Mebane Equine Bodyworks

10/31/2025

Sunny and I are enjoying the sun today on this briskly Halloween day! 🎃 👻

10/30/2025

I am sure somewhere in the 7000 photos I have on my phone that I have a before picture, but here is a current picture of this mare’s posture today. For the last eight months, this mare has been going in the Smart Elite Dressage saddle by SMART Saddles SMART Saddles USA. When she started in it, she was downhill and much narrower with atrophy in her shoulders because *everything* would slide up on her shoulders and wither. Fellow friend and fitter Mary Bowless reached out asking if I thought a Smart Saddle would be a good option, and I remember telling her I couldn’t promise it wouldn’t slide up, but I *could* promise that even if it did, it would not interfere with her range of motion thanks to the fully flexible base and design. This pony was immediately happier and every time I’m out for bodywork, I notice tremendous improvement and now we’re getting her into her true body posture. I’m a big fan of these saddles and they are what I personally ride in!

10/28/2025

Hey mom, your hat looks and smells clean, sure would be a shame if we were to…..wipe our mouths on it….

10/24/2025

This is the truth. As a classically trained (and continuing to train) rider, I apply these principles to my bodywork and saddle fitting. These principles don’t jive with everyone, and that’s fine. Some people don’t like to hear how crooked their horse is, the work it will take make those changes, that no, it’s not the saddle that’s crooked. Or no, those injections aren’t going to help your horse at all without making these other changes in how you are riding. But this is what works to create happier, sounder horses. In 30 years of riding horses, not a single one of my horses has ever been back sore. I’ve never had mystery lamenesses, or ulcers. I’ve only ever injected one joint, didn’t like the results. (Doesn’t mean there aren’t good uses for injections, want to make it clear I’m not anti-injection, I’m anti doing it and we’re not really sure why we’re doing it and we’re not making other changes to avoid needing more).

It’s a lot of work to learn how to put a horse together correctly. At times it can be very, very boring. But, your horse be happier and healthier and sounder for the long haul.

Is Classical Dressage Competitive?
Absolutely. JJ just won two FEI classes at Dressage at Devon, proof that classical principles hold up in the competition arena at the highest levels. 🏆✨

That said, classical training isn’t always the fastest or flashiest path. Sometimes it takes longer, sometimes it isn’t fully rewarded on a given day, and sometimes the correct ride scores lower than it should. That’s the nature of showing horses to human judges. But in the long run, riding with true correctness creates a bond like no other, with sounder, happier horses, and that is real success.

And here’s the most important part: you don’t have to compete for your riding to be valid. The joy of classical dressage is that it offers meaning whether you’re in the show ring or in your own backyard. Training for harmony, connection, and the love of the horse is always worthwhile. ❤️🐴

10/23/2025

Here’s an inside look into one of my recent lessons. If you attended my Wine & Equine seminar or have had a biomechanics workshop with me, some of what you’ll hear will sound familiar, and you can see it applied.

10/18/2025

Today was one of those breakthrough sessions that was so magical that it makes everything all worth it, and that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. This is Social. He’s special. He’s 19, had carried the weight of his world in his head. Normally, I’m fighting his teeth, stomps on my feet, threats of double barreling me off my bale. I’ve never been able to get near his head or face. I was gradually getting closer. But today, today was the day, he finally let me in. Not once did he pin his ears, strike at me, try to bite me, try to kick me. When he started to get unsure, he just buried his head in my chest for reassurance. I touched anywhere I wanted. I held his head. I kissed his forehead. He finally started to unravel those layers of tension he’s been holding onto for years. Almost brought me to tears. It took a long time and A LOT of patience to let him know I’d meet him where he is. His eyes were the darkest, largest, softest I had ever seen them, he looked 10 years younger at the end of the session. *We don’t get to dictate others timetables of trust or change*. I just had to be there with consistency and kindness and patience to prove I was worth trusting. ❤️

*Also, special shoutout to revita vet for making a great red light poll cap. He had been using this consistently since our previous session and that helped ease some tension to prepare him for letting me in. I want to note that while he still had it on, it was not active while I was working on him, I do not do two modalities at once. You an overstimulate the body, I need to be able to read his reactions and signals.

10/18/2025

My horse, not pleased I was there for someone else 😂

10/18/2025

Oh my dear clients, this is what I’m talking about when we have discussions on under run heels and why the toe LOOKS longer than it actually is. The foot is getting drug forward. If you just whack off toe WITHOUT consideration of where the heel *actually* is, you decrease the surface area your horse needs to balance and support their large bodies.

We have a huge problem of where the usual remedy in this area is to cut off the toe and slap on wedges when the problem was the trim the whole time—and changing the trim is the necessary remedy.

10/18/2025

A little straighten, a little forward, a little straighten, and a little forward to help Glimmer relearn her basics and and really simplify the aid to just go forward at the walk, but also the reassurance that I’m not going to interfere with that concept yet. The only expectation right now is to go when I give the “go” aid. Progress 💪

10/16/2025

Making progress 💪