Crescent Moon Equine Bodywork

04/28/2026

💉PSA💉 if you’re noticing a lot more mayflies this year, it’s worth paying attention to!

I’ve been seeing a huge increase (more than usual around this time) of them in Missouri and while they seem harmless, they’re associated with Potomac Horse Fever.

For anyone unfamiliar, PHF is caused by the bacteria Neorickettsia risticii and is linked to aquatic insects most commonly mayflies and caddisflies.

Horses get infected by ingesting these insects, usually through contaminated water, hay, or feed. So if you’re finding bugs in your troughs right now, it’s something to at least be aware of.

Some common symptoms associated with PHF include diarrhea, fever, mild colic, and in some cases, laminitis. It can come on fairly quickly and isn’t something I’d personally want to gamble with.

At the very least, it might be a good time to think about vaccination (if you haven't done so already),keep an eye on water sources, and just stay a little more aware of any changes in your horse.

04/24/2026

Compensation = coping and adapting.
Take that away, and it shows up as behavior.
The moment we sit on a horse, we change their entire system. So if they feel fine on the ground but become reactive or inconsistent under saddle, it’s worth asking what’s driving that rather than pushing through it.
Food for thought and a very interesting post.

Beyond Behaviour (Part 1): The Internal Factors Driving Horse Performance

If you’ve been following along with my Collectable Advice series, you may have noticed I disappeared. Not dramatically. More in a “somewhere in Western Australia, covered in dust, horses, and catching up with good friends” kind of way.

So let me make up for it by a longer post with some important ideas.

This is something I believe is one of the most overlooked aspects of horse behaviour and performance.

Three years ago, I bought an Equestic Saddle Clip (see first comment for details). I come from a research background, so I like measuring things. It allows you to test assumptions, experiment and explore observations.🤓

The clip analyses a few aspects of motion but for this post I want to focus on its ability to examine trot symmetry. It can reveal the rhythm, landing force, and push-off between diagonal pairs.

I assumed riders would make horses more asymmetrical.

The data showed the opposite.

Horses consistently became MORE symmetrical when ridden.🤔

That sounds like improvement.

It isn’t always.😎

Around the same time, I came across Tami Elkayam, who helped shift how I see the horse’s body.❤

Horses are not designed to be straight. Asymmetry is normal. The goal is not straightness, but function, adaptability and ambidexterity.

This is where compensation comes in.

Compensation is not a flaw. It is how the horse maintains balance and avoids discomfort.

But when the cause remains, compensation becomes a pattern. Load shifts. Strain builds. Movement becomes less efficient.

What starts as a solution becomes a limitation and can eventually snowball into injury.

The clip showed me something I could not unsee and Tami helped me appreciate and respect it.

How a horse moves when it has choice, and how that changes when we take that choice away when we ride them.

This example is one case. One horse. One snapshot.

The horse did not appear lame. The concerns were behavioural, particularly contact and canter.

On the ground, the horse showed a clear difference between diagonals in the landing phase of trot. Around 19 percent, which is significant. The clip developers recommend any horse with a difference greater than 8% to seek veterinary assessment.

Under saddle, that difference almost disappeared.

The horse has produced a graph that is more symmetrical.

But the horse did not suddenly become sound.

The horse became constrained.

On the ground, the horse organised its body in a way that allowed it to cope by compensating.

Under saddle, that choice narrowed.

The rider introduced load and restriction. The horse reorganised because it had to.

The result was the horse forced to move with greater symmetry.

But not necessarily comfort or function and hence the deterioration of behaviour under saddle.

This is the blind spot.

Most people assess their horse under saddle.

But the moment you sit on a horse, you change the system.

You reduce its ability to compensate.

Movement becomes more organised, often more symmetrical.

But what we are seeing is what the horse can produce under constraint, not how it actually functions.

The bigger the difference between those two states, the more pressure is placed on the system.

