Ruby Equine Bodywork

Contact me to get your horse booked in for some well deserved bodywork!

Ruby Equine Bodywork

A reminder that bodywork isn’t only for horses with “big problems.”
Sometimes the first signs your horse is uncomfortable are subtle:
• difficulty bending one direction
• changes in behavior
• uneven muscling
• girthiness
• trouble picking up leads
• tension through the poll or topline
• anxious behavior or trouble focusing
I have a few openings over the next couple weeks and am currently welcoming some new clients at Ruby Equine Bodywork 🤍
Message me to book or ask questions about what modality may suit your horse best.

✨️New modality✨️
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on modality that focuses on the nervous system rather than just the muscles.
It works with the subtle movement of the craniosacral system (the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord) to help release tension patterns, improve communication within the body, and support overall balance.
Because it’s so light and non-invasive, it can be especially beneficial for horses that are:
• sensitive or reactive
• holding chronic tension
• recovering from injury or stress
• not responding fully to deeper bodywork
Instead of “forcing” change, craniosacral therapy allows the horse’s body to process and release restrictions at its own pace, which is why you’ll often see signs like licking, chewing, yawning, or deep relaxation during a session.
Now that I’ve completed my certification, I’m excited to officially offer this as part of Ruby Equine Bodywork
If you’re interested in learning more or wondering if it’s a good fit for your horse, feel free to message me anytime

Equine massage can support your horse in many ways beyond just relaxation.

Regular bodywork may help improve circulation, support flexibility, reduce muscle tension, and promote overall comfort.

Many owners include bodywork as part of their horse’s regular wellness routine to help maintain healthy movement and prevent discomfort.

Helping horses feel their best, naturally 🐴

Save this post for later if you find it helpful.

Such a good explanation. The mane itself isn’t the problem, but it can be a visible clue to asymmetry and compensation patterns through the body. Horses give us lots of subtle hints if we learn to look for them.

The mane lies directly over the top center of the neck where several important stabilizing structures meet.

𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
Strong elastic connective tissue that supports the head and neck

𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
Runs along the tops of the vertebrae

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒
Deep stabilizing muscles alongside the spine

Over time, chronic asymmetrical loading and axial rotation (twisting through the spine) can change muscular development and fascial tension patterns. These mechanical adaptations may secondarily influence how hair lays along the midline. In fact, this is something I see very consistently.

Remember -
Just because it’s common, 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥. This is one of those things.

The mane is giving us clues of what is happening underneath the surface.

Research evaluating equine back motion shows that even clinically sound horses demonstrate measurable asymmetries in thoracolumbar motion (movement through the mid- and lower back) in movement (Faber et al., 2001; Pfau et al., 2017).

The pelvis is the foundation of propulsion. We talked super heavily on this last week in the recent series of the hind end. The two prominent points you feel behind the saddle are the tuber coxae aka the point of the hip… If one sits slightly more forward (cranial) compared to the other, this reflects pelvic rotation.

When pelvic alignment changes…the lumbar spine compensates with subtle rotation to maintain forward motion, the thoracolumbar junction absorbs rotational stress, and the cervical spine counter rotates.

Pelvic rotation ->
Lumbar compensation ->
Thoracic shift ->
Cervical counter rotation

Research does not show that mane splits cause pathology…But fascial adaptation to mechanical stress speaks volumes.

The mane may be reflecting long term dysfunction throughout the body.

This little observation is even more important when we start looking at the whole horse.

One hip (tuber coxae) slightly more forward than the other
Hind limb toe out on one side (external rotation of the limb)
Chronic hamstring soreness
Uneven neck muscling
Running by a barrel
A “snakey” feeling under saddle
Recurrent injections with short term improvement

THESE DETAILS MATTER. 🙌🏻

Your horse may not be lame at the moment. However, dysfunction is present.

𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝
Are the tuber coxae level and symmetrical?
Does one hind limb toe out more?
Is gluteal or hamstring muscle bulk even?
Does the neck musculature look balanced on both sides?
Subtle asymmetries matter in high-performance athletes.

Movement evaluation is where compensation really becomes visible.

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞.
Does one hip rise higher than the other?

Does one hind leg step more underneath the body than the other?

Toe out or toe in during swing phase?

Reduced push off from one hind limb?

Shortened stride length on one side?

What is the tail doing?
Consistently to one side vs the other? Raise? Soft and neutral?

Ribcage drift (body traveling slightly crooked despite a straight line)

Excessive thoracic swing (ribcage shifting laterally more one direction)

Remember the perfect circle?
Here’s another reason it is such a powerful tool. 😉

Does the horse fall in more one direction?

Does the inside hind limb step deeply under the body one way but not the other?

Is the top line smooth or is the back tight and rigid? Both directions? Just one direction?

Does the head consistently look to the opposite of the circle? Or soft to the inside?

𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞.
I always try to remind owners they are the best judge that something is a little off. Trust your gut!! If something feels funky, trust yourself.

Does your horse turn better one direction?

Struggle picking up one lead? Cross firing?

Drift consistently toward or away from a barrel?

Feel stronger in one direction and weaker the other direction?

Directional consistency often mirrors underlying axial rotation patterns. Once again, trust. your. gut. 🙌🏻

Early recognition of compensation allows for intervention before structural overload progresses to the cycle I’ve mentioned over and over again recently…

Friction -> Heat -> Inflammation -> Pain -> Compensation -> More uneven load
Repeat.

The body whispers before it screams….
The mane splits.
The tuber coxae shifts slightly.
Toe points out.

These are early warning signs.
Read that again…
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬.

Listen closely, because the small details always matter. 💜

#𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