The equine bodywork blog reviews Masterson Method teqhniques such as the Bladder Meridian, Tongue and Poll Release and the Head Up technique along with blog posts explaining equine anatomy, bodywork tips and how The Masterson Method works.
The equine bodywork blog features posts from The Masterson Method Founder, Jim Masterson, along with many Masterson Method Certified Practitioners currently practicing equine bodywork.
We hope the equine bodywork blog posts are educational and get you interested in learning more about The Masterson Method. If you have specific questions about The Masterson Method or equine bodywork, check out the Bodywork Questions and Answers page. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact us to submit a question
by Crissi McDonald This month, as we release the new 3-part video series ‘Perspectives on Softness and Connection’, with acclaimed horseman Mark Rashid and our very own Jim, we’re sharing ‘Uncovering Softness’, an article by Crissi McDonald, MMCP. Crissi is a clinician, author, photographer, and indie publisher, and she also happens to be married to…
It’s officially winter, which in cold northern climates means lots of mud or a diabolically freezing nightmare with ice and snow. We asked our Masterson Method Certified Practitioners (MMCPs) their thoughts on bodywork in the cold winter months and have updated our Winter Bodywork Tips for you. While it may not always be comfortable, regular…
by Sandy Vreeburg We invited Sandy Vreeburg, Instructor Lead & Trainer in North America, to write this month’s blog post, and are excited to share her wisdom! Soften, yield, and observe the subtlest responses of the horse. These practices are the foundation of The Masterson Method®. There are layers and layers of subtleties built within…
by Vicky Devlin We thought this month of September – Jim’s birthday month – would be the perfect time to highlight his useful mottos, or ‘Jim-isms’ that we as Instructors use when teaching this work. Here is a summary of our favorites, by Vicky Devlin, Overseas Manager and Co-director of Education and Fieldwork, in the…
by Megan Dushin Have you heard of SRSR? It’s the acronym we use in The Masterson Method for “Search for a Response, Stay for a Release.” It’s one of the most basic practices we employ and what makes The Masterson Method so unique. Responses and releases can typically be seen (or heard, or even smelled…
by Walter Saxe If someone had predicted ten years ago where my Masterson Method® journey would lead me in 2024, I would have thought they were crazy. Now I am facing the best experience one can imagine as a horse therapist. In two weeks, I will be taking care of the horses of the Polish…
by Megan Dushin As a student of The Masterson Method, you will likely learn in your first Masterson book, video, and/or course about symmetry and asymmetry in the horse, and how we consider the horse’s “predominant diagonal” in order to start the side that is likely to be easiest. Megan starting with Bladder Meridian Technique…
By Charlie Frost Last winter, I lost my 11-year-old dog Harry to cancer. Harry was my first dog, and from the moment he arrived in my family’s life, we adored him. Harry was a Hungarian Vizsla, or ‘Velcro Vizsla’ as they’re aptly nicknamed due to the way they ‘attach’ themselves to their owners, and Harry…
by Alice Long This is a beautiful story of a herd that was changed through the wonderful work of students who attended The Masterson Method Equine Specialist (MMES) course and a little horse named “Flash” who was not trusting of humans at all, except for his “boy” that apparently had a special place in this…
by Gretchen Deane For this month’s Blog Post, we invited Gretchen Deane, MMCP and Certified Neuromuscular Horse Dentist, to share her thoughts on equine dentistry and bodywork. Did you know that floating practices affect the horse’s whole body and that tension and movement patterns in the horse’s body also affect the teeth? Yes, anytime we…
Horses are magnificent creatures that possess a unique energy and spirit that captures our hearts. However, their lives can sometimes take a turn for the worse, and they can end up in situations of neglect or abuse. But there are heart-warming stories of rescued horses who have gone on to lead happy and fulfilling lives…
Horses are amazing animals with a great capacity to adapt to different environments and situations. However, sometimes horse owners may encounter a behavior problem known as cribbing. Horse cribbing, also known as crib-biting or wind-sucking, is a behavioral issue that affects some horses where they grasp onto a solid object such as a stall door or…
by Alice Long The Masterson Method® Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork offers various courses that range from two to five days. To add to that, numerous Masterson Method® Certified Practitioners (MMCP) also offer Interactive Demonstrations for anyone who is interested in learning a little more about this method of bodywork, as well as a few key…
