Hello, I'm Maija Liisa Luttinger.

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As an equine massage therapist, my focus is on enabling your horsesā€™ comfort and performance through the use of massage therapy and stretching techniques. I aim to work with you and enable your horse to perform to its full potential, by analysing and assessing posture, movement, and skeletal function.

From providing a range of services to forming a treatment plan that is an integral part of my approach to treating the whole body, to offering online courses where you can learn effective techniques on how to treat your horse yourself, Freely Forward Bodywork is your go-to hub for equine wellness and performance.

My Story

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I launched my business Freely Forward Bodywork in 2020 with the goal of helping riders and horses overcome the obstacles in their own bodies. Iā€™m dedicated to helping each pair achieve peak performance by working in cooperation with their team of vets, farrier, saddle fitter, and coach. I now provide bodywork services to horses and riders across Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, and Iowa and treasure each horse and rider I work with.

While my focus is bodywork in the muscular system, I try to get a comprehensive picture of the horse through my observation and consultation with you as the owner/rider. In a session, I watch and evaluate your horse on the ground and, at times, under saddle. In certain cases, riding your horse myself could give me insight into what you are feeling under saddle and, as a result, help me focus my efforts. By the end of the session, I can recommend stretches, exercises, and dressage training to continue your horseā€™s improvement.

As a horse person, I have varied experience in dressage, eventing, western, and hunters, but throughout all disciplinary focuses I have been drawn to alternative methods for making my equine partner feel their best. After I moved from the Midwest to the East Coast at 19, I dove into the study of massage. I researched and learned from equine professionals while I was running an upper level eventing barn before adding human massage to my repertoire through Massage Therapy School where I became a Licensed Massage Therapist. While practicing in the Chester County area, I was fortunate enough to apprentice under an Equine Myofascial Release expert. Here I learned my knowledge and skills in evaluating horsesā€™ movement, equine structural anatomy, correcting imbalances, and leveraging Myofascial Release to achieve best results.

I am dedicated to my craft and constantly seek ways to expand my skillset and further my understanding of horse and human bodies. My personal experiences riding and competing my horse Westley through Training level eventing and Fourth level dressage inform my evolving understanding about what performance horses require to function optimally. I take advantage of opportunities to acquire new knowledge through reading, researching, and shadowing vets, chiropractors, and other equine professionals.

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