MIR Equine Therapies

31/07/2025

Structure dictates function — and fascia holds the structure.
When the fascial web is restricted, the whole system compensates. Release the fascia, and you restore the body’s blueprint for movement, posture, and power.

🌀 Fascia-first therapy for horse and rider
mir equine therapies_

29/07/2025

23/07/2025

🌿 KwaZulu-Natal - We are back !
📍 Shongweni & surrounds
🗓 5th – 12th August

Blyde Olivier is back in Natal, offering specialised fascia therapy for horses AND riders.

Whether your horse is compensating, stiff, or underperforming — or you’re dealing with pain, restriction, or imbalance in the saddle — now is the time to book.

🫶 Support that integrates horse and rider as one
✨ Releasing tension | Restoring balance | Reigniting performance

🔹 Limited sessions available
🔹 Rider assessments & equine myofascial bodywork
🔹 WhatsApp to secure your spot: 082 805 5672

Let’s unlock the excellence within — together.

21/07/2025

Fascia tightens subtly before a muscle ever becomes sore.

In fact, chronic muscle tension often stems from fascial stiffness that limits glide and blood flow.

If your horse is showing minor resistance, changes in gait quality, or unusual posture — don’t wait for lameness.

These are fascia’s early warning signs. Addressing them early prevents deeper musculoskeletal breakdown.

21/07/2025

Let Them Walk Away—And Watch Them Come Back🕊️ Nervous System Integration in Equine Bodywork 🕊️

In myofascial release, we aren’t just chasing a muscle release—we’re holding space for nervous system recalibration.

When a horse walks away during a session, they’re not being difficult.

They’re integrating. Processing.

Their body just let go of something it may have held for years—and their nervous system needs a moment to catch up.And more often than not… they come back.

They choose to return.Because their body remembers that safety, softness, and relief.💡

That moment of return?

That’s not just cooperation.That’s trust. That’s consent.That’s true healing—chosen, not forced.

✨ Let your horse move.✨ Let them rest.✨ Let them walk away… and trust they’ll come back when they’re ready to receive more.

This isn’t just physical. It’s neurological. It’s emotional. It’s sacred.

21/07/2025

When fascia unwinds, it often happens through movement.

That gentle step forward?
That shift in weight or sway of the pelvis?
It could be a muscle letting go…A fascial line softening…Or even a subtle skeletal adjustment finding its way through.✨

When we grip the halter, hold them back, or “correct” their movement—we interrupt a process we don’t fully understand in that moment.

Instead of control, offer trust.
Instead of restraint, offer presence.
Instead of bracing them, witness them.

Because healing isn’t always still—it flows, releases, and sometimes walks right out through their feet

20/07/2025

We’re sending our thoughts and strength to Equestrian Athlete - Luca Dominic Watson after his injury on the rugby field this weekend. A broken jaw is no small thing, and we’re wishing him a smooth and speedy recovery every step of the way.

To his family — we’re holding you in our hearts too during this time. If there’s anything you need, your community is here to support you.

Get well soon, Lucs . We’re all behind you 💪🏽🖤🏉

17/07/2025

Your horse compensates for your restriction.
Not because they want to. Because they have to.

Every tight hip, braced ribcage, or held breath in you has a ripple effect in them.
That “wonky canter,” that “crooked saddle,” that “off” feeling you can’t quite name—
it could be your fascia talking.

This is why I’m now opening space to support both horse and rider.
Because healing is a two-way street.

From now on, I’ll be sharing how your posture, your fascia, your nervous system—shape the way your horse moves beneath you.

If your horse is stuck…
maybe you are too.
And I’d love to help you both find your release. 🖐️🐴

—

✨ Rider fascia sessions now available.
🧠 Follow along for tips, real-life rider examples, and how to work with me directly.

17/07/2025

It matters ! 💖

The bigger picture: Why Enrichment Matters

It might be easy to see enrichment as just a nice “extra” for stalled horses, but it’s far more essential than that.

Because confinement isn’t species-appropriate. Horses are built to move, graze, and live socially. When we stall them, even temporarily, it changes everything about how their bodies and minds are meant to function.

The research is clear: enrichment changes everything!

✅ French ENVA study on hospitalized horses (Le Moal, 2018):

Compared two groups of hospitalized horses:

1) Standard stalls: minimal stimulation

2) Enriched stalls: included toys, hanging, forage, sensory enrichment, and more frequent small feedings

RESULTS SHOWED THE ENRICHED HORSES:

• Spent just 1 minute per day on stereotypic behaviors vs 27 minutes in standard stalls

• Had lower pain scores during wound care and daily exams

• Showed less reactivity to manipulations (handling was easier and calmer)

• Had fewer complications in healing and overall recovery was smoother

Full thesis (in French):

https://theses.vet-alfort.fr/telecharger.php?id=1820

⸻

✅ 2024 Brauns, Ali & McLean comparative trial (ISES Conference):

Tested the impact of three enrichment types on stalled horses:

• Hay feeders (slow feed and multi-point nets)
• Activity balls
• Mirrors

KEY FINDINGS:

• All enrichments increased time spent foraging, stretching, and exploring compared to baseline

• Idle time and frustration behaviors (like pawing or weaving) were reduced across the board

• The hay feeder produced behavior patterns most similar to wild horses, with frequent small bouts of feeding broken up by short rest or movement

Full study:

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6wc24448

⸻

Digging deeper into why it matters;

If you’d like to explore this even further, I’ve written two detailed articles for Mad Barn that pull together research on enrichment, gut health, stress reduction, and the science behind stereotypic behaviors. They’re a great resource if you want practical ideas backed by solid studies and lots of research:

https://madbarn.ca/horse-enrichment-activities/

https://madbarn.ca/stereotypic-behaviour-in-horses/

⸻

Because it’s never really about toys or treats.
It’s about giving horses back something of what they’re missing. It’s about making an inherently unnatural situation more closely aligned with their true species needs, and protecting both their bodies and their minds even when turnout isn’t possible.

15/07/2025

How does your anxiety affect your horse ?

Ever feel your horses body stiffen when you’re anxious or tense? 😬
That’s your fascia—your body’s connective web—reacting to their fascia and nervous system.

💥 Stressed? It tightens.
😳 Startled? It locks down.
😌 Safe and calm? It softens.

Your horses fascia is constantly listening to your emotional state. This is why stress, trauma, or even poor posture can leave your and horses body feeling stuck or stiff.

👉 Fascia health = emotional and physical freedom.
Release the tension. Feel the shift.

14/07/2025

Johannesburg South - 🤩👀

Here we come ! 🚗

30/06/2025