04/25/2026
Progress precedes perfection.
What this means to me, in the context of bodywork, is to take the horse where they are at, throw out the thoughts of where I want them to get to, and focus on what I can change in the moment for them. For some, it will be to make a large change quickly to avoid the possibility of future damage. For others, like this gelding, it will be to assess what can change in his body vs what he needs to be comfortable.
This gelding is 27 years old, and has lived a full life. Some of his compensation patterns are new, and some have been set in him over years, potentially decades of his life. My job is to take in the whole horse, everything from what his body is showing me to where and how he lives and eats. It wouldn’t be fair to step in, throw his body into what feels like disorder to him, and change his set routines all at once. My task becomes addressing what can’t be left alone, aiding his comfort so he can use more of his body’s potential, and supporting the horse and owner in finding the new normal together.
Shown here is a progressive example of his session, going from pretty serious compensation, stiffness, and slight front end lameness, to coming closer to balance, being able to sit straighter and deeper in his hindquarters, offloading his front end, and releasing the toll of compensation from his shoulders.
I drew the red line from dock to poll to highlight the bend in his body, and the blue line between his iliums to show his pelvis evening out.
