MDR Equine Services

FAQ Friday

Q: What do yawning, licking, chewing, blinking, or stretching during bodywork actually mean?

These are behaviors we commonly notice during equine bodywork sessions, but interpreting them is more nuanced than simply labeling each one a “release.”

Research examining horses during manual therapy has documented behaviors including changes in breathing, blinking, licking and chewing, lip relaxation, head lowering, and yawning. While these behaviors may occur alongside relaxation, current research does not support using any single behavior as proof that a specific muscle, restriction, or emotional state has been released.

Instead, the entire horse and the context of the response matter.

During a session, that means paying attention to changes in posture, breathing, muscle tone, weight distribution, movement, facial expression, willingness to engage, and how the horse responds before, during, and after contact with an area.

Some horses are very expressive during bodywork. Others show relatively few outward responses. A quieter horse is not necessarily receiving less benefit, just as a dramatic response does not automatically indicate that more significant change has occurred.

This is one reason bodywork should not be measured by how many yawns, licks, stretches, or other visible reactions we can produce.

The goal is not to create a reaction. The goal is to observe the horse as a whole, recognize meaningful patterns, respect their communication, and adjust the session accordingly.

Research reference:
Behavioral Assessment of Equine Relaxation Following Manual Therapy: A Pilot Study, 2025.

Additional research on equine facial expression and pain assessment: Dalla Costa et al., 2014; Rashid et al., 2020.

❤️

FAQ Friday: Can bodywork be part of a horse’s end-of-life care?

Yes, but the intention of the session changes.

At this stage, bodywork is not about improving performance, changing movement patterns, or asking the horse’s body to accomplish more. The focus shifts toward supporting comfort, familiarity, and choice during an especially vulnerable time.

A final session may include gentle, familiar touch, shorter periods of hands-on work, more pauses, or simply quiet presence. Techniques that were appropriate during previous sessions may no longer be appropriate. The horse’s balance, energy, comfort, and willingness to participate guide what is offered that day.

There is no expectation that the horse must respond or participate in a particular way. If the horse asks for less touch, a different approach, or space, that communication is respected. Sometimes the most horse-first decision is to do less.

End-of-life bodywork does not replace veterinary care, influence the decision about euthanasia, or provide a reason to delay it. Those decisions belong between the owner and veterinarian. Bodywork may simply be one supportive part of helping a familiar horse feel seen, heard, and respected through the final stage of care.

For current MDR clients facing a planned euthanasia, MDR offers one final session at no charge when the horse’s condition and timing allow. This is not a promotion. It is a quiet extension of the care and relationship already shared with the horse and owner.

Touch is a conversation.

When we talk about consent in equine bodywork, it is more than simply allowing a horse to stand untied or move away. It means paying attention to what the horse is communicating throughout the session and allowing that information to influence how we proceed.

Research into human-horse touch interactions is beginning to support the importance of that choice.

A 2025 study comparing free-choice and forced touch found more stress-related behaviors during forced interactions and highlighted the importance of choice and agency for equine welfare.

Other research examining massage and gentle touch has documented changes in behaviors associated with relaxation, conflict behaviors, heart rate, and stress indicators. The research is still developing, and individual horses respond differently, but it reinforces something that is central to how I approach bodywork:

The horse’s response is information.

Moving away, guarding an area, changing posture, seeking contact, or choosing to remain engaged can all help guide what I do next. Sometimes that means changing pressure or technique. Sometimes it means giving the horse a moment. And sometimes it means leaving an area alone and coming back to it another day.

Bodywork should not simply be something we do to the horse.

It should be a conversation we have with them.

Maintain • Develop • Restore
MDR Equine Therapy Services

Research referenced: Sarrafchi, Lassallette & Merkies (2025), Applied Animal Behaviour Science, and supporting equine massage and tactile-interaction research.

Always a great day at True North Veterinary Health, PLLC!

I am so appreciative of how welcoming Dr. Lainie and her entire team have been to me. I love having the opportunity to offer my services in a veterinary setting where collaboration and the individual needs of each horse (and donkey 😉) are truly valued. The care, knowledge, and dedication Dr. Lainie and her team bring to their clients and animals is truly something special!

FAQ FRIDAY IS BACK 🖤

For the first one back, I thought I would start with a question that is a little more personal.

“What’s your why?”

My why started with my own horse.

