Cutting Edge Performance Therapy

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Equine Sports Massage & Rehabilitation Specialist
Performance • Recovery • Rehabilitation
Bodywork • Therapeutic Modalities • Nervous System Regulation

Serving AZ, and Southern CA

Continuing education is an essential part of growing as a professional, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity ...
09/19/2026

Continuing education is an essential part of growing as a professional, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend a hoof dissection with the amazing Paige Poss, alongside knowledgeable farriers and fellow bodyworkers.

As a bodyworker, understanding the whole horse is essential. That includes the hoof.

The hoof is the foundation of the limb and plays a significant role in how a horse loads, moves, and distributes forces through the body. Understanding anatomy, angles, loading patterns, and biomechanics gives us a much clearer picture of what is happening beneath the surface.

Being able to see the internal structures firsthand was an incredible learning experience. It provided a deeper understanding of how the structures within the hoof work together and how changes in the foot can influence movement and compensation throughout the body.

This kind of knowledge helps me become a more observant and educated bodyworker. It allows me to ask better questions, recognize patterns, and communicate more effectively with the farriers and veterinarians who are an important part of each horse’s care team.

I’m very thankful to Paige for sharing her knowledge and to everyone who made this experience possible.

There is always more to learn. Continuing to invest in education is how we grow, refine our understanding, and ultimately provide better care for the horses we work with.

The more we understand the horse as a whole, the better we can serve them.

More pressure doesn’t mean better bodywork.There’s a common misconception that effective bodywork has to be deep, intens...
09/18/2026

More pressure doesn’t mean better bodywork.

There’s a common misconception that effective bodywork has to be deep, intense, or uncomfortable for the horse.

It doesn’t.

The amount of pressure that is appropriate depends on the individual horse, the area being worked, the condition of the tissue, and how the horse is responding.

When I’m working through an area of tension or restriction, I’m not simply trying to apply as much pressure as the horse will tolerate. I’m paying attention to the quality of the tissue beneath my hands and how that tissue responds as I work.

I’m also watching the horse.

Changes in breathing, posture, muscle tone, expression, and overall response can all provide useful information about how the horse is tolerating the work.

Sometimes deeper pressure is appropriate. Sometimes a lighter technique produces a better response. And with a sensitive horse, backing off can actually allow you to accomplish more than forcing your way through a reactive response.

The goal isn’t to make the horse tolerate the most pressure possible.

The goal is to use the appropriate technique and pressure to create a productive response from the horse and the tissue being worked.

Good bodywork isn’t measured by how much pressure you can apply. It’s measured by how appropriately you can read and respond to the horse in front of you.

09/17/2026

Yeti ⛄️🤍

09/17/2026

Rainy day schedule 🌦️

Please join me in welcoming River Rousseau to the Cutting Edge team as our new Rehabilitation Trainer.River is a horse t...
09/16/2026

Please join me in welcoming River Rousseau to the Cutting Edge team as our new Rehabilitation Trainer.

River is a horse trainer with a strong focus on both mental and physical rehabilitation, as well as OTTBs, green horses, and retraining. River is passionate about discovering what each horse is naturally good at and what they genuinely enjoy, while helping them develop correct muscling and maintain soundness throughout the process.

River recently moved to Tucson from the East Coast and is enjoying meeting all kinds of new animal and human desert friends.

A major part of rehabilitation is helping a horse understand that they can move differently, build the strength needed to support that movement, and gradually work through the anticipation or anxiety that can develop when certain movements have previously been associated with discomfort.

As compensation patterns begin to break down and new muscle develops, horses need the opportunity to practice these changes in a functional way. That is where River will be an important part of the process.

River will be assisting with my in-home rehabilitation cases, helping bridge the gap between the changes we create through bodywork and the horse learning to use those changes in movement.

I’m excited to have River’s experience, perspective, and horsemanship become part of the Cutting Edge approach.

Welcome to the team, River!

09/16/2026

My favorite part of the day ♥️

09/15/2026

When working on horses one of the things I pay close attention to is what happens after the work is done.

