My current primary focus is within the showing segment of the hunter/jumper spectrum. My model is based on a five- session series that includes both pre- and post-performance components, as well as pre- and post-shipment care. Many of these horses show throughout the country. Another component of my practice is rehabilitation for the injured equine athlete.
Sue Rhynhart with her horse Skye Traveler, who passed on October 6. “My dear friend came to me (starved) at twelve years old and died at twenty-seven-plus years. We had a good run of it.”
Horses are prey animals hardwired to hide what is wrong with them: in the wild, either sickness or visible injury is a sure-fire way to get eaten. This changes the session protocol significantly – in every session the body is covered twice. The first half of the session includes the notion of releasing the autonomic nervous system, to soothe and lift the veil of what the horse has suppressed. The second half involves more accurate diagnostics and application of a direct line of correction; this almost always leads to a deeper dialogue unfolding with the horse.
When walking into my first hunter/jumper client’s stall, Phillip Dreissigacker, the trainer, noted my lack of fear. I told him, “Being afraid of horses is a dangerous enterprise.” Each session requires mindfulness; it begins by picking up the halter and stepping through a portal where a sacred interaction is about to take place, where the practitioner is required to touch, speak, and connect.
Often, what is recovered in the first session is respiration. A deeper level of respiration can often occur as relaxation and a newfound level of trust builds between the horse and practitioner. Direct work on the external and internal intercostal muscles allows for greater rib expansion. A release of the inner lines of the rear legs into the pelvic floor also assists in this process. The imprint of this first interaction is hopefully one of calm and trust, a dialogue of sorts. Horses like to be talked to and nurtured; our voice becomes one of our most dynamic tools. The relationship has begun.
of Shoulder and Pelvic Girdles
We again work through the body once covering the chest, shoulders, rib cage, hips, hind end, the barrel, top line, and then into the neck. The primary focus is freeing both the shoulder and pelvic girdles, differentiating neck to shoulders, then rear legs to pelvis. The shoulders are freed by opening subclavius and unravelling the neck out of the shoulder girdle with detail to all cervical musculature. Differentiation of rear legs to pelvic girdle is accomplished by freeing all the upper rear leg muscle groups: gluteals to sacrum, hamstrings (often freeing entanglements of the hamstrings from the adductors), quadriceps, and adductors.
Often, therearereasonsthatthehorse’s pelvic and shoulder girdles are not connected. A primary cause is a disconnection through the ‘barrel’(i.e., the thorax), which can make a horse seem disconnected emotionally, even dull. A strong connection through the barrel is operative to finding balance. In this session, the entire body is covered in fifteen steps:
This work takes us deep into the inner line of the rear leg. A good session often finds the horse lathering between its legs as it releases those stiff tendons and the tissue takes on a plasticity. It is essential to connect the inner line of leg from pelvic floor into the barrel via the obliques, transversus abdominis, and aponeurosis (a fascial sling). This session creates support and connection from the front to the hind end and back to clarify the placement of the four legs. Horses often seem more embodied after this treatment.
I often consider sessions four and five in this equine series to be akin to sessions eight and nine of the Ten Series. I ask, “What hasn’t come along for the ride?” This is where the conformational eye comes into play. I determine how to take what is a conformational weakness and bring it more into a self-correctional place. Communication by the fourth session is amazing: horses will often point out what they need with their noses, or by biting what is incomplete (e.g., daunting displaced
ribs). Always listen to the client! I have often had a hind end pointed my way as a way to say, “You’ve missed some pretty important stuff here.” This is where organic work is fused with the horse’s wisdom; this is often where the level of trust is upgraded!
The Performance-Horse Closure
Where Session Five for the performance horse differs from other five-series equine work or the Ten Series in humans is that it is ‘a closure for now.’ These horses will need more sessions: pre- and post-performance, and then again to relieve the stress of transport (pre- and post-shipment). This session is a refinement of what the horse needs specifically in the here and now and, effectively, “See you later!”
