Body Stress Release is founded on the principle that the nervous system stores stress in the body’s tissues and that this stored tension can be identified and released through precise, light input. That principle does not require the patient to understand the therapy, to believe it will work, or even to be human. The nervous system of a horse or a dog operates on the same fundamental biology.
Peter van Minnen has been applying BSR to animals for most of his 27 years in practice. The work is documented most fully in his 2009 book, Horses Have Wings, which records 53 case histories of BSR applied to horses. He has also worked extensively with dogs.
Why Horses?
The horse is in many respects an ideal subject for demonstrating the physiological basis of BSR. Horses are large, their musculoskeletal presentations are often clinically complex, and their responses to treatment are unambiguous. A horse that is moving more freely after a session is not reporting improvement because it expected to feel better. It is moving more freely because something in its nervous system and musculoskeletal system has changed.
The presentations that Peter has addressed in equine patients are varied. Restricted movement in specific gaits, asymmetry in way of going, behavioural changes associated with chronic pain, resistance to being ridden, and performance decline have all featured across the 53 cases documented in the book. In many instances the horses had been assessed by vets without a definitive structural explanation for the symptoms.
The BSR assessment is adapted for the equine body but follows the same principles as the human assessment. Peter reads the horse’s stress responses to locate where tension is stored and applies light, targeted input to prompt a release. The horse’s responses during and after the session confirm the process, often visibly, through relaxation of the musculature, deeper breathing, and changes in posture.
The Work with Dogs
Peter’s work with dogs follows the same framework. Dogs present with musculoskeletal issues including gait irregularity, reluctance to perform certain movements, postural changes, and chronic discomfort that manifests as altered behaviour. The BSR assessment locates the stored tension, the release addresses it, and the dog’s responses confirm the change.
As with horses, the absence of any expectation or belief on the part of the animal patient provides a straightforward counter to the placebo argument. The improvement is physiological.
What This Tells Us About BSR
The consistent results across both human and animal patients over more than two decades of practice support the core claim of BSR: that the nervous system stores stress in the tissues and that this stored tension can be systematically released using light, precise input. The mechanism is biological, not psychological, and it operates across species.
For those sceptical of any therapy not yet fully represented in the mainstream research literature, Peter’s animal work offers an evidence base of a different kind. Fifty-three documented equine case histories, compiled and published, represent a substantial and verifiable body of practice-based evidence.
Horses Have Wings is available directly from Peter. His broader approach to practice is described on his practitioner page.
To find out more about Body Stress Release or to book a session with Peter at Hever Health, contact us.