L5 Equine Bodywork, LLC

08/02/2025

Just this…

There's never a shortcut to doing right by the horse! It helps to have experience, but making a commitment to each horse, their uniqueness and being faithful to investing the time it takes to help them... will always payoff.

07/10/2025

Proactive keeps the injuries away!!

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07/07/2025

It’s almost Nationals time!!

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07/02/2025

Well #1 is pacing BUT the point is even cadence. Each leg should come under the same distance as back as well.

07/01/2025

❤️

Muscle Monday - Longissimus Dorsi

The LONG-issimus dorsi is the longest muscle in the equine body. Although this muscle is the largest and most well know muscle of the back, it extends from the sacrum all the way up to the C4 vertebrae in the neck.

--- Function ---
The longissimus dorsi originates at the sacrum, ilium (pelvis), and along each lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. The longissimus dorsi inserts along the transverse processes of the vertebrae and the tubercles of ribs. Because the longissimus dorsi connects to the dorsal and transverse processes of all of the back vertebrae, it is the most powerful extensor muscle of the back.

- When both sides of the longissimus dorsi engage together, the spine is extended.

- When one side engages, the spine is flexed laterally.

- The longissimus dorsi also stabilizes the spinal column and transmits energy during movement.

This is one of the primary muscles to consider when fitting a saddle. Unlike the thin trapezius, which acts as more of a shoulder muscle, the longissimus dorsi is a large back muscle that can bear the weight of a saddle. I'll show a visual of this in the next post.

07/01/2025

This is something we work with everyday!!

Easy way to remember how the joints work in the neck
How i explain it, and yes i know there is more detail but sometimes to understand stuff you first have to imagine the movement and saying things like dorsoventral, axial rotation, lateral flexion etc can be confusing if you are trying to figure out how can dorsal and ventral be in the same sentence 😃😃🙃🙃

Jaw (Temporomandibular) think if your horse was chewing bubblegum how would they move their jaw, we see so many jaws without the ability to move in most directions yet we never begin at the head, well I do 😃
Ps do not feed your horse bubblegum just use your imagination 😁

Skull and atlas (atlantoocciptal) simply if your horse is nodding up and down or the yes action

Atlas and Axis (atlantoaxial) if your horses head is moving side to side or the no action

C3-C6 the inbetweeners, these are the supporting crowd helping create the movement you see in the other parts except where the articular processes (facet joints) are placed will limit some other movement that other joints can do

C7-T1 the bendy Wendy, when your horse reaches round with its neck to itch or if been trained by a cowboy 😄

Hope this helps
And if i got anything wrong I dont care, its took me all day doing these pics
If you want complicated then I am not the page for you 😃😃😃😃
Ps I did put the Temporohyoid in the first pic but forgot to write about it

06/11/2025

I do the same w myself and my horses!!

06/05/2025

What support do you offer your equine athlete? Are you asking your horse to be an athlete?

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05/22/2025

Crazy how sweet they are, both hearts are huge!!

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05/20/2025

💯❤️

11/01/2024

Beginning to end! All my favorites!! Pancho, Rocko, Madelyn, Jesko, Callie, Charm, Chippy, Jimmy, Amarillo, Zen, some new ones Smokey, Beth…oh and Drew, Tea, Chez, Michele, Toni, Franci, Deb..the Amigo!!! The list goes on and on Makk, Kristen, Crosby, Uno, Dave, Dude, Sheena, Madison, Bella, Cole…now it’s getting stupid😘🦄🫶😂💚🫶 Best Nationals yet!

10/11/2024

Ready for the dance!!