The Honest Equine

The Honest Equine Equine Musculoskeletal Therapist | Rehab & Pre-hab

Evidence-based care for whole-horse health, performance & recovery.

Functional assessment • Manual therapy • Rehab programming • Clipping Services

19/06/2026

The body doesn’t read anatomy textbooks.

I’m working through the cervical trapezius here, yet we’re seeing a visible twitch response through the descending pectoral/sternocephalicus region.

Why?

Because muscles don’t function independently.

They’re connected through:
✔️ Fascial chains
✔️ Neurological pathways
✔️ Movement patterns
✔️ Compensation strategies

A twitch response isn’t always a sign of pain.

Often it’s the nervous system responding to stimulation, altered muscle tone, or release within a connected structure.

One of the most fascinating parts of bodywork is watching the body reveal where those connections exist.





⚠️ KISSING SPINE TRILOGY ⚠️The Kissing Spine Trilogy is officially here.Over the last year I’ve received countless messa...
18/06/2026

⚠️ KISSING SPINE TRILOGY ⚠️

The Kissing Spine Trilogy is officially here.

Over the last year I’ve received countless messages from owners asking:

“My horse has just been diagnosed with kissing spine… what do I do now?”

For many owners, the diagnosis itself is only the beginning and the rehabilitation guidance by practitioners is limited, to say the least.

Whilst not a death sentence, questions about rehabilitation, management, exercise, prognosis, timescales and long-term expectations often follow, and finding clear, reliable information can be extremely difficult.

That’s exactly why I created these guides.

The Kissing Spine Trilogy has been designed to help owners, and practitioners, better understand:

📖 The diagnosis itself
📖 The rehabilitation process
📖 Long-term management and expectations

Each guide is written in owner-friendly language whilst remaining scientifically led, evidence-informed and grounded in current understanding of equine rehabilitation and management.

Whether you’re newly navigating a diagnosis or supporting a horse further along the journey, my goal is simple:

To help owners, and practitioners, feel more informed, more confident and less overwhelmed.

⚠️ Available NOW
📖 Individual volumes: £7.99
📚 Trilogy bundle: £17.99 (launch weekend offer)

🔗 Link: https://payhip.com/TheHonestEquine

16/06/2026

This wasn’t “bad behaviour”.

This was information.

When owners see tail swishing, stepping away from pressure or a kick threat, it’s easy to label the horse as sensitive, grumpy or naughty.

But behaviour during palpation can tell us a huge amount about how a horse is functioning.

In Ember’s case, the reactive area was the left cranial gluteal region. However, assessment also identified:

✓ RHS hip hike
✓ RHS shoulder/thoracic sling restriction
✓ RHS hyoid tension
✓ Bilateral lumbar guarding (L3-L4)
✓ Base narrow forelimb stance

The body rarely compensates in isolation.

The loudest area isn’t always the primary issue.

This is why functional assessment matters.

We aren’t just looking for what’s sore.

We’re looking for why.

15/06/2026

👀 Can you spot the moment he lets go?

One of the things I love most about working with horses is that they don’t read books, scientific papers and they don’t know what response they’re ‘supposed’ to give.

When a horse begins to soften, you’ll often see subtle changes first.

A blink.
A deeper breath.
Lowering of the head.

Softening through the eye.

Sometimes, a much bigger release follows.

The technique shown here is often referred to as ‘Swimming the Atlas’ in craniosacral therapy, and focuses on the area around the atlas (C1) - the first cervical vertebra located directly beneath the skull.

Using very gentle contact, the aim is to encourage relaxation and reduce protective tension patterns around the poll and upper cervical region.

No force.
No manipulation.
Just listening to what the horse is telling us.

Did you spot the release? 👇

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄?• Would you know what it means?• What questions to ask?• W...
15/06/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄?

• Would you know what it means?
• What questions to ask?
• What rehabilitation might involve?
• What realistic expectations and timescales look like?
• Or, where to even begin?

Over the years I’ve spoken to countless owners navigating a kissing spines diagnosis, many of whom have felt overwhelmed, confused and unsure where to turn for reliable, practical information - the guidance given by diagnostic professionals is ultimately lacking in practicality.

That’s exactly why I’ve created:

📖 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆

Three downloadable educational PDF guides, designed to help owners better understand:

✓ The diagnosis

✓ Rehabilitation & management

✓ Life beyond kissing spines

My feed has blown up, and I’ve had so much interest in the need for this.

Whether your horse has recently been diagnosed, is undergoing rehabilitation, has had surgery, or you’re simply trying to learn more about the condition, these resources have been created to help bridge the gap between professional advice and owner understanding.

⭐ Available Friday 19th June - 3pm GMT

📖 Individual PDF Guides – £7.99 each

⭐ Complete Digital Trilogy – Launch Weekend £17.99

📥 Instant Digital Download (PDF)

Because understanding the diagnosis is only the beginning.

The more you understand the body, the better you can support the horse.

👇 Comment “KS” below if you’d like me to send you a reminder when the trilogy goes live.

Link: https://payhip.com/TheHonestEquine

14/06/2026

“This looks like I’m doing nothing…”

The occiput forms the back of the skull and sits directly above the atlas (C1), creating an important junction between the head and neck.

