Equine Bodywork Through Attunement

Helping horses find softness, comfort, and connection from the inside out.

At Withers & Wellness, equine bodywork is not about forcing a release or “fixing” a horse. It is about slowing down, listening closely, and creating the conditions for the horse to participate in their own process.

Through subtle touch, movement, observation, and careful attention to the horse’s responses, sessions are designed to support greater comfort, softness, awareness, and ease throughout the body.

Each horse is approached as an individual. Their communication, comfort, pace, and choice matter.

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Training & Qualifications

Tina Peratino, mmes

Certified Masterson Method Equine Specialist | Advanced Student of The Masterson Method® | Pursuing MMCP Certification

Tina is a Certified Masterson Method Equine Specialist, or MMES. This certification is specifically designed for equine-assisted services settings and focuses on bringing foundational Masterson Method principles into programs in a safe, structured, and horse-centered way.

As an MMES, Tina is trained to use the Bladder Meridian Technique and to facilitate simple bodywork-based learning experiences that help EAS horses receive care while allowing staff, volunteers, and participants to deepen presence, communication, and connection with the horses.

Tina is also an Advanced Student of The Masterson Method and is actively pursuing full certification as a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner, or MMCP.

She has completed more than 200 hours of formal training, hands-on practice, and fieldwork as part of this process. Her current work includes detailed case studies, repeated sessions with individual horses, written documentation of each horse’s responses, mentor feedback, and ongoing coaching as she continues through the certification pathway.

This is an intensive, mentored process designed to build skill, feel, safety, observation, and consistency over time—not simply a weekend course or a checklist of techniques.

about withers and wellness attunement based equine bodywork

Bodywork that works with the horse.

The work I offer is rooted in attunement. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all routine, I pay attention to the horse’s body language, tension patterns, movement, brace responses, and moments of softening or release. This allows the session to unfold in partnership with the horse. Some horses may become quiet and still. Others may move, lick and chew, blink, stretch, sigh, shift their weight, or show subtle changes in posture and expression. There is no “right” response. The goal is to create space for the horse to be heard.

What Is The Masterson Method®?

The Masterson Method® is an interactive form of equine bodywork that uses subtle touch and movement while working below the horse’s natural brace response. Unlike a more traditional massage approach, the horse is an active participant in the session. Through timing, feel, and careful observation, the practitioner follows the horse’s responses to identify areas of tension and support the horse in finding greater softness and release. The work often focuses on areas of the body that can influence comfort, posture, mobility, relaxation, and performance. It is something done with the horse, rather than simply done to the horse.

How Is It Different?

The Masterson Method is different because it works with the horse’s nervous system and natural responses. Rather than pushing through resistance or trying to override tension, the work invites the horse to notice, respond, and release at their own pace. This can be especially meaningful for horses who tend to hold tension, brace, compensate, or have difficulty settling into softness. The approach is gentle, interactive, and horse-led. It values patience, presence, and observation over force.

What to Expect During a Session.

We begin with a brief conversation about your horse, including their history, workload, current concerns, preferences, and anything you have noticed in their comfort, movement, behavior, or general demeanor. During the session, Tina observes the horse, works slowly through appropriate Masterson Method techniques, and follows the horse’s responses throughout. There is no need for the horse to “perform.” They may stand quietly, move around, stretch, rest, or communicate in their own way. Afterward, Tina will share observations from the session and may offer general suggestions for what to notice over the next day or two.

Equine bodywork is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis, treatment, or care. Horses with pain, acute injury, lameness, illness, or other medical concerns should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Who May Benefit?

Bodywork may be a supportive addition for horses who:

Seem tight, guarded, or reluctant to soften
Have demanding training, competition, lesson, or therapy-program schedules
Show signs of stress, tension, or difficulty settling
Are transitioning between work levels, seasons, barns, or routines
Serve in equine-assisted services programs
Would benefit from a slower, more attuned approach to comfort and connection

Every horse is different, and sessions are individualized around what the horse is communicating that day.

Read about us in the Masterson Method blog

An elderly man and a woman with a brown horse in an indoor arena.

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My mission is to help horses release deep-seated tension and find greater softness, comfort, and connection through attuned, interactive bodywork that works with the nervous system, including the Bladder Meridian Technique and the Masterson Method. By honoring the horse as an active participant in the process, I seek to create the safety and presence that allow the body to soften, movement to improve, and true ease to emerge from the inside out.

Helping horses find softness, comfort, and connection from the inside out.

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Withers and Wellness

Equine Bodywork Through Attunement

Helping horses find softness, comfort, and connection from the inside out.