Horses Can Talk- Marv's Mad

I don't think the rain is ever going to stop. Thankfully, we have very sandy ground. Marv has been taking a backburner to her younger sister NV, so she's been enjoying some well-deserved time off. I figured it was time to at least clean the sand off her body from where she's been laying down. I grabbed the turquoise, medium-bristle brush and got after it. As soon as the brush reached her back, she tossed her head up, pinned her ears and then whipped around toward my arm. Marv can be a little touchy when it comes to brushing, but this reaction was much different. Something is off, I immediately said to myself, as I put the brush down. "Let's see what we can find Marv." It didn't take long for a quick finger-tip trip down her back to notice the restricted fascia. I spent the next several minutes working over her back. Marv responded with several yawns and licks. After picking the brush back up and continuing what I set out to accomplish, Marv was in a much better mood.

Marv hasn't been ridden in over a month, I definitely didn't expect her back to be sore. We have just come off of a hard-working last month of the season, so that could have been a factor.

Take notice of your horse. Don't just be there, be present. Paying attention to your horse's reaction to things will tell you a lot! It's not always going to be as prevalent as Marv's reaction was, but they will usually always tell you when something is off, it's your job to listen to them when they talk.