What an eyelash appointment taught me about animal bodywork
Something hit me straight in the face recently, and strangely enough, it happened while I was getting my eyelashes done.
Now, stick with me here, because I promise this has something to do with horses, dogs and bodywork!
I had booked an appointment with a new lash technician. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my previous technician. In fact, I had been very happy with her work, but she had moved and I wanted to find someone a little closer to home.
As you do, we got chatting about my previous lashes and what I had been having done.
The new technician was very careful to say that she wasn't criticising the previous person's work, but she explained something that I hadn't really considered.
The lashes I had been wearing were actually too heavy for my natural eyelashes.
She explained that although they looked lovely, continuing with that particular style could eventually compromise my natural lashes. She suggested a lighter volume option, something under 10D, that would be more suitable for what my own lashes could comfortably support.
In other words, I could have ended up with beautiful extensions but very few natural eyelashes left to attach them to!
Firstly, I appreciated her honesty.
She could have simply given me what I asked for, taken my money and sent me on my way. Instead, she took the time to explain why something different would be better for me in the long term.
And that was when it hit me.
Just because we can do something doesn't necessarily mean we should.
We Can Only Work With What We Know
Everyone is different, and that includes the people we trust to provide services for us and our animals.
Not everyone has the same training, experience, knowledge or approach.
And I don't necessarily think that makes someone a bad practitioner.
We can only pass on what we have been taught, combined with what we have learned through experience and continuing education.
I was incredibly fortunate with my own training because my teacher didn't just teach us techniques. We were also taught to think about the possible negative implications of what we were doing.
When should we work on an animal?
When shouldn't we?
What might happen if we apply a particular technique to an animal whose body isn't ready for it?
And perhaps most importantly, are we actually addressing the problem, or are we simply making something feel better temporarily?
These are questions I believe every bodyworker should be asking themselves.
Because the body is an incredibly complex thing, whether it belongs to a person, a horse or a dog.
And sometimes what we think we are seeing isn't necessarily where the problem began.
The Promise to Fix Everything
One thing I see more and more on social media is practitioners advertising that they can fix your horse or dog.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love seeing animals improve, and I know how rewarding it is when you have helped an animal become more comfortable.
But I am always cautious about the word fix.
Because sometimes we can't.
Sometimes the problem is beyond our scope of practice. Sometimes there is an underlying veterinary issue. Sometimes the animal's environment, workload, conformation, equipment or management is contributing to what we are seeing.
And sometimes we simply don't have enough information yet.
I would much rather tell an owner that I don't know something, or that I think their animal needs further investigation, than promise something I cannot deliver.
That doesn't mean I lack confidence in my abilities.
Quite the opposite.
I think knowing your limitations is just as important as knowing your strengths.
A Facebook Comment That Opened Pandora's Box
Recently, I came across a post in a Facebook group that caught my attention.
The person was looking for a bodyworker because their regular Bowen therapist was unavailable for the remainder of the year.
The post read:
"My Bowen Therapist is currently out of action for the rest of the year, so looking for somebody to come and do 2 of my riding horses. One's pulled up sore in the chest/shoulder area so looking for somebody relatively soon."
I responded:
"I am an equine body worker but wondering why the horse keeps pulling up sore when you have a regular body worker. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing you get your horse regularly treated."
Well, apparently I had opened Pandora's box without even realising it!
But here's the thing.
I wasn't questioning the ability of the regular bodyworker, nor was I suggesting that the owner wasn't doing the right thing.
In fact, I think it's wonderful when owners recognise the benefits of regular bodywork and make it part of their horse's management.
What caught my attention was the possibility that the horse was repeatedly becoming sore.
And for me, that raises questions.
Why is the horse sore?
Is this a new injury or something that has been happening regularly?
Is the soreness connected to the horse's workload?
Could the saddle be contributing?
Is there something happening in the horse's movement, training or compensation patterns?
Has the horse been assessed by a veterinarian if the soreness is recurring?
Or is this simply a one-off situation that has nothing to do with the previous treatments?
You see, I didn't know the answers to any of those questions.
And that was precisely why I asked.
Sometimes the Question Is More Important Than the Treatment
Over the years, I have learned to be a little cautious when someone contacts me because their regular practitioner is unavailable.
And I say that with absolutely no disrespect to either the owner or their usual bodyworker.
Loyalty is a wonderful thing.
If you have found someone you trust with your horse or dog, someone who understands them and has built a relationship with you, then that is something worth holding on to.
