The Horse PT

09/12/2025

✨🦄Presence is one of the most powerful tools in rehab.

Not just protocols.
Not just exercises.
Not just modalities.

It’s your ability to pause, observe, and respond with intention.

Your horse feels your energy. They read your body language. They know when you're pushing vs. when you're supporting.

Hold space.
Soften timelines.
And meet your horse where they are today.

That’s where real progress starts.

09/12/2025

One of the best things about our industry is the diversity of professionals who care for horses.

Vets, farriers, trainers, saddle fitters, therapists, nutritionists, bodyworkers—we all bring something different and beautiful to the table.

That diversity should be our greatest strength. When horses and their people have access to a team of knowledgeable professionals, the outcomes are almost always better. Horses recover faster. Owners feel more supported. Professionals learn from each other.

But too often, I see the opposite.

Instead of collaboration, I see competition. Instead of respect, I see judgment.
Instead of building bridges, we build walls.

And here’s the truth: when that happens, horses lose.

👉 Owners get confused when professionals contradict each other. Sometimes they freeze and do nothing. Other times, they bounce from one professional to the next, never giving any single plan time to work.
👉 Horses slip through the cracks when interventions are piecemeal or conflicting.
👉 Trust erodes—between owners and professionals, and between colleagues.
It doesn’t have to be this way.

Collaboration doesn’t mean we all agree. It doesn’t mean we always do things the same way. What it does mean is listening, respecting, and building solutions together.

I’ve seen both sides:

🦄A mare with back pain whose vet, trainer, farrier, and saddle fitter all pointed fingers at each other. Her owner, overwhelmed, did nothing. By the time she got into rehab, things had worsened.

🦄A young gelding with lameness whose farrier, dentist, trainer, and therapist all worked together, each in their own role but with open lines of communication (we love a group chat). The horse recovered, the owner felt empowered, and the professionals learned from each other.

🧩Same puzzle pieces. Different picture.

The difference wasn’t who was “right.” The difference was collaboration.

💡 But What About Disagreement?
It’s unrealistic to expect everyone on a horse’s care team to see things the same way all the time. In fact, disagreement can be valuable—it brings different perspectives to the table.

What matters is how we handle it.

Constructive disagreement looks like this:
💙Stay curious. Instead of “you’re wrong,” try “tell me more about how you see it.”
💙Acknowledge shared goals. Even if we differ on the how, we all want the horse to be comfortable and successful.
💙Offer, don’t attack. “Here’s what I’ve noticed and why I recommend this,” is more productive than “that approach never works.”
💙Find the overlap. Often the best solution is a blend of ideas—a compromise that honors different perspectives.

When handled this way, disagreement doesn’t divide the team. It actually makes the plan stronger.

And honestly, that takes an ego check. If your need to be "the one with the answers" is bigger than your willingness to collaborate, the horse will pay the price. Owners don’t want drama. They want a team who puts the horse first.

So here’s my challenge to all of us—pros and owners alike:
✔️ Professionals, let’s be open to learning from each other, even when we disagree.
✔️ Owners, build teams of people who communicate and respect each other.
✔️ And all of us—let’s put horses before egos.

Because raising the standard of care won’t come from one person being “right.” It will come from all of us, working side by side, united by one mission: the horse comes first. 🐴💙

09/11/2025

Healing isn’t linear.

It’s not always clean and simple.
And it definitely isn’t always Instagram-worthy.

What it looks like:
🔁 Setbacks and forward steps
🧠 Nervous system recalibration
💤 More rest before movement
🦶 Small improvements build on each other

Don’t judge success by your ability to create a highlight reel.

True progress is often quiet, gradual, and still deeply meaningful.

09/10/2025

Rehab tip for horse owners: track the subtle signs.

If you're handling the daily work, it’s easy to feel like nothing is changing. That’s where frustration builds.

Instead of waiting for the “big moment,” look for:
🔹 More even weight bearing
🔹 Less resistance in transitions
🔹 Willingness to be touched in guarded areas
🔹 Quicker recovery after exercise
🔹 Decreased tension at rest

These aren’t minor - they’re everything.