And that pressure shows up as behaviour.

Spooky. Sensitive. Rushy. Reluctant. Inconsistent. Resistant. Difficult.

Not attitude.

Coping.😕

This is why it can vary day to day.

Surface, workload, fatigue, gut comfort, and environment all influence what the horse can tolerate.
The window shifts.

The behaviour follows.

Sometimes, without meaning to, we create the problem.

We guide the horse into a posture that is technically desirable, but not yet tolerable. We reduce its ability to compensate and increase the load on areas it has been protecting.

And then we call the response a behaviour problem.

I want to be clear - Good training matters. Clarity matters. Reducing external tension matters. This is a big part of helping horses.

It is what I do.

But it is not the whole picture.

If there is an internal issue, training sits on top of it.

It may help, but many times it is not enough because it may not remove the cause.

This is where we get it wrong.

We focus on what we see and overlook what the horse is experiencing.

Then we mislabel the result.

A horse that is restricted and compensating becomes “naughty” or “difficult” or "sensitive".

It is neither.

It is coping.

So when the supplement, the pole work, or the latest gadget does not fix the problem, pause.

Those tools are not necessarily the issue.

But if the root cause remains, adding more DEMAND will not solve it.

It will often make it WORSE.

Before you add something new, ask:

What is the horse already managing?

Because real change comes from understanding the WHOLE system.

Inside and out.

Because sometimes riding a horse and forcing it to move more symmetrically is magnifying their struggle.

Collectable Advice 198/365. Please hit SHARE or SAVE. Please do not copy and paste.

04/23/2026

Schaeffer Bodyworks, LLC came out to work on Romancé today, and I always value the opportunity to learn from other professionals and hear different perspectives. Romancé has been a bit of a kryptonite case for me when it comes to bodywork, so it was incredibly informative to hear April’s thoughts but also really validating. It reassured me that what I’ve been seeing and feeling isn’t something I’ve made up in my head.

I tend to get a bit tunnel visioned when it comes to my own horses, I just want to fix everything, and that can make it hard to stay objective and to keep things within a realistic timeframe that honors my horse’s tolerance for bodywork. Having another set of experienced eyes brought both clarity and confidence, and, more than anything, a renewed sense of hope for Romancé’s future that he can truly find comfort again, both physically and emotionally.

Thank you, April, for sharing your knowledge and insight. Romancé and I are both looking forward to continuing to work with you.

04/20/2026

‼️Trigger warning on graphic pictures from the dissection‼️

I’m finally able to sit down and process and write out the key takeaways from this past dissection. Not only did I learn so much about the horse and their inner workings, but I also found myself in a room full of formidable women, each of whom I learned from through their kindness, grace, and depth of knowledge.

Here are my 7 key takeaways from a weekend I will never forget.

1. Fascia is EVERYWHERE. When someone says “it’s all connected,” it’s because it truly is and that connection happens largely through fascia. Fascia plays a critical role in communication between muscles and soft tissue, and it can also be the structure behind a cascade of dysfunction. Something that starts in the neck, for example, can begin influencing the hind end and everything in between. It’s equal parts fascinating, infuriating, and almost magical in how interconnected it all is.

2. The hind end muscles are massive and boy are they heavy! That might sound obvious, but physically holding even a portion of a single muscle really drives it home. When you look at the hind end in functional terms, the pelvis is a large bony structure with significant forces acting on it. There’s substantial weight and pressure pushing down and inward, with relatively less structural support pushing outward, especially when you factor in the dynamic forces created through movement and engagement of those large muscle groups. Altogether, it’s an incredible amount of force being managed through that framework.

Something Becks is currently studying is focused around pelvic dysfunction and her knowledge really expanded my understanding of just how complex and influential the hind end is.

