The Importance of Equine Posture: (Make sure to turn up sound for audio explanation)

In this video, I explain why posture is important and how we can influence it, and you'll see images of a horse who went from extremely narrow in the chest and "base narrow" to wider in his stance, with more developed pectoral muscles after bodywork and two weeks of groundwork exercises.

Note that the body is a system, and correct hoof angles contribute to a horse's ability to find correct posture, as does a healthy body. Pain, incorrect hoof angles, muscle restriction and so on all contribute to poor posture.

In this video, Lily demonstrates the TRT Method of connecting the legs at liberty. (Make sure to turn up sound for audio explanation)

You can see it's easier for her to do it going to the left than the right, though she does, after a few unconnected steps, figure it out going to the right. I finish with her lining up to the mounting block at liberty. No, TRT isn't bodywork, but integrating correct movement into bodywork helps the horse develop muscle memory and thus develop more permanent muscle changes.  

Eason Scent Exploration and Leg Preference: (Make sure to turn up sound for audio explanation)

Horses often choose to graze with one particular leg forward and the other back, an asymetry that infuses their ridden work and compromises their soundness. The sedentary ways in which many horses are kept intensifies this tendency towards asymmetry. Ideally they'd be moving around all day, grazing in sparse grass and developing more symmetrical posture, but most horses aren't kept in ideal circumstances. Bodywork and movement integration can help horses find better posture and develop muscles for more efficient and healthier movement.  

Equine Scent Exploration Therapy: From Val to Sam: (Make sure to turn up sound for audio explanation)

I became fascinated with scentwork after a horse I was doing bodywork on turned into a bloodhood and marched into an area of the farm he would normally have avoided at all costs. His determination to follow his nose was a lightbulb moment for me. Horses need to smell; scent is as important to them as it is to dogs. Allowing them to explore the smells in their world leads to a cascade of positive benefits in their physical and mental health, as outlined by Rachael Draaisma in Scentwork for Horses. (Sorry about the first video quality. I was trying to capture Val's urgent desire to sniff his way to the gate, and it's a bit sea-sick making!)