by Sonia Bascuñana Everyone who has chosen to share their life path with that of horses will agree that it is a never-ending learning process. Every day there is a chance to learn something from horses and often at the same time from ourselves. I consider myself very lucky for having had the opportunity to…
When doing The Masterson Method® with a horse, there are three key junctions in the horse’s body, which are our main focus. These are the Poll-Atlas; the Neck-Shoulder-Withers; and the Hind End. Tension on any of these three key junctions can cause excessive tension to accumulate in major muscles and connective tissue. In addition, excessive…
One of the things we never get tired of hearing about is the inspiring horse recovery stories, whose well-being has dramatically improved thanks to the work of our Masterson Method® Certified Practitioners around the globe, sometimes even after just one session. The magic of this method is really not magic at all, although it can…
After the Bladder Meridian Technique, the Lateral Cervical Flexion technique is the first step toward releasing tension in the poll and atlas and asking for movement in this area. The reason why it is one of the first techniques to start with is because of the importance of the main junction we want to address:…
by Loni Langdon Here’s something I really want to put out to the world…there’s nothing like The Masterson Method® of Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork and a good mule! If you have mules in your life, understanding a few of The Masterson Method® foundational principles can really be a game changer. Having a goal of improving…
by Jim Masterson It’s been my experience when working on horses that have had an accident in the past such as a fall; going over backward; running into something; or an accident in a trailer, that the bodywork will often uncover what the horse’s body has been blocking out, sometimes for years. When an accident…
Many questions come up about the Scapula Release Down and Forward Technique and how to best help the horse. To illustrate the best position to be in and where the horse is during this technique, it is helpful to see it all on one page. Here are a few of the questions often asked at…
by MMCP, Jane Kameny Brown My good friend has a quarter horse named Jack. I have known Jack since my friend bought him about 5 years ago and we ride together often. Jack is a big 16 hand goofy guy who tends to be a bit accident prone. I have been doing bodywork with this guy…
by MMCP, Carla Ball Many Masterson Method Certified Practitioners (MMCP) are also experts in other fields of horse care. Twelve MMCP’s are featured in the Hands Online Expert Hour Topics library of videos (see the Masterson Method Store ) where they share their particular expertise as it relates to The Masterson Method bodywork. From December…
The goal of this technique is to release and drop the scapula down and back, and down and forward in a relaxed state, beyond the normal relaxed range of motion. This will result in a release of tension in the muscles that attach the forelimb to the body, deeper muscles of the junction of the…
The following is a letter received from a woman named Kati Pukki, who had great success with the The Bladder Meridian Technique. I found The Masterson Method last Autumn, and emailed you to thank you. I told you in my email about my now 27 year-old Standardbred gelding, who had issues when I did The…
The following five suggestions are based on my experience and are meant to keep both you and your horse safe. This also creates an optimal working environment for a successful and enjoyable experience. Enjoy your horses, Jim. 1. Where to work. Ideally, I like to work on a horse in a stall. There are a…
By MMCP Barbara Glass Hey Jim, It was great attending the meeting today. I always learn something more from listening to and watching what you do. I also continue to learn while working on the horses – how to influence them through the bodywork and through intention and connection. It’s amazing how clearly they respond…
By Coralie Hughes MMCP Coach and Instructor Last month we looked at the first part of an analysis of the biomechanics of jumping. The jump was broken into the Approach, Take-off, Suspension and Landing phases. In Part 1 we looked at the Approach and Take-off phases. This month we’ll see the horse finish the jump…
By Coralie Hughes, MMCP, Coach and Instructor The following analysis of the biomechanics of jumping by MMCP and Advanced Instructor Coralie Hughes has been developed based on a current understanding of the literature concerning how the horse’s musculo-skeletal system works, how the horse uses his body and from many hours watching slow motion videos of…
In Primary Issues of tension in the horse’s body, Part 1 and 2 we talked about performance or behavior issues and possible primary issues that might be behind them and discussed Masterson Method® techniques that may help with the (secondary) tension caused by them. All of what we work on in the horse’s body is…