3. The front leg really is just “holding on for dear life” (not literally, but functionally). Horses don’t have a bony attachment between the front limb and the rest of the body, it’s suspended entirely through soft tissue connections, with fascia and muscular support making up the thoracic sling. I understood this concept before, but seeing it firsthand and being able to visually see how the thoracic sling functions added a completely new layer of understanding.

4. The body can adapt in order to function better. Critter’s body was a clear testament to that. He had a significant amount of dysfunction present, yet his body had adapted in ways that allowed him to continue functioning and compensating over time.
For example, he had kissing spines in the T14–T18 region, where some of the dorsal spinous processes (DSPs) had begun to tilt laterally to create more space. In some cases, DSPs may even be influenced or recruited in a way that shifts their functional role more toward stabilization and support, depending on the demands placed on the body.

On top of that, Critter had likely experienced a rotational fall earlier in life, which resulted in visible trauma to the spleen that had since healed but created a kind of crater. Adhesions were also very present throughout his body, forming as a means of stabilization. It is essentially the body’s way of creating additional support in areas under strain or previous injury.

It’s still a concept I’m wrapping my head around, but it really highlighted just how remarkable the body is, and how much adaptation can occur over the course of a lifetime.

5. The anatomy and physiology of the horse is still very much being researched. I was in a room full of top professionals, people who have dedicated years of their lives to studying equine biomechanics and anatomy, and was still met with a lot of “I don’t knows.” And honestly, it was incredibly humbling and deeply appreciated.

Many of these women are actively invested in continuing to learn, dig deeper, and expand our understanding in hopes of eventually answering those unknowns. I have a great deal of respect for educators and professionals who are willing to openly acknowledge what we don’t yet understand, while still being motivated enough to keep searching for answers.

6. Collaboration over competition, every day. I really witnessed how powerful and beautiful collaboration can be. Many women shared their experiences openly, and others offered insight, perspective, and support in return. Sometimes it wasn’t even directly about horses, but about the realities of running a business and navigating the industry as a whole.

Everyone at this dissection was incredibly uplifting and willing to share knowledge, troubleshoot difficult cases, and support one another without hesitation. It was a reminder that the horse community can’t continue to grow in a meaningful, positive way if we remain in a constant state of competition.

Collaboration is what moves things forward and this weekend made that unmistakably clear.

7. Horses are one of the most forgiving animals. They can carry far more pain and dysfunction than we are often aware of, while still continuing to show up and try. Critter was a clear example of this because despite significant underlying issues, he remained the sweetest gentleman.

As prey animals, horses are wired to stay stoic and mask vulnerability for survival. Because of that, when they suddenly become more reactive, “aggressive,” or labeled as “naughty,” it is often not attitude, it is communication, and frequently a response to discomfort or pain. Behavior is their only language, and when subtler signals aren’t recognized or understood, that communication can escalate into something louder.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: listen to your horse. They don’t operate from ego, and they don’t understand concepts like “being an asshole” or “respect” in the way humans often project onto them. They are simply trying to communicate what is happening in their body the only way they can.

I want to thank Ciara Crawford of Sozo Equine, LLC for her bravery and vulnerability. It takes immense strength to share such a personal part of your life and work in this way, and it’s truly inspired me to consider doing the same with my own horses one day. You handled everything with such grace, gentleness, and care.

I also want to thank Critter for living with such forgiveness and softness, even when he didn’t have to, and for allowing us the opportunity to learn from his life. As Becks Nairn said, “there’s no reason for a horse to take their secrets to the grave.” Thank you for sharing those secrets with us. ❤️

04/14/2026

This was just one of the really eye opening moments for me of just how forgiving these animals are. Despite everything, Critter maintained a sweet and gentle demeanor. We really don't deserve these beautiful creatures. But this is what inspires me to keep learning and advocating.

04/13/2026

That’s a wrap on one of the most incredible and eye opening experiences of my life.
More to come on what I learned, but my biggest takeaway is this: horses are unbelievably forgiving.
They keep showing up for us, pushing through, trying, and giving long after their bodies are asking them not to.
So when a horse is “acting up,” maybe pause and listen.
They might not be misbehaving, they might be communicating.
Give them the same grace they offer us every single day.