But I have also found that occasionally people aren't necessarily looking for a different perspective.
They want someone who will do exactly what their regular practitioner does.
And that isn't always how I work.
I tend to ask a lot of questions.
Sometimes probably too many!
I want to know what the animal does, how they move, what their routine looks like, what has changed and what the owner has noticed.
I want to know whether something has happened before and what was done about it.
And if something keeps happening, I want to know why.
That approach doesn't always suit everyone, and that's perfectly okay.
In this particular situation, I chose not to offer my services because I felt that my approach and the owner's expectations might not have been the right fit.
And I think recognising that is important too.
Not every client is going to be your client.
Not every animal is going to benefit from the same approach.
And not every problem can be addressed with another bodywork session.
Are We Treating the Soreness or Asking Why It Exists?
Imagine a horse that repeatedly becomes sore through the shoulder.
A bodyworker comes out, works on the area and the horse appears more comfortable.
Wonderful.
But a few weeks later, the horse is sore again.
So the bodyworker returns.
And then it happens again.
At what point do we stop and ask what is actually causing the soreness?
Perhaps the horse is compensating for discomfort somewhere else.
Perhaps there is an issue with saddle fit.
Perhaps the horse is being asked to work in a way that its body is struggling to maintain.
Perhaps there is a veterinary issue that needs investigating.
Or perhaps the horse has simply overdone things on that particular occasion.
There are so many possibilities.
And without asking questions, observing the animal and considering the bigger picture, we may never know.
That doesn't mean bodywork isn't helping.
It may be providing valuable comfort and supporting the horse's movement.
But there is a difference between helping an animal feel better and addressing the reason it keeps becoming uncomfortable.
And I think that distinction is incredibly important.
I Don't Want You to Need Me Every Week
I have always said that if I work with your horse or dog for one or more sessions, and you don't need me back other than for occasional maintenance, then I have done my job.
That is a successful outcome for me.
I don't measure success by how many appointments I can book with the same animal.
I measure it by whether the animal is more comfortable, whether the owner understands what is happening and whether we have made a positive difference.
Of course, some animals benefit from ongoing management. Older animals, those with chronic conditions and working or competing animals may need regular support.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But ongoing support should have a purpose.
It shouldn't simply become a cycle of treating the same soreness without ever questioning why it keeps returning.
This is also why I give owners things to do between sessions.
Sometimes it's a simple exercise. Sometimes it's a change to their routine. Sometimes it's asking them to observe something or have a conversation with their veterinarian, saddle fitter or another professional.
Because I am only with your animal for a relatively short time.
You are the one who sees them every day.
And you are often the person best placed to notice those small changes before they become bigger problems.
We Should Never Stop Learning
Coming back to my eyelashes, I don't believe my previous technician was deliberately doing anything wrong.
She gave me what I had requested, and I was happy with the result.
But my new technician looked at the situation differently.
She considered not just how my lashes looked today, but what might happen to my natural lashes six months or twelve months down the track.
That is what stayed with me.
And I think we should be doing exactly the same with our animals.
We need to look beyond today's session.
We need to consider what happens tomorrow, next week and next year.
We need to be prepared to question our own methods, continue learning and recognise when another professional may have knowledge that we don't.
I certainly don't know everything, and I never will.
In fact, the more I learn about the body, the more I realise just how much there still is to understand.
But I think that's a good thing.
It keeps us curious.
It keeps us questioning.
And hopefully, it makes us better practitioners.
The Bigger Picture
I know my approach can sometimes rub people up the wrong way.
I ask questions, I challenge assumptions and I don't always give people the answer they were expecting.
But I don't do that to be difficult.
I do it because I genuinely care about the animals I work with.
And sometimes caring means saying something that might not be particularly popular.
It means recognising when an animal needs more than I can offer.
It means being prepared to say, "I think we need to investigate this further."
And sometimes it means walking away from a potential booking because I don't believe I am the right person for that situation.
At the end of the day, I don't want to simply make a horse or dog feel better for a few days.
I want to understand what is happening, help the owner understand it too and, wherever possible, support changes that make a lasting difference.
Because just like my eyelashes, what looks or feels good today isn't necessarily what is best for the long term.
And perhaps that is the question we should all be asking a little more often.
Not just "Can we do it?" but "Should we do it, and is it really in the animal's best interests?"
Breton Animal Wellness — Supporting the whole animal, not just the symptoms.
