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Harlequine Bodywork

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Harlequine Bodywork

Patty💚

🐎Equine bodyworker | 🎀Mane & Tail plaiting

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31/08/2026

✨ MUSCLE MONDAY ✨

Happy Bank Holiday! I hope everyone has enjoyed the longer weekend 🤩

Today’s muscle focus is the intercostal muscles, which lie between each of the horse’s ribs

I’ve been paying a lot of attention to this area over the past few weeks while working on my clients’ horses, and interestingly, every horse I’ve worked on has shown some level of tension through the intercostal muscles. There are lots of different reasons why this area may hold tension, with some of the possible causes mentioned above in the post

This has become a really important area for me to treat, as I feel it can very easily be missed or not given enough attention

The intercostal muscles play an important role in breathing, helping to move and stabilise the ribs during respiration. If there is restriction or tension through this area, it may affect the horse’s ability to expand the ribcage comfortably, particularly during harder or faster-paced work

Releasing tension through this area can therefore be a really useful part of supporting the horse’s overall comfort and mobility around the ribcage

For horses with respiratory conditions such as equine asthma/COPD, maintaining comfort and mobility around the ribcage may also be beneficial as part of their wider management — although any breathing difficulties should always be assessed and managed with your vet

It’s definitely an area I’ll be continuing to give plenty of attention to! 🐴💆‍♀️

19/08/2026

A question I get asked a lot is:

‘Do you mind if I give them a haynet?’

And honestly, I don’t

Around 95% of the horses I work on will eventually step away from their haynet to process what’s happening. Like you can see Holly doing in above video 🥹

I can always move the haynet — or the horse — if needed. For example, when I’m working around their head and neck, everything can easily be worked around

Most horses also seem to relax better when they have something familiar to turn to if the releases become a little confusing or overwhelming😊

I will ALWAYS believe that working with the horse gets better results than forcing a horse to accept something they’re not sure about

If giving them a haynet helps them feel more comfortable, then I’m all for it❤️

06/08/2026

I love teaching my clients what they can do between sessions to help keep on top of tension, so here’s a little video showing a simple technique you can use to help your horse through their poll

As you can see in the video, I make a U-shape with my hand and place it on either side of the mane. I don’t use lots of pressure—just enough to see what the horse is comfortable with. I then slowly slide my fingers towards the ears to encourage a release, do this like 5-6 times

I’ve come to realise that so many horses really enjoy this technique, even when they’re carrying a lot of tension through their poll

Always remember to work with your horse, not against them. If they’re sore, they won’t appreciate being prodded or having too much pressure applied. Watch their reactions, listen to what they’re telling you, and allow them to accept the technique at their own pace

✨ Less is always more

One of my favourite things about working with horses is that you don’t need big movements or strong pressure to encourage a release. Sometimes the smallest, gentlest touch can make the biggest difference💚

31/07/2026

Today’s post is plaiting rather than massage 🤍

Went to get this beaut ready today for her dressage tomorrow 😊

Show prep can be booked in, dm or WhatsApp me and we can work something out 📥

29/07/2026

Another little before and after 😅

In the first clip you can see how Mojo reacted to palpation, he was quite flinchy and sore. His whole body was holding a lot of tension which was making him rather uncomfortable

During the session he was very communicative with what he was happy with and what he wasn’t. He relaxed well and his muscles really made a massive improvement

After the session he wasn’t dipping his back, wasn’t flinching, wasn’t running away from pain and just had a amazing outcome from the session 🥰

28/07/2026

Decided to treat you lot to some holiday pics 😊 nothing better than going back home 🤍

27/07/2026

✨ MUSCLE MONDAY ✨

A bit of a late one today, but here’s this week’s muscle…

The Supraspinatus

The supraspinatus plays a key role in stabilising and extending the shoulder joint of the forelimb. It helps prevent the shoulder from collapsing during weight-bearing and contributes to smooth, controlled forward movement of the limb

Have you ever wondered why your horse struggles to achieve full cranial (forward) extension of the forelimb? Or why they constantly shift their weight from one front leg to the other?

These can sometimes be linked to tension or restriction within the supraspinatus. Of course, this muscle doesn’t work alone—it works closely alongside the infraspinatus, biceps brachii, deltoid and subscapularis. Together, these muscles help create a strong, stable and balanced forehand

Other signs to look out for:
🔴 Toe dragging in the forelimbs
🔴 Compensatory overuse of the biceps brachii or deltoid
🔴 Reduced balance or a less confident stride

As always, one muscle doesn’t always solve the issue because the horses body is so amazingly connected that understanding what works with what will also help pin point a better understanding where the problem may be laying

13/07/2026

✨MUSCLE MONDAY✨

The brachiocephalicus….

This muscle allows the horse to protract their front limbs (bring the front legs forward) and flex their neck, plays a very important role in stride length and reach

Have you taken the time to see your horse move?
Do they look short in front?
Is it more visible in a circle?
Is their neck tight when you touch it?
Is it overdeveloped on one side?

This all could be caused because the brachiocephalicus is restricted and sore. Spotting these little changes sooner will allow you to help with preventing compensation patterns and bigger issues developing later on

09/07/2026

I’ve never really been able to get anywhere near her if she was laying down or doing anything of that sort…

But yesterday I’ve discovered that she does in fact let me go near her now, so I decided to get a video of it as it’s a special achievement for me, gaining her trust has been a long and tiring journey, I think it’s safe to say we’re getting somewhere 🥹🥹

Coco loves her scratches and now she can enjoy them while sitting down 😂😅

06/07/2026

✨MUSCLE MONDAY✨

Today’s topic: Biceps femoris

The biceps femoris is a large, powerful muscle that helps drive the horse forward. It extends the hip and hock, flexes the stifle, and also abducts the hindlimb

This muscle works closely with the semitendinosus, middle gluteal, and many other muscles to create powerful, efficient movement

Restrictions in this muscle can contribute to:
🔴 Shorter strides behind
🔴 Stiff or restricted movement
🔴 Hindlimb lameness
🔴 Difficulty with upward and downward transitions
🔴 Struggling with hill work
🔴 Soreness through the back and opposite hindlimb due to compensation

Helping to release restrictions in this area can make a huge difference to your horse’s way of going. It can restore that forward, powerful feeling from behind, improve freedom of movement, and make everyday work much easier and more comfortable

After all, the power comes from behind💪🐴

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