Faunce Holistic Horse

06/08/2026

Myofascial lines in horses are interconnected pathways of fascia and muscle that help transmit movement and tension throughout the body. Instead of working in isolation, different regions of the horse influence each other through these lines, meaning a restriction in one area can affect performance or comfort elsewhere. When they’re functioning well, myofascial lines support efficient movement, balance, coordination, and overall athletic ability while helping the horse move with less strain and compensation.

06/05/2026

Horses Are Not Grazing Animals… They’re Specialist Browsers

This might be one of the biggest misconceptions in horse management.

We often describe horses as grazing animals, standing with their heads down eating grass all day. While they certainly graze, their natural feeding behaviour is actually far more complex than that.

Wild and feral horses spend huge portions of their day browsing. They don’t just eat grass. They seek out hedgerows, shrubs, leaves, bark, herbs, flowers, seed heads, weeds and even certain tree species. They constantly move across the landscape, selecting different plants to meet different nutritional and behavioural needs.

Think about a horse turned into a field with a healthy hedge line. How often do you see them reaching through the hedge for hawthorn, blackberry, rosehips or fresh leaves rather than standing in the middle eating grass?

That isn’t boredom. It’s natural behaviour.

The irony is that many of our modern horse paddocks bear very little resemblance to the environment horses evolved to live in. Vast areas of single-species grass provide plenty of calories but very little variety.

Much of the UK’s improved pasture has been heavily selected for agricultural productivity, particularly for cattle production. Ryegrass has become a dominant species because it produces high yields and supports milk and meat production extremely efficiently. The problem is that what works brilliantly for a dairy cow doesn’t necessarily work brilliantly for a horse.

Many improved ryegrass pastures contain significantly higher levels of readily available sugars than the diverse meadow systems horses would naturally encounter. Yet we continue to place animals designed to browse a wide variety of plants onto fields dominated by a single, energy-dense grass species.

Then we scratch our heads and wonder why we are seeing increasing numbers of horses struggling with obesity, insulin dysregulation, laminitis and other metabolic disorders.

Of course, metabolic disease is multifactorial. Genetics, exercise, management and overall diet all play a role. But it does raise an interesting question:

Are we feeding horses in a way that matches millions of years of evolution?

Browsing provides:

🌿 Nutritional diversity
🌿 Natural enrichment
🌿 Increased movement
🌿 Mental stimulation
🌿 Opportunities for self-selection of plant material
🌿 Access to a wide range of plant compounds not found in monoculture grass systems

Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “How much grass does my horse need?”

Perhaps it should be “How much variety does my horse need?”

Because when given the choice, many horses don’t behave like lawnmowers.

They behave exactly as nature intended — as specialist browsers.

06/05/2026

I used the stormy mornings earlier this week as an opportunity to give my 29-year-old mare a relaxing massage session, giving me a chance to check in with how her body was feeling and help her unwind.

As horses age, massage can be a valuable tool for supporting their comfort and wellbeing. It may help improve circulation, ease muscle tension, support mobility, encourage relaxation, and promote overall body awareness. While aging is a natural part of life, there are many simple ways we can help our horses stay comfortable and feel their best, and massage is definitely one of them. ❤️

06/01/2026

Socialization and herd dynamics are essential for young horses because they learn critical life skills through interaction with other horses, not just humans. In a herd, they develop communication cues, boundaries, confidence, and appropriate responses to pressure and hierarchy. These experiences help shape emotional regulation and social understanding, reducing stress and behavioral issues later in life. A well-socialized young horse is typically more adaptable, safer to handle, and better prepared for training and real-world environments.

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

Horses thrive when we support the needs they were biologically designed for. This includes freedom to move, constant access to forage, social connection, and an environment that encourages natural behavior. When those needs are met, we often see healthier, calmer, and more resilient horses.

05/27/2026

YES!!!!

COMMON SORENESSES
STALLED V. FREE MOVING
I’d like to talk about some of the common soreness's I see most often in stalled horses that aren’t as common in horses that have a more free movement environment.

⭕️NOTE⭕️that there are always other contributors that can be part of these issues-the stall is NOT the only problem but the lack of movement seems to be the biggest factor from my experience.

1️⃣POLL TENSION is likely the most common “soreness” I see in horses that have grain and hay feeders that require the horse to eat above neutral head position for all of their meals.
🌱free moving horses RARELY have any poll tension unless it’s caused by a dental issue, bridle fit problem or an unnatural headset posturally.

2️⃣DISTAL LIMB INFLAMMATION
is very common in horses with limited movement. I commonly find swollen/stocked legs and joint areas. This can lead to blocked lymph circulation and present more serious issues over time.
🌱herd living horses move enough to keep this at bay in most cases. Obviously, horses with underlying arthritis issues will still have problems-but I find with increased movement it’s very minimal.

3️⃣COMPENSATION SORENESS
horses carry more than half their body weight on their front end…when there is a body issue, compensation can happen in other areas of the body.
🌱horses in constant motion have the opportunity to work these areas out. They are actually really good at working out quite a few of their own “kinks” when given the opportunity.

4️⃣ULCER BEHAVIORS simply stated-are NOT anything I see in horses that aren’t stalled. Horses that are in a comfortable, established herd with 24/7 forage are very unlikely to experience ulcers.
🌱freedom. forage. friends. make for happy calm horses and bellies.

All of these 👆🏼things are out of the animal's control.
We are our horse's advocates, and we should always strive to make changes needed for their overall health and happiness.

If you would like to learn more about functional equine wellness practices-I would love to travel al bit and clinic on the topics, so feel free to reach out if you and your equine friends would like to learn more!

schaefferbodyworks.com
[email protected]

05/25/2026

Stretching helps support a horse’s mobility, balance, and overall comfort by encouraging healthy movement through the muscles and fascia. Regular, thoughtful stretching can improve body awareness, help reduce tension from work or compensation patterns, and support better movement both under saddle and in everyday life.

I do a very similar stretching routine with my horses to the one shown in the video below and have had included stretching into their routines for most of my life whenever they are being worked. It’s a great way to help keep them feeling their best while also paying attention to any areas of tightness or discomfort.

05/22/2026

Horses were designed to move, forage, and make choices throughout the day, not stand still for hours at a time.

Free choice movement supports circulation, joint health, digestion, hoof health, and emotional well-being, while constant access to forage helps regulate the digestive system and promotes a calmer, more natural state of mind.

When we begin supporting horses according to their biology instead of convenience, we often see healthier bodies, quieter minds, and happier horses.