Restore Equine

One of my favourite things when meeting a horse, is the second they realise that they can just be. They take a breath, a deep sigh, their eyes soften, you hear their stomach gurgle & their whole body just relaxes.

Massage is not just a spa day for these animals, it has real physiological benefits. Especially for horses that carry a lot of stress. You’ll notice that I said stress & not tension! While sometimes tension is a bad thing, we can think of tension in the stressed out body as excess tightness in places it shouldn’t be, it’s also necessary to exist, think of the toned bodies of athletes & they absolutely require tension!

With stress, the jaw can be clenched, the eyes tented, perhaps they’ve had some gut issues treated, but body hasn’t stopped guarding even though your scope is clean, expecting that stomach pain to reappear. Maybe they’ve had a lameness resolve but their shoulders or back are still braced, their gait is still focused on protecting an area that is no longer painful, but in their head they’re waiting for that foot to still be sore. The same for the back after a new saddle!

Stress is not just about pain, (although pain is always going to cause stress), it can also be emotional, from the horse’s environment, a heavy workload, the loss of a friend, a trailer ride, a competition, a new home, a vet visit, maybe they struggle with the farrier, with an increase in training or a new task they don’t understand, maybe their job is just really hard or they have inexperienced riders, like lesson horses or those in therapeutic programs. For some horses the emotional side of stress is what creates more physical symptoms, rather than the physical being the primary concern & then it can become a vicious cycle of stress.

Bringing some relief to a stressed horse allows their body some space to do what it is designed to; return to homeostasis. A more normal breathing pattern, functioning diaphragm & digestive system, which are things directly affected by the positive impacts of bodywork, can make a huge difference to the physiological status of the body & what it has available to repair & maintain itself.

Same for you 😜

There’s lots to talk about during a first session for your horse, even if it’s purely for performance/maintenance purposes. Even after you’ve filled out the new client form and answered the questions. Getting a full history is important to be able to understand how best to move forwards.

While we assess the horse at every session, the first assessment will usually take more time. We don’t know your horse, we need to get to know them and they need to get to know us, trust us, trust what we are doing and ask of them. Bodywork, as with training, you can often achieve more with a horse by taking it slower to start with, if they know you’re not going to force them to participate or do something that is scary or painful, you can often do a lot more, because they know you’re not going to ask for more than they can cope with or faster than they can manage it.

We need to watch the horse, touch the horse, see how they move, stand, choose to hold their body. Pick up their limbs, see how this affects them, how is the limb that is being picked up, how the joints move easily or not, do they feel smooth, stiff, crunchy, how the weight is transferred to the other limbs, can they maintain balance or do they struggle. Lots of information to be observed and noted to formulate a plan.

The introductory session is a very important part of forming a relationship with you and your horse.

Usually priced at £60, I am offering a special offer for half price introductory session for the rest of 2026, meaning your intake will be just £30 if you book in before the end of the year.

I have relocated and am taking on new clients in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

Travel fees may apply for appointments that have less than 3 horses per location, or are more than 45 mins from Saffron Walden (Essex).

Follow up sessions are offered in the following techniques:
massage/manual therapy
equine tensegrity balancing therapy (up to level 2)
PEMF Therapy

Package deals are available for follow up sessions
Ongoing discounts are available for riding schools & similar programs.

As a prior horse owner, and an equine therapist I feel every one of these 😅

This industry can be especially hard to navigate, as a professional and as a horse owner/rider.

20 Ways to Ruin Your Horse, According to Someone on the Internet🍿
A comprehensive guide to being wrong about absolutely everything.

I recently asked horse people to share some of the conflicting advice they've received about caring for, managing and training their horses.

And holy moly, what a magnificent collection of mutually exclusive certainties we've accumulated.🤯

It turns out that almost everything you do with a horse is wrong. Not just mildly wrong, either. We're talking morally reprehensible, scientifically indefensible, spiritually bankrupt and quite possibly a violation of the Geneva Convention.😱

The really impressive part is that the person telling you you're wrong is invariably absolutely certain they're right.

