Your Horse In Connected Balance

09/16/2026

Another Fabulous Sarah Geikie Clinic coming up! farm in Aberdeen/Pinehurst! I hear so many riders/clients rave about what they gain by attending. Hope you can make it! OCTOBER 17 & 18

09/10/2026

Impinging DSPs (aka: “Kissing Spines”)

Citation: Clayton HM, Stubbs NC, Enthesophytosis and Impingement of the Dorsal Spinous Processes in the Equine Thoracolumbar Spine, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.07.015



Why posture and riding methods can make a difference

Many horse owners are concerned and ask me if I think their horse has “kissing spines” when their horses exhibit sensitivity to their spine (either on palpation or when placing tack).

This research tells us: 1)many “kissing spines” exist and may be asymptomatic (can show up on xrays although the horse doesn’t exhibit and may never exhibit a problem), and 2)many times xray images are inconclusive (where the horse DOES have “kissing spines” and it is missed on imaging).



Key points of this research article (aka “readers digest” version):

Impinging DSPs (dorsal spinous process) is the most common osseous spinal pathology of horses. It occurs when the interspinous space is too narrow or the horse’s posture is excessively lordotic (“sway back”). If the horse is worked in a more rounded posture, it may help to avoid clinical progression in horses with asymptomatic impingement. A radiographic study showed greater separation of the DSPs with the lowered head and neck and closer approximation with the head and neck raised.

Horses with clinically significant impinging DSPs usually exhibit non-specific signs, such as altered hindlimb gait, resistance to work, toe dragging, poor jumping performance, and rigid posture of the thoracolumbar spine. Although they do not usually have an adverse reaction to palpation of the DSP affected horses may be painful when ridden and may show persistent bucking, rearing, refusing to jump and other forms of resistance which may be sufficiently serious to result in their loss of use as riding horses.

In conclusion, the results of this study confirm that osseous lesions of the DSPs occur frequently in horses with more severe lesions being found in the cranial thoracic, mid to caudal thoracic and mid-lumbar regions. The presence of severe osseous DSP lesions in the cranial thoracic and lumbar regions presents a challenge for diagnostic imaging, so lesions in these areas may be under-diagnosed. Anatomy and mechanics suggest that the signs are likely to be exacerbated by ridden exercise.

How can bodywork help?

Clearly, current conformation and age of the horse, proper riding and tack are important considerations. Reducing posture lordosis is key to relieving the touching of the DSPs but with an older horse where osseous changes likely have already occurred, doing belly lifts and pelvic rounding during a monthly session isn’t enough and only presents a temporary relief. Improving your horse’s core strength and stability is key and takes repetition over time. Conscious riding style, tack and consistent postural fitness are musts!

Look for me issuing homework for my clients to improve their horses’ core and spinal strength and stability!

09/09/2026

HOW OFTEN DOES MY HORSE NEED BODYWORK?
It’s another question I’m asked often.

And like so many things with horses, the answer is: It depends on the horse.

Some horses benefit from more frequent sessions during periods of heavy training or competition. Others may do very well with a regular maintenance schedule.

But there’s an important difference between occasional bodywork and consistent bodywork that I think is worth talking about.

When I see your horse regularly, I’m not starting over at every appointment.
I get to know your horse’s normal.
I know the areas that have historically carried more tension. I can compare how the horse feels today with the previous session. I can see whether a recurring pattern is improving, staying consistent, or beginning to change.

And sometimes the most useful finding is something the owner hasn’t noticed yet.
That’s one of the reasons I like monthly maintenance appointments for many of my regular horses.

The goal isn’t to wait until your horse is obviously uncomfortable or their performance has changed. The goal is to assess regularly, support balance, and maintain what’s working well.

That doesn’t mean every horse needs bodywork every four weeks forever. Workload changes. Horses have time off. Budgets matter. Life happens.
We can always adjust the schedule.
But when possible, I prefer a proactive approach rather than waiting for the horse to tell us something has changed.

Every session begins with an assessment because I don’t assume your horse is the same horse I worked on last month.
Regular bodywork isn’t about doing more bodywork. It’s about having the opportunity to notice change over time. That’s the value of maintenance.