Nearly seven years ago, I stepped into this industry because I wanted to learn how to better help my own personal horse standing before me. What began as a desire to understand and support one horse ultimately grew into something much bigger, and along the way, three individuals became the foundation of MDR.

M is Marquise.
Marquise became my lesson in Maintain. As he grew older and his needs changed, so did the way I supported him.

D is Duke.
Duke became Develop. He came to me carrying the residual effects of being treated poorly. Helping him move beyond those experiences taught me the importance of patience, trust, and meeting the individual where they are. Development is not always about moving forward faster. Sometimes, it is about creating the foundation that allows forward progress to happen at all.

R is R***r.
R***r needed something entirely different. He needed Restore. His needs pushed me to look deeper, learn more, ask more questions, and completely rethink how I approached supporting the individual in front of me.

Maintain • Develop • Restore.

Those were never simply three words chosen for a business. They represent three individuals who shaped the way I work, the way I learn, and ultimately the kind of practitioner I wanted to become.

Over nearly seven years, as my education, training, and experience have continued, my “why” has evolved too.

It grew to include the misunderstood horse. The senior horse. The horse receiving palliative care. The horse labeled difficult, reactive, or “untouchable.” The complicated ones. The ones carrying histories we may never fully understand. The ones whose behavior is communication rather than something to overcome. The ones who may never step into a show ring or earn a ribbon, but whose comfort and quality of life matter every bit as much.

That does not mean every horse I work with fits into one of those categories. I have the privilege of working with horses across disciplines, ages, levels of performance, and walks of life.

But they are the foundation of how I meet every horse.

Before the discipline, the performance goals, the expectations, or the labels, there is an individual standing in front of me who deserves to be listened to.

There is a genuine passion and love behind what I do, and my commitment to the horses and owners I work with extends far beyond a single session. Sometimes that means continuing my education, asking more questions, or collaborating with the rest of a horse’s care team. Sometimes it means recognizing that I am not the person they need and referring them to someone better suited to help.

Because the needs of the horse have to come first.

I did not step into this industry for clout, recognition, or to be known as the best. And frankly, I believe that when recognition becomes more important than the horse in front of you, you have lost sight of what this work is supposed to be about.

I stepped into it because I saw a population within the horse community that was deeply misunderstood and too often underserved. I wanted to serve those horses, and that purpose has only become stronger as I have continued to learn.

They are why I continue my education. They are why I keep asking questions. They are why, on the hard days and through the tough goodbyes, I keep pushing forward.

And underneath the education, modalities, credentials, and everything else, my why remains remarkably simple:

Every horse deserves to have a voice.
Every horse deserves to be heard.
And every horse deserves comfort and relief.

That is my why. 🖤

Research continues to show that how touch is offered can influence how a horse responds. A 2025 study found more restlessness, oral behaviors, and tail swishing during forced touch than when horses had the freedom to approach or leave.

It’s a reminder that participation matters—and that an honest response is easier to recognize when the horse has a choice. 💛

Sarrafchi, Lassallette & Merkies, 2025

Listen first. 🤎

💛A little MDR lately…

The last couple of months have brought A LOT of life outside of MDR, and I’m incredibly grateful for the patience, kindness, and flexibility that have given me the time and space I’ve needed.

I’m slowly finding my rhythm again. One thing this season has reminded me is that more miles don’t always mean more impact, and bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes narrowing the focus means having more to give to the horses and people I get to work with.

As I settle back into this new rhythm, if you’ve been waiting to reconnect, feel free to message MDR and we can see what scheduling may look like. If I’ve missed a message or haven’t connected with you yet, please know it hasn’t been intentional.

For now, here are a few snapshots of some pretty wonderful horses I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with lately, and somewhere along the way, I’ve been finding my way back to enjoying time with my own, too. 💛

It feels good to be back.

Kandice

🎉 GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉

Thank you so much to everyone who liked, shared, and commented on our New Year giveaway — your support truly means more than you know. 🖤✨

I loved reading all of your comments and seeing how equine massage and PEMF have supported your horses… so I decided to give away THREE sessions 🎁

✨ Each session is a $120 value ✨

✨ Our winners are:
🐴 Amy Hall
🐴 Karen Longseth Hovelson
🐴 Angie Kappen

Congratulations to all three of you! Please send me a message so we can get your sessions scheduled.

I’m incredibly grateful for this community and for the trust you place in me and MDR Equine Services. Here’s to a year of horse-first care, continued education, and helping our horses feel their best. 🤍

Maintain • Develop • Restore