Starline Equine Bodywork

Horses speak a quiet, sophisticated language of subtle signals that reveal tension, referred pain, and discomfort long before obvious lameness or behavioural issues appear. As prey animals, they evolved to mask weakness, so what looks like “naughtiness” or laziness is often a carefully guarded message that something hurts. By learning to notice these tells (especially through gentle responses at key anatomical Reaction Points™️) you can better understand what’s happening inside your horse’s body and respond with greater care.
Recognizing common signs of protective nervous-system responses early allows you to support your horse’s welfare, performance, and comfort, strengthening the partnership in the process. Tuning into this secret language transforms everyday observation into a powerful way of listening, and of helping your horse feel truly understood.

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Join the Starline™️ Method Online Skill Accelerator: Equine Reaction Points

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
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Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of equine biomechanics with this fan favourite episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast! We’re breaking down how a horse’s static posture (the way they stand at rest) reveals critical clues about their movement, or locomotive posture.

For bodyworkers and savvy horse owners, this episode is your guide to understanding how conformation, muscle balance, and skeletal structure shape a horse’s performance. From spotting subtle alignment cues to predicting how they’ll move in the arena, we’ll share practical insights to sharpen your skills and elevate your work with horses.

Plus, we’ve got a free Posture and Performance Guide waiting for you right here.

Join us as we explore key static posture cues, like leg alignment, topline shape, and hoof balance, and see how they translate to fluid gaits or potential challenges in motion. We’ll unpack the biomechanics behind stride length and propulsion, and dive into the physiology of muscles and joints that power every step. Whether you’re assessing a dressage star or a trail companion, you’ll learn to connect the dots between a horse’s stance and their performance, spotting issues like uneven strides or lameness risks before they escalate. Don’t miss this juicy episode packed with actionable tips to boost your equine bodywork game.. and grab your free guide Posture and Performance guide and let’s get started!

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

FREE: Posture and Performance Guide

Join the Starline™️ Method Online Skill Accelerator: Equine Reaction Points

Free assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

In this episode, we explore often overlooked adductor issues in the equine hind limb and how these medial thigh muscles create far reaching effects through the pelvic limb, hip joint, back, and overall performance. The adductor group plays a vital role in drawing the limb toward the midline, stabilizing the hip, and supporting balanced movement alongside the abductors and other key muscles like the gluteals and hamstrings. 
When these muscles become tight, weak, or imbalanced, it can lead to uneven loading on the hip, pelvic asymmetries, shortened strides, medial limb tracking, reduced engagement, and compensatory tension that travels upward through the sacroiliac joint and lumbar back, ultimately affecting everything from daily comfort to jumping bascule and dressage collection.
Learn to palpate for left and right differences in tone and tightness, watch for signs like uneven stance, pelvic tilt, or reluctance in lateral work, and support your horse with simple bodywork and groundwork exercises. These approaches invite better mobility, symmetry, and throughness without force, helping restore fluid gait and a supple back. 

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

Today’s fan favourite episode is a bit of a hot topic, and I know it’s going to stir up some questions. That’s exactly why we need to talk about it more!

We’re diving into the science behind our warm-up routines with horses and why what we’ve always been told about stretching might actually be working against us. This information completely changed how I approach warm-ups with my own horses, and I’m confident it’s going to give you a lot to think about too.

Before you ask your bodyworker for stretching homework, you need to consider that recent science shows that pre-workout static stretching can do more harm than good.

Stretching does exactly what we think it does! It temporarily loosens muscles and the tendons that go with them. And that may be the last thing we want to do right before asking our horses to work.

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

In this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork podcast, we welcome Dr. Bri Henderson, a sports medicine veterinarian with extensive experience treating equine athletes. 

Dr. Henderson brings a proactive, preventative perspective to the conversation, focusing on how horsemen and bodywork professionals can support horses before clinical issues arise. Drawing from her daily work with performance horses and the injuries she commonly sees, she shares practical strategies for keeping equine athletes sound, capable, and competitive while minimizing the need for lengthy rehabilitation.

Together we explore key pillars of proactive management: optimal footing, effective stress reduction techniques, thoughtful hoof management, and targeted preparation of tissues for sport-specific demands. 