The horse teaches us self-control, consistency, and the ability to understand what goes on in the mind and feeling of another creature, qualities that are important throughout our lives.1
My own personal oath that I take every day is to apply Dr. Rolf’s principles to my work, combining them with a commitment to an active conscience and a duty to higher learning.
Support: I learned long ago from an Irish horseman (my mentor), that the hoof is the second heart of the horse: care of the legs and feet are of primary importance. Trainers are where I turn for knowledge, as they use different veterinarians and farriers. I have often worked at re-setting imbalances after these talented forces have come in and treated the client. I include deep work down the legs with the ‘rose breath’.2 The restoration of proprioception is quite amazing with this technique; horses will reveal the depth of their relief by sighing, licking, and snorting.
Adaptability (the key): Our work is to alter structure so performance can be modified. My interpretation for horses is to establish greater sling support through the shoulder girdle and greater impulsion through the rear legs into the pelvic girdle, which often creates more suspension and lift, thereby increasing the horse’s ability to jump freely and to be organized on its landings.
Dynamic Balance: This is often referred to in Rolfing SI as palintonicity. Dynamic
balance in the human is the connection of man to both heaven and earth; in horses, I understand it as being connected to heaven and earth and connecting from front to back and back to front. This is when the horse has attained physical equilibrium. In appearance, the horse stands equally into all four feet. In movement, there is elasticity in both the shoulder and pelvic girdle; this continuity is attained through connection of the barrel (see Session Three). A horse in movement that has attained dynamic balance is true beauty.
Worldview (my personal interpretation): What has this horse’s world been like? One must consider the breed, the conformation, its job, its past experiences (including trauma, which often has a human imprint), and especially its personality. The portion of ‘worldview’ that is the personality is golden: you must find a way into what the horse is; often that inroad is the real treatment and the only road to travel.
Holism: The horse must be treated as a whole creature. In my template, holism includes the trainer, the rider, the veterinarian, the farrier, the grooms, proper nutrition and conditioning, and sometimes (I thank my lucky stars) the Rolfer. An often-overlooked component is the horse’s stabling. Is it stressful? I spend a lot of time lingering in barns; ideally, it is a place where spirit and heart meet.
I wanted to share these profiles to document how the sessions differ with what is at hand. Each horse receives a session tailored to its specific needs. The information provided is taken directly from my session notes. I sometimes take a full page of notes for each session; it serves as a great tracking tool and helps to communicate with the client/ trainer about what was actually done. It is a great honor to share these amazing athletes with you!
Recently Gelded Stallion
Hornero
Hornero is an thoroughbred imported from Argentina. He is currently showing in meter 15 jumpers and 3’6” – 4’ in hunter equitation.
Old injury right front: medial scarring above coronet band/below pastern. Displaced sternum left: put sternum back in (direct work pectorals into rectus abdominis). Sore forearms: flexor/extensor compartments.
Hornero, Age 9
Junior Rider: Lyndsay Gersoff – 16 years old
Owner: Wellsbridge Farms, Parker, Colorado.
Trainer: Paul Rohrbach
Striation in tissue of right shoulder: worked on breaking down adhesion and creating differentiation. Hornero was only gelded seven months ago and still has stallion tendencies – they often bite and kick, and are just more expressive! Within five minutes of our interaction, Hornero figured out I was going to help him and kindly licked and groomed me throughout the entire session.
Normally, the first-session goal would be the establishment of respiration and rapport. When a horse has an evident incongruence, such as an old blunt trauma, I will veer off of the model – especially when a horse is extremely athletic, it is kinesthetic and catches on rapidly as to how this soft tissue work can re-set and re-organize. Hornero was gelded late – quite often the appearance is telling: big bodied, large- necked, with a fiery attitude. In this case, he has scar tissue on the inner lines of his rear legs (adductor to pelvis). The scarring is a direct result of being gelded, especially at a later age. We spent extensive time working on this; scar tissue can often inhibit proper lead changes at the canter or can cause ‘swapping’ (an improper switching of rear legs) within the gait of canter. Direct work: sartorius, gracilis, adductor femoris, vastus medialis. We are breaking down scar tissue; he is super-responsive to this!
