Bodywork 4 Horses

09/26/2025

💙💙💙

09/12/2025

If there's one thing this work continues to teach me, it's that horses are like a language.

Once you learn to speak it, it becomes a lot easier to help them in their bodies and their minds.

When the body doesn't feel good that shows up in behavior.

When we know how to interpret behavior, we know how to communicate with the horse and how to help.

When we understand their needs at a basic level, it helps us provide what they need for homeostasis.

When we understand how the body works, we know how to help prevent injury and keep them sound.

and the list goes on...

Horses will never cease to both intrigue and surprise me. I learn something new from every one that crosses my path. ❤️

https://abequinetherapy.com/academy/

09/11/2025

This month I am celebrating 20 years since I graduated Massage school at LHAA and also 20 years since I completed my first Equine Massage Course out at the Kentucky Horse Park!

I knew prior to moving to Kentucky and enrolling at the University of Louisville’s Equine program that I wanted to get into equine massage someday.

Like many careers it has been far from a linear path to get to where I am today, but I can confidently say I have maintained the same passion from day one!

What drives me is to purely connect with horses and at the very least offer them a source of healing energy/therapeutic touch to help them maintain balance in their bodies. Horses that are performance athletes are placed under both mental and physical stress, and I am very passionate that we owe it to them to provide therapy tools to keep them sound and happy.

It’s crazy this first picture is the very first horse that I massaged. A ginormous Friesian stallion. And the next picture is one of my favorite memories of my lifetime, my first massage on a racehorse named Emmy’s Storm. She was trained by Neil Pessin who let me do an externship massage on her prior to her race. He then invited me out to Keeneland to watch the race and when she had an amazing comeback victory, he invited me into the winners circle.

Little did I know that his sister was actually one of my massage school instructors who had also invited my Equine massage instructor to the races that day. So crazy enough when we got to the winner circle, It was a wild surprise to see us all there. Definitely one of my most treasured photos.

From backyard ponies/horses as I call them to upper level Dressage horses to the hundreds of thoroughbreds (G1 winners to claimers)… I am so grateful for all of my clients and the lessons that they have taught me throughout the years.

I look forward to many more years to come as an Equine therapist/massage therapist and continuing to follow my passion.

🐴🙌🏻💆🏻‍♀️🏇❤️

09/03/2025

Excellent testimonial about this wonderful product! Ask me how it can be added to your horse’s next bodywork session!

08/22/2025

Your Horse’s “Knees” (Stifles) Deserve Way More Attention 🎯

We talk about our knees all the time, right? (Heck, 55+ million people have knee pain!) But how often do we think about our horses’ knees, aka their stifles?

🚀 Here’s the thing: the stifle is basically your horse’s power joint. It’s their knee that drives every stride, stop, rollback, and turn. And honestly? It’s one of the most ignored joints in the horse world simply because it’s hard to diagnose.

🔑Why it matters (and why I care so much):
• Sliding stops, quick turns, even one wrong slip can put major strain on that joint.
• When stifles hurt, horses compensate like crazy—tight muscles, short strides, crooked movement, and uneven hoof wear (hello, outside or inside heels wearing faster).
• I’ve seen it time and time again: horses with stifle pain often also have poor hind angles, negative plantar angles (NPA). The hoof tells the story.

🌀But it’s not just bones and joints, it’s fascia chains too. The stifle ties into the Superficial Back Line (think glutes, hamstrings, down to the hock and into the hoof) and the Spiral Line (which wraps around the body like a spring or X see one of my previous posts). Pain or restriction here doesn’t stay local—it spirals through the body, creating tight backs, sore hocks, and even forelimb compensations.

🕵🏽‍♀️Signs your horse’s stifles need a closer look:
• They hesitate to move forward or refuse to load an inside leg in a turn.
• They take shorter steps behind or “bunny hop” around the barrel.
• Some will even commit to a turn and then bail out halfway—because it hurts.

💤And here’s a wild one: horses need to lie down to hit deep REM sleep (the good healing kind). After stifle surgery, I’ve seen horses take 30–60 days before they’re comfy enough to lay down. Can you imagine going two months without real sleep? No Netflix, no pillow, just pain. That slows healing big time.

Fun fact you can brag about later: Horses have three patellar ligaments to help them lock the stifle so they can nap standing up (don’t try that yourself, humans pass out doing it).

🩹🚫 Bottom line?
The stifle is your horse’s powerhouse. If something’s off, the whole body pays for it—hocks, back, hooves, everything. Keep your horse balanced, watch for the subtle signs, and don’t blow off that “knee joint” just because it’s tricky to diagnose. Have a good veterinarian, good corrective farrier, & a good bodyworker that will listen to your concerns, that will help you get to the root cause and fix it! Not just bandaid it!

Because at the end of the day, pain is pain. Whether it’s your knee or your horse’s stifle, it deserves attention.

07/22/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100064740578751/posts/1187125306788811/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

07/22/2025

HEAT ADVISORY ALERT: Keep Your Horses Safe! 🐴💦

The dog days of summer have arrived, and unfortunately there aren’t many efficient ways to air condition a barn! During a heat advisory, make sure you’re taking these steps to keep your equine friends cool and safe:

✅ Provide constant access to clean, cool water – dehydration can happen quickly
✅ Offer shade or shelter – trees, barns, or run-in sheds are essential
✅ Limit exercise – early morning or late evening rides only
✅ Hose them down – cool (not ice-cold) water helps lower their body temp
✅ Use fans in barns – improve airflow if they’re stalled
✅ Consider turnout times- night turnout offers cooler temps so switching turnout times may be best for some horses
✅ Watch for signs of heat stress – heavy sweating, lethargy, rapid breathing
✅ Careful exercise – Early morning or late night rides may be necessary. A general formula to assess if it is safe to ride is to add the temperature (F) to the humidity (%).
Below 130 = Most horses can thermoregulate
Over 150 = Hard for most horses to keep cool, may affect the horse’s ability to sweat
Over 180 = High risk – horses are unable to cool themselves properly, dangerous conditions

🥵 Special precautions need to be taken for horses with metabolic syndrome, anhidrosis, or other challenges that may affect their ability to thermoregulate.

☀️ Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion in horses if you are planning to ride. You can learn more here: https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/preventing-heat-stress-in-horses-8351

🤩 There are still many things you can do with your horse and around the barn when it’s too hot to safely ride. Stay tuned the next couple weeks as we share ideas to beat the heatwave!

Call or click to schedule today: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

07/08/2025

07/01/2025

Thoracic Sling Stretches!! 😄

06/14/2025

"It's about being your best. It's not about being the best." - Beezie Madden, Olympic medalist

06/08/2025

06/03/2025

https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/putting-them-in-a-happier-place-how-does-pemf-therapy-benefit-kentucky-derby-winner-sovereignty?utm_campaign=linkinbio&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKsY0tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp5c2YnJFS4nQZgFMCChVx53TCxDiHIuo92nxkXXbdJaXytJcOC_MpY1GtGF1_aem_1yOzffmCo3fmjVehvj5QnQ

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) can help racehorses relax and recover