The horse communicates almost entirely through body language; from the most subtle level to the most obvious. Most of the horse’s body language is missed by us. The Masterson Method is an interactive method of bodywork in which the owner uses subtle changes in body language to get not-so-subtle results.

By applying levels of pressure (touch) and movement to the horse’s body in a way that the horse’s nervous system is unable to brace against or guard- and reading changes in the horse’s behavior as you do this – you enable the horse to tell you where it is holding tension; you enable her nervous system to release it; and you enable her to tell you when it has been released.

That part of the horse’s nervous system that blocks out pain and discomfort (the sympathetic, or flight, fight or freeze) lets go, and that part of the nervous system that regenerates and heals (the parasympathetic) comes into play. This allows the horse to release tension that it has difficulty releasing on its own.