by Lisa Star, Fieldwork Student The gelding put his head near mine and blew softly – his warm breath on my neck and shoulders. I was both thrilled and yet felt a bit vulnerable – for the intimacy of this action surprised me. This has happened a few times recently and I doubt I’ll ever…
by Mimi Duffy, MMCP I saw Jim Masterson giving a demo at a Horse Expo in Sacramento. While watching the demo, I thought, “this is something I can do to keep my horses healthy!” I was working full time as a Registered Nurse and up to my eyeballs finishing a Master Certification at the Academy…
by Megan Dushin, MMCP, MMES, Coach, Instructor Jim Masterson focuses his practice and teaching of The Masterson Method® on the benefits to the horse. Yet, he will admit that this approach to bodywork reaches far beyond the obvious realm of helping horses release tension. He once said in conversation (as a few of us were…
In Part 1 of Primary Issues of Tension in the Horse’s Body, we talked about performance or behavior issues and possible primary issues that might be behind them and discussed Masterson Method® techniques that may help with the (secondary) tension caused by them. All of what we work on in the horse’s body is caused…
by Stephanie Wilkins, MMCP and Coach To answer how I became a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner (MMCP), I have to share why. It was because of our spotted saddle horse Lincoln, who was having intermittent lameness and performance issues that were becoming chronic. It got to the point where we questioned if his career was…
Tension in the horse’s body is caused by something. It is secondary to, or created by, some other primary issue. We can clear tension in the horse’s body until the cows come home (which is always good), but if we can help determine what’s causing the tension and then remedy it, then the tension likely…
When discussing head-shy horses, often the first question that is asked is whether it is a behavioral issue or a physical issue? One of the first signs that something may be a behavioral issue would be how relatively easy it is to train through. If a behavior is unreasonably difficult to train out of the…
Over the last 15 years The Masterson Method® has taught thousands of people equine bodywork techniques in Weekend Seminars, Advanced 5-Day Courses and the Fieldwork program. Tens of thousands of people have learned the techniques from the Beyond Horse Massage book and DVD and it has always been Jim’s goal to make the method accessible…
by Gina Kuttrus, MMCP Meet Star, a horse we helped mentally and physically with the help of the Masterson Method® in collaboration with veterinarians, trainers and her humans at The Right Step Horse Therapy in Colorado. Star is an equine-assisted services horse who primarily did adaptive riding (formerly referred to as therapeutic riding). She injured…
My name is Jenna and I am lucky enough to live and work at Ekone Ranch, a multi-faceted organization in the Columbia Gorge area, in rural Washington. Ekone is home to Sacred Earth Foundation, a nonprofit land trust covering 1,138 acres. White Eagle Memorial Preserve, one of only a handful of natural conservation burial grounds…
The horse is the ultimate prey animal. When feeling threatened by something in the environment, he is hard-wired to run away first and ask questions later. Survival for millennia has been dependent on living in the protection of the herd. Consequently, horses try not to show discomfort in their body. They hide it until a…
We’ve talked before about how discomfort, tension or restriction in the muscles of the horse can affect the horse’s movement, performance and even behavior. We’ve also discussed how horses are similar to humans in that each has a more predominant side, eye, or direction. This natural unevenness builds uneven tension in the horse’s muscles. The…
Dear Sir / Hello Jim (whatever suits you best) I have a Standardbred gelding, 8 years old, and two Shetland pony mares, 12 and 5 years old. They are either in training or harness racing. We have quite an active harness racing community for ponies here in Finland. The performance of the elder pony has been…
What if my horse is constantly fidgeting? What if he appears uncomfortable and wants me to stop?” Often when we find something in the horse that’s uncomfortable, he’ll fidget, or he’ll tell us it’s uncomfortable. This is part of the communication. When that happens, we have to find the right level of pressure or non-pressure,…
by Megan Dushin MMCP, MMES If you’ve seen Jim Masterson or a certified practitioner demonstrate The Masterson Method®, then you’ve seen what some common “releases” look like when a horse lets go of tension. A horse may lick and chew, shake his head, scratch himself, sigh or snort, rest a hind leg, yawn profusely, or…
