Starline Equine Bodywork

Many bodywork business owners struggle to know how they will get reliable and recurring revenue so that they can live a comfortable entrepreneurial life.  Marketing for success is the area of expertise of The Equestrian Entrepreneur, Christa Myers. From budgeting, to marketing strategy and messaging, this episode is a deep dive into how to make your business a huge success! PLEASE CONSIDER RATING,...

Most careers in horses are non-linear. We fall into parts of the industry that capture us, and then get lead forward into different parts of the industry. In our lifetime with horses this will inevitably happen over and over. In this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast I chat with one of the most fascinating and authentic horse professionals I know, Robert Fera. Rob has worn many hats...

We all gasp when we see a thin horse and get concerned about animal welfare. But, more commonly seen is a rise in the number of overweight horses. This is also a welfare issue! Managing an “easy keeper” can be a real challenge. Join me for this conversation with Madeline Boast of Balanced Bay Equine Nutrition where we look at health issues and management strategies we can implement to improve the...

In this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast I spill my favourite exercise to leave for clients and why it works so well. I will give you a hint: Sometimes to take a leap forward, first you have to take a step back. Join me for this episode where I explain the physical benefits of this simple exercise that horse owners can do daily! PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AND FOLLOWING THIS S...

What we practice is what we get. Walking horses prepares them for…. (insert drumroll here)…Walking. The true fitness of a horse dictates what happens in a bodywork session and what homework will be left for the horse between sessions. There are many aspects to fitness: general fitness, sport specific skill acquisition, and tissue training. This last type of fitness is what is most commonly overloo...

A fresh look at locking stifles includes looking not just at the joints, but at the horse’s posture, hoof angle, muscle synergy and back function. Join me for this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast where I discuss these contributing factors to upward fixation of the patella in horses. PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AND FOLLOWING THIS SHOW. This will help us reach more people and m...

Equine Massage Therapy is an invaluable tool in the care of horses at all levels of training and at all ages. As a horse owner, how do you know who to hire? And what do all those letters behind the name of practitioners actually mean? And if you are an aspiring bodywork practitioner, how do you choose an educational path? Joining me on this week’s episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast is...

Recently I had the honour of being a guest on Robert Fera’s new podcast Hoofbeats And Hustle. I am so excited that he has given us permission to play that episode here. Rob and I chat about the science behind equine bodywork, the evolution of my business, the role of social media in modern marketing and why we need to look at research more. Plus, we chat about the business of being in the bodywork...

Proprioception has become a buzzword in the equine bodywork industry. But popular language aside, it’s an important part of the horse’s make up! Healthy joints create the key components of proprioception: agility, balance and co-ordination. Injury affects proprioception and requires a specific type of rehabilitation training. Join me for this episode where I take a deep dive into how proprioceptio...

Modern equestrian sport recognizes both horse and rider as athletes. But modern life is busy and training outside barn time has historically been tough for many equestrian athletes….. until now! Katie Wood, The Equestrian Physio, joins me for this episode of the Starline Equine Bodywork Podcast. She has developed a revolutionary training app for equestrian athletes of all levels and across multipl...

Safety equipment is equally important on the ground, and when you are in the tack. Join me for this episode where I chat with Laura Qusen of Tipperary Equestrian. We dive into helmet and vest fit checks, safety standards and studies on safety. This is an important episode for anyone who works with, or rides horses. PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AND FOLLOWING THIS SHOW. This will help us reach...

As equine professionals we have all met horses that are fearful and anxious for their time with us. For bodywork practitioners this tension makes it far more difficult to assess the posture, tone and condition of the horse. It can even escalate to being dangerous! Thanks to dedicated professionals such as Dr Marisa Markey (Fear Free Certified Practitioner), behaviour modification and conditioning...

How realistic are your expectations for outcomes in a single bodywork session? What are realistic expectations to reach physiological and anatomical goals? How do you balance client expectations and practitioner expectations for sessions, and for reaching training goals? Join me and special guest Dr Kendle Dykstra of Unity Chiropractic as we chat about our ideas on bodywork, reaching goals and bri...

