Equine Bodywork Solutions

03/05/2026

If you’re struggling with an end of life decision or need some support after loosing a horse call the British Horse Society to be allocated a “Friend at the end”.
A trained volunteer will:
🫶Help you make informed decisions
🫶Offer email, phone or in-person support on the day
🫶Be there for continued support in the days, weeks, months following
02476 840517
[email protected]

When considering end of life decisions I want people to be realistic.

I often hear of people being guilt tripped by their own vets and other people when it comes to end of life decisions. Keep in mind that’s part of a vets job is to keep the horse alive…..the options for drugs and interventions are becoming more every year. A death is often seen as a failure and I think that’s something that needs to change. We are all on the planet for a blip of time, when you feel this weight…..zoom out to the bigger picture. We are born from Star dust and we will return to star dust. Horses don’t count their day in quantity but rather quality….Hell horses don’t count days at all! What I do know is that they are built to mask pain being a prey animal. I have seen horses whose kidneys are necrotic mush who died with a full stomach and mouthful of food…..that’s how strong their survival instincts are. I have seen black, yes black intestines in horses who died in pain because their human wanted to see another year.

Wild/feral horses average life span is 15 to 20 years, some populations are even younger depending on weather conditions and predators. The minute the horse slows down, it’s on the menu.

Domestic life has advantages for the horse but I feel in many ways it actually has less because of what we do the horse to suits our needs, not theirs. We segregate the horses in small stalls and label it luxury yet in humans we call this a prison cell. Movement is medicine yet we have convinced ourselves that stables are caring. Let me tell you, one time after a long haul flight and being restricted to my seat for a 17 hour flight I decided to go to the gym the following day. I got 15 mins into my work out before my hamstrings got the worst cramp I’ve ever experienced and I was in immense pain for two weeks after. Where are race horses always tight? Hamstrings. I had allot of sympathy for stabled performance horses after that. Movement is medicine, not just for one hour of the day.

There are so many fractures in equestrianism that are seeing daylight now and people are divided. Balance needs to be restored.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Two things I have noticed when horses are struggling, they either remove themselves from the herd or they attach themselves to another horse neurotically. Macular(eye) degeneration in older horses is very real and I see it allot, these horses also become spooky. If they lose weight over winter, it’s a sign their bodies not processing nutrients effectively. If they can’t stand to have their feet done comfortably. If they spend long periods of time in the paddock with their head down. If they can’t rest effectively, to fully rest they need a good stay apparatus or to lay down fully. These are all reasons to call time.

The horses I struggle to dissect the most are the ones who suffered silently, not the young horses who were put down humanely put down never to be forced to comply with human expectations. End of life choices are for the owner, the owners sees the slow decline.

******for the people triggered by my comments about vets at the beginning, it’s not ALL vets! This is not an ALL vets problem. I say it because it does happen, I hear about it often on my dissections. I say the same thing to them as I am saying here, find a realistic vet. Being a vet is hard, they are just people too with their own opinions and beliefs. This is not a vet bashing post, being a vet is a hard gig and I’m so grateful to vets.

30/04/2026

Feeding from the floor is one the easiest ways you can support your horses posture and musculoskeletal health 💪

Other than encouraging their natural foraging behaviour other benefits include:

✅Reduced back tension, aiding correct thoracic spine alignment
✅Stimulation of the back muscles used to carry weight of a rider
✅Good for respiratory and digestive systems
⭐️ Worth knowing for existing medical conditions ⭐️
✅With the head lowered your horse will feel more relaxed and remain in a rest and digest state

Feeding positions and stable set up are in the forefront of my mind when assessing a horse, it often gives key information about where tension is and potential compensation patterns.

If you would like to book a massage treatment for your horse that considers their complete lifestyle, send a message to have a chat and check availability💬

Cath 💚

27/04/2026

A common myth about enrichment is that it’s expensive and time consuming.

Spring is perfect for in-hand hacking and it’s something I always include in rehab plans.
It lets you see your horse move in a new environment and notice what challenges them or where they tense up.

I love my walks with Sheila, she’s very selective when foraging and nothing distracts her! The others….as long as there’s grass they’re happy!

Three of the four enrichment groups can be achieved here:
✅ Edible
✅ Non-edible
✅ Social

When starting a new treatment plan assessing your horses environment to improve overall wellness is just as important as the massage itself.

I have weekday availability in Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and surrounding villages this May, plus a weekend slot in Maidstone.

If you’re considering massage for your horse, click the link below to message me.

Cath 💚

20/04/2026

Not all enrichment works for every horse…

As part of my massage treatments I love to work with owners to enhance their horses’ living environment, making them more supportive - physically and mentally.

