Chestnut Bay Equine & Canine Sports Massage & Bodywork

08/03/2025

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08/03/2025

Made an infographic for all of the people in the comments of the last post trying to deny the physics of how draw reins work.

No matter how “experienced” the rider is, draw reins are still a pulley system.

When a rider applies ANY pressure to the draw rein, it will pull the horse’s head to the direction of the other fixed point of the draw rein, which no matter whether they’re connected to the breastplate, saddle billets or Center of the girth results in the head being pulled down and inward.

Regardless of how you use draw reins, this is how the mechanics of pressure applied works.

If you’re going to use equipment, it’s important to actually understand HOW it works because being in denial of physics doesn’t change the experience for the horse.

If you don’t want your horse to have pressure pulling their nose in towards the chest, don’t use draw reins.

When you pull back or apply pressure to the draw rein, it pulls downward because you’re tightening the rein and thereby shortening the distance to the other fixed point of the draw rein, which pulls the head down and in.

07/22/2025

"The best riders don't just ride – they study their horses and make the effort to understand them." - Ariat Athlete and 4x Olympian Boyd Martin

07/04/2025

What can YOU do?

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

06/04/2025

When we shift our mindset about the behaviour of our horses from that of negativity - He’s being bad/ ignorant/ stupid - to difficulty - he doesn’t understand, he’s physically unable, he’s anxious/ overwhelmed, he’s confused - we’re able to break the cycle of punishing the behaviour and instead start helping our horses overcome their struggle.

This can, and should be applied to even the smallest of tasks such as:
Standing square - physical discomfort and/or imbalance, regardless of whether it stems from the body or feet, could make this seemingly simple task impossible for the horse.

Haltering - Pain in the poll, dental issues, tension, pinched nerves or discomfort anywhere around the head/neck could make even wearing a halter painful.

Picking up feet - Again, any imbalances or dysfunction in the body could make it seem like your horse “doesn’t like” having their feet picked up/held up, but in reality the horse either physically can’t offer you the foot at all, or for more than a few seconds.

Grooming - Biting, shying, pinning ears while grooming are clear indications of discomfort in the body, and can even be warning signs for ulcers.

We’ve said it before and we will say it again, regardless of how simple of an ask you believe it to be, every answer your horse gives you is the right one.

That doesn’t mean it’s the answer that you want, but it’s the answer you need in order to help your horse, and most of the time it’s a pain issue, not a training or behavioural issue.

06/04/2025

Massage day at Star Hollow Stables ✨

05/26/2025

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04/23/2025

Soaking in the sunshine today ☀️

04/20/2025

Happy Easter 🤍

He is Risen! 🙌🏼

We hope y’all enjoy this beautiful day with your friends & family!

04/08/2025

Rainy day massages to start the week off 🌧️

04/03/2025

Pretty accurate these days 😂

03/30/2025