Getting stronger. Watching static posture. We talk about this as bodywork practitioners, but it’s often COMPLETELY misinterpreted. Practitioners cannot forget the nuances of neutral stance being a sensation from the CNS, and not an inflicted stance from a practitioner’s perspective. Moreover, learning to read posture to understand movement bias is a huge part of being a successful practitioner. Jo...

When marketing a bodywork business it is common for practitioners to show images and say what a great job they did. It is also common for them to say how much better off that horse is with them now “leading the team”. But this self-aggrandizing approach to marketing is really unfair to the team of practitioners that came before. Perhaps the original team was responsible for a huge chunk of the tra...

“Girthiness” is one of the most commonly expressed concerns from horse owners in my 1:1 practice. As soft tissue practitioners faced with a girth-sensitive horse, we address all of the muscles that are related to the saddle area, shoulder and girth. However new literature has proposed that this “girthiness” may actually be coming from the withers. Join me for this episode where I discuss girth pai...

On client intake forms I often see lists of supplements the horses are on. Some are a mile long! I have to ask: How many actually work? How many are necessary? How many clash with the other supplements the horse is on? When should we alter what we supplement with? Join me for this episode where science backed nutrition expert Isabelle D’Costa of Honos Nutrition talks to me about supplements. We di...

Social media seems essential for marketing a bodywork business. Social media also seems responsible for spreading incorrect information about the science of bodywork. Sadly, sometimes this is coming from the accounts of bodyworkers themselves! Ugh. How frustrating for other bodyworkers and for consumers. How do we find a happy place with social media? How do we use it to have conversations that el...

“Fascia” has become both a buzz word and a scapegoat for all that ails our horses. The claims made my many manual therapists are far fetched and don’t reflect the science and literature around what this connective tissue is, and really isn’t capable of. Join me for this episode where I look at common false claims, and the need to re-evaluate the language we use as manual practitioners to better de...

Compensation patterns, subconscious patterns, neural pathways, speed and strength of recruitment of muscles…. Oh my! There is so much to consider when we look at our own biomechanics and how we affect our horses. Join me for this episode where Dr Stephanie Crawford of On Course Chiropractic gives us an inside look into the art and science of rider biomechanics! PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AN...

Hay analysis isn’t just for those purchasing hay. It’s for every owner of every horse to ensure a healthy and balanced diet is being reached. Good forage is the foundation of diet can’t be chosen by sight alone! Knowing not only what hay analysis is, but what results mean to your horse is of utmost importance. Join me for this episode of the podcast where I chat with Madeline Boast of Balanced Bay...

Pain is only one outcome measure we are looking at when bring a horse back into work. Statistics show that the #1 thing you are most likely to injure when returning to play is the thing you injured in the first place. This means that we need to look at the rehabilitation process very closely and use several outcome measures to live through the phases of recovery. Join me for this episode where we...

Quiet times in a service based business are inevitable. Instead of feeling panic, there are ways to turn these times into money making times. Join me for this episode where I look at some strategies for using this time to improve your 1:1 business, your skill set, and to expand into new, revenue generating areas. PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AND FOLLOWING THIS SHOW. This will help us reach mo...

Want to get the most from your horse’s bodywork session? In this episode of the podcast I chat about ways to plan and prepare for a session. I run through what the working environment should be like, and of course what to do after a session. I dive deep into the topic of post-session homework. And, I even spill the secret to my success with my 1:1 clients; it’s the 10 step protocol I suggest they...

The hyoid apparatus in horses is both complex and delicate! It’s related anatomically to movement, stride length, and posture. Join me for this episode where I chat about a recent conversation I had with a client about their horse’s stress, tongue carriage, hyoid and resulting inability to make lines easily. PLEASE CONSIDER RATING, REVIEWING AND FOLLOWING THIS SHOW. This will help us reach more pe...