Start a notes app or journal. Watch the patterns. The progress is there.✨🦄

09/10/2025

💔 “Your horse has kissing spines.” For many owners, those words feel devastating. Images of chronic pain, retirement, or worse may rush into your mind.

But here’s the good news - kissing spines is not automatically a career-ending diagnosis. With early detection, smart management, and targeted rehabilitation, many horses return to full, happy, even high-performance lives. 🐴✨

🐎 What is Kissing Spines?

“Kissing spines” (overriding dorsal spinous processes, or DSPs) happens when the bony projections along the horse’s spine are too close together. Instead of being spaced normally, they touch or overlap.

Some horses show no symptoms at all, while others may experience:
⚡ Back pain or sensitivity to grooming/saddling
⚡ Resistance under saddle like bucking, bolting, hollowing the back
⚡ Sudden drops in performance or attitude
⚡ Shortened stride behind

Diagnosis involves imaging (like X-rays) and careful consideration of clinical signs. Why? Because dramatic X-rays don’t always equal pain... and mild changes can still cause major discomfort.

🚫 Why It’s Not the End

Not long ago, kissing spines carried a bleak reputation. But today, thanks to better understanding and better tools, we know:

✔️ Pain often comes from muscle tension and compensation, not just the bones themselves.
✔️ Horses can relearn healthier ways of moving.
✔️ Many horses with kissing spines thrive again with thoughtful rehab and management.

⚖️ Treatment Options
There are two broad paths:
🔹 Surgical: Options like ligament snips or bone reshaping can create more space.
🔹 Conservative (non-surgical): Pain relief, improving saddle/hoof/rider balance, and most importantly, physical therapy.

For many horses, conservative care alone is enough.

💪 Where Physical Therapy Shines
Medication may reduce pain, but PT tackles the root: how the horse moves and controls their body.

Rehab strategies include:
🏋️‍♀️ Core activation (thoracic sling and belly lifts, pelvic tilts, dynamic stretches)
🚶 In-hand work (transitions, lateral work, poles) for posture and spinal mobility
🐎 Under-saddle conditioning focused on alignment
➕ Manual therapy, massage, and other modalities to ease muscle tension

Rehab also asks: Why did this happen? Poor saddle fit? Rider asymmetry? Hoof imbalance? Lack of core strength? Addressing these prevents recurrence.

🧭 The Hopeful Reality
Rehab takes time, patience, and teamwork (vet + therapist + farrier + saddle fitter + rider).

But many horses:
🌟 Return to competition
🌟 Enjoy lighter, pain-free work
🌟 And live comfortable, happy lives

The takeaway: kissing spines is not the end of the story. With the right approach, it’s a new chapter in building strength, comfort, and connection. 💙

👉 Want to dive deeper into kissing spines: diagnosis, treatment options, and rehab strategies? Join my Kissing Spines Masterclass! 30% off for a limited time with code SUMMERSALE

(link below)

Your horse’s journey doesn’t end here. With knowledge and a plan, you can help them thrive. 🌿

09/09/2025

There's a difference between being patient and being stuck.

In rehab, we often say "trust the process" - and it's true. Healing takes time. Nervous systems need space to recalibrate. Tissues remodel slowly.

But if your horse:
🚩 Is getting worse
🚩 Stops improving altogether
🚩 Develops new issues or behavior changes
…it may be time to re-evaluate the plan.

Knowing when to stay the course and when to pivot is an art form. It is what separates a good therapist from a great one.

It comes from experience with a wide variety of horses and cases, it comes from cultivating strong assessment and critical reasoning skills.

Reevaluation isn’t failure. It’s part of being a good advocate. Knowing when to pivot is just as important as knowing when to wait.

As with all things - finding the balance point is the key.

09/09/2025

Few behaviors spark as much debate in the horse world as cribbing.

