Primary Cause

Getting to Primary Cause – Are You Transferring Your Own Physical Restrictions to Your Horse?

Often clients ask me whether issues they have in their own bodies will transfer to their horse when they ride. For me the answer to that question is YES. In 2017 I attended a Biomechanics class taught by Coralie Hughes. Afterward my friends and I accepted a challenge to go home and strategically place tape on our backs and on our horses, then video to see how we traveled together. Based on the video we shot I can see that my issues have absolutely transferred to my horse. I have a bend & twist to my spine, which affects my pelvis, then influences how my legs are positioned, etc. In the last 3 years I knew it had gotten progressively worse by the sheer number of back and oblique muscle tweaks I’ve experienced. I can feel the imbalance in myself when I exercise, stand, sit or lay down. But I paid it no attention, gave it no weight. I just carried on compensating for the new me. It makes me cringe to see this picture. Strider is such a good boy. In order to carry me he had to contort his own body.

It is so unfortunate because I did not appreciate what I was doing to Strider. I’ve added a screen shot from the video taken in 2017 so you can see what I’m talking about. Look at how his hind end is curved in to the left like we are doing a haunches-in. His hind legs are tracking to the left of his front legs. Last month I had someone watch Strider walking away with no rider on him, and guess what, he maintained this posture. His hind legs tracked to the left of his front legs. So, his body kept this bend even when I was not on him, he was stuck. Imagine trying to pick up a right lead canter! Strider has since been adjusted and is straightened back out again, but the same thing will all happen again if I do not address my own bodywork needs. I owe it to him to sort myself, so that he does not have to carry me in a way that negatively impacts his well-being. If you ask me whether, as a rider, you could be transferring your own body restrictions to your horse – my answer will be “YES, that is a definite possibility”!

As an Equine Bodyworker I want to help you get to primary causes so we can keep your horse working and moving to their optimum potential. During bodywork I can feel subtilties that you may not recognize during normal grooming or riding. Our horses are masters of disguise, but with Masterson Method techniques I can help in identifying areas of restriction they may be hiding. As a team we can put the pieces together and get to a resolution.

Give your horse the gift of a massage but give one to yourself as well! Your horse will thank you for it.