Research shows that appropriate enrichment can play a valuable role in pain management, while also improving the wellbeing of anxious or nervous horses.

Each horse is an individual so it’s important to tailor enrichment to suit their needs, providing enough stimulation without causing frustration.

One client I’ve worked closely with has two very different horses, an intelligent Thoroughbred and a much loved Shetland, both have been with the family for years.
She’s noticed that her thoroughbred thrives on more challenging enrichment, like a freely hanging treatball, whereas her Shetland would find this frustrating.

Instead we introduced a large dog snuffle mat placed in an old cat litter tray. And it’s now a favourite in his daily routine.

Enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive, time consuming and it shouldn’t cause stress for either of you, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. And in this case feeding from the floor offers lots of musculoskeletal benefits.

It’s something I often look at alongside treatment, because small changes in your horses daily routine can make a big difference to how they feel in their body.

If you’re not sure where to start with enrichment or feel like your horse could benefit from a more tailored approach, I have a couple of weekday and weekend spaces coming up in the next few weeks.

Click on the link below to send me a message
Cath 💚

13/04/2026

I can’t watch any footage of The Grand National or Gold Dancers horrific fall and the way in which he crossed the finish line.

I was one of those people, “they wouldn’t keep doing it if they didn’t love it”.

However, the more I’ve learnt about horses - their musculoskeletal systems, behaviour, tolerance and overall amazingness the more I feel desperately sad, nauseated and angry with the horse racing industry.

This post could be paragraphs and paragraphs of me ranting but a thought came to me yesterday…

If at a local show you watched a group of people use force alone to get a horse into the arena….would you consider it entertainment, a welfare issue or cruelty?

25/03/2026

At the beginning of my training as an equine sports massage therapist, I learned eight different massage techniques, each designed for specific areas of the horses body, with different purposes and levels of pressure.

As well as technique we learn to treat each horse as an individual. Their history, current and past health, daily environment - such as the weather - and, most importantly, their body language all play a part in each treatment. Learning to read those subtle signs is key to knowing what they need and when.

For anyone interested in understanding their horse on a deeper level I run 'Learn to speak Horse' interactive workshops for adults and children and can make it accessible if you're learning for yourself, a group of friends or sharing the experience with children.

In addition to simple and safe massage techniques we will cover:
🐎Recognising pain related behaviours and body language
🐎The role of individualised exercise plans
🐎Condition scoring, enrichment and a lot more

Comment MASSAGE below for a message with further detail.
Cath💚

11/03/2026

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can give a horse is choice 💚

Massaging at liberty allows your horse to choose when to regulate or when to step away. Giving an anxious horse that empowerment and choice can be an important part of a Trauma Informed Behaviour Modification Plan.

One of the key principles of trauma informed care is “Collaboration & Mutuality”. In a herd environment other horses can often play an important role in helping a fearful horse work through triggers.

If you have a horse that suffers with separation anxiety, fear of people or sensitivity around touch, comment CALL below ⬇️ if you’d like a free 20 minute phone call to discuss whether this approach could help your horse.

05/03/2026

When it feels like the rest of the world can’t hear you…without words, they know exactly what you need ❤️

01/03/2026

It’s giving Spring vibes ☀️🌳

You can feel the change in the air - longer days, daffodils, and finally loosing an extra base layer. Spring is on its way 🪻

For many of us winter can be a quieter time, whether due to limited facilities, weather or lack of daylight lots of horses have had a couple of months off from ridden work.

And that’s absolutely ok, and should be done without guilt or a fear of being judged.

When a day like last Wednesday arrives out of the blue, it’s soooo tempting to get straight back on and head out for a long hack. However, a little patience and preparation now can make the return to work smoother and more comfortable for your horse, as well as preventing injury.

For riders and horses at all levels - happy hackers included - this is a perfect time to reintroduce exercise gently.

In many areas the ground is still recovering, so starting with some dynamic mobilisation exercises, specific to your horse, 3-4 times a week is not only an important step but also a kind and effective way of training.

These exercises can:

💪Stimulate synovial fluid
💪Encourage healthy joint movement
💪Wake up postural muscles and re-engage the brain-body connection

After 2-3 weeks you could introduce some in-hand hacking or long reining. From there consider reintroducing the rider gradually, for the last 10 minutes for example, and gradually build up.

Every horse has individual needs so your plan should be specific to their current condition, health and history.

If your horse is indicating any signs of pain or lameness a vet should be consulted before progressing.

If you’re unsure where or how to start, send me a message by clicking below ⬇️ and I’d be happy to have a chat with you.

Cath 💚

12/02/2026

What's your love language??

❤️Words of affirmation
❤️Quality time
❤️Acts of service
❤️Physical touch
❤️Gift giving