This area is closely associated with the poll, upper cervical musculature, fascia, jaw and surrounding soft tissues.

The contact used in the hold I’m performing is incredibly gentle.

There is no manipulation, force or adjustment involved.

Instead, in craniosacral therapy, the aim is to encourage relaxation, reduce protective muscle guarding and allow the horse to soften through the poll and upper cervical region.

When performing techniques like this, I’m paying close attention to subtle changes such as:

• Blinking
• Changes in breathing
• Lowering of the head
• Softening through the eye
• Weight shifting
• Licking and chewing
• Yawning

Sometimes the biggest responses start with the smallest changes.

And often, the horse tells us exactly what they’re feeling if we take the time to watch and listen.

👀 Did you spot the first sign of release?

A little teaser…Over the past few months, I’ve had a huge number of messages from owners asking for advice on:• Kissing ...
13/06/2026

A little teaser…

Over the past few months, I’ve had a huge number of messages from owners asking for advice on:

• Kissing Spines (ORDSP)
• Rehabilitation
• Exercise selection
• Polework
• Returning to work
• Strengthening programmes
• What to do after diagnosis
• How to support horses long-term

And honestly, I completely understand why.

There is so much information online.

Some of it excellent.

Some of it outdated.

Some of it downright confusing.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned through working with horses diagnosed with ORDSP is that rehabilitation isn’t about chasing a posture, a diagnosis or an X-ray.

It’s about improving function.

Movement.

Comfort.

Strength.

Confidence.

And helping the horse in front of you.

So…

I’ve been quietly working away behind the scenes on something that I think a lot of owners are going to find incredibly useful.

If you’ve got a horse with a diagnosis of Kissing Spines / ORDSP, or you’re simply interested in understanding more about spinal function, rehabilitation and evidence-based management, keep your eyes peeled on my page next week.

That’s all I’m saying for now…

📖🖤

✨ CLIENT FEEDBACK ✨One of the things I value most is making sure horses feel heard throughout a session.Not every horse ...
12/06/2026

✨ CLIENT FEEDBACK ✨

One of the things I value most is making sure horses feel heard throughout a session.

Not every horse arrives ready to stand still and be worked on immediately. Some need time, reassurance and the freedom to process what’s happening around them. Building trust and working with the horse in front of you is just as important as any hands-on treatment.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support The Honest Equine and trusts me to be part of their horse’s journey.

📍 North East | North Yorkshire | Scottish Borders

📩 Enquiries & DMs always welcome!

11/06/2026

🦷 The jaw does more than just hold the bit! 🦷

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sits where the jaw meets the skull and has close anatomical relationships with the poll, tongue, hyoid apparatus and upper cervical region, which also links to the thoracic sling.

When assessing a horse, I don’t just look at where tension appears to be, I look at how different structures may be influencing one another.

The technique shown here is a gentle TMJ release. I’m not manipulating the jaw or forcing movement. Instead, the aim is to encourage relaxation and reduce muscular guarding within the surrounding tissues.

Watch until the end for the release 👀

That yawn, lick and chew response is something we commonly see when horses begin to soften and relax during treatment.

Have you ever noticed your horse holding tension through the jaw or poll?

10/06/2026

🚨 KISSING SPINES: a hill I’ll die on 🚨

The goal of kissing spines rehabilitation isn’t to create a permanently “lifted” back.

It’s to create a horse that can move comfortably, confidently and functionally.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is the idea that horses with kissing spines simply need to work with their backs “up” all the time.

But the equine spine isn’t designed to live in a single position or pivot.

A healthy, functional spine should be capable of flexion, extension, lateral bending and adapting to the demands placed upon it.

Because movement is where function lives.

And this is where kissing spines becomes particularly interesting.

For years, owners understandably focused heavily on radiographs.

How many spaces are affected?

How severe does it look?

How close are the spinous processes?

But modern research continues to remind us that radiographic findings don’t always predict comfort, performance or functionality.

A 2025 study of 100 actively competing Warmblood showjumpers found that mild radiographic abnormalities of the thoracolumbar spinous processes were not associated with reduced performance. Some changes were even identified in horses successfully competing at higher levels.

Likewise, more recent reviews and surveys of equine orthopaedic specialists continue to highlight that imaging findings alone do not always correlate with clinical signs.

In simple terms:

Two horses can have very similar radiographs and present completely differently.

One may be struggling.

One may be performing comfortably.

Which is why we should never assess an X-ray in isolation.

We assess the horse.

How do they move?

How do they perform?

How do they cope with the demands being placed upon them?

Are they comfortable?

Can they transfer force efficiently through the body?

Can they maintain balance, coordination and postural control?

Modern rehabilitation is increasingly focused on improving:

✔️ Movement quality

✔️ Strength

✔️ Functional capacity

✔️ Coordination

✔️ Postural control

✔️ Comfort

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t a perfect-looking X-ray.

The goal is a horse that can comfortably and confidently do its job.

Radiographs help explain the horse.

They don’t define the horse. 🖤

📸 this isn’t one of my KS rehab clients, she’s just a very pretty pony.

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