Whether your horse has performance issues, chronic pain, behaviour problems, slight tenderness or stiffness or simply doesn’t feel right - you have come to the right place.
The benefits
Horse owners who have had my Cumberland Equine Body Therapy sessions for their horses have reported improvement in:
- the way their horses move - increase in willingness and freedom of shoulder movement, better cadence and easier to rein back
- girthiness - less glaring, biting, kicking, tail swishing and general discomfort associated with saddling
- behaviour - less pigrooting, grumpiness, seeming happier and more willing
- training - easier transitions, less resisting and picking up correct canter leads
- back, hip, wither or sacro-iliac tenderness - less tension, dipping and guarding
- flexibility - improved neck bend, balance and flexion in turns
- their confidence - less anxiety and reduction of stress behaviours
- their general connection , quality of relationship - horses love to be heard.
Healthy , functional horses need to be supported to keep them feeling their best and address their small issues before they become a problem.
Horses who present with underlying issues that need further investigation will be referred to the appropriate specialist, whether it be veterinary, biomechanic, saddle fit, hoof care or nutritional.
What is involved in a session?
During an initial session I will meet you and your horse, discuss their history and any issues your horse is currently experiencing.
Every session begins with observing the whole horse — their posture, movement, presence, and responses. Rather than forcing change, I work gently with the body and nervous system to support your horse’s own capacity for release, regulation, and rebalancing.
Depending on what your horse presents with on the day, or your preference, I may work with Equine Body Therapy, Equine Craniosacral Therapy, or Kinesiology Taping — each a stand-alone modality, offered thoughtfully and intentionally.
Your horse leads the process. I follow what they communicate in the moment, respecting their boundaries, capacity, and nervous system. In doing so, space is created for comfort, connection, and lasting change — during the session and beyond.
What techniques can I use?
Equine Body Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy
Equine Body Therapy is a little different from a massage for your horse - it begins with a whole horse assessment and collecting of information and then gently works with the horse to release tension and restore harmony
An Equine Body Therapy (EBT) session is not done with force. It uses a Bowen move which is specific, targeted and impacts all the underlying structures. This is movement of soft tissue in a specific way, designed to stimulate the tissue and nerve pathways, creating a focus for the brain.
EBT incorporates a variety of techniques into a powerful yet gentle, non invasive approach to muscle release and soft tissue therapy.
Horses enjoy the process and relax during the treatment
The strength of Equine Body Therapy lies in the total body approach, starting with an overall assessment of the whole horse including hoof balance. The assessment identifies the key areas for treatment, with the initial treatment often ‘unlocking’ other areas of the body. This can resolve deeper long-standing issues that may have been affecting performance and general well-being.
The benefits of an Equine Body Therapy treatment to your horse include:
Enhances muscle strength and suppleness
Improves joint mobility and range of movement
Helps overcome skeletal issues
Improves circulation
Alleviates pain and discomfort
Reduces anxiety and promotes relaxation
Contributes to detoxification and lymphatic drainage
Minimises muscle, tendon, ligament stiffness and strain and facilitates tissue repair
CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy is a very safe and gentle manual therapy that works on the central nervous system and the connective tissue called “fascia.” The light touch technique is used to help stimulate the body’s own healing properties along with lessening the restrictions found in the nervous system.
The CranioSacral System consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, as well as the attached bones. These membranes extend from the bones of the skull and down the spine to the sacrum or tail area and protects the Central Nervous System (CNS).
It is a tissue based therapy, based in science that can affect fascia, muscle, tendons, nerves - the whole body.
This technique uses the lightest touch — sometimes just grams of pressure — to listen to the rhythm of the craniosacral system, the subtle pulse that influences the entire body.
Health already exists within every horse. It doesn’t need to be forced or fixed — it simply needs the right space and support to come forward again.
When a horse feels safe, you can see and feel the shift — the jaw softens, the eyes melt, the breath deepens.
It’s not about force or fixing; it’s about creating space for the body to remember how to release.
This work is quiet, yet deeply transformative and is based on a few simple but powerful principles:
- Health is always present, even if it’s buried under stress, tension or past experiences
- Touch is gentle and respectful — no force, no manipulation
- The body’s own rhythms guide the process
- The whole horse is supported — physically, emotionally and energetically
Many horses experience:
- Deep relaxation and a sense of calm
- Release from soreness or restriction
- Easier movement and improved flexibility
- Better rest and recovery
- Emotional softening and a more settled outlook
Kinesiology Taping
Kinesiology Taping
Kinesiology taping is a service I offer in conjunction with bodywork to increase circulation to tissue, muscle, and fascia.
This aids in reducing swelling, inflammation, and pain; improves circulation aiding in healing and recovery from injury; recovery from post exercise or competition fatigue; support of joints, tendons and ligaments; proprioceptive reflexes and body awareness; support of weak muscles; improving coordination and balance; improving strength and range of motion; and improving soft tissue glide.
It can be used to aid many problems including muscle tears, sacroiliac problems, stifle weakness, luxating patella, joint stiffness, oedema, fascial tension, and shin soreness.
Used in combination with other therapeutic work, the tape helps minimise pain by decompressing nociceptors. These are receptors that live under the skin at the base of the hair and their job is to communicate pain to the brain.
The purpose of Kinesiology Tape is to support the healing process rather than mask weakness.