How Often Can I do this Work? Every horse is different. Different horses have different histories and different things going on, and different nervous systems. A draft horse has a different nervous system than say, a thoroughbred. And with this method you’re working with the horse’s nervous system. His nervous system is releasing the tension.…
By Lisa Haldane, MMCP and owner of Avalon Performance Horse and Rider Support In Part One of this series, I talked about the daily routine for cutting horses in a training and show environment. In Part Two I talked about the Masterson Method techniques that are most useful in supporting the mature cutting show horse.…
by Nikki Kagan Anyone who follows Jim Masterson’s work, as well as those of us who treat horses with the Masterson Method know full well its effectiveness on horses. In fact, it works so well, that I began noticing its effect on people too. When I decided to study the Masterson Method and eventually become…
By Lisa Haldane, MMCP and owner of Avalon Performance Horse and Rider Support In Part One of this series, I talked about what the daily routine is like for cutting horses when they are in a training and show environment. It was descriptive of the life of the horses that show at the highest levels,…
by Crissi McDonald, MMCP When we shut the truck doors and let the dogs jump out of the backseat, our clinic horse Rocky raised himself from a warm morning nap he’d been taking. He pushed on to his front legs, rocked forward, and then got his wobbly hind end underneath him. As he walked toward…
By Lisa Haldane, MMCP and owner of Avalon Performance Horse and Rider Support As many of you know I got certified as a Masterson Method practitioner in 2009 and started teaching weekend seminars over the next few years. Later I developed the online courses that are now offered through Avalon Performance Horse and Rider Support…
Have you ever noticed in training that it is often easier to do lateral work, bending, turning, and lead changes, in one direction than in the other? This may be due in part to a horse’s natural predominance of one side; what is sometimes called, “natural crookedness.” Horses are similar to humans in this respect.…
Jim Masterson was interviewed by Jane Pike on the Confident Rider Podcast. Jane shares: Team, I am so thrilled to be able to share this conversation with you today on my podcast. I’m talking with Jim Masterson about the Masterson Method and how it is we can work with our horse to release underlying…
What if My Horse Tries to Kick me? If he’s tries to kick you, it’s because you’re finding something with your hand that he’s been covering up and blocking out, but now that you’ve found it it’s bothering him. He’s now letting you know you’ve found something uncomfortable. You don’t even have to know what…
Can I do this Wrong? We use techniques with this method that use no pressure or movement, and some that involve different levels of pressure and movement. But they all rely on reading the responses of the horse, and softening when we run into resistance. If you’re doing this then 1) you can’t hurt the…
The most common complaint, in my experience, that inspires a horse owner to request bodywork concerns the perceived inability of their horse to bend properly. As a rider and trainer, I know that a rider’s incorrect body position alone can make it impossible for a horse to bend properly through the body. However, when I…
Article by Becky Tenges, Certified Practitioner, Instructor and Certification Block 3 Mentor ~ Since becoming certified as a Masterson Method Practitioner and Instructor, I have been on a continuing education quest to become a better bodyworker by learning more about anatomy, biomechanics and possible primary causes of discomfort in my horse clients. For a couple…
Where is the Bladder Meridian? In Chinese medicine, there are twelve primary acupuncture meridians in the body. The Bladder Meridian is one of the major acupuncture meridians that has a unique effect on balancing the other acupuncture meridians. It runs down each side of the body, about two inches parallel to the top line, then…
Temporal mandibular joint issues can create tension in the poll, and vice-versa says, equine bodywork therapist Jim Masterson. And conversely, pain or restriction in the poll will affect other parts of the body. “Issues in your horse’s body have a way of reflecting in his poll and atlas,” explains Masterson. Therefore, tension and pain he…
By Coralie Hughes ~ I am often struck by the similarities between what it takes to ride well and what it takes to be a good practitioner of the Masterson Method. At a recent dressage training clinic I attended, the internationally famous trainer kept repeating “every horse is a song”, with the admonition that the…
The Masterson Method of Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork comprises of two basic categories of techniques: those that release tension in situ, and those that release tension through range of motion in a relaxed state. Releasing tension in the muscles and restoring flexibility and range of motion to the skeleton work together. Relieving tension in the…