19/08/2026
“Of course he’s sore — he’s been worked a lot this week.”
I hear variations of this fairly often, so I wanted to use Lewie to show why being in full work doesn’t automatically mean carrying around tight, reactive or sore muscles.
Lewie works 5–6 days out of 7, generally covering 12–16km per ride (10km is a light day 😅). That includes plenty of long trotting, canter, gallop, yielding, shoulder-ins, flying changes and more.
And he’s actually a pretty hopeless “perfect biomechanics” example. 😂 Because of his significant brain injury as a yearling, Lewie uses and organises his body in some very unconventional ways — giving him plenty of opportunity to develop compensatory tension.
But look at his muscles. 👀
I can work deeply with firm pressure without flinching, guarding or spasming. When I gently ripple the muscle, you can see how incredibly soft, loose and mobile the tissue is — the movement doesn’t stop under my hand; it travels through surrounding muscle groups.
That’s a horse in genuine, consistent work.
And no, he isn’t treated every few days because he’s mine! 😂 Some client horses are treated more frequently.
What he DOES have is a regular program appropriate for him (when I have time 🤦🏻♀️)
There’s no magic treatment interval. It depends on the individual — workload, discipline, competition schedule, previous injuries and how well their body responds to and holds treatment.
Bodywork is also only one piece. Farrier and dental care, saddle fit, nutrition, conditioning and managing things like gastric discomfort all matter.
And importantly — learn to feel your horse. Know what their normal movement feels like from the saddle and notice when their bend, stride, transitions or response to your aids feels slightly different.
Those little changes matter.
Of course horses can still become sore or injured despite excellent management. But regular or hard work shouldn’t automatically equal chronically tight and sore muscles.
A good maintenance program isn’t about continually fixing a sore horse — it’s about helping keep them functioning, recovering and comfortable in their work. ❤️🐴