On the second go-around on Hornero, I find more injury related to his right front. He has had blunt trauma to his right rib cage with multiple ribs displaced. I put the ribs in by gently working the intercostals, passing through the rib cage multiple times. He responds by closing his eyes and snorting deeply. At the end of the session we de-rotate his sacral and lumbar spine (craniosacral technique); the vertebral column was rotated anteriorly to the right.
Lyndsay later called me to tell me how great Hornero felt afterwards, and that he was showing well.
Argonaut/Argo
Argonaut/Argo, Age 10 Breeding: Holsteiner Owner/Rider: Elizabeth Hund – Bridlewood Farms
Trainer: Michael Dennehey 2014 Zone Champion for his division
7th in the country 2014 for Amateur WCHR (World Champion Hunter Rider)
Argo competes in the amateur/owner hunter division: 3’3’-3’6”, and he also performs in the hunter derbies. I consider this horse to be a clean machine! He is ‘short-coupled’: each vertebrae is more dense, so his appearance is that of a shorter back, though the actual vertebral column has the same number of vertebrae. This conformation is known for their ability to change direction with agility. I believe this work has supported his foreleg scope and increased his flexibility. We are talking minute particulars here: this is a horse with beautiful conformation – and he also has a great mind and an elephant’s memory!
Post-performance/post-shipment (returning to Colorado from the Oaks, a horse show in California) Wednesday June 17, 2015.
Normally a pattern for horses that travel long distances when being shipped may include: sore hamstrings and adductors into the pelvic floor, crimped ribs, and stiff necks. The findings on Argo today are more based on post-performance, e.g., a very athletic performance.
Wrenched neck toward the r ight: trapezius, splenius cervicis, sternocephalic, brachiocephalic, complexus, longus capitis, longissimus capitis. Worked both right and left sides; especially right. Sternum off to left side: worked subclavius, ascendus pectoral, transversus and descending pectorals. Did direct work on sternal attachments. Put humerus back in on right side (caught to rib cage – subscapularis). Ribs displaced right: did intercostal work. Worked on lumbar region to assist in diaphragmatic function. All of this work is applied to support his shoulder girdle in suspension and respiration. Afterwards, he appeared much more comfortable.
Keiri Kaneps and Nautilus/Echo
Nautilus/Echo Owner/Rider: Elizabeth Hund –
Bridlewood Farms
I have included this photograph as it is important to acknowledge that we all experience losses in this life. In the horse world, this can often be even more so. We lost Keiri Kaneps to cancer August 7, 2012. She was one of the finest riders and trainers (Studio Farms) that I have ever known – a great friend to horses and people alike.
Nautilus/Echo passed on March 17, 2015, a young horse with problems stemming from his dam’s DNA.
May we take pause for their brilliance, and how love for them forever marks our hearts.
Ravissant/Maggie
I worked on Maggie twice during show season last year. This year, Heather Chenault, owner of Indeo Acres, has had her worked on every week. She has had a Five Series, and is now being treated weekly pre- and post-performance. She has muscled up immensely – there had been divots in her hind end because of a lack of quadriceps development, which was actually due to adductor suppression. The inner lines of her rear legs needed to be freed, and her quadriceps needed to be turned on as well. The dramatic improvement in Maggie is due to change in diet and conditioning (training) plus the Rolfing work she has received.
Ravissant/Maggie, Age 14 Breeding: Danish Warmblood Leased by: Indeo Acres Trainer: Phillip Dreissigacker
The minute particulars of her structural issues are located around the sternum: pectoral work, wither (the relationship of sternum to wither), aligning them so there is no puckering at the wither (softening of the nuchal ligament insertion and trapezius). Direct work on the shoulders: biceps, triceps, deltoid, supra/infraspinatus, serratus, subscapularis. Stifle region: worked to finely tune the quadriceps muscles – they function nearly perfectly. The most amazing change is in Maggie’s nervous system. In this mare, what is of the most vital importance is that her nervous system is soothed; ten minutes into the session, she has shut her eyes and let her head drop. It is hard to know what causes any of us to be high strung; I think part of it is our makeup, the other portion is our experience(s). Whatever the reason for Maggie having such a sensitive nervous system, this work speaks to her and it soothes her. It is very moving to see a beautiful animal move from fear to trust, and it makes my day every time I get to work on Maggie. I am one of her biggest fans!
