Melanie Lausen Equine Services

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Melanie Lausen Equine Services Melanie Lausen Equine Services. Equine Massage-Riding Lessons
Strathmore, AB Lessons: $45 for an hour. Lessons can be with groups or private. Equine Therapist.

Availability on what days and times change with the seasons, so call and first and see whats open for that time. At this time you must own your own horse as I don't keep lesson horses. I start every rider on basics to learn how to properly ask maneuvers of your horse. You will learn the most important things doing the basics that make advanced things easy. Massage and Structural Alignment: I've been certified as an Eqineology Equine Body Worker for massage and through Helen J Woods Equine Therapies. Prices vary depending on location. I can come to your or you to me south of Strathmore, AB 15 min. I look to give your horse his full range of motion and be as comfortable as possible to do so. A horse that is pain free and isn't restricted by knots or asymmetries in his body can move to the best of his abilities. How do you know if your horse needs to be seen by an equine therapist? As there are several signs a horse will give you that he is uncomfortable. This can show up as performance problems, behavior issues, seems like he still can't be even working one side vs the other with lots of practice or training. Some examples are less flexibility on one side, preferred leads, tripping on front or back, cinchiness just to name a few. Keeping in mind, a lot of these signs can also come from medical or health issues. So your horse should be getting checkups from his vets to get a clean bill of health. Regular farrier visits. Saddle or tack fitting properly. Rider error can also cause similar problems. Always look at the bigger pictures because any number of problems from these last five areas can show up as the same symptoms. I listed these areas in order of what I feel is most important first. Making sure your horse is happy and healthy in all these areas before you even put your foot in stirrup will let you know what you are feeling and working on only requires training and time and not from pain or restrictions due to something other then rider. If you would like to learn more about any of my services, please feel free to ask questions. We also provide Boarding at Lausen Indoor Arena.

Order of go and pattern is up today. As a reminder the Cowboy Challenge is Sunday October 25th. Just putting the patte...
10/23/2026

Order of go and pattern is up today. As a reminder the Cowboy Challenge is Sunday October 25th. Just putting the pattern up early since we got hockey tomorrow:) Looking forward to seeing every one for the last Cowboy Challenge of 2026.

Want to learn something about how your horse uses their body? Ask them to back.Backing up requires coordination and a pr...
10/23/2026

Want to learn something about how your horse uses their body? Ask them to back.

Backing up requires coordination and a pretty significant change in how the horse distributes their weight.

So I pay attention to things like:
Does the horse back straight?
Do they consistently step one hind leg differently?
Do they drag a toe?
Do they rush?
Do they resist?
Do they swing their hindquarters?
Do they struggle to back uphill or downhill?
Does any of that look different from one day to the next?

The really interesting part is that a horse can sometimes perform an exercise perfectly well while still showing subtle differences in how they perform it.

Backing is more than just an obedience exercise. When done correctly, it can be a really useful part of a horse's training.

It encourages the horse to:
🐴 Improve body awareness and coordination
🐴 Shift and control their weight distribution
🐴 Engage and strengthen the hindquarters
🐴 Develop core and postural strength
🐴 Improve balance and control
🐴 Become more deliberate about where they place their feet

Used thoughtfully, it's an opportunity to build strength, coordination, balance and body awareness, while giving you another window into how your horse is using their body.

Sometimes going backwards is a pretty productive way to move forward. 🐴

Sometimes I'm more interested in how your horse changes gait than the gait itself.Walk to trot.Trot to walk.Standing to ...
10/21/2026

Sometimes I'm more interested in how your horse changes gait than the gait itself.

Walk to trot.
Trot to walk.
Standing to walking.
Backing to forward.

These transitions require the horse to reorganize their body, redistribute weight, and coordinate several things at once.

A horse might look perfectly comfortable travelling around the arena, but the transition tells a different story.

Do they brace?
Rush
Hollow their back?
Take an extra step?
Lose rhythm?
Avoid stepping underneath themselves?
Or do they make the transition smoothly and without hesitation?

Again, none of these observations automatically mean *pain.*
But they give me information.

