Crescent Moon Equine Bodywork

Meet this handsome hunk with luscious locks, Woody!

Woody was diagnosed in early November with right front navicular changes and has been living out 24/7 as a pasture pet while his owner and veterinary team monitored how he responded to turnout and time.

His owner has now chosen to take a more structured rehab approach and has entrusted me with his ongoing care. Working closely alongside his vets, I will be supporting Woody with regular bodywork sessions and light, targeted strength work aimed at improving hindquarter engagement and developing his thoracic sling so he can gradually unload his front end more effectively.

We have also transitioned him onto an anti inflammatory forage based diet, and he will remain in consistent turnout as he is pasture sound, keeping him moving in a natural, low stress way that supports circulation and overall comfort.

We recently trialed wedged aluminum shoes, which were clearly not Woody’s preference, so we are continuing forward barefoot and adapting from there.

I am really looking forward to this rehab journey with him and grateful for the trust placed in me to support his recovery.

This is why it is so important to listen to those behaviors that "come out of nowhere." Chances are the horse has been communicating the problem for a while but the whispers and normal talking didn't work so they start to scream and shout in order to be heard. Next time your horse behaves out of the ordinary, ask why.

I just got home from the most fun and magical trip to Ocala, Florida.

Last Sunday, my mentor, Stephanie Goddard with White Horse Bodywork, asked if I wanted to take a road trip to Florida to help with her new bodywork course for horse owners. My answer was an immediate hell yeah, and on Wednesday we hit the road for what turned into a 13 hour drive straight through. We rolled into Florida at 7 a.m., completely sleep deprived and literally slapping our faces to stay awake.

Before the clinic, we had a few days to explore and ended up kayaking with manatees. It was such a magical experience. We spotted five manatees, including a mama and her baby, and paddled through crystal clear spring water and winding canals. I learned a lot about manatees, but my favorite fact is that they are smooth brained.

The car rides were filled with conversations about everything from family and life to bodywork, equine nutrition, and hoof care. I also learned how to play mahjong, and we squeezed in a few games poolside. We even managed to fit in a trip to the World Equestrian Center, where we watched a few rounds of the Grand Prix and explored the incredible property with Stephanie as my personal tour guide.

Over the weekend, we taught horse owners about the benefits of bodywork and shared techniques they can use to evaluate their horses, provide comfort, and build stronger relationships with them. Stephanie has built such an incredible course. Even with my background in bodywork, I walked away with new insights and techniques that I will definitely be keeping in my pocket and applying in the future.

One of the most rewarding parts of the weekend was watching owners learn new things, gain confidence, and leave with a completely different perspective on horse care. Seeing those lightbulb moments and helping people better understand their horses was truly inspiring.

It was an unforgettable week filled with learning, laughter, adventure, horses, and friendships. I am so grateful I got to be a part of it, and it is an experience I will never forget.

Everyone wants a quick and easy answer. An injection, a pain pill, a supplement, when sometimes the real answer is simply time.

If your horse is struggling, whether it’s in their body or their feet, the worst thing you can do is mask the issue and push through it just because you want to ride. Problems ignored now usually become bigger, more complicated, and far more expensive later.

Step one is figuring out what’s actually going on through proper veterinary diagnostics. Why? Because once you know what you’re dealing with, you and your team of professionals can create a plan that truly supports the horse instead of just covering up symptoms.

That plan may involve rehab, changes in training, bodywork, hoof care, or management adjustments, but healing takes time. There is no shortcut around tissue adaptation and recovery.

Time costs money, but rushing recovery usually costs even more, often at the expense of the horse.

This was my view the other night after finishing a session with a very special horse. Look how pretty!

Friday nights are for writing up case studies and a big ass glass of wine with my #1 human as emotional support ❤️

Another good thing to keep in mind when doing pole work is watching your horse’s head as they lift a leg over a pole. If the head lifts up, they are often disengaging the thoracic sling and relying more heavily on the brachiocephalicus muscle to help compensate for weakness or instability. That compensation can create tension through the poll and upper neck and may indicate that the thoracic sling is struggling to properly support the front end.