Ask a group of horse people what it means and you’ll hear a dozen different answers:
👉 “It’s just a bad habit.”
👉 “It’s ulcers.”
👉 “It’s boredom.”
👉 “They learned it from another horse.”
👉 “It’s genetic.”
👉 “Just put a collar on and stop it.”

The truth? Cribbing isn’t a quirky vice or a sign of “bad manners.” It’s a coping mechanism - a horse’s way of saying, “I’m struggling here.” And the latest research is showing us just how much more complex (and important) this behavior really is.

🐴 What Cribbing Really Is

Cribbing is a stereotypic behavior where a horse grips a solid object, arches their neck, and sucks in air with that familiar grunt. It doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It develops as a way for horses to manage stress, pain, or unmet social needs.

💡 The Myths, Busted

❌ It’s not a “bad habit.” Studies confirm cribbing releases endorphins and reduces stress hormones - it’s functional self-soothing, not misbehavior.

❌ It’s not defiance. Research shows cribbing horses often have altered dopamine pathways in the brain, which makes the behavior deeply reinforcing. It’s not about “naughtiness” - it’s neurology.

❌ It’s not contagious. Multiple studies have found no evidence horses learn cribbing from each other. If several horses in one barn crib, it’s almost always because the management practices are stressful for all of them.

❌ You can’t fix it by stopping the behavior. Blocking cribbing without addressing the cause increases stress and can worsen welfare.

🌱 What the Research Says About Cribbing

The causes and effects are layered, but most fall under two categories: stress and unmet needs.

📌 Stress Regulation: A systematic review found stereotypies like cribbing are strongly linked to prolonged stress, early weaning, and solitary housing. Swiss studies even showed that horses allowed to crib during difficult tasks had lower cortisol levels than non-cribbers: proof that it really is a stress-coping mechanism.

📌 Neurological Changes: Cribbing literally rewires the brain. Stress alters dopamine release in the striatum (a key learning/reward center), making stereotypies hard to “unlearn.” Cribbing horses have also shown differences in tactile sensitivity and learning style - not less intelligent, but different.

📌 Genetics: Cribbing is more common in Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods, suggesting a possible hereditary predisposition. The specific genes haven’t been identified yet, but dopamine and GABA receptor pathways are prime suspects.

📌 Gut Health: Cribbing horses often have altered gut microbiomes and lower antioxidant levels - another sign of the tight connection between stress, digestion, and brain health.

📌 Ulcers & Colic: Cribbing and gastric ulcers were once thought to be directly linked. Today’s research suggests both are consequences of stress, not one causing the other. Cribbing horses are at higher risk for colic, but again, the root cause seems to be management and diet.

📖 Case in Point: Malachi

Malachi was one of the most extreme cribbers I’d seen. A habit he developed early in life when he spent most of his days in alone in a stall. Despite careful management in recent years, his cribbing continued to dominate his daily life.

When he moved into a large, stable herd, a “family unit," something remarkable happened. Within months, his cribbing decreased by about 90%.

No collar. No punishment. No supplements. The herd did the work.

Through grooming, play, and the security of social bonds, his stress dropped - and so did his need to crib.

⚠️ Why Stopping Cribbing by Force Doesn’t Work

Collars, muzzles, hot-wiring surfaces… they might block the action, but they don’t resolve the stress driving it. In fact, horses often become more anxious or develop other stereotypies when their coping strategy is removed.

It’s like taking away someone’s stress ball without changing the job that’s stressing them out.

🛠️ What To Do Instead (Research-Backed Strategies)
✔️ Provide constant forage access: high-concentrate diets are strongly linked to cribbing.
✔️ Maximize turnout and exercise.
✔️ Restore the “family unit”: living in herds dramatically reduces stress behaviors.
✔️ Minimize isolation: horses housed alone show significantly higher rates of stereotypies.
✔️ Rule out pain: ulcers, dental issues, or injuries can worsen cribbing.
✔️ Offer enrichment: slow feeders, toys, and variety help.
✔️ Explore veterinary options: in severe cases, early studies suggest CBD and other neurological therapies may help reduce intensity (still experimental).
✔️ Remember that completely eliminating cribbing may not be possible due to the rewiring of neural pathways and changes in the dopamine system - but you can reduce frequency and duration of the behavior!