04/10/2026

Fascia chains are a magical thing 🙌

04/10/2026

Today I’m heading to Springfield, MO for my second whole horse dissection, and I couldn’t be more excited.

My first dissection was in college during my equine anatomy class, and honestly, I was in complete shock at the sheer size of everything, being able to hold a heart in my hands… it was incredible, but I don’t think I absorbed nearly as much as I wanted to in that moment.

Now that the shock factor is out of the way, I’m excited to really dig in, take my time, and learn on a much deeper level, continuing to build on my anatomy knowledge through hands on experience that will only make me better for the horses I work with.

On top of that, I get to spend the weekend surrounded by some truly incredible women in equine bodywork and the farrier world, many of whom have inspired me to keep learning, growing, and pushing forward.

I’m going in with an open mind and a real hunger to learn as much as I can to bring back and share with all of you.

Cheers to horses and badass women. 🖤

04/07/2026

Saturday I finally had time to do some bodywork on my own horse, something I don’t get to do nearly enough.

I even recorded the session, hoping to catch some big, obvious releases from Romancé… because that’s what people expect to see if you want to be considered a “good” bodyworker.

But after coming back from my little hiatus, I’m being reminded of something really important:
It’s not about the big releases. It’s about the subtle ones.

The ones that are easy to miss, a soft blink, a small head twitch, a deepening breath.

Those are the moments that tell me the work is landing. That the horse is truly feeling it. Processing it. Letting their nervous system unwind layer by layer.

To most people, it probably looks boring.
But to the horse, something profound is happening.

Romancé didn’t offer a lot of big releases right away and honestly, that was the best part. We did two techniques… and then he spent the next 15 minutes just processing.
(And don’t worry, I didn’t make you watch all 15 minutes!)

But if you watch closely, you’ll see it:
the lip twitch, the head movement, the soft eyes, the deeper blinks, the breathing.
That’s the work.

After his processing, he did end up giving the big releases but this was a good reminder to myself that it's not always about that.

Also, don’t mind how scruffy he looks, it rained earlier and he fully committed to being a mud monster 😅

06/05/2025

When switching feeds, protein and fat percentages are the least important things on the tag!

Here’s what I look at—in order of importance:

Ingredient List
Guaranteed Analysis
Feeding Directions

Let’s break it down:

1. Ingredient List
Are the ingredients clearly listed (e.g., beet pulp, alfalfa meal), or are they grouped under vague terms like “processed grain by-products”?
Collective terms = ingredient changes based on commodity prices.

2. Guaranteed Analysis
Only nutrients listed under the guaranteed analysis on the product tag (not just the website) are regulated and must be present at those levels—they’re testable and enforceable by law.

The more items guaranteed, the more nutritional quality the company is backing.
Marketing may promote “digestive support,” but unless ingredients like probiotics are in the guaranteed analysis, there’s no guarantee they’re viable post-manufacture (this is called tag dressing).
Note: Don’t compare nutrient levels without first comparing feeding rates—context matters!

3. Feeding Directions
These tell you how much to feed to meet the vitamin and mineral needs.

Example:
If a feed recommends 6 lbs/day for a 1000 lb horse and you’re feeding only 3 lbs, you’re delivering half the nutrition. Choosing a feed with a lower recommended feeding rate can be more cost-effective and appropriate.

A feed with a 3 lb/day rate vs. 6 lb/day dramatically affects both nutrition and cost. Lower feeding rates should have higher nutrient concentrations to make up the difference.

Organic Minerals
Organic forms (e.g., zinc methionine complex) are far more bioavailable than inorganic ones (e.g., zinc oxide).

Are organics listed before inorganics? If not, it may just be tag dressing. This is a deep topic, but placement matters!