Vandlen Equine Massage and Bodywork

Tentative August schedule. If you haven’t heard from me and want to be on my schedule, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I am playing a little bit of catch- up this week. I have had several back to back weekend shows, so if you have been waiting to hear from me, I apologize. You will be hearing from me in the next couple of days.

One of the things that I value in my practice is pushing myself to be out there working on my horsemanship outside of just bodywork. It not only helps me draw connections between what my clients feel while riding and my work, but It keeps me sharp to reading horses and watching their movement. One of the best education tools I’ve found is just hours of observation, and what better way to do that than be at a horse show. I am grateful to have a connected community and a job that allows me to indulge this crazy habit.

While my craziest weeks of the summer are behind me, I am still booking about 4-6 weeks out depending on location. If you are wanting your horse seen in August, please let me know asap! I will be sending out a tentative schedule in the next few days, and will be finalizing it soon.

I hope everyone is out enjoying their horses in whatever way is the most fulfilling to you!

July Schedule Update!
If you were hoping to snag an appointment in July, let’s get it scheduled! As you can see, my schedule is pretty full until the last week of July, so don’t wait to reach out!

Local appointments only on Tuesday/ Thursday.

Last weekend, I wrote about how show weekends ask a lot of your horse's body, even when you are doing everything right.

The training ramp-up before a show creates tension that does not disappear when you load the trailer. Then, you arrive somewhere new, with new footing, new smells, new energy, and we expect them to perform at their peak. It’s a lot!

The physical and emotional strain is just part of the reality of competition, and any good horse owner knows this, and does their best to mitigate it.

If I had to choose between show-day bodywork and a dialed-in routine before you ever leave home, I would choose the preparation every single time. Show-day work is maintenance. Pre-show work is the foundation.

Start supporting your horse's body at least two weeks out. By the time you are at the show grounds, you want to be maintaining, not catching up.

If you have any questions about what I do to help horses prepare, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments or in my DMs!

I have a couple of scheduling updates!

Unfortunately my trip the the Bay Area is cancelled this month, but I am working on a time when I can get down there,

In addition, I have a couple of openings coming up. If you haven’t messaged about July already, please reach out! It’s busy season for everyone!

"Show day work should just be maintenance. Pre-show work is the foundation."

New newsletter is out Sunday at 7am. I am writing about what the experience of showing my own horse reminded me about bodywork, competition and the toll it all takes on our horses bodies. Sign up here: www.vandlenequine.com

I’ve been quiet on here because I have been really busy with three horse show weekends back to back. I’m still keeping a full schedule though, and am seeing clients and horses. I’m booking out into July, and would love to see all of you and support you through your exciting adventures with your horses. I love this crazy journey horses are taking me on! ❤️