Roseann's Equine History
My background in horses is as follows: I started riding and taking care of horses from the early age of four. My schooling started when I attended Cherry Meadow Farm School of Horsemanship. At age eleven my family moved to a home that allowed us to have our own barn and riding facility. I trained my first Connemara yearling Dixie Belle, together we prepared and competed in several horse shows including the Hampton Classic. I rode English and studied Horsemanship.
Later on I attended a two-year Horse Care Program at Wilson Tech with equine lead instructor Ted Landers. The program included grooming, horse training, veterinary science and breeding. I learned lifelong safety skill principles, important bandaging techniques and how to care for a Thoroughbred. I became proficient in both exercise riding and U.S.E.T style riding. Ted Landers was the head of the 10 week Groom Development Program at NYRA racetracks and taught the course along with other highly acclaimed horse professionals.
By my mid teens, I was fascinated with Thoroughbreds and began working at local breeding farms training yearlings. I continued to apply that experience and worked for several trainers in the New York Area.
I found the structured training that I learned in my early years improved my awareness around Thoroughbreds. Although my main career path shifted to other endeavors, I always remained connected to the racetrack.
My own personal experience with the healing power of MFR made me consider the benefits that could be achieved for the Thoroughbred industry. That prompted me to study Myofascial Release with Cathy Covell PT MT (www.motionforlife.net). There I learned how to combine my years of knowledge with new applications of John F. Barnes Myofascial Release techniques as they apply to horses. JFB MFR is a safe way to maintain your horse’s health, performance and happiness.
I have now used this technique on racehorses since 2013. I work at racetracks in New York (Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga). I am licensed and insured. I was the first person to receive a badge from NYRA for Equine Myofascial Release treatment. Member of "Fascia Research Society".
In 2020, I expanded treatments to people so that they could receive the same benefits. This has also been sanctioned by NYRA. MFR training done directly with John F. Barnes.
•References provided upon request.
Message From Roseann
Equine MFR from my experience and what horses teach me
No-body likes the feel of muscle spasms. When knots and muscle spasms (restrictions and constrictions) are not addressed it impacts the horses energy level. We want the racehorse athlete to train daily in a healthy manner while comfortable in it's own body mentally and physically. Equine MFR supports the horse's body as it trains and grows moving in the right direction just the same as all top professional athletes.
The front affects the back, the back affects the front, and one system affects another. Equine MFR helps horses feel good, have energy and perform to the best of their abilities. Horses love routine and having a job. Maintaining the horse's peak condition is important.
My principle is to feel the horses system and feel the body’s natural language. How? The horses have shown me that before they were born they would feel the mother’s natural pressure. Then, the body experienced the natural pressure when it was being born. Horses respond quickly to the gentle pressure because it is already natural to the body. It doesn’t trip the protection mechanism and that allows the body to release. If the muscle is approached too quickly, it will trip the protection mechanism and tighten up again as a response.
Treating the body with gentle sustained hands-on pressure allows the body to release naturally. The horses have shown me through my experience doing Equine MFR - my work is as natural as a mare giving birth to a foal. Natural pressure from a mothers womb is something we don’t have to teach the body. It already knows gentle pressure and responds to it magnificently. Horses that receive Equine MFR will rest and digest in a more relaxed manner and have a better quality sleep.
The answer is in the problem. If the horse has overly tight, shortened, thickened, hardened tissue that squeeze the bones, it is causing pressure in other areas of the body. The horse needs pressure to release and relieve the pressure. Yes, it is as simple as that.
Gentle sustained hands-on pressure is what naturally releases the restrictions that in turn, will increase energy and enhance the horse's overall performance. Productively getting the muscles to work and play nicely with one another along with all other aspects of the horse's body.
Muscles.......Bones…….Respiratory.......Digestive....... Nervous System…….Endocrine.......Metabolic……
How the horse responds to my Equine MFR treatments:
Muscles: I feel with my hands, the muscle spasms and areas that are tight, short, thickened, and hardened. Once the tissue is lengthening and releasing, I will slowly move through other areas of the horse’s body following along what needs attention.
