Equine Muscle Works
Our gelding just did not seem comfortable under saddle and tended to stand pretty crooked and tensed up. Not sure what exactly Bri did but while she worked on him he started to relax and after an hour his whole posture and demeanor had visibly changed for the better. His back is more supple and shoulders loosened up. Will definitely get Briana back to continue working on this guy!
-Carla B.
Briana is dedicated, knowledgeable, and very talented. She is very attentive to the needs and concerns of both the horse and owner, and will do everything she can to help her clients and patients. The results of her work are truly amazing!
-Erika M
Briana came to work on my 23 year old Clydesdale, Skye, who had some overall stiffness from shifting his weight to favor a sore foot with a hoof abscess that had taken weeks to resolve. The moment she put her hands on him, you could see him release the tension. He licked and chewed and yawned in pure bliss. The difference in his movement and comfort after his session was just remarkable.
When Briana came back for his next treatment, we had the 4 horses in the paddock and Skye was very impatient and pushy wanting Briana to work on him! When she did the most amazing thing happened...the other horses all starting dropping their heads, licking and chewing and yawning. Communal bliss from the healing energy released by Skye. Total quiet and relaxation like I have never seen before. It was magical.
Briana has a special gift. You have to see her work - your horse will thank you.
-BJ H.
For all my horses friends...
Equine Muscle Works did a great job with my horses. Briana came out and worked on two of my horses for me (14yr old TWH & 5yr old QH cross). I was a bit skeptical at first because I really didn’t know what myofacial work was exactly. I had seen massage and chiropractic sessions on horses, but never a myofacial session. But I was impressed with the results after the first session with my horses.
Briana worked on Blessing (my Tennessee Walker) first. He had experienced a fracture in his right hind leg last year and was out of work for about 6 months. I have been bringing him back into work this year. She evaluated him and noticed some differences on the right side which made sense due to his old injury. Blessing was very locked up and guarded on that right side. Briana took her time and was patient with him throughout the treatment process. She took it all in stride as he moved and shifted while she worked. And she focused on using the hand placements and holds that worked and my horse showed her that he liked best. Blessing wasn’t sure what to think of the session, but you could tell that he was liking what was happening (despite being guarded) because when he would finally relax he would start licking and chewing or he would allow a yawn or two to escape. I gave him a couple days off following the treatment because he was so amped up from feeling better. When I did ride him he felt great! We went on a trail ride and ended in the arena where I worked on his gait. It was one of the best extended periods of gaiting that he has ever given me! He was so smooth and almost reached the correct type of gait for his breed. Definitely could feel the improvement in his movement following his session.
Briana then worked on my younger horse Shiloh (Quarter Horse cross). He was in much better shape than my TWH, but Briana found some small things that could be improved. One of those was a slight shift on the left side of his pelvis. This made so much sense as he has always struggled more when working to the left and his left lead canter has always been harder for him to pick up. Briana again took her time and let Shiloh learn to accept the treatment. He really seemed to enjoy it and gave many big yawns throughout the session. He also got a couple of days off before being ridden again. Once he was ridden he looked great! And he picked up his left lead canter quicker than he typically has in the past. I was thankful that Briana would take time to work on Shiloh too despite him not being as guarded or locked up as my other horse
Our horses our our friends, companion, and confidants and they deserve the best care we can give them. I love having the option of alternative treatments to help them feel their best! Consider ‘Equine Muscle Works’ if you are experiencing any problems with your horse or just want to make sure they are in the best health they can be!
-Sarah L
Briana was referred to me by a friend when I was looking for a chiropractor. My daughter’s horse had recently started acting out when asked to lope, and pain was suggested as a possible reason why by a knowledgeable horse person. I was not at all familiar with myofascial bodywork, but I liked the sound of it better than a chiropractic adjustment, so I decided to try it out. Boy am I glad I did! Briana was immediately able to determine several factors that could have been causing his actions. Before his first session, he had stiffness in his neck and belly swing, his pelvis was out of whack, and he was unable to stand square. All of this was determined just by Briana watching his movement at a walk and a slow trot. After his first session, the improvement in his movement was clearly visible. He even squared up on his own! And he made it clear that he enjoyed the session by releasing big yawns and licking. Briana even taught my daughter some exercises she could do daily to keep him loose. We have since had two more sessions, as needed, and Briana has introduced essential oils which has elevated his relaxation. We recently moved him to a new barn, so he is a bit stressed while trying to adjust to his new surroundings. I feel confident with Briana’s help he will continue to thrive. I am very thankful for all she’s done for our horse.
-Karen P.
To all my horse friends! I would highly recommend Briana Blackwelder with Equine Muscle Works! She does Equine Myofacial Release. She worked on my horse Storm, who has always moved awkward. He struggles with weakness on his right side and has never truly extended his shoulders. Storm has always been weary of people he doesn’t know, so I was slightly nervous about how he would react to myofacial release. When Briana came to work on him, she took the time to get to know Storm first so he would be comfortable around her. She led him around and took all the time he needed. She was so good with him it only took 5 minutes before he completely settled down. When she first evaluated him, we realized he could not stand square, especially in his backend. His pelvis was not even either. Within 10 minutes of the beginning of our session, Storm began standing square and licked and chewed and yawned. He almost fell asleep he loved it so much! By the end, I could tell Storm was extending more, his posture was more even, and he could stand square unlike before. I truly did not know much about myofacial release or what it could do for a horse, but it really had a wonderful impact on Storm. In the picture below, you can see the difference in his posture. The above picture is before and the bottom picture is after. Briana was so kind, patient and passionate. I will continue to use Briana as I know this will get Storm moving the way he was made to move!
-Kaylynne F.
I've worked with Briana on several horses, I highly respect not just her intuitive, gifted application of myofascial release techniques, but also her eye for assessing myofascial restrictions. She is a compassionate, kind care provider and really puts her beautiful heart into her work.
-Lauren K.
Briana worked on my 5 yr old mare (Karen) who had been dropping her shoulder when trotting/loping circles to the left and stepping out of her stops. Briana was super patient with her despite her constantly moving all around and just being a stubborn, hateful mare. I rode her the very next day and she was a completely different horse! I just couldn't believe how much of a difference just ONE session made. She completely stopped dropping her shoulder, rode more relaxed/collected, and had a more level topline. Definitely worth every single penny spent! I can't wait to see the positive impact the next session makes!
-Chaya P.
Briana has been fantastic. My horse suffered some serious trauma to his body, from head to tail, from a fall back in July. Briana has been patiently working on him and the improvement has been phenomenal. Bromby was moving like an old man in his scruffy slippers, paddle stepping in front and dragging behind. He is no longer paddle stepping and we are seeing very little drag. We still need more work, but, with Briana I know that we will soon be back in the saddle! Thanks so much for all your help!
-Pat B
Briana has been a miracle worker at our farm! Not only did she help get our show horses ready for the Grand National Championship show, she also made it possible for us to ride one of our champion mares again! Chanel had a problem in her neck that was causing pinching, making her toss her head just standing on the lead. Briana did one session on her and she was already doing better. I would 100% recommend Equine Muscle Works.
-Startown Stables
If you’re thinking about getting mayofascial done on your horses this is the person to go to! This lady is magic and works miracles!! After one appointment my horse had tons of yawns and great releases and is feeling his absolutely best. We are SO ready for our next session! 10/10 would recommend this wonderful lady.
-Ana T.