By Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio with support from Leonie Brown, Daneswood Dressage
Today’s learning didn’t come from a journal paper, a CPD course, or a particularly complex case.
It came from a conversation that ended with the words:
“Just give him a rub there for a few minutes.”
I was treating Willy, a horse who has been working hard over the past couple of weeks, at Daneswood Dressage. His recent training has focused on improving his tempi changes and canter pirouettes – both beautiful, sophisticated movements, and both of which require the horse to take more weight behind.
Asking a horse to sit more, carry more, and organise themselves with greater precision is physically demanding. Even when the training is good, progressive, and sympathetic, the body still has to adapt.
In Willy’s case, that adaptation showed itself as increased tension through his gluteal muscles and hamstrings. Nothing alarming. Nothing unexpected. Just a musculoskeletal system responding honestly to the work it has been asked to do.
After the treatment, I suggested that Leonie spend a little time massaging those areas before and after riding him each day until I see him again next week. With Regionals coming up the week after, supporting his body now makes sense.
She asked a very reasonable question.
“Should I use the massage gun? Or is there a particular way you want me to do it?”
It’s a question I’m asked often. And it comes from a good place – wanting to do the right thing.
But my answer was simple.
“Keep it simple.”
Use your hands. Rub the area gently for a few minutes after tacking up, and again after untacking. No special tools required. No complicated techniques. No pressure to get it perfect.
In uncomplicated situations like this – where a horse is healthy, well managed, and responding normally to an increase in workload – simple interventions are often enough.
Touch increases circulation. It provides sensory input. It helps the nervous system register safety and care. And perhaps most importantly, it keeps the human connected to what the horse is telling them through their body.
Hands notice things. Subtle changes. Differences from one day to the next. A reaction that wasn’t there before. A softness that arrives more quickly than expected.
Tools can be useful, but they can also distract us from listening.
Of course, this isn’t the whole story.
Leonie and I have worked together for many years, and she’s heard the wider picture many times before. Supporting a horse’s neuromusculoskeletal health – especially one working at this level – is about far more than massage alone.
Warm-up matters. And warming up in hand, before getting on, allows the horse to begin organising their body without the added load of a rider. Ridden warm-up then needs to be progressive and appropriate to the work being asked.
Cool-down matters too. Allowing tissues to settle, breathing to return to baseline, and the nervous system to down-regulate.
Baited stretches can be a valuable part of that preparation, when used thoughtfully and correctly.
Spacing training demands matters. If you work on canter pirouettes on a Monday, give the body time to adapt before repeating that work again. Muscles don’t get stronger during the work itself – they get stronger in the recovery phase afterwards. Breaking tissue down in a controlled way and allowing it to rebuild is how resilience is created.
Equipment matters. A well-fitting saddle, bridle and bit. Thoughtful farriery, including attention to foot balance and, where appropriate, radiographs. Good dental care, again including imaging when needed.
Diet and environment matter too. Willy, for example, is turned out every day. That baseline of movement and mental wellbeing underpins everything else.
During the day, we were also chatting with another owner about a horse we work with who has recently undergone veterinary investigation. The owner expressed relief that the root cause of the problem had been found quickly and relatively easily.
And that’s when it felt important to gently reframe the story.
The reason the issue was identified efficiently wasn’t luck. It was the team around the horse – chosen by and led by the owner – that allowed early detection, ruled out multiple potential causes, and enabled the vet to focus in on the right area.
Proactive care doesn’t always look dramatic. Often it looks like noticing small changes early, and having trusted professionals who communicate well with each other.
Because with all this knowledge, all these moving parts, and all this responsibility, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
And when things feel overwhelming, we often freeze.
I see it time and again. Owners who want to do the best, but feel they have to do everything perfectly – so they end up doing nothing at all.
That’s why today’s learning mattered.
Sometimes, the most supportive thing you can do is also the simplest.
A few minutes. With your hands. With your attention. Before and after you ride.
Consistency matters more than complexity. Curiosity matters more than technique. Presence matters more than gadgets.
So yes, there is a time and place for detailed plans, specialist input, and advanced interventions.
But there is also immense value in keeping things simple.
And today, that felt like the most important thing to say.
About Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio
Sue Palmer MCSP is an award-winning Chartered Physiotherapist, educator, and author. Known for her compassionate, evidence-informed approach, Sue specialises in human health and equine well-being, with a focus on the links between pain and behaviour in horses. She is registered with the RAMP, ACPAT, IHA, CSP, and the HCPC.
📚 Books include:
Harmonious Horsemanship (with Dr Sue Dyson)
Drawn to Horses (hardback, with illustrations by Sarah Brown)
Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training? (ebook)
Horse Massage for Horse Owners (ebook)
🌐 Learn more at www.thehorsephysio.co.uk
About Leonie Brown and Daneswood Dressage