Bones: I see, hear and feel the natural release in the neck, shoulders, spine and hind end that creates space and comfort in the horse’s body. It happens as the horse takes a deep rib expanding breath or will do head up high rump rounding super whole-body scrunch (like wringing out a sponge), front and hind leg adjustments, or hind leg scrunches/stretches. The horses bend their head to one side and bend their hind end in to open the ribs on the other side. They do many different maneuvers while receiving treatment. I always tell them do what you need to do because the body knows and it has its own intelligence.
Respiratory: I count how many deep rib expanding breaths the horse takes in. I also count how many breaths are deep clearing out as the horse responds to treatment. Sometimes its deep coughs or snorts, all in all, it’s opening up and clearing out.
Digestive: Horses that have left over feed in the feed tub then, finish eating. They get relaxed enough to start grazing on the hay in the stall as if they were in a great big field. The body gets supple and bendable enough to graze comfortably. I notice when the horse grazes on the hay on the ground in the stall, the body acts as a natural pump. When the horse stretches it's head down and then lifts it back up, it's draining fluid from it's nostrils, pumping fluid to legs and aiding blood circulation. I see positive changes when passing manure in several scenarios concerning being very wet and loose then, changing to firmer and normal. Another is the amount of times a horse passes manure during treatment. If excessive during the 1st MFR, I start to see positive change when back for the 2nd and 3rd MFR. EQ MFR also stimulates the horse to drink water during a MFR treatment and that is especially important after training and racing or a colic.
Nervous System: Sometimes a horse is too wound up and is nervous (like having the foot on the gas pedal and a foot on the break at the same time). Nervous energy going nowhere fast. Horses that are not behaving, lack of focus and very flighty, benefit greatly from my treatment. Sometimes a horse is the opposite and needs to wake up a bit. I help horses either way.
Endocrine: The horse’s eyes get a little wider and brighter. The horse releases hormones and a natural anti-inflammatory (interleukin) in response to the treatment.
Metabolic: Out with the old and in with the new. Horses are stimulated to drink water and that is important especially in the winter and after a Colic Episode. Equine MFR helps the blood flow and circulation in the areas that were restricted and constricted then become more fluid for nutrient absorption and eliminating metabolic waste.
Equine MFR is a magnificent treatment that will bring positive changes to the horse mentally and physically. Another benefit of Equine MFR is that the horse can respond to the rider's cues much better and clearer. Especially when it's body is feeling good because all the muscles and systems are working nicely together with one another.
If you would like to know if Equine MFR is good for your horse, the following are questions to ask:
1. Is there anything about the horse I would like to see change?
2. Is there anything about the horse I would like to improve?
When the horse comes out of the stall in the morning what is the reaction?
Is it: OHH that’s not so good! (ewww ouch – with a facial expression responding accordingly). Maybe you are seeing short/choppy steps and strides.
Is it: OHH that’s good! (ahhh nice – with a facial expression responding accordingly) Maybe you are seeing smooth and comfortable steps and strides.
How is the horse standing? Is there a leg that is less weight bearing? Does the horse pull to one side when galloping?
Equine MFR helps prepare horses to go to the starting gate ready to run because the run will do the body good. Seeing the horse break sharp, breathing/settling nicely and then, as the race nears to an end run even faster. It makes for a very exciting and memorable race to see a horse that doesn’t realize how good he or she feels suddenly come from the back of the pack to pass a field of horses. Personally, having that winning experience with our family’s horses: Distinctive Lady, Reversiontothemean and Just Got Out was a dream come true.
In summary: Agility is enhanced · Nervous energy transformed · Endurance increased
· Flexibility improved · Faster race recovery · Improved muscle dynamics
Trainers do so much to help their horses on a daily basis. Equine MFR can help trainers. The key is having the feel and the patience to wait for the release the horse's body needs.
Nothing changes if nothing changes and sometimes the change is deep in the horse. Who will know how to get there? I will.
Sometimes I hear the horse say "How did you know?” and I reply back “I just know".