Epona Bodyworks

🎉 GIVEAWAY TIME! 🎉
Win this cozy Wellness Basket for Your Horse — and a little something for yourself too 🐴💆‍♀️

Includes:
✨ Free Equine Bodywork Session
✨ Natural Release for horse & rider
✨ Pumpkin Spice Horse Treats
✨ Himalayan Salt Lick & more!

To enter:
1. Follow us
2. Sign up for our newsletter - Link in Bio
3. Tag 3 horsey friends below!

🗓️ Giveaway ends Oct 13th
📍 Open to local horse lovers near Barrington, IL

Exciting news!
I’ll be at the Barn Stomp & Brews Fall Fest 🍁 as a table sponsor this year!

Come visit me on Saturday, October 4th from 4–8 PM at Freier Farm in Lake Barrington — I’ll be handing out treats (for horses and humans!), talking all things equine massage, and connecting with our amazing community.

🎉 PLUS — I’m running a Fall Giveaway!
Stop by my table to enter for a chance to win a $200+ wellness basket including:
💆‍♀️ Free equine bodywork session
🧴 Two bottles of Natural Release Muscle Relief (for horses & humans)
🍬 Horse treats, a salt lick, and more!

🐴 Bonus: You’ll get an extra entry just for visiting my booth!

🎟️ Live music, food trucks, bonfire, petting zoo, and more — it’s going to be a blast!

Hope to see you there!

✨ Bartlett Area Horse Owners ✨
I’ll be in the Bartlett area on Friday, August 29th starting at 9am, offering Equine Massage Therapy sessions at a special discounted rate:

🐴 90 minutes – $85 (Reg. $110)
📅 Only 3 Spots available!
💬 Comment “BOOK” below or DM me to save your spot today.

Your horse deserves comfort, recovery, and relaxation — let’s keep them moving at their best. 💙

That high head carriage? It might not be just how your horse moves. It could be a sign your horse’s core needs support.

A weak core is something I see a lot in the horses I work with. And honestly, it matters more than most people realize.

Let’s think about it in human terms. When your core isn’t doing its job, other parts of your body step in to help. Your upper back starts to ache, your posture shifts without you noticing, and movement just doesn’t feel quite right.

Horses are no different.

When their core is weak, you might see:
• A high head carriage that never quite settles
• Tension through the poll or lower back
• A hollowed-out frame that struggles to lift or push from behind

These are all ways the body tries to cope—but over time, that compensation creates even more tension and makes everyday movement harder than it needs to be.

❓ Why is this so common?

Most horses today work on flat, even ground—smooth arenas, dry lots, cleared pastures. Especially here in Illinois, we don’t have much variety in terrain.

But wild horses? They’re constantly moving—up and down hills, over rocks and uneven ground, weaving through trees and brush. That kind of natural movement builds core strength just by living.

Our domesticated horses don’t often get that. So we have to be more intentional.

💡 So what is the core, exactly?

When we talk about the core, we mean the deep muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis—the ones that keep everything balanced and working together.

Some of the key muscles are:
• The abdominal sling (like a supportive hammock under the belly)
• The obliques (side-body stability and strength)
• The multifidus (tiny muscles along the spine that control fine adjustments)
• The iliopsoas group (deep hip and pelvic stabilizers like the psoas and iliacus)

When these muscles are active and strong, you see better posture, smoother transitions, and movement that feels more fluid and connected.

👐 Where does bodywork fit in?

Let’s be clear—bodywork doesn’t build strength. That part comes from movement and conditioning over time.

But bodywork does support the process:
• It helps release tension and holding patterns that develop from compensation
• It improves proprioception—your horse’s ability to feel and use their body
• It creates more space for balanced, comfortable movement

When your horse isn’t bracing or locked up, they’re in a much better place to start building true strength.

✨ So what can you do? Start simple.

One of my favorite tools for core engagement? Ground poles.
Used with intention, they help:
• Activate postural muscles
• Encourage lift through the back
• Improve balance and coordination
• Build strength gently, without force or pressure

If you want to learn more about why the core matters and how ground poles can help, I always recommend Gillian Higgins at Horses Inside Out. Her article "The Importance of Good Core Stability in Your Horse" is one of my go-to resources:
👉 Read the article - https://www.horsesinsideout.com/post/the-importance-of-good-core-stability-in-your-horse

If your horse has felt a little tight lately—or just not moving as freely as usual—their core might be part of the story.

And I’d love to help support them.

Through bodywork, we can help your horse feel better in their body—so they can move more comfortably, from the inside out.

📍 Serving Barrington, IL + 75-mile radius
💆‍♀️ Massage | Myofascial Release | Intuitive Energy Work

The Importance of Good Core Stability in Your Horse The core muscles of the horse play a vital role in a horse's balance and posture.

✨ Sometimes the shift is subtle.

A softer eye.
A deeper breath.
A tail that begins to sway again.

When I work with horses carrying tension—whether physical, emotional, or energetic—it’s rarely a dramatic release.
But it’s always meaningful.

Their body shows us what they’re ready to let go of.
We just have to listen.

📍 Serving Barrington, IL + 75-mile radius
💆‍♀️ Massage | Myofascial Release | Intuitive, Connection-Based Bodywork
🐴 Request a session | DM with questions or to learn more

Now Booking: Equine Bodywork & Mind-Body Support in Barrington & Beyond

What your horse carries in their body may go unseen—but not unfelt.

Epona Bodyworks offers connection-based bodywork and subtle energy-informed care to support horses holding tension, stress, or old patterns. This thoughtful, trust-led work blends equine massage, myofascial release, and mind-body integration techniques to encourage:

🐴 Freer movement and flexibility
🐴 Deeper relaxation and rest
🐴 Emotional release and reconnection
🐴 More ease in body and mind

Whether your horse is a current athlete, retired partner, or in transition, this presence-based support meets them exactly where they are.

📍 Based in Barrington, IL
🚙 Serving up to a 75-mile radius (travel fee may apply)
💆‍♀️ Sessions regularly $110 —
💫 Show Season Special: $95 if booked by August 15
(Sessions can be scheduled through October 31. Limited spots available.)

Let’s plan your horse’s care → eponabodyworks.com/booking
Questions? Feel free to message me directly.

*This work complements veterinary care but does not replace it. Please consult your vet for medical concerns.

Hi, I’m Heidi — Equine Massage Therapist and founder of Epona Bodyworks.

Horses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember — from my first ride as a toddler on my aunt’s ranch, to years spent in the hunter/jumper world, they shaped not just how I ride, but who I am. 🐴💛

For years, I built a career in human resources, supporting people and businesses. But deep down, I knew I was meant for something more — something that aligned with my heart, my values, and my purpose. That calling led me back to horses, and to the healing path of bodywork.

✨ Today, I specialize in working with horses who quietly carry the weight of their past — the ones who may look fine on the outside, but whose bodies still hold tension, worry, or old patterns beneath the surface.

With training in equine massage, myofascial release, and energy-based bodywork, I blend proven techniques with deep listening and presence. Every session honors the horse’s unique story — led by connection, feel, and respect.

🌸 If your horse is still holding on to what no longer serves them, I’d be honored to support their journey.

📩 DM me to learn more or book a session.