Horses are not anatomically designed to carry the weight of a rider. His structure naturally puts sixty percent of his body weight on the forelimbs with the remaining forty percent on the hindquarters. Thus, a riding horse must learn to lift up off the shoulder and withers area and engage the hindquarters to propel his body forward. He does this in order to avoid damage to his back and the joints in his lower legs. Bodywork optimizes the horse’s economy of movement and enables the strength and flexibility necessary for him to comfortably support a rider.

In today's intensely competitive equestrian community you need an edge. Bodywork and massage can be that winning edge. If your horse is NOT in the best possible condition for an event, that can be the difference between standing at the top of the podium and not finishing in the ribbons.

Muscle problems are cumulative in nature and the resulting pain and stiffness can rob your horse of his athletic potential. A traumatized muscle (from over use or injury) will tighten, then spasm, then become a knot, leading to a shortening and tearing of the muscle! No amount of rest or anti-inflammatory medication will resolve the knot.

Heavy training and competition schedules take their toll on the muscle system of the horse. Since muscles (damaged or not) do not appear on radiographs, observation of how the horse is behaving will be the main indicator of pain and muscle damage. Signs of possible muscle damage include head tossing, stumbling, difficulty accepting the bit, decreased stride length and performance, difficulty with leads, refusing jumps, bucking, balking, grumpiness, and the list goes on.

This is where Rider’s Edge comes in. Our sessions will undo incorrect structural and neuromuscular holding patterns in the muscles and connective tissues. The results are dramatic! You will have a healthy and more balanced horse. Furthermore, your horse’s chiropractic treatments will be more effective since the muscles are no longer tight and pulling the bones back out of alignment.