So, in the interests of fairness, inclusivity and offending absolutely everyone equally, I've compiled a collection of 20 ways you can apparently ruin your horse.🔥

How many of these arguments have you encountered?😜

1.Shoes are cruel. Barefoot is cruel. Boots are unnatural. Glue-ons are cheating. Traditional farriers are dinosaurs. Barefoot trimmers are cult members.

2.Treats are scientifically proven training tools. Treats are bribery. Treats create dangerous horses. Treats build trust. Food rewards are essential. Food rewards are manipulative.

3.Bits responses can be well trained into communication. Bits are medieval torture devices. Bitless is ethical. Bitless is dangerous. A snaffle is gentle. A snaffle can be severe.

4.Horses need rugs. Horses don't need rugs. Rugs destroy thermoregulation. Not rugging is neglect. A clipped horse must be rugged. A healthy horse can regulate its own temperature.

5.Unlimited hay is essential. Unlimited hay causes obesity. Restricting hay causes ulcers. Obesity causes laminitis. Horses must eat constantly. Horses must not overeat.

6.Ride into the contact. Never ride into the contact. Contact creates balance. Balance creates contact. The horse must seek the bit. The horse must never feel the bit. Your hands must be soft. Your hands must be effective.

7.Round pens create communication. Round pens are the best place to start a horses training. Round pens create learned helplessness. Sending a horse away establishes leadership. Sending a horse away is emotional abandonment. Turning to face you is respect. Turning to face you is avoidance.

8.Be the leader. Don't be the leader. Be a partner. Be a guardian. Be a friend. Never be a friend. Establish boundaries. Never impose your will. Earn respect. Respect is a human construct.

9.Nosebands. One finger. Two fingers. No fingers. No noseband. Anatomical noseband. Cavesson. Flash. Drop. Loose is kind. Loose is dangerous.

10.Dental tools. Power tools are dangerous. Hand tools are outdated. Sedation is essential. Sedation is unnecessary. Equine dentists are experts. Only veterinarians should touch teeth. Horses survived millions of years without dentists.

11.Start riding at two. Start riding at four. Wait until seven. Early exercise strengthens bones. Early exercise destroys joints. Young horses need work. Young horses need to be left alone.

12.Stabling is cruel. Paddocks are dangerous. Track systems are revolutionary. Dry lots are essential. Small paddocks are prisons. Big paddocks are injury factories. Horses must live in herds. Horses need individual management.

13.Feed magnesium. Feed turmeric. Feed salt. Feed oils. Feed herbs. Feed gut supplements. Feed joint supplements. Don't feed supplements because supplements are unnecessary.

14.Your horse is naughty. Your horse is frightened. Your horse is traumatised. Your horse is testing boundaries. Your horse is expressing its truth. Your horse is reflecting your childhood wounds. Your horse needs a stronger leader. Your horse needs you to regulate your nervous system.

15.Never accept no. Always accept no. Wait for a genuine yes. Let the horse choose. Never force anything. Teach the horse to comply. Honour its autonomy. Respect its boundaries. Get some help to learn to train properly.

16.Chiropractic. Osteopathy. Massage. Acupuncture. Craniosacral therapy. Myofascial release. Masterson. PEMF. Energy healing. Bodywork is essential. Bodywork is a waste of money.

17.Train every day. Train twice a week. Train for five minutes. Train for an hour. Always finish on a good note. It doesn't matter if you finish on a good note. Rest is essential. Consistency is essential. Repetition builds understanding. Repetition creates boredom.

18.Hands wide. Hands narrow. Hands high. Hands low. Inside rein. Outside rein. Never pull. Always maintain contact. Open your rein. Never open your rein.

19.Pressure is communication. Pressure is coercion. Escalating pressure is essential. Escalating pressure is abuse. Rewards create willingness. Rewards create dependency. Never punish. Always correct. Be consistent. Be flexible.

20.Horses need leadership. Horses need connection. Horses need attunement. Horses need autonomy. Horses need boundaries. Horses need freedom. Traditional horsemanship is outdated. Natural horsemanship is unnatural. Science-based training is the answer. Science doesn't understand horses.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Absolutely nobody.

