A-OK Equine Massage

08/25/2023

My little business turns 4 today, and I am forever grateful to every client and horse I've worked with over the past four years. Each horse teaches me a little something and I'm so incredibly grateful for all the lessons they've taught me.

Here's to another year of happy and comfy horses 💕

-Anna

08/10/2023

Nothing is more exciting than when your clients are just as happy to see you as you are to see them 🥰

05/08/2023

Nothing good is achieved through force. Ever. Massage should be at the horse's pace, not ours.

05/06/2023

The short answer- it depends! After your appointment, always check with your practitioner to maximize the positive impact for your horse.

05/05/2023

I am a massage practitioner, but saddle fit has a huge impact on your horse's musculature health and is something that I often see working with horses.

A poorly fit saddle can cause damage that is irreversible. Don't sacrifice your horse's back for its entire lifetime for a saddle that doesn't fit.

02/23/2023

Saddle 👏🏻fit👏🏻is 👏🏻 important 👏🏻. Poor fitting saddles can cause irreversible damage to your horse.

You should be regularly checking your saddle fit with a professional fitter, especially if you have a young horse or a horse coming back into work. Saddle fit changes with weight and muscle gain and loss, so it’s something to be aware of and keep an eye on.

Amanda has fantastic posts on how to evaluate saddle fit, I highly recommend checking out her page.

01/10/2023

Great reminder for the new year! Fitness takes time, don’t rush it.

Just like with people, horses don't respond to fad diets or fitness plans.

There is no magical cure to getting your horse fit or competition ready. It takes TIME which is not something people like to hear.

The body needs TIME to build, rest, recover, grow and strengthen.

Your horse can be stronger this season but you will need to start bringing them back to work now.

📸: .tales.photography
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01/09/2023

Happy Monday!

Fun fact- horses have no collar bones; therefore their front legs are attached to their bodies via muscles and ligaments, and the pectorals are a group of muscles that connect the limb to the body, but they also do so much more.

What else did you not know about your horse's chest?

12/30/2022

This is the one thing that I will advise and stand behind. Make sure your horse is properly warmed up before you ask them to work.

Copy this---Put it where you will see it every time you get on a horse. Then give your horse a fighting chance to stay sound by actually giving the horse a thorough warmup, rather than getting on, walking for a couple of minutes, picking up the reins, and getting right to business.

It isn't just the tendons you will be helping, either. It will color your entire attitude about schooling if you slow down and take time. And it will sooth your horse, once it knows it isn't going to be instantly rammed and jammed into some "shape."

Klaus Balkenhol talked about this same thing at a clinic I attended, He said most people are in way too big of a hurry, and tend to skip over a decent warm-up time.

12/27/2022

These are fantastic photos showing the muscles that are under your saddle and why saddle fit is so important to the health of the back muscles. Poor saddle fit can cause atrophy to important muscles and irreversible damage to the scapula cartilage. When was the last time you had your saddle fit checked?