A horse looking relaxed during a session is a positive response, but relaxation alone doesn’t tell me whether the work created a meaningful change in how the horse uses their body.

I want to observe the horse in movement.

How does the stride compare?
Is there improved range of motion?
Are they moving more evenly through the body?
Is there less resistance through a particular area?
Does the horse appear more coordinated or comfortable in movement?

For rehabilitation and performance horses, the goal isn’t simply to make a horse feel relaxed.

The goal is to identify areas of restriction or tension, address them appropriately, and then evaluate how the horse responds when they return to movement.

That post treatment movement is important feedback.

It helps determine whether the changes we felt during the session are carrying over into function, rather than assuming that a relaxed horse automatically means the session was effective.

Sessions with big releases are great, but the horse’s movement is ultimately where I want to see the work show up.

09/15/2026

A little look into my personal herd 🫏🤍🫏

I don’t chase pain when I work on a horse.A reactive or sensitive response is information, but it doesn’t automatically ...
09/14/2026

I don’t chase pain when I work on a horse.

A reactive or sensitive response is information, but it doesn’t automatically mean that more pressure is needed. My job is to assess the response, consider what I’m feeling through the tissue, and determine how the horse is responding to the technique.

There are also times when a horse is reacting because they are anticipating discomfort based on a previous experience. That is different from simply assuming the area is painful.

With those horses, forcing the work usually isn’t productive. I may reduce or release the pressure, give the horse a moment to process, and then gradually reintroduce contact in a way that allows them to understand that the work isn’t going to hurt.

That response matters.

I’m paying attention to whether the horse becomes more comfortable with the technique, whether the tissue changes under my hands, and how the horse responds as we continue.

Effective bodywork isn’t about finding the most sensitive spot and working it until the horse gives in.

It’s about understanding the response, working within the horse’s tolerance, and using that information to guide the session.

More pressure isn’t always more effective. Sometimes better results come from knowing when to back off.

09/11/2026

One of the great things about presenting on Facebook is talking about ideas that people find challenging and then seeing where the holes are in my presenting. This really helps me to tighten up the study and the data points.

One thing that came up in the last post was that I had compared a “skinny horse” with a fat horse. It makes little difference to the skeleton what the body score of the horse is. The weight of the hind end muscles is immense and the pelvic floor by comparison is very small…..in short there’s allot of weight pushing inwards and little opposing force pushing outwards. One of the most common questions I get is can it be fixed? I would never use the word “fixed” this can be managed is the most hopeful I can be. This answer will be different for every horse…it’s nuanced because of things like age, breed, early workload and compensation factors then also how long has the horse been functioning in this state? Compensation means the horse is now having to load areas that were designed to work in harmony with the pelvis, not take the main load. Then also factor in the horses conformation, where is the lumbo sacral junction placed within the pelvis as this can vary greatly! Is there a sacralised lumbar present? Kissing spines? Does the horse have pre-existing NPA in the him feet?

Palpating the hind end of the horse has become a specialty of mine and knowing where the boney land marks would be in an ideal position. Variations exist for sure but our human expectations can make things worse for the horse.

Can they come back from pelvic collapse? With good rehab and lowered expectations of the horse you can strengthen and stabilise for sure. If the horse is resilient enough they can still perform for sure but the cost will be earlier boney changes down the line. That is a decision every horse person will need to make, what you do with your horse is your business! I just want everyone to have the information because in my mind prevention is better than cure. This is why I am very careful how much work I do with my horses before 5-6(mare,5 gelding,6)
I did a rehab last year on a pelvic collapse TB horse and followed his journey, his name was Gordon. Although I was able to keep him comfortable I think he will be unridable before his teens.

Riddle me this…..if the Skeleton is the scaffolding for the soft tissues and the scaffolding fails then what happens to the function of the soft tissues? Some atrophy(normally the longissimus and medial glutes) and some hypertrophy( the hamstring group and PSOAS) because as one under performs something has to pick up the slack…..this is dysfunctional. There’s a definite artform to bringing some function back to these horses. There’s allot more going on that we are collecting data points for through Etica Equine Charitable Trust.

But again, you can cover anything with fat……

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Marana, AZ

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