Ruapehu Equine Sports Therapy

Noticing your horses behaviour might help you learn when they are trying to communicate pain!

Does your horse or pony display or show any of these symptoms:
• Ears back when doing up the cover, putting on the saddle or doing up the girth?
• Feeling unbalanced going from one rein to the other, struggling to pick up canter on one rein, bouncing you out of your Trot rhythm to their preferred diagonal?
• Struggling to stand well for the farrier, shifting weight or dropping a leg, or even kicking out?
• Choppy stride, lameness, or not tracking/travelling through?
• Stiffness, reluctance to bend, falling behind the leg/unable to stay consistent in their gate?
•Hollowing the back and raising head, rushing transitions or bucking during transitions?

These are all common symptoms of a horse needing some assistance in removing and reducing pain in the body!

Sports massage therapy is not just a relaxation massage- it targets muscles in stress, contraction, spasm and pain, using specialised techniques proven to reduce pain, soften muscle fibres and lengthen muscle tissues.

Learning where your horse is stronger, weaker, and compensating will help you improve your performance when schooling and competing.

Book now pre season to give your horse and pony the best start to the season ahead!

Bookings available this week 10/11th September in Hawke’s Bay. 😇

First travelling trip for the 2026-2027 season is to the mighty Manawatu!

I will be available on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September at Kyrewood Equestrian Park for anyone who wishes to make a booking with me.

📍108 Oroua Rd, Kairanga 4475

I offer a full body sports massage service to your equine friend, focusing on releasing any pain or tension found in the musculoskeletal system- this includes muscles, tendons and ligaments.
The purpose of the treatment is to help improve your horse’s strength and balance so the body can move more efficiently, removing old compensatory patterns and identifying asymmetry in the body. Support muscle recovery after exercise, promoting relaxation, improving suppleness and comfort in the body so that your horse can compete and ride at their best. ⭐️

Included in the treatment is a saddle fit check, nutritional or supplemental support, passive stretching exercises, and a plan in place with weekly steps you can take to improve the over all health, well-being, strength and stamina of your horse.

Your booking is non refundable and you will be expected to pay for your allocated time or find someone to fill your spot.

Many thanks
Katie

Our first poles clinic for the season available in the Hawke’s Bay Region.
Arena is at Heathcote equestrian, longlands Hastings.
When booking your place the address details will be sent to you.

We will start easing our horses, ponies, and ourselves, back into it with a lovely course/grid set up.

Nothing too strenuous or difficult, our focus will be on how we as riders can improve our own skills to ensure we are preparing and setting our horses up for success.

This will be a great opportunity as a first outing for the season for those younger greener horses, great for adults and children a like, great for nervous riders or anxious horses, great for those that might need some one on one coaching, great for people who want to try something new or come out with a group of friends to enjoy themselves!

Message or text Katie on 0277830463 to book your spot.
Cash only please.
Weather dependant aswell (parking is in a paddock so we can’t afford to have people get stuck or to ruin the grass!)

Hawke’s Bay clients!

I am nearing the end of my season, with limited spacing for July!
If you’re wanting to help your horse get the best out of these quieter months, then body work should be top of that list!
A sports therapy treatment will help identify any tension through the body, help identify any weakness, encourage healthy development of soft tissues, so they can enjoy their turn out time!

Availability follows:
FRIDAY 19th JUNE:
9am: available
12pm: available
1.30pm: available
3pm: available

THURSDAY 2nd JULY:
3pm: available

THURSDAY 16th JULY:
12pm: available
1.30pm: available
3pm: available

FRIDAY 17th JULY:
8.30am: available
10am: available
11.30am: available
1pm: available

These are my last spaces before I enjoy a winter break and go on holiday for 3 weeks myself.
Bookings will resume from September 2026 onwards 😇

Due to such high interest I will be hosting another Poles Clinic on Sunday 31st May at Heathcote Equestrian.

Pole work exercises can be performed in hand or ridden, and will improve your horses strength, balance, rhythm, co-ordination, while helping rider with balance, seeing strides, riding straight, and increasing confidence and trust in their partnership with their horse 😇

Thank you to everyone who’s been in touch since I advertised! I am blown away by the amount of eager horse enthusiasts and am hoping to make this a regular (monthly) thing.

Please get in touch if you are interested to ride on Sunday 31st May 😇 Katie Swansbury
0277830463

Many thanks
Katie

Something I’ve been looking forward to share with the locals to Hawke’s Bay:

My first Pole’s Clinic!

Details attached to the poster:

Come and enjoy some quality time with your horse or pony, over a range of pole work exercises that will help with both you and your horse’s balance, co-ordination, strength and rhythm, while developing trust, confidence and partnership with your horse or pony.

With my guidance and education, I will help assist all levels of riders or horses ability in a safe and enjoyable environment - a great way to get some last minute autumn training in before the winter weather sets in. Suitable for beginner riders, lead rein riders (if parents are prepared to lead them over the course), young/green horses as a first outing/for education, so long as they are safe to handle. Nervous riders, competent riders, pony clubbers, adult club riders, dressage riders… all are welcome!

Lessons will be 45 minutes long for individual or paired sessions- 1 hour for groups of 4.
Please be prepared to hop off and walk some of the lines/exercises to get the most out of the session.

Poles will be set up for walk and trot this weekend, with the possibility of having some of them raised depending on skill set.

To book in, please get in contact via messenger, or reach out to Katie Swansbury or text on 0277830463.

A massive thank you to Jo and her family for allowing us the use of her beautiful facilities and space.

Hawke’s Bay!

EDITED: I have one available spot left on Monday 6th April at 12.30pm

I have an available space this Friday 3rd April at 4pm.
I also have 3x Monday morning appointments available, 6th of April from 8.30am to 12pm.

Please get in contact if you’d like to know more information about my services or to book in 😇

Sports massage is beneficial to improve the body’s systems, relieve muscle pain, reduce compensatory patterns, help strengthen weakened structures, and improve your horses over all health and well being 🙌