✨ The Perspective Shift

The real question isn’t, “How do I stop my horse from cribbing?”
It’s, “What is my horse trying to tell me?”

Cribbing is not a flaw - it’s feedback. It’s the horse’s check engine light. And when we learn to listen, we don’t just manage behaviors - we create healthier, more humane environments where horses can thrive.

💙 Because when we shift from judgment to empathy, we move from control to partnership, from frustration to understanding, and from coping… to healing.

09/09/2025

Don't forget! September is for saving with all of my online courses AND all of the Equine Massage Academy - US campus online courses!!

🚨 Flash Sale Alert! 🚨

Every online course is marked down until the end of September during our End of Summer Sale.

YES - even the big ones that rarely go on sale!

This isn’t just about discounts - it’s about reinvesting in the horses.

We’re planning several big projects this fall (think gravel, mud grids, and drainage) to make their space safer and more comfortable.

Your enrollment helps make that possible, while giving you the tools to grow your own skills at the same time!

Not in the market for an online course, but still want to help us towards our goal? Please engage with this post and share with your friends to help spread the word!!

It helps more than you know 🐴✨

09/08/2025

What if your horse is healing… even if you can't see it yet?

Sometimes progress looks like:
✨ Choosing to lie down and rest
✨ Reaching under the body with a previously guarded hind limb
✨ Standing more square
✨ Softening during grooming
✨ Taking a deeper breath

These aren’t dramatic changes - but they’re powerful.

When you’re with your horse every day, it’s easy to miss the small things. But these moments tell us that healing is underway.

Look for them. Celebrate them.

Because quiet progress is still progress.

09/08/2025

In equine rehab, we’re often tempted to chase the dramatic results - the flashy before-and-after videos, the big "wow" moments that feel SO good to share.

And while those transformations can be incredible (I certainly post my fair share), they don’t tell the whole story.

True healing often happens in the quiet moments no one sees.
It happens when a horse shifts their weight onto a limb they’ve been guarding for weeks. When they sigh during a session. When the muscles around their eye soften, or their breath slows, or they start to explore movement again with curiosity instead of tension.

These are not viral moments... but they are the foundation of recovery.

For owners carrying out the day-to-day rehab plan, learning to notice these subtle shifts can change everything. When you're with your horse every day, progress can feel painfully slow and difficult to quantify.

But when you’re taught how to recognize the small wins: the improved transitions, the better balance, the willingness to try, you can begin to see progress, even when it's not dramatic. That awareness builds confidence, trust, and motivation to stay consistent.

Of course, patience does not mean ignoring red flags. If your horse starts to regress, gets more uncomfortable, or stops progressing entirely, that’s not the time to just “wait and see.” It's time to reassess the plan. A good rehab process is one that allows space for change when the horse shows us they need something different.

That's the art part of being a great therapist.

But not every quiet phase means something is wrong. Often, it means something deeper is happening - tissue healing, nervous system regulation, relearning how to move and feel safe.

This is what horses teach us if we’re willing to slow down and listen.

So if you’re in the middle of a long recovery with your horse and it feels like nothing is happening, take a breath and look again. Healing is not always loud. Progress is not always obvious.

But it’s there.

In the quiet.

In the stillness.

In the trust.

You just have to know where to look ✨🦄

💬 Has your horse taught you to notice the small things? I’d love to hear what those quiet moments look like in your journey.

09/08/2025

I’ve been trimming horse feet for 5 years and I haven’t felt like I’m any good at it until recently.

Maybe within the last year or so things started to shift. I wrote a post not too long ago called “it’s ok to be bad at stuff” and for me this was one of those things.

The learning curve is steep and long, especially when you’re not doing it every day. But it’s ok to be bad at stuff. You just keep learning, improving, doing better.

And yesterday just came together in such a beautiful way that all of that continued learning and doing paid off.