So when you're riding, don't only watch the quality of the gait.

Watch the moments between the gaits.

That's where some very interesting information lives. 🐴

https://f.mtr.cool/c08ww4ldwl

10/19/2026

This life is so beyond my expectations 🤎

Did a thing this summer that I have been waiting over 20 years to do. Entered my first working cowhorse event. Was it p...
10/17/2026

Did a thing this summer that I have been waiting over 20 years to do. Entered my first working cowhorse event. Was it pretty, nope. Was I nervouse and wanted to move town and change my name, yup. Did I take way to long to just jump in and try since the first time I did it when I first moved here, yup. My motto since moving here has been if it is scary, I should figure it out because going home with my tail between my legs wasn't going to be an option. Turns out my little red dragon was docile and quiet and took good care of us. Had a great time and can't wait to practice up and go again. My kiddos tried their best to take videos so I place these here for my future self.

10/17/2026

Entries for our October 25th Cowboy Challenge are today:)

One of the easiest things to overlook when watching a horse move? Their tail.I pay attention to how a horse carries and ...
10/16/2026

One of the easiest things to overlook when watching a horse move? Their tail.

I pay attention to how a horse carries and moves their tail because it can give me another piece of information about what's happening through the body.

Is it carried normally?
Does it consistently deviate to one side?
Does it change during movement?
Does the horse clamp it, swish it repeatedly, or suddenly change how they're carrying it?

None of these things, on their own, tell me *why* something is happening.

But that's the point. Bodywork isn't about finding one magic symptom and declaring a diagnosis.

The tail is just one more little piece of the puzzle that can help me understand how a horse is moving, carrying tension, and responding to what's being asked of them.

Sometimes the things we stop noticing are the things worth looking at again. 🐴

From our family to yours, **Happy Thanksgiving.** 🧡🍂I hope your weekend includes good food, good people, and at least on...
10/12/2026

From our family to yours, **Happy Thanksgiving.** 🧡🍂

I hope your weekend includes good food, good people, and at least one quiet moment at the barn. 🎃🐴

I worked on a professional rodeo horse recently, and he got me thinking about the word “limitations.”If you looked at th...
10/09/2026

I worked on a professional rodeo horse recently, and he got me thinking about the word “limitations.”

If you looked at this horse purely from a physical standpoint, you might NOT think, “That horse is going to be sensational at his job.”

But he is. Absolutely, unequivocally, SENSATIONAL.

It was a good reminder that every horse I put my hands on has something.
An old injury.
A limitation in their range of motion.
A compensation.
A side they prefer.
A body that doesn't move exactly the way we'd draw it in a textbook.

That doesn't automatically mean the horse is broken. It doesn't mean they should be written off because their body isn't perfect.

What matters is the whole picture.

Is the horse comfortable?
Are they being appropriately managed?
Are they receiving regular veterinary care?
Is their workload appropriate for *them*?
Are we paying attention when something changes?
Are we supporting their body through the demands we're asking of it?

This particular horse has the heart of a champion, and his owner takes exceptional care of him. His veterinary care, management, bodywork and workload are all part of the bigger picture.

Maintenance isn't about taking a horse who is hurting and making them able to compete.
Maintenance is about caring for the athlete you HAVE, not the perfectly symmetrical athlete you WISH you had.
A horse shouldn't have to be physically "perfect" to have a fulfilling job.
They do need to be comfortable enough to perform that job, and any concerns about pain, lameness, or suitability for work belong with your veterinarian.

A horse can have physical limitations and still be an incredible athlete.
A horse can move differently than another horse and still be exceptionally good at what they do.

You may think that horses at the highest levels of sport don't need regular maintenance because they're “fine”...I'd really encourage you to think again.

The more we ask of an equine athlete, the more important it becomes to support the body doing the work. 🤎🐴

*Bodywork does not diagnose or treat medical conditions, and it doesn't replace veterinary assessment. If your horse is showing signs of pain or lameness, involve your veterinarian.*

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Strathmore, AB

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+14038263867

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