Delta Equine Bodywork

A Symphony of Motion

Every Horse Deserves to Move Gracefully

 

The graceful movement of a horse, pleasing to the eye, the ear, and the inside of a human, is critical to a healthy, stress-free, tension-free, pain-free horse. Such artistic mobility depends upon the unrestricted motion of muscles contracting and relaxing. “Biomechanics.”  When this occurs, the motion is filled with beauty, elegance, power, and symmetry.  

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Sadly, for a plethora of reasons, the muscles can suffer injury, the biomechanics are restricted, and the symphony of motion strikes a note of discord. The inside and outside of the horse lack harmony. The horse may be experiencing stress, tension, or pain. Their movement is hindered, the power is disrupted, and the balance is erratic. The horse needs assistance.

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Every horse has a story. Knowing the story can be integral to restoring a horse's biomechanics. The story includes such details as the birth, the various environments where the horse resided, diet, place in the herd, style of riding, their job, tack, exercise program, etc. This, coupled with the clinician's understanding of the muscular actions that yield movement, can produce a plan on how best to work with the horse. 

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As a bodyworker, my role is similar to that of an orchestra conductor. I need to see, feel, and hear the whole horse. I also need to identify the specific parts that may be slightly or significantly hindering the horse from producing a symphony. I invite and direct the horse to focus on that section, that piece, that part of their body that may be weak, slow, restricted, hindered, etc, and from the inside out to relax, to breathe, to realign, to release, to begin the restoration. As part of the work of assisting, I may move a limb, flex an appendage. 

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During the course of a bodywork session, I also follow the lead of the horse. Rather than following a predetermined order, I watch I listen to what the horse is communicating. Every session is a collaboration between the horse and me. And because every horse’s story is unique, every session is unique. I trust that the horse will reveal the points that are causing discomfort and creating discord. 

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I employ a host of techniques to assist the horse in establishing balance, grace, power, elegance, and symmetry. With horses who have been forced to endure traumatic experiences or were unable to restore a parasympathic state, I offer services to assist the horse in overcoming the trauma that holds them hostage. Sadly, due to no fault of their own, some horses have become machines. These horses need permission to once again be a horse, a horse that moves with grace and creates a symphony by their very existence.

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Finally, I do not view Delta Equine Bodywork as a destination but a journey. Therefore, I am always learning, creating new techniques as the horse teaches me what works. I welcome clinicians who are open to sharing and learning together for the sake of the horse. 

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Conductor of A Symphony of Motion

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A musical conductor serves as the messenger of the musical piece to be performed. They appreciate the possibility and the potential of the composer's creation and, therefore, are entrusted with the task of bringing that to fruition.  

 

A good conductor, a good messenger, begins by listening to the musicians.  By observing musicians, and then, and only then, does one ask probing questions.   They simultaneously value and respect each musician, each instrument, and each part of the composition, realizing that all contribute to the whole.   And then, and only then, does the conductor deliver the message.  Then, and only then, does the conductor establish the tempo and maintain the dynamics of the music.

 

At Delta Equine Bodywork, A Symphony of Motion, I understand that my responsibility is to be a conductor, a good messenger.  And the horse is the musician, complete with all the parts that contribute to the symphony of motion.  Together, working in harmony, respecting and valuing one another, we create music, a symphony of motion.

 

As the conductor I use my eyes, ears, and hands, to see, to hear, and to feel the horse and all the parts there within.  Parts that are moving fluidly, parts that are restricted, and parts that are screaming out in pain.  I begin by observing the outside of the horse to determine what might be happening on the inside.  And then I measure the inside of the horse to determine if it aligns with the outside.  

 

The outside factors to monitor and observe include, but are not limited to, such things as conformation, hooves, gait, head position, tail position, turning, backing, swelling, cuts, and breathing.  I use my eyes and ears to measure the horse’s breathing pattern, and then my hands.  A shallow and quick or rapid breathing pattern may signal that the horse is tense, nervous, preparing to take flight, or it may be the result of their inability to expand the diaphragm.  If it is my first encounter with a horse, I will exaggerate the volume of my breathing and inhale more deeply.  If the latter is the source of the issue, with the proper placement of my hands and my fingertips gently gracing the horse’s hair, I can assist them in expanding the diaphragm and slowing the rhythm.  Every musician, regardless of the music they create, will agree that proper breathing technique is vital to their success.  The same is true when working with a horse.    

 

Measuring the inside begins with palpation.  By increasing the amount of pressure to various parts of the horse’s body, one can determine if an area is sensitive and, if so, the level of reaction.  A reaction generally implies pain or irritation and is viewed as a recent issue.  If any area doesn’t yield a response during palpation but does hinder movement or create a response during the bodywork session, it is considered a restriction, possibly the result of an older issue.  This distinction between reaction and restriction is critical to understanding what the symphony of motion may look like both in the short term and the long term. 

Another factor when measuring the inside of the horse is to determine if an issue is surface or deeper.  A surface issue may be the result of new tack, new rider, change in performance, being kicked, etc., and by addressing these issues together with the bodywork, the motion can be restored more quickly.  Deeper issues are those that may have existed for an extended period of time or literally originate deeper within the body of the horse.  This could be the result of tack, riding, performance, or an injury, and how it healed.  What brought about these deeper issues may never be known, which can be a source of frustration for an owner, but as the conductor, the message is about the here and now.  Finally, measuring the inside also has to consider the possibility that the source of irritation, the lack of performance, is related to unhealthy organs, disease, illness, etc.  Such measuring of these factors requires a Veterinarian.  Because of the complexity of the inside of the horse, I work with Farriers, Chiropractors, Veterinarians, and Trainers.       

 

As a conductor, striving to co-create with the horse a graceful, fluid, picturesque symphony of motion, I am continually collecting information, data if you will, to problem solve, to make all the pieces fit and work in harmony.  I must distinguish between symptoms and causes. Is the pain, the irritation, the restriction the source of the issue or the symptom, the result of an issue located somewhere else in the body?  It’s quite common to hear the owner of the horse say something to the effect, “She was just fine yesterday.  She did great on the trail (in the arena, sorting cattle, jumping, gaming, etc), and now today she’s lame, sore on her right front.”  Is the source located in the right front area or (to mention one possibility)is the lameness the result of the horse compensating, altering the natural gait and balance to avoid discomfort in the left hind quarter which places additional weight and unnatural movement on the right shoulder and the horse is stiff on the right front?

 

A good conductor, one who listens to the musicians, is able to deliver the proper message and thereby leads by following.  By being attuned to the horse, by acknowledging what the horse is communicating, I am able to lead the bodywork session by following the horse.  The subtle and not-so-subtle messages delivered by the horse inform me where I need to go next with the session and if the message I am delivering is working.  Working in such a manner that I am creating space for the horse to make “music”, make a symphony of motion.  The uniqueness of this bodywork is that in unison, I and the horse work together.  I bring the horse’s attention to a specific area of their body and ask if there is an issue in the location.  Depending on the area and the response to my asking, I may increase the space between my hand and the horse’s body, enabling the horse to experience less pressure and therefore release the tension or restriction, or I may lightly touch the horse’s body, assisting in working the muscle in the area.  This method demands patience on the part of the conductor and trust that the horse knows what they need. 

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