Kelsey and I offered to try and help two horses who have been getting steadily worse for the farrier - to the point that they will no longer stand for trims at all - their last trim didn’t actually happen because of all of the leg flinging.

I say kudos to this owner and farrier for knowing when to stop - truly. For everyone’s safety.

So anyways we were there and I had my stuff in the truck and we decided to give it a go, no expectations. I thought I might get some rasp strokes in on a couple of feet.

✨But something much different happened.

We got both of them trimmed. Complete trims, about as good of a job as I am capable of doing on all 8 of those feet.

🦄Horses were at liberty the entire time. Not even a halter on.

🦄Kelsey was doing cooperative care feeding (not handing out treats, but skilled and well-timed use of food throughout the trim)

🦄And I was trimming, asking for the foot - never taking it, following them if they pulled, giving them frequent breaks.

And by the end… these horses - who the previous day we had worked on clicker training for hoof handling without trying to trim, with only modest improvements - went from flinging and pulling to handing me their feet and standing as still as they could possibly manage for me to do what I needed to do.

✨This is the power of cooperative care

✨This is the power of giving the horse a voice, autonomy, a sense of control over what happens to their own bodies

✨This is the power of trimming in a way that says “this should feel better every single time I put your foot down” - and holding and handling the body in a way that keeps the horse comfortable and balanced

All three of these pieces *had* to be there for this to happen.

And it was just… magical.

You don’t have to manhandle. Let the horse be a member of the team and they will help you get your job done.

09/06/2025

💡 What Is Equine Physical Therapy? And Does Your Horse Need It?

When we think of physical therapy, we often picture people recovering from injury or surgery. But did you know horses benefit from physical therapy too? 🐎

Equine physical therapy (PT) is all about helping horses move better, stay sounder, and feel more comfortable in their bodies. It’s not just for rehab cases - it’s for performance horses, seniors, youngsters, and even pasture companions who deserve to move without pain.

🧠 So, what exactly is equine PT?

It’s a science-based approach that focuses on:
✅ Improving posture and core strength
✅ Restoring mobility and range of motion
✅ Reducing pain and dysfunctional muscle tension
✅ Re-educating movement patterns to prevent injury
✅ Supporting recovery after injury or surgery

A session often includes movement assessments, soft tissue work (massage, myofascial release), stretching, joint mobilizations, and customized therapeutic exercises. Some PTs also use tools like laser therapy, PEMF, or ultrasound to support healing.

🐴 Who can benefit?

Pretty much every horse... but especially:
✨Performance horses: Keeps them strong, symmetrical, and less injury-prone.
✨Rehab cases: Smooths the path back from injury or surgery.
✨Senior horses: Improves comfort and quality of life.
✨Young horses: Sets them up with healthy movement habits early.
✨Mystery cases: When behavior changes or “something just feels off,” PT can reveal functional issues that don’t show up on X-rays or flexions.

🔍 Signs your horse might need PT:
✨Reluctance to go forward or collect
✨Trouble bending or picking up leads
✨Uneven muscle development
✨Stumbling, tripping, or dragging toes
✨Difficulty standing square or holding feet for the farrier
✨Behavioral issues like girthiness, tail swishing, or ear pinning
✨Stiffness or resistance that doesn’t match their training level

(Important note: PT doesn’t replace your vet! Therapists work with veterinarians, farriers, and saddle fitters to provide a whole-horse approach to care.)

✨ What results can you expect?
Owners often notice:
🌟 Softer, more willing movement under saddle
🌟 Better topline and posture
🌟 More even rhythm and engagement
🌟 Less tension during grooming or saddling
🌟 Happier, more comfortable horses overall

And just like training, results build over time. One session can help, but consistent, targeted work is what creates lasting change.

Equine PT isn’t just for “problem horses.” It’s for any horse that moves, works, or ages. Whether your goal is peak performance, smoother rehab, or simply helping your older partner feel good, PT can make a world of difference.

Because your horse doesn’t have to be lame to need support. Sometimes the smallest change in how they move can change everything about how they feel. 💙