Blending current science and research with time-honored horsemanship, this discussion offers actionable insights designed to enhance longevity and performance.

Whether you’re a fellow equine bodywork professional or a dedicated horse owner invested in your athlete’s long-term well-being, you’ll come away with fresh perspectives and practical tools to apply in your own programs.

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Get In Touch With Dr Bri Henderson/ Rivendell Equine Veterinary Services

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Grab the Book!

Grab Premium Canadian Equine Kinesiology Tape

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

Years ago (c. 2013-2014), I fell in love with kinesiology tape for horses.

I spent years learning and growing as a practitioner.  

I spent countless hours writing this digital manual.

As I grew and learned, the manual grew and became even better!

And now, it’s available to you.

“The Essential Equine Kinesiology Taping Manual” is for anyone who wants to be a hands-on helper for horses. 

The manual starts with some of my best tips for increasing the efficacy of tapings, covers understanding when to use different protocols, and the anatomy you need to know to use tape well. 

Even if you haven’t taped before, this manual is easy to follow; you’ll be able to apply tape with the manual’s pages open on your phone at the barn!

Horse owner? Professional bodyworker? I’ve included over 70 taping protocols, so there is something for everyone and for a variety of situations. 

In this week’s fan favourite episode of the podcast, I read some of the beginning of The Essential Equine Kinesiology Taping Manual to you.

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE: 

• Grab The Book!
• Grab Premium Canadian Equine Kinesiology Tape
• Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses
• Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

Whether you’re a bodywork practitioner or a horse owner, using the tips I chat about in this fan favourite episode will help the horses in your life perform better, and stay sounder longer.

I chat about the following:

• Limiting sport specific training to limit repetitive motion strain/ overstretch injuries, and fascial adhesions that limit range of motion and interrupt muscle efficiency.
• Varying training intensity. This avoids performance plateaus, and promotes correct tissue adaptation in strength training.
• The intensity and duration of workouts cannot increase simultaneously. Sometimes increasing to 2 workouts a day is safer than one very long and very hard workout.
• Intervals are important. Horses are designed to be in a variety of postures a day. Holding one frame for a long time isn’t healthy or natural. The body needs to be trained methodically and in intervals of different frames in order to get to the top level (and stay there).

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

In this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast, I dive deep into my greatest obsession: the Equine Stress Lowering Protocol using the powerful 128 Hz weighted tuning fork. 
Discover how this simple yet transformative modality can quickly lower a horse’s stress levels, reduce cortisol, and promote profound relaxation and nervous system balance. 
You’ll receive a clear, step-by-step walkthrough of the exact points and placements on the horse’s body where the tuning fork works its magic. It’s perfect for bodyworkers, trainers, and horse owners looking to add an effective, non-invasive tool to their toolkit. 
Whether you’re dealing with anxious, reactive, or high-stress horses, this episode will show you how to harness vibration for immediate, noticeable results. Tune in and unlock the calming power of the 128 Hz fork!

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

The year is well underway, and it's the perfect time to check in on your business goals. Many of us started the year with big intentions for our equine bodywork practices, only to find that time has slipped by and progress has stalled. If you're feeling behind or unsure how to move forward, you're not alone.
 
In this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast, I sit down with business strategist and financial expert Christa Myers of Equestrian Entrepreneur. Christa shares her simple, practical formula for getting back on track and reaching your goals… even when you're already partway through the year.
 
Whether you're just starting your bodywork business, ready to grow it, or looking to scale to the next level, this conversation will inspire you and give you the clear action steps you need to turn your dreams into reality.

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

The hyoid apparatus in horses is both complex and delicate! It’s related anatomically to movement, stride length, and posture.

Join me for this fan favourite episode where I chat about a recent conversation I had with a client about their horse’s stress, tongue carriage, hyoid and resulting inability to make lines easily. 

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Tackling Lumbar Pain In Horses

Grab your FREE assessment guide for your horse’s back

Connect with us:
Instagram - @starlineequinebodywork
Pinterest - https://pin.it/7kvSCpt
Website - starlinebodywork.com

DISCLAIMER:
The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.