A Surprising Use for Your Lead Rope

***Important note about the video: Please be gentle! Your pressure should be VERY LIGHT and the movements should be subtle "suggestions." Never use force. Keep your hands and shoulders soft and relaxed.***   

Don’t you love when something good comes out of something bad?   

 A number of years ago, my client Suzanne had a bay Morgan gelding with a suspensory injury.  

Despite several months of veterinary care, farrier attention and TLC, the 12-year-old gelding was still off. 😥

What ended up helping the horse was surprising.  😮   

Here’s what happened.

Suzanne asked me to give her horse, whose name is Bravo, a hands-on session.

I knew that helping the Morgan move more easily through his rib cage could alleviate stress on his front legs.

Less strain on his fore legs meant that he’d have a better chance of recovering from his suspensory injury.  

But we had a small problem. Bravo wouldn’t let me touch his rib cage! 🤦

I’ve worked with a lot of horses that were resistant to touch. Putting something between my hand and the horse can help them get over that. Soon the horses realize how good the movements feel and they’re happy to have my hands on them.

I looked around and thought, what can I use?

That’s when I spotted the maroon lunge line lying coiled on the ground.  

And I had an idea. 💡

After getting assurances from Suzanne that her horse would be fine with it, I slowly introduced the lunge line to Bravo and took my time touching his rib cage with it.

Just as Suzanne had predicted, Bravo didn’t bat an eye.  

This is a horse I used the Rib Rope with at a later date. It's not Bravo.  

Eventually I had the lunge line wrapped around Bravo’s rib cage.

And I was able to use it, carefully, gently and slowly, to support and suggest movement in his sternum and ribs.

The bay gelding sighed with relief. He LOVED the rib cage movements!  💖

After several minutes of using the lunge line in this way, the improvement in Bravo’s body and demeanor was obvious.

He was more relaxed. He was standing square. His chest looked wider.  

His neck was softer, and he turned easily side-to-side.

When the bay Morgan walked, his hind legs reached well under him and he had more swing in his barrel.

His front legs seemed lighter and freer.

Even the gelding’s topline looked better!

Now Bravo had a chance to fully heal. 💗🐴💗

And I knew that I was onto something important. 💥

So I started using the "Rib Rope" to help lots of horses.

I quickly figured out that a rope was generally better than a lunge line.

And that the diameter and quality of the rope made a BIG difference.  

I made another discovery.

I started teaching RIDERS how they can use the Rib Rope to improve the flexibility of their neck, shoulders, chest and back too.

And they loved it! 👍

People are blown away when they feel how the Rib Rope makes other parts, like their neck, move so much easier.    

I bet YOU could benefit from the Rib Rope too! 😊

You don’t need fancy equipment.

You probably have what you need lying around the house or barn.

In fact, many people use their horse’s lead rope. Especially if it’s made from good-quality yacht rope.

Because you’re one of my favorite people, 💗 I made a short video of how you can use the Rib Rope to improve the comfort and flexibility of your neck, shoulders, chest and back.

Since this is the BASIC Rib Rope lesson, I start the video by talking about what type of rope (or belt, leash, etc.) to use and why that’s important.

If you want to skip that that part, fast forward to the 2:29 mark to start the movement instructions.

***Important note about the video: Please be gentle! Your pressure should be VERY LIGHT and the movements should be very subtle "suggestions." Never use force. Keep your hands and shoulders soft and relaxed.***    

This easy exercise only takes a few minutes. And you can sit down to do it.  

Need more motivation? Here it is…

The Rib Rope can help you be a more balanced rider. 

Do it now before you get sidetracked.

You’ll love the way you’ll feel. 

💥Want to learn how to do this with your HORSE? And a whole bunch of other ways to improve flexibility, balance and performance?  Check out the Move with Your Horse online program. We're welcoming new members very soon!

Here's what others have said:

"Love this! Thank you Mary" 🙏💗  Lisa Y., NY

"Thank you Mary, this was great and did improve my range of motion!" Danni W., CA

"Using the Rib Rope is extremely effective in opening up an increased range of movement in the torso, rib cage, and back. It is also quite easy to learn and use." Elliott S., NY

"Love the rib rope!! So do the horses." 😊 Leah A., MI

 "Just tried this out and was pleased to notice a subtle difference in turning to the left, my stiffer side. Thank you for sharing"  :-)  Sharon F., Scotland 

"The rib rope exercise worked magically for me (of course it did….it came from you!). My shoulders/neck are a big issue for me. I am going to try it on my horses tomorrow night  along with some sternum work." - Melanie I., Canada 

If you have ANY questions at all, please email me. I’d be happy to hear from you! 💌

💥Want to learn how to do the Rib Rope - and much more - with your HORSE? Check out the Move with Your Horse online program. We're welcoming new members very soon!

Would you like to effortlessly improve your seat, balance and posture? Sign up here to get my FREE video masterclass. 

Thank you so much for reading the blog. I appreciate you!   

If you'd like to purchase a Rib Rope for yourself or your horse, here's some handy info: 

 For human Rib Ropes: You can purchase rope for your human Rib Rope from Horse Rope Connection. That link takes you directly to the 3/8″ soft yacht rope. We usually use about a  5′ length for the human Rib Ropes. The way you order 5′ of rope is to type “5” in the quantity field, since they sell the rope by the foot. When you order, in the comments section, ask that the rope be cut and the ends glued to prevent fraying.   

If you don’t have a human-sized Rib Rope yet, you can use your horse’s lead rope or a similar type of rope for the time being. I’ve found that people generally get the most benefit when they use high-quality yacht rope which has more “life” or “feel” in it. This transmits the movement to your rib cage more clearly. But any rope is better than nothing. Please use very, very gentle pressure and don’t do anything that causes discomfort. Check with your physician before beginning any new exercise, including this one.       

For equine Rib Ropes: You can purchase rope for your equine Rib Rope from Jennifer at the HorseRopeConnection. That link takes you directly to the 9/16″ soft rope used for leads, etc. I usually get about 10′ in length for an equine Rib Rope. The way you order 10′ of rope is to type “10” in the quantity field, since they sell the rope by the foot.

If you wish to purchase more than one Rib Rope, please buy another ten, 1-foot sections of rope. If you have any questions about how to order, please email Jennifer.   (It’s not as complicated as it sounds!) 

 In the comments section, ask that the rope be cut and the ends glued to prevent fraying.