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 Equine-Librium is the next phase in the progressive evolution of care for the team of horse and rider.
Created by the therapeutic team of Erin Bobo and Eric Webb, Licensed Massage Therapists and Advanced Myofascial Release Therapists, Equine-librium sets out to utilize the John Barnes approach to Myofascial Release (MFR) to address performance issues, pain patterns and overall balance in both horses and riders by educating the horse community about the effects that each member of this "equestrian team" has on the other. Our goal is to create balance in both bodies in order to maximize performance, eliminate holding patterns that affect posture (and therefore performance) while allowing for comfort and ease of movement for any riding discipline. |
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Myofascial Release benefits: Riders, Trainers, any breed of horse. Competitors in any discipline such as but not limited to Dressage, Hunter, Jumper, Reining, Endurance and Racing.
Myofascial Release can: • Correct postural imbalances and holding patterns in riders that become reflected in the horse's body. • Reduce restrictions in horses that cause:
o Lack of suppleness and extension
o Stiffness of movement in any direction
o Tension in back, neck or shoulders
o Resistance and reoccurring injuries
• Reduces restrictions in riders that cause:
o Stress, tension and stiffness
o Back, hip and pelvic pain
o Sciatica, shoulder injuries and headaches
o Muscle imbalances that affect posture |
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Two Therapists vs. Just One
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 In order to best economize time and maximize results from our sessions we highly recommend that all clients utilize both therapists to work on the rider and the horse. By doing so you are getting two sets of hands and eyes to assess and address the problems and magnifying the effectiveness four-fold!
Over the long run, it minimizes costs by reducing the amount of trips necessary to address the issues at hand. In addition to the cost effectiveness and efficiency there is one facet that has to be stated: there are many extremely effective techniques that can only be done by two therapists. Some techniques require one therapist to be at the lumbar area and the other to be at the poll, for example. There is no replacement for four hands with many equine MFR techniques. The same idea applies to humans. Many times one therapist will be at the head and the other at the sacrum or one stretching a leg and the other stretching an arm for a whole-body release to correct imbalances. It cannot be overstated that this is the best way to make quick improvements towards your performance goals. |
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Myofascial Release Is Important To Horse And Rider
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 A horse can feel a fly land on her body so she can certainly feel even the slightest imbalance in the rider's body and will begin to compensate for any imbalances. Treating only one member of the "team" is addressing only half the picture! No matter what discipline, riding is about connection and communication between the horse and rider. Therefore, imbalances in the rider's body directly influence the horse's body and vice versa.
The horse and rider are one unit affecting one another through the subtlest of shifts in body weight and movement. In general the horse is a being that wants to please you! Many behavior issues such as resistance, "acting out", as well as lack of suppleness, stiffness, disconnection, crookedness, and inconsistency in performance often stem from a structural fascial imbalance in the horse and rider team. If the horse resists on a regular basis they are often trying to communicate that they are experiencing discomfort. Sometimes the cause of this discomfort can be found in their own history of trauma, injury or overuse having developed patterns from compensating for the rider's imbalances. By addressing fascial restrictions in both horse and rider imbalances in the the two bodies can be greatly reduced and the mirroring effect minimized thereby greatly improving the ease of performance. |
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