Because whatever you're doing with your horse, there's someone on the internet who is absolutely certain you're doing it wrong.🙄

Of course, some of these disagreements are legitimate, some depend on circumstances, and some are complete bo****ks. The trick is learning to tell the difference.😎

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

What's been missed from the list? Add your favourite contradictory horse advice to the comments. Let's see how long we can make this ridiculous list.😆

Collectable Advice 312/365. 🤓

Don't confuse conviction with competence.

One of the most useful things you can learn in about working with horses is that the answer to many questions is "it depends." It depends on the horse, the circumstances, the skills of the person involved and what they're trying to achieve. Terribly inconvenient for anyone selling the one true way.🫣

Of course, that doesn't mean every opinion is equally valid. Sometimes the evidence is clear, and sometimes people are MSUing (ie Making S**t Up).The trick is developing enough knowledge, experience and critical thinking to recognise the difference, rather than outsourcing your judgement to whoever sounds the most confident.✊

IMAGE📸: Most likely a internet expert🙃

MagnaWave PEMF therapy for horses uses pulsed electromagnetic fields to stimulate cellular function, improve circulation, and support natural processes in the body.

Key Benefits

🐎 Recovery & Performance: Supports muscle recovery and cellular repair after heavy training, competition, or long-distance travel. Also beneficial pre performance.

🐎 Improved Circulation: Enhances microcirculation and oxygenation in tissues, which helps reduce stiffness.

🐎 Inflammation Relief: Assists in managing discomfort associated with conditions like arthritis, & soft tissue injuries. (Consent from veterinarian required for horses managing acute or chronic conditions).

🐎 Hoof and Cellular Health: Pilot data indicates potential improvements in sole depth and cellular ATP production when treating the lower limbs and hooves.

Common Applications

🐴 Maintenance: Used across performance disciplines like dressage, racing, and show jumping, as well as leisure horses.

🐴 Chronic and Acute Care: Integrated alongside veterinary treatments and for support of horses in rehabilitation. (Veterinary Diagnosis & consent required).

Fully certified and insured PEMF Practitioner, Equine Massage Therapist, FEI Permitted Equine Therapist. Student of Equine Physiotherapy.
7+ years of multi-discipline experience in USA. Now accepting clients in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

Questions to be asked when looking for a provider for your horse for PEMF (or any service).

Do practitioners have adequate training?
Is this safe/appropriate?
Alongside: are they insured.

In the UK, veterinary consent is required to work with ANY animal for purposes OTHER than routine maintenance & wellness.

PEMF & massage ARE appropriate for most horses for routine maintenance & wellness purposes.

Horses with medical issues, injuries, lameness MUST have veterinary consent before receiving ANY complementary therapy. They must have a diagnosis & treatment plan. The vet must approve the specific therapies being undertaken.

A practitioner attending an animal for routine purposes is required by law to refuse/stop treatment if they become aware of contraindication & refer back to the Vet.
This is integrity and ethics.

In my experience, (in my 8th year using MagnaWave PEMF) it can be extremely beneficial when managing complex or chronic cases, or for rehabilitation of injury. I’ve personally seen PEMF as an effective tool post kissing spines treatment, tendon/ligament/bone injuries, managing muscular issues due to cervical dysfunction (including congenital abnormality), post surgery, managing chronic arthritic conditions & horses with genetic muscle disease. Many of these issues require adapting protocols accordingly. These would still be anecdotal reports of improvement or recovery!

We do need to be able to evaluate the difference between marketing & valid claims, but that’s not just relevant to PEMF, it applies to everything.

There are published papers out there on PEMF for humans & animals, with studies ongoing. There are also junk articles both for and against! But it is absolutely not “dangerous”, which is something I’ve seen various people claim on social media recently.

A good practitioner of any modality can evaluate your horse (within their scope of practice which will look different for different roles), apply what they are trained to, evaluate if the intervention has helped, refer to others where appropriate & explain any of these steps to you.

Good practitioners will also work with others for the good of the horse! Not claim they are the only ones that have all the answers. This would be a massive red flag.