Pre-Appointment Information

 

 

Basics

• My philosophy is that I am working with the horse, not *on* the horse. I often talk about asking the horse questions and listening for their answers. Bodywork is as much about learning and gaining insight and understanding of the horse’s body as it is about treating areas of tension and restriction. For this reason, it is imperative that I get to have that conversation with the horse with as minimal distraction as possible. 

• It is wonderful when owners and riders can attend the sessions and observe the horse’s reactions and releases, but if the horse seems distracted or agitated with you there, I may ask for a bit of space. On occasions, I may have you hold the horse but remember to try and become an impartial observer and not an active participant in the session (i.e., no petting or touching and pretty please no treats!). Usually it’s best when you observe from outside the stall. If you’re unable to be present for the session, I will send a text or give you a call to share my observations or ask follow up questions. 

• Bodywork asks the horse, a prey animal, to be incredibly vulnerable. Relaxation is a learned skill for an animal that is highly predisposed to a flight/fight/freeze response. It goes against their survival instincts to let their guard down and release and I try to keep this physiological truth in the forefront of my mind as I work. Patience is key. Progress holds best when the horse gives permission and consent for this work to happen. My sessions are gentle, flexible, horse-centric and therefore effective. Release your expectations and trust the process 🙂 

• Food is incredibly distracting to the work. If possible, remove hay from the stall before the session and hold off on feeding hay, concentrate, or treats until the session is done.

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Timing

• It’s called bodywork, but it also works on the mind. For this reason, it is important to be thoughtful when scheduling the session. Please communicate feeding and turnout times as we set up your horse’s appointment so we can ensure a calm environment conducive to this work. 

• Ideally the first session will be scheduled for a day when your horse can have off or only a light workout following the bodywork. In a perfect world, I would recommend turnout or a handwalk immediately following then 12-24 hours off depending on the depth and intensity of the work. After bodywork becomes maintenance for the horse, it is perfectly acceptable to have a moderate workout after the session (or even compete) but do budget time to give the horse some processing time before getting right to work.

• It is best not to ride before the session. My goal is to learn as much as possible about your horse’s body at its baseline and riding right before the work can obscure this information. If it’s essential to the training schedule that the horse is ridden the same day, please allow approximately 2 hours of cool down time for your horse before the session begins. 

• Above all, please communicate what is on the horse’s agenda that day so that I have all the information and can modify the session as needed. 

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Environment

• I prefer to work in a horse’s stall when possible and when the horse can comfortably relax there. On occasion, some horses feel more relaxed within the boundaries of crossties or within the freedom of a quiet arena. We will experiment to find what works best for your horse.

• Many techniques will require me to be crouched under the horse or kneeling in the stall, so clean dry bedding in the stall is appreciated! 

• Ideally your horse should be clean-ish for the manual techniques to work best, but if not, I will remove loose hair, dried mud and manure before I begin. 

• It is very important that your horse is DRY! Wet hair does have enough slide and will make some techniques uncomfortable and I will need to avoid them. Please do not bathe your horse immediately before the session or leave them out in the rain without a sheet or blanket. If possible, knock wet mud off of legs and feet before we start. Otherwise, many of the leg releases are difficult to safely perform and it may impede our use of SureFoot balance pads as well. 

• Let me know if your horse has a known allergy to geranium oil, which is the main ingredient in the natural fly spray I use. I kindly ask your permission to use this in the summer months and if possible, please refrain from spraying chemical fly sprays, using hoof oils or coat polish  on your horse before the session.

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Courtesy

• Please give 48 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your session for a different day. Otherwise, a cancellation fee (cost of session) applies unless I am able to fill your time slot. Veterinary emergencies are exempt. 

• Payment is due at the time of service. I accept cash, checks, Venmo (@MandyCollierOE), Paypal (optimumequinellc@gmail.com), and Zelle (412-901-2938).

• Scheduling is best when done in advance! I will try to accomodate add-on sessions to the best of my ability, but regularly scheduled horses do always take priority on the schedule. 

• Remember to communicate anything that might be helpful in completing the picture of your horse’s presentation that day and please share any feedback after the session! I am always trying to collate information to provide the best, most informed care possible.