other people creating? Perhaps I can’t. Perhaps all I can do is keep showing up for the horses and doing what I do.

And perhaps that is enough.

05/16/2024

Spring is in full swing which means we are training for the season! Make 2024 your best season yet by supporting your horse’s training regime with therapeutic bodywork.

www.equilibriumequinebodywork.com

Regular bodywork means:
💥 Improved ease of movement - and that means faster runs, bigger jumps, better scores
💥 Injury prevention - a supple musculature can accommodate unusual stresses and reduce the likelihood of injury from a slip or fall
💥 Improved balance - which means more athletic movement is available, and less wear and tear on your farrier 😉
💥 Improved circulation - for faster recovery, better oxygenation, a shinier coat, and healthier feet
🤯 And that’s just the start…

I have some availability in my schedule and I would love to be on your team this year! I have a decade of bodywork experience under my belt, as well as a lifetime of horsemanship. Let’s make this your BEST season yet.

Equilibrium Equine Bodywork
www.equilibriumequinebodywork.com

Fully licensed in Washington State, per state requirements.

02/05/2024

I have just launched my new online learning portal at my website: https://www.equilibriumequinebodywork.com/the-enclave

This is the new home of my Equine Cupping Therapy course for bodyworkers, and will soon host new courses as I get them up and running. Some of these will be directed at horse owners, and some will be for bodyworkers. I hope to have a little something for everybody!

Take a peek, and sign up for my mailing list while you are there for advance access and exclusive discounts. Time to grow!!

The Enclave“Enclave - a place or group that is different in character from those surrounding it.” Equine Cupping Therapy for Bodyworkers $99.00 One time $25.00 For 5 months A detailed course for bodywork practitioners to successfully add safe and effective cupping therapy to their services. Sign...

01/24/2024

I've been a little quiet here because, well... Life happens. I just wanted to put up a little note to let you know what I'm working on!

🧡 Migrating my Cupping course materials to my own (updated!) website to make it accessible and affordable

💛 Writing new course materials!

💚 Working to restore my human license so I can open a human practice to serve my community even more

💙 Writing a MEGA POST about everything that's on my heart about this work I do with horses.

🩵 Surviving winter 🥶

💜 Raising kids and caring for my family

🤍 Learning about myself and what I'm capable of

09/12/2023

There’s the saying: Be the change you want to see in the world.

I can do bodywork all day, but it doesn’t help if the way your horse works is not supporting the goals too.

I’m now offering coaching with biomechanical soundness as the focus.

Teaching you and your horse what true collection feels like. Strengthening your partnership and bodies. Finding the perfect balance.

This is not coaching for:
* Winning points from judges
* Looking like the AQHA or FEI “champions”
* “Perfect” equitation

This is coaching for:
* Protecting your horse’s soundness
* Honoring your horse’s body and respecting his structural integrity
* Building healthy movement patterns

Ready to feel like you’re flying? Message me to set up a coaching session. Starting at $50.

07/25/2023

It’s official! I am BACK IN THE SADDLE!

I’m ready to see your beautiful horses for bodywork sessions. With a decade of experience, I work with your horse to undo unhelpful patterns of tension and improve his sense of ease in his movement. Complementary therapies add proprioceptive input, lymphatic stimulation, and greater releases.

One price: $100 per horse. Travel fees are gone!

To book or ask questions, message my page or text 360-594-8993!

01/24/2023

This is a fascinating view of a “sprung pelvis”, and she makes a great point at the end that we never really know what a horse might be dealing with under the soft tissues. I suffered with sprung pelvis through both my pregnancies and it was completely debilitating - I can only imagine how it feels for a horse who can’t express their experience the same way.

08/02/2022

Here’s some great information about tendon injury rehab.

Just want to add: try not to cook your horse’s tendons in boots. Only use boots or wraps when absolutely necessary and remove them promptly. Heat + tendons = bad times.

When horses sustain a soft tissue injury, the first point of call has often been to use box rest. But is this the best option when managing a tendinopathy? ⁣
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A tendinopathy is an overuse injury of the tendon. While there is still much we don’t know about managing them, there are a few things that human research tells us. ⁣
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1) Tendinopathy doesn’t improve with rest. Pain may settle but typically returns once activity resumes.
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2) Exercise is currently the most evidence based treatment for tendinopathy in humans. Tendons need to be loaded progressively so that they can develop greater tolerance to the loads that are placed on them. In humans we see that the vast majority of cases tendinopathy will not improve without this vital load stimulus. Is this why there is a low success rate in horses?⁣
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3) Modifying load is important in settling tendon pain. This often involves reducing (at least in the short-term) loads that involves energy storage and compression. In a horse this involves activities like higher speed, jumping, repeated transitions.⁣
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4) Tendinopathy rarely improves long term with only passive treatments such as massage, therapeutic ultrasound, injections, shock-wave therapy, laser etc. Exercise and load management are the key factors and passive treatments are adjuncts to help manage pain. ⁣
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5) Exercise needs to be individualised. There is no recipe and exercise should be prescribed based on factors such as horse age, discipline, and owner’s goals and expectations. ⁣
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6) Tendinopathy doesn’t resolve in a hurry. You need to have patience, ensure that exercise is correct and progressed appropriately, and try and resist the common temptation to accept ‘short cuts’. Be advised on the best form of treatment from your vet and qualified rehab practitioners. ⁣
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Interested to learn more about tendon load? Make sure to be following us as we’ll be sharing some videos throughout the week.⁣
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