The Connected Balance™
Assess – Balance – Maintain
Debra Parker, ESMT
Certified Veterinary Thermographer
760-846-4724
www.yourhorseinconnectedbalance.com

09/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FH15QT2JF/?mibextid=wwXIfr
They are just 1200lb toddlers.

08/29/2026

“CAN I RIDE MY HORSE RIGHT AFTER BODYWORK?”

Probably one of the most common questions an equine bodyworker gets.

And the answer is…

It depends.

Bodywork can create changes in muscle tension, mobility, posture and how a horse uses their body. After a session, I want to give the horse an opportunity to process those changes — but that doesn't necessarily mean every horse needs to stand around for the rest of the day.

In many cases, gentle movement can be beneficial.

A relaxed hand-walk, turnout, or easy movement may give the horse an opportunity to explore how their body feels and moves following the session.

But what about riding?

That depends on several things:

• What I found during the session
• How much work was performed
• The areas we worked on
• How the horse responded
• What you're planning to do under saddle

There is a big difference between a quiet walk under saddle and asking for collection, jumping, speed work or a strenuous endurance training session.

If I've done more intensive work or your horse has had a particularly significant response to the session, I may recommend giving them more time before returning to regular work.

So don't be afraid to ask me, “Can I ride today?”

I would much rather answer based on your horse and that day's session than give every horse the same rule.

Because just like the bodywork itself, the answer should be individualized to the horse in front of me.

The Connected Balance™
Assess – Balance – Maintain

📞 (760) 846-4724
✉️ [email protected]

08/23/2026

🐴 CRANIOSACRAL WORK — IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE HEAD

One of the questions I sometimes get during a session is:

“What are you doing? You’re barely touching him and he's responding@!”

That light touch is intentional.

Craniosacral work is a gentle, hands-on technique that considers the horse as a connected system — from the skull and poll, along the spine, through the soft tissues, and toward the sacrum and pelvis.

Rather than using deeper pressure, I use subtle contact and listen to what I feel through the tissues. It may be incorporated into a bodywork session when my assessment leads me toward areas such as the:

• Poll and base of the skull
• TMJ and surrounding structures
• Neck
• Topline
• Sacral and pelvic region

Owners will sometimes notice their horse becoming very quiet during this work. You may see a lowered head, softer eyes, blinking, licking and chewing, yawning, or other signs of relaxation.

And this is an important distinction:

Craniosacral work isn’t simply “working on the horse’s head or sacrum”

The horse’s body is interconnected. What I feel in one area may lead me to explore another — which is why I continue assessing the whole horse, rather than focusing only on the place where tension first appears.

Sometimes the lightest touch can provide some very useful information.

The Connected Balance™
Assess – Balance – Maintain

📞 (760) 846-4724
✉️ [email protected]

View the full image in ChatGPT.

08/17/2026

Off topic of bodywork but interesting and a much talked about topic: equine nutrition.

Researchers have suggested probiotics have limited proven benefits for most horses, while postbiotics might offer more reliable digestive and immune support during stress.

Researchers have suggested probiotics have limited proven benefits for most horses, while postbiotics might offer more reliable digestive and immune support during stress.

08/16/2026

Anyone going to my website in the next 90 minutes will see it is "down". Thanks to GoDaddy hosting service they let my secure certificate expire. They are upgrading it now and it will take 90 minutes. Fingers crossed. Sheesh!

08/16/2026

A few rider spots still available! Don't miss this great opportunity to improve you and your horse before the Fall Shows!

08/16/2026

🐴 **It All Starts at the Feet**

The feet are the foundation of the horse’s entire body. Changes in hoof structure, balance, or how a horse bears weight can influence how they move—and the rest of the body may compensate for those changes.

When I assess a horse, I don't look only at the area where you notice a problem. I look at the whole horse: posture, movement, muscle tension, restrictions, wear on the hoof, and patterns of compensation.

And this is where communication between your bodyworker and farrier is so important. What I find during a bodywork session may provide useful information for the farrier to consider, just as changes your farrier observes can help me better understand what may be happening throughout the horse's body.

When we share those observations, we're able to build a more complete picture of the horse and work together to support them.

I may use bodywork, acupressure, energy work, thermography or movement assessment when appropriate to help understand and address compensations and support the horse as a whole.

The goal isn't just to work where the tension is. It's to understand the bigger picture.