Form Through Function Equine Development

06/07/2026

THIS! I also now train with the end goal in mind and don’t worry about getting things perfect. The focus is more about the horse to come around to the idea of using their body in a way that is more beneficial to them, a way that helps them to rebuild it and restore function as much as possible. I want them to feel as good and strong as they can. We may never get to the upper level movements, especially when I’m training horses that are already 20 years old, but I’m training the small building blocks needed to get to those upper level movements because they will help stabilize the horse, bring about spinal integrity, calm their mind, and develop their entire body to function as well as it can making them feel good in their own body and mind thus restoring their spirit. Thank you Rudy Horsemanship for this well articulated post!

This is so true!!!!! This morning I told a student that we were working on collecting the Canter under saddle, and piaffe,……. And I laughed because nothing that we were doing, looked like either of those things. But in my mind, that’s exactly what we were working on!!!

This horse didn’t even know haunches in! He moves with incredibly straight hind legs, and it causes him to have lumbar pain. And I know that to fix it I have to get him to squat more behind. Aka, piaffe. And teach that he needs to know haunches in. So we worked on these tiny little building blocks and by the end not only did he start to get the idea in hand, but she even got it a little bit under saddle, which was absolutely incredible for this pair.

Also, this horse gets nervous in the canter under saddle. So I want to get him super balanced cantering small circles without a Rider. So to get that, I wanted him to get comfortable doing trot/halt/trot/halt transitions from the ground, but also deep in the corner, where this horse tends to get a little claustrophobic.

This mindset might be the biggest difference between people who really get things done with a horse, and people who ride the same 20 m circle for decades without much to show for it 🫣. I take every little step with the end goal in mind!!!!! maybe this horse never does a single step of piaffe, but if I can get him to use his body differently, he will be so much happier!!

I’m guilty of having been teaching lessons on this horse for too long without having any real goals in mind. And the students were stagnating, and the horse was actually getting a little worse instead of better. I fell into the trap of trying to do less with him. We will give him a break. We will see if he likes this other saddle better. I don’t know why because this is typically not me- but instead of really getting in there and fixing things, I was just trying to avoid the things that I thought were making him worse. That’s not my typical mindset and I’m not sure why I fell into that.
And I apologize to everyone for not videoing this mornings entire session because it was really quite phenomenal! I mean, nothing amazing happened, but it was so clear how upset he is in his crappy movement patterns. He absolutely could not step to the right with his hindquarters without falling on the right shoulder. He moves so post legged behind. Today was the first time that I saw him even contemplate using his body a little differently.

Anyways, thanks to Holly Linz for honestly pointing out the obvious. 😆 But let’s face it, it’s sometimes hard to tell people what they don’t wanna hear. And Holly made it very clear that this horse is so stuck in his hind end.
Thanks to Andrea (Mills Consilient Horsemanship) for her recent post on saving stifles….. It wasn’t any new information that I didn’t already know, but it drove it into my brain a little harder. And it reminded me that this work isn’t just for upper level Horses!!
And also thanks to MilaniCreative for these excellent illustrations that tickle my brain in a way that often times inspires my better posts.
And thanks to Ada (Equus Salutis) for reminding me that mediocre Horses can be fabulous, and to let go of the ideas of “correct” and just let the horses experiment with their body already!!!!

06/07/2026

I love connecting with horses and holding space for them to relax and decompress.

03/14/2026

The face you make when the bodyworker hits the right spot!

02/13/2026

❤️Success❤️

This summer I was contacted by a horse owner as a last resort before euthanasia. She had gone down the rabbit hole with multiple veterinary examinations, imaging, and tests, tried other bodyworkers and multiple supplements. I was told I was this horse’s last hope. If he was not able to live without chronic pain he would be euthanized as it was the kindest option.

He had intermittent lameness that was undiagnosed, he was irritable, reactive to touch, and very defensive of particular parts of hos body.

We found that he has a slightly asymetrical pelvis though there are no signs of a previous break.

Yesterday I was overjoyed to see him being tacked up to go for a short walk under saddle. He has been slowly coming back i to work in-hand and is now begun some short rides. My heart is filled with gratitude and joy!

