09/08/2026
I classify horses in two ways: stoic and sensitive. Sensitive horses tend be explosive, overreactive, and much easier to work with because they show you everything. Stoic horses, however, are the opposite. They are the ones that refuse to yawn or release until you’ve left their stall. They are the horses that don’t want to complain or show weakness. The owner probably loves them because they are calm and unspooky.
Let me tell you, that’s because they internalize the tension. Rather than exploding in a rear, buck, or kick, they hold their tension inward and that causes significant bracing and compensation. These also tend to be the horses that suddenly go lame one day and you have no clue what caused it. BRACING. TENSION. These animals don’t let things go easily and thus make a massage therapist’s work harder.
We have to convince them to respond differently and let the tension go in a healthy way. In some cases, if the area is just not releasing for you, it can also mean there is a subluxation (or misalignment) in the spine. If that is the case, you DON’T want to remove the bracing or there can be side effects you aren’t ready for. Instead, recommend a chiropractor to work with you so that you can get the full benefit.
On an end note, stoic horses tend to need more frequent sessions to return to neutral because they have trouble letting go. Be patient with them. I’ve caught quite a few horses hiding their faces in the wall so I wouldn’t see them yawn, or immediately rolling in the paddock and playing after a session. Just because you don’t see what all the massage therapists tell you are relaxation signs, doesn’t mean they won’t come later.
