Fitness And Bodywork (FAB)
Fitness with Friends
Fitness only
I am now offering FITNESS services! They are 60-minute sessions of in-hand groundwork for the purpose of general fitness and building stronger postural/stabilizing muscles for your horse.
Groundwork may include any of the following: in-hand walking; lunging at the walk, trot or canter; in-hand walk or trot using ground poles and/or cones. This can be done in the arena (indoor or outdoor) or on the facility grounds.
This is ideal for owners who are learning groundwork fitness or who cannot get to the barn as much as desired, during vacations, or abnormally busy times in life.
Fitness with Friends is organized group sessions.
Horses speak with their eyes. If you watch them, they will tell you how they are feeling. They can hold a lot of stress in their bodies, just like us. We can help them release it with bodywork, corrective exercises, sprinkled with a lil’ love, and carrots, and apples.
Soft Eyes Equine Bodywork and fitness
Hi, I’m Amy Callahan and this is my bestest boy, Goose. He needed some help to feel better, so I started a quest to help him.
After many years of research, learning, and trying many techniques, I am thrilled to offer BODYWORK AND FITNESS services to your horses too. I use a mixture of techniques based on your concerns and what your horse’s body tells me. They include traditional and sports massage, craniosacral and myofascial release, stretching, and groundwork corrective exercises congruent with rehab therapy.
I believe our greatest gift to our horses is to help them be as able-bodied as possible for as long as possible.
You can find details about my services and pricing here.
You can read about our backstory here.
Service Area
My primary service area is within 1-hour of Madison, WI. I am willing to travel further based on the number of horses and a trip charge may apply.
I work with several barns and try to schedule as many appointments in a barn or a small geographic area when possible. The maximum number of full appointments/horses in a day is typically six.
If you would like to join on an existing day, please plan for a 1-2 hour window so I can touch base with you about your horse and concerns, work with your horse for 60 minutes or so, take before and after pictures and videos, and then make my post-session notes. Also, if you are at a different barn, please give me travel time.
General Terms for All Appointments
Before any services may be scheduled, I require a phone call to discuss your concerns and your horse's needs. This must be scheduled so I can be prepared to take notes.
Appointments are between 1-2 hours.
Unless otherwise arranged, I ask that the owner be present to groom your horse and pick its hooves before the appointment, provide information about any concerns you have, and hold your horse during the appointment.
I am not a veterinarian, vet tech, osteopath, or equine chiropractor or accupuncturist. I cannot provide any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment protocols or recommendations. I may not good fit if you have an injury that you are currently working through the healing process with your vet. At this time, I do not do work on stallions, foals, yearlings, or mares who are pregnant, nursing, or being prepped for breeding. I do not offer electromagnetic pulse therapy, light therapy, cryotherapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic work.
Contraindications for Appointments
If there is an active quarantine at the barn where your horse resides, I will reschedule all appointments until after the quarantine is lifted by the veterinarian.
Failure to notify me prior to a scheduled appointment will result in the appointment being cancelled immediately but not rescheduled nor refunded, and a $50 cleaning charge will be invoiced.
Some other general circumstances that require or may require an appointment to be rescheduled include:
- veterinarian restrictions due to your horse's health condition and needs
- your horse is running a fever of 102 degrees or higher
- recent injury or wound, or an acute trauma
- currently taking pain medication
- contagious or infectious conditions like ringworm, poll-evil, fistulous wither, strangles, pneumonia
- contagious stages of viral infections like equine influenza or herpes
Additional Contraindications for Craniosacral bodywork in horses include:
Any alteration of the intracranial pressure, acute stroke, acute skull fracture, acute concussion, cerebral aneurysm.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me before the appointment, or we can decide what is best if we discover something before or at the start. Thank you.
Client Feedback
I highly recommend her equine work! Yes she will travel. She came up to my horses recently and they loved her!
Timber, Arabian-TB cross
Nova, Tennessee Walker
Spirit, grade Quarter horse
I forgot to tell you that I’ve gotten lots of compliments on Charlie’s movement! He’s had really nice extension with his front legs and I’m sure that’s a result of all the work you’ve done on him; plus the stretches you’ve shown me!
I road Olivia yesterday for the first time since you worked on her. We did a few jumps too. She felt amazing! I can definitely tell a difference. Looking forward to next time!
She’s doing great! In fact, I had a lesson Tues night and I’ve never had a better ride!! So much fun! Of course it is hard to know what causes what, but I am quite confident that the massage didn’t hurt and may have helped! In fact, probably DID help! Don’t you wish they could talk to us?
Contact
It is best to text or message me on the socials, as I cannot answer calls when working with a horse.
Soft Eyes Equine Bodywork is a division of CallaPlan LLC.