Thank you Celeste Lazaris creator of Balance athrough Movement Method and Lazaris Nerve Release Technique and Angels Animals (Equine Myo-Manipulative Functional Therapy) for offering the certifications that afforded me the knowledge and skills that enable me to help horses and their owners.

Renew the Mind, Rebuild the Body, Restore the Spirit!

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Image credit: photo of a Leanin’ Tree card I was given years ago. Original art by Pamela Parker 2004 (according to card)

12/05/2025

11/22/2025

The Walk Continued ...

We spoke last time about seeing a quality walk. Now let's discuss how many riders hinder the walk.

1. Not moving with the horse. This is especially true if your job is sedentary. A good walk requires the horses body to move a lot which in turn requires the riders body to move a lot in synchrony with the horse. Hips, pelvis, and hands all need to follow the ebb and flow of the horses motion. The hands move forward as your pelvis moves back. It is important to make sure your hips are open and not locked restricting the back of the horse. Restricting any part of your body will restrict the horses ability to move correctly.

2. Driving the horse forward into an unforgiving hand. Riders that push the horse with the legs into a hand that is like hitting a brick wall. This will compress the horses neck and create rigidity down the entire spine creating a disengaged and abnormal gait.

3. Rushing the horse over tempo. Rushing the horse so fast that they cannot balance. This often results in disengagement and a lateral walk. You want a marching walk but it is imperative the horse can balance and maintain a natural 4 beat foot fall pattern.

4. Holding a forward horse with the hands, never giving and not using your seat or leg. This also results in a lateral walk and hollow back. Forward horses still need guidance with your seat and leg. You can keep them in a solid pace by not allowing your pelvis to move as quickly as their back. simply keep the full range of movement slower. You still need to give with the hands and follow in a steady contact with the bit. I find it helps to always keep your leg against a hot horse so when you do use it they are not surprised and you can make more subtle cues. On the inter side of the spectrum, if the horse is more whoa than go I find holding your leg a bit off is better as when you bring it on for a que they feel it more and respond better.

These are just a few of the ways we as riders can negatively impact the horse. I have been guilty of all of these until I learned better ways. Be present and conscious in you rising and see if you are doing any of these things.

videos to come in the future.

11/20/2025

🚨 In light of the recent Equine Herpes Virus outbreak with confirmed cases of the neurologic form of EHV-1 (EHM - Equine Herpes Myleoencephalopathy), we wanted to share the steps we have already taken to ensure the safety of our hospitalized patients here and ongoing appointments, as well as some helpful reading material on this virus.

Effective as of this morning 11/19, we are:
* Requiring horses stay IN/AT their trailer until a staff member arrives to take your horses’ temperature.
* Requiring each client to complete a questionnaire before their appointment which includes detailed travel and vaccination history.

⭐️ There are no confirmed cases of EHV or EHM in our hospital at this time. We will not be intaking ANY horses with symptoms of EHV1 and that have attended the event(s) in Waco, TX or Guthrie, OK. Our veterinarians are strongly advising those who have attended these events to stay home, quarantine any potentially exposed horses and check their temperatures twice daily. Horses with a fever greater than 101.5F should be monitored closely and can be treated with supportive care such as NSAIDs (Flunixin Meglumine) as needed and ensure adequate hydration. 

🚨 ANY horse that presents with a fever greater than 101.5 F may be hospitalized ONLY at the discretion of the doctor present and is required to be tested for EHV 1 & 4 on intake.  

Please see the attached factual documents provided by American Association of Equine Practitioners and Equine Disease Communication Center. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at 918-827-8000. We are here to help and keep your horses safe!

 https://s3.amazonaws.com/allynova-uploads/data_files/data_files/000/007/694/original/EHV_Owner_Fact_Sheet_AAEP_2025.pdf?1763584034

https://s3.amazonaws.com/allynova-uploads/data_files/data_files/000/007/693/original/EHM_AAEP_Fact_Sheet.pdf?1763584026

 

11/20/2025

Hi Everyone,

With the recent outbreak of EHV 1 & 4 I will only be visiting one barn per day to work with horses and only visiting barns choosing to not allow any horses in or out. If for any reason I do have to visit more than one place in a single day I will stop home, shower, change, and disinfect my boots and spray my car with Lysol. I do not want to jeopardize the health of any animals while still providing service to my clients. Thank you all and stay cautious. Protect your horses.

11/16/2025