Intuitive Equine Body & Mind, LLC

Want to support your horse's recovery? What better way to do that than with bodywork? I can also provide cupping, kinesiology taping, and red light therapy.

When you are sore or tight, what do you do to make yourself feel better, perhaps having an Epsom salt bath or visiting your massage therapist or doing some stretching? That's exactly what bodywork does for horses. If you've ever seen your horse rubbing their butt on their stall, struggling to pick up a lead, or struggling to come into the bridle, etc., there's a chance they may be restricted in some way, causing tension.

I provide equine sports massage, and trigger point therapy which is a way of releasing tight muscles by staying below the horses brace threshold while working into the deeper muscles to help release tension. I also incorporate personalized stretches into most sessions, depending on the horses needs. I am also an advanced fieldwork student of the masterson method, which is based around reading the horses response pattern to better understand the horse and what they are feeling.

Coming up on 4 years of helping horses feel their best!!! Where in the world does time go?? I remember little 17 year old me being told by most everyone already in the field that people would have a hard time taking me seriously, even though i went through the same process as everyone else at Therasage EMC. I am SO glad that i didn’t let that intimidate me. To all of my clients, THANK YOU for believing in me. Some of you have been here the whole time. My promise to you is that i will never stop learning and growing to help your horses the best i possibly can. I will do something special in august when i officially hit 4 years❤️🤗 picture of little Luci at her 5 day The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork course for tax🤗❤️

Koda's 5-week update: the picture on the left is before I ever laid my hands on this sweet boy, and the picture on the right is after my second bodywork session. It is so interesting to me to see the subtle softening of the fascial lines. Knowing that I am working to help rewire the nervous system with the Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork is what I find the most fascinating about it. and while it may not look like much between sessions, seeing him stand even a touch more evenly after a session lets me know I'm headed in the right direction!

Next up… the 𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐊💃

The hock is anatomically similar to a human FOOT.

The hock sits directly below the tibia and above the cannon bone. Like the stifle, it’s one of the most commonly affected joints in performance horses.

Its primary job is to transfer force generated from the pelvis and stifle down the limb and into the ground. Basically, the hock absorbs impact, stores elastic energy, and releases force for propulsion.

𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐊
𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑠
𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠
*Point of hock in horses, heel bone in humans*
𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙
𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠
*First & second (fused), third, and fourth*

The hock is composed of four joints -
1. 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝒂𝒌𝒂 𝑻𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒍 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕
𝑇𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑎 + 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑠
-> Largest motion, most visible flexion and extension
2. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓
3. 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓
4. 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓

The lower three joints have very little movement and the cartilage in these lower joints is relatively thin. Their primary job is shock absorption and stability.

** Distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal are the most commonly affected by osteoarthritis **

Studies have reported that distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joint osteoarthritis accounts for a significant percentage of hindlimb lameness cases in performance horses, with reporting distal hock arthritis in up to 30–40% of horses evaluated for chronic hindlimb lameness (Dyson, 2003; Ross & Dyson, Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse).

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙
Provides side-to-side stability.

𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 = Originates at the lateral malleolus (outer portion of the tibia) and attaches to the calcaneus, talus, fourth tarsal bone, lateral splint bone, and proximal cannon bone.
𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 = Originates proximally from the lateral malleolus and attaches between tarsal bones. Assists in stabilizing the intertarsal joints.
𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 = Runs from the medial malleolus of the tibia to the talus and distal tarsal bones
𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 = Runs from the medial malleolus to the talus
𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 = Extends from the medial tibial malleolus to the sustentaculum (part of the calcaneus) and the central tarsal bone
𝑫𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 = Runs from the distal edge of the medial malleolus to the tuberosities of the talus

𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
Runs along the back of the hock and stabilizes the distal joints under compression. Chronic arthritis often leads to secondary strain or thickening of this ligament.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐔𝐒
Part of the reciprocal apparatus.
Ensures stifle flexion = hock flexion

𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐎𝐑
Passes over the point of the hock and contributes to propulsion.

𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐎𝐑
Contributes to distal limb mechanics and stabilization of the hock. Increased flexion increases DDFT tension.

𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐔𝐒
Contributes to hock extension and propulsion, inserting at the point of the hock.

𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
Originates on the back (plantar aspect) of the cannon bone just below the hock.
It functions as a primary shock absorber, stabilizes the fetlock, redistributes force, and prevents overextension of the fetlock.

Remember the reciprocal apparatus?
Flexion of the stifle = flexion of the hock
Extension of the stifle = extension of the hock

They are mechanically linked.
This explains why stifle pathology often presents as hock soreness, and vice versa.

Repetitive compression -> cartilage microdamage
Microdamage -> inflammation
Inflammation -> pain
Pain -> altered biomechanics
Altered biomechanics -> further uneven loading (usually leading to hoof imbalance)

𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 + 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒
This is a pattern seen repeatedly in performance horses. I see this CONSTANTLY.

Tight hamstrings are often a message from the hock saying “I’ll help out since you’re exhausted and sore.”

The hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus) originate from the pelvis and contributes to hip extension, stille flexion, and hock extension.

However, when hamstrings become tight, fatigued, or chronically overactive hip extension efficiency decreases, stifle mobility becomes restricted, and compression on the hock increases.

Over time…
Increased muscular tension -> altered joint mechanics
Altered mechanics -> uneven cartilage loading
Uneven loading -> inflammation
Inflammation -> pain
𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐓.

This also works in reverse.

If the hock becomes arthritic there’s decreased flexion of the hock, a shortened stride, and the hamstrings become overdeveloped and restricted trying to stabilize.

If pelvic stability decreases, stifle rotation increases.

If stifle instability increases, hock compression increases.

#𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

Thor here just wants to let you know that I am almost fully booked the month of March! I have availability left the first 2 weeks of March, i have a feeling it won’t stay that way for long so reach out now if you’re wanting to get on the schedule for March or April!!

One more day to take advantage of the Black Friday sale!!

🖤 BLACK FRIDAY FOR YOUR HORSE

For one weekend only, I’m offering exclusive Black Friday pricing on equine bodywork sessions 🐴

✨ Individual Sessions: $65 (normally $75)

🔥 Packages:
• 3 sessions → $180 (save $45)
• 5 sessions → $280 (save $95)

✔ buy now, book later
✔ giftable
✔ limited availability

As a bonus, package purchases include a complimentary kinesiology tape application (as needed).

DM me “BLACK FRIDAY” to snag your spot before they’re gone. Sale ends on Sunday, Nov 30th!