Que Sera/Kacy
Que Sera/Kacy
Owner/Rider: Meghan Newton – Sleepy Hollow
Trainers: Mark Mead, J.J. Atkinson
Kacy got kicked by another mare and fractured her tibia and was taken to Colorado State University’s veterinary equine clinic. This was in April 2014. She was first treated in the surgery unit, where she was tethered to a wire and could not lie down for many months. I had previously worked on Kacy quite a bit, both five-session series work and performance/shipping-related treatments. I had most recently treated her both in Gulfport, Mississippi and after she returned home with Meghan Newton, after they placed first out of forty-three in one of their jumper classes.
I included this profile because the energetic component of my work with Kacy provides an interesting topic for discussion. I must say I had to find my way in this; it involved committing at least three hours a week (often more!) to a beautiful mare and her family, Sheila and Meghan. Walking into a vet school to do Rolfing SI on an injured horse was a very humbling experience. Kacy was suffering from depression and exhaustion, and the trauma to her stifle region needed to be addressed. I worked on her loading pattern, right rear to left front (compensatory for left rear injury). She had also injured her neck in the hospital, when she twice managed to lie down despite the cable attached to her halter to keep her from doing so. I not only did Rolfing SI on her body, but groomed her, sat in her stall with her, and talked to her. I spent time working with her emotions through voice, touch, and presence. I stayed true to Rolf’s work by being devoted, curious, and studious.
Anatomically her right stifle region, left shoulder, and the right side of neck became acute as well. She was eventually moved to the rehabilitation clinic, where I gained a lot of support and knowledge from the vet Dr. King, who was also concerned about her patterns of compensation. I would first speak to Dr. King, and then design what I thought would best help.
There are other factors not mentioned here, but Kacy is on the mend. She is back home at Sleepy Hollow, and her treatments are now scheduled bi-weekly. Once she becomes stronger, I will extend them out to once a month. After nine months of working on her weekly, I cannot express my gratitude for her finding her way back!
Justice
Justice, Age 12 Breeding: Hanoverian
Owner: Jenna Thomas – Capricorn Farms
Trainer: Tracye Ferguson
I happened upon this way of working on horses, using lymphatic drainage, when a horse in Tracye’s Ferguson’s barn contracted cellulitis (during the last show season). After the infection had passed, she thought I should work on the horse’s leg, and I was able to reduce the swelling. When Justice contracted lymphangitis, we thought this technique might help.
Justice got a small cut on his rear right leg, which blew up overnight and became a huge infection. His heart rate and body temperature were increased to dangerous levels, and his leg swelled to elephant-like proportions. He was treated at Littleton Large Animal Hospital for fifteen days in January 2015. Afterwards, we waited for about two and a half months, and then Katie Thomas, owner of Capricorn Farms, and I decided to give it a try.
I began working on Justice’s affected leg by cupping my hands together above the hock, and moving my hands downward using the ‘rose breath’ to affect the energy. The initial swelling reduced dramatically, and we are continuing to work with Justice on the pockets of the scar tissue that remain. We are encouraging drainage from above by working further up the rear leg. This remains a work in progress. This gentle giant humbles me. He stands so kindly while I am positioned practically underneath him.
This work continues to develop for me. I am grateful for the people who have come into my life through this line of work, but I am especially grateful for the horses.
The ‘rose breath’ is a deep reoccurring breath (almost like the sound of the wind) borrowed from Gael (Ohlgren) Rosewood’s teaching, influenced by her Continuum studies.Rolfing® SI for the Performance Horse
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