A recent study from the University of Tennessee provided strong support for something trainers, movement specialists, and bodyworkers have observed for years:

Ground poles significantly increase activation of important postural and core muscles in horses.

What the Study Found

Walking over ground poles increased activity in:

• Longissimus dorsi — a major topline and spinal support muscle
• Abdominal muscles — critical for core stability and support of the spine

Even at the walk, poles require the horse to:

• Lift the limbs higher
• Stabilize the trunk more actively
• Organize posture and balance with greater precision
• Continuously adjust limb placement and timing

At the trot, researchers also found increased activation of the abdominal muscles.

Trotting over poles requires greater dynamic stabilization, and the increased limb elevation demands more coordinated control of the trunk, pelvis, and spine.

What This Means

These findings support the long-standing use of cavaletti and ground poles as a low-impact way to:

• Strengthen the topline
• Improve abdominal engagement
• Support spinal stability
• Enhance proprioception and coordination
• Encourage improved posture and self-carriage
• Develop better movement organization through the whole body

One of the most important aspects of pole work is that it influences both sides of the postural system:

• The dorsal chain — including the longissimus muscles along the back
• The ventral chain — including the abdominal support system

This balance is essential for efficient movement, force transfer, and development of a healthy, functional topline.

But pole work is not only muscular.

It is neurological.

Each pole creates a movement problem the horse must solve in real time.

The horse has to:

• Judge distance
• Adjust stride length
• Control timing
• Stabilize the trunk
• Organize the limbs in space
• Adapt moment-to-moment to changing demands

That process requires attention, coordination, body awareness, and ongoing nervous system regulation.

In many horses, poles appear to improve focus not simply because the horse is “behaving,” but because the nervous system is becoming more engaged and organized around the task.

Pole work may also influence neurological tone — the background level of muscular and nervous system readiness that affects posture, movement quality, stiffness, and coordination.

For some horses, this can help reduce excessive bracing and improve adaptability through the body.
For others, it can help improve postural engagement and overall organization.

Why It Matters

Regular pole work can benefit many types of horses:

• Young horses developing coordination and posture
• Performance horses improving strength, agility, movement quality, and limb awareness
• Horses rebuilding core control and stability after periods of weakness or reduced work
• Older horses maintaining mobility, coordination, and movement confidence

Importantly, many of these benefits occur even at the walk, making poles accessible to horses across a wide range of ages, disciplines, and fitness levels.

Rather than simply “making horses pick up their feet,” poles appear to challenge the nervous system, postural system, sensory system, and muscular system together — encouraging the horse to organize movement with greater control, awareness, and adaptability.

https://koperequine.com/step-by-step-the-benefits-of-walk-poles-for-horses/

I completely understand why bodywork isn’t a priority for a lot of horse owners. It’s an added expense in a lifestyle that is already expensive, trust me I get it.

But the more I learn, not just as a practitioner but as a horse owner, the more I see how essential it really is. When you start to understand the horse’s body, the fascial system, and the expectations we place on them, it becomes hard to ignore how much they are managing physically every single day.

I have recently started receiving bodywork on my own horse, not just for his benefit but so I can keep learning. Because the truth is, there is so much that goes into these animals. Nutrition, hoof care, management, training. It can feel overwhelming trying to piece it all together.

Bodywork helps connect the pieces, bring clarity to where an issue may be coming from, and support every other professional working on your horse.

It supports your farrier by making it easier for your horse to balance and comfortably hold a foot.
It supports your chiropractor by softening the tissues before an adjustment and helping the body maintain that change afterward.
It supports your vet by helping regulate the nervous system, which can reduce tension and anxiety during exams.
It supports your trainer by freeing up restriction so movement becomes more honest and more available.

And it supports you, as the owner, by giving you a deeper understanding of your horse and tools to help them stay comfortable between sessions.

Bodywork isn’t separate from everything else we do for our horses, it's what allows all of it to work better.