Connecting With Animals Is About Learning to Listen to Them

Valerie Naegele
Sep 5
5 min read

A conversation with Morgan Tobin of Approach Point LLC

Welcome back to Wild Awake, where training and business meet personal and spiritual awakening—led by the quiet wisdom of our canine and equine companions. I’m your host, Valerie Naegele. Today I’m thrilled to share a conversation that felt like a long, deep breath: a journey into listening, bodywork, and partnership with horses, guided by equine massage practitioner, trainer, and instructor Morgan Tobin of Approach Point LLC in New Hampshire.

Morgan has spent nearly 18 years in the horse world and built a heart-led business around a simple but profound belief: horses deserve the world—and then some. Through Approach Point, she weaves together equine massage and myofascial work, saddle-fit analysis, gait and conformation evaluations, groundwork, training, and even trailering support. Nothing is siloed; everything connects. Groundwork shapes trailering. Saddle fit changes the way a horse moves on the lunge and under saddle. Massage reveals the story all of it is writing in the body.

Morgan’s draw to massage is personal. Growing up with a chronic illness, she wished someone could look at her and simply see what she was feeling. That desire to be understood became a compass. When a practitioner worked on her older horse, Cooper, Morgan watched someone read the body’s whispers and relieve discomfort she hadn’t known how to name. She was hooked. Certification through the Bancroft School of Equine Massage followed, and with it, a lifelong devotion to helping horses feel safe, heard, and comfortable in their bodies.

“Approach Point” isn’t just a business name—it’s a philosophy. Morgan learned from one of her teachers to pause the moment a horse offers any signal: a blink, an ear flick, a breath change, the slightest shift in weight. Stop. Acknowledge. Try again. That micro-conversation says, I hear you. It’s the difference between a horse bracing and a horse softening. It’s also how we, the humans, move them from sympathetic drive—fight or flight—into a parasympathetic state where learning, relaxation, and trust can live.

We talked about horses as athletes—whether they’re competing or living beloved, low-key lives. Their bodies do a remarkable amount of work. For Morgan’s young dressage horse, weekly massage supports growth, stability, and the demands of training. For her retired elder, monthly sessions prioritize comfort and longevity. For clients, cadence depends on the horse’s job, history, and budget. The point isn’t a rigid schedule—it’s responsiveness. Massage lets her catch subtle changes early: a small restriction here, a compensatory pattern there, clues that guide kinder training choices and timely veterinary conversations.

And yes, certain hot spots show up again and again. Backs often carry tension—no surprise when you consider how domestic life and ridden work challenge the natural “head-down, back-up” posture. The thoracic sling has to do a lot, and poor saddle fit or braced necks only compound the load. Morgan frequently finds tightness in the biceps femoris behind, in the brachiocephalicus through the under-neck, and even in the abdominals—especially in horses who clench when stressed. It’s powerful, she says, to see how small releases in one area can unwind patterns across the body.

Massage is one half of her craft; groundwork is the other. Morgan treats it like physical therapy—where posture, balance, and emotional regulation are learned slowly, clearly, and with generous rewards. The beauty, she says, is in keeping expectations low at first so the horse can win often. Confidence compounds. Clarity grows. Under saddle, the work feels almost inevitable: what the horse masters thoughtfully on the ground appears as softness, understanding, and willingness in the bridle.

One of my favorite moments was a story about her young mare in a partly finished arena. The footing was deeper in one corner; Morgan asked for walk-to-canter right before the deep patch. Her mare paused and, with a look only horse people know, essentially said, not here. Morgan listened. They walked through the corner, the mare gave a quiet “okay,” and the transition that followed was balanced and beautiful. That tiny negotiation encapsulates everything: when we listen, the work gets easier, safer, and more joyful—for both of us.

Listening also means building a team: owner, vet, farrier, bodyworker, trainer. Morgan is clear—she doesn’t diagnose. She reads tissue, watches movement, and communicates what she finds so the right professional can step in at the right time. In one case, persistent pelvic oddities she felt during sessions eventually aligned with a vet’s discovery of an old fracture. In another, what appeared as a left shoulder issue proved to be a right hind problem causing the horse to overload the opposite front. Horses compensate brilliantly; curiosity and collaboration catch the truth.

We swapped stories about confidence, safety, and the old-school “just get on” mentality many of us grew up with. Horses will tell you before something big happens, Morgan insists—if you’re willing to feel for the signal. Energy shifts. Breathing changes. Tension gathers. That’s the invitation to pause, not push.

Before we wrapped, I asked her for parting wisdom and favorite resources. Her advice:“Success or failure in life is found in the details of our approach. Keep your approach kind—to yourself, to others, and especially to your horse.”

Her go-to reading: Beyond Horse Massage by Jim Masterson and Horse Anatomy for Performance by Gillian Higgins—two excellent companions for anyone wanting to understand how form and function meet in motion.

If you’re in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Massachusetts and want to explore equine massage, groundwork, or training with someone who listens at the smallest scale, connect with Morgan: approachpoint22.com, @ApproachPointLLC on Instagram and Facebook, or approachpoint22@gmail.com. She travels widely for massage in NH/VT/MA, and offers training in NH/VT/MA (with MA training inquiries dependent on state requirements).

Horses may not talk, but as Morgan reminds us, they’re always speaking. Our job—our privilege—is to hear them.

About Valerie Naegele | Founder of Venture Doggie LLC

Valerie Naegele is a professional dog trainer, behavior specialist, and founder of Venture Doggie LLC. She helps dog owners who feel overwhelmed, unsure, or stuck finally find clarity, confidence, and connection with their dogs. you're tired of second-guessing your training, avoiding walks, or feeling like your dog just isn’t “getting it.” You’re not alone. Val understands what it’s like to love a dog deeply and still feel frustrated, embarrassed, or unsure of what to do next. Her work is designed to give you the tools, insight, and support you need to turn things around, not just on the surface, but in a way that feels good and lasts.

Val’s approach is relationship-based, emotionally intelligent, and rooted in practical science. Whether your dog is overly friendly, reactive, anxious, or just doesn’t listen, she helps you shift the dynamic—not by forcing obedience, but by building communication, structure, and trust. Her journey started with a deeply sensitive and reactive dog, and that experience opened the door to a lifetime of study in behavior, psychology, and the human-animal bond. With a background in vet clinics, shelters, ranches, and intensive mentorships with leading trainers, Val brings a rare mix of expertise, heart, and down-to-earth support to her work.

She’s not here to judge or pressure. She’s here to walk alongside you—to help you feel more capable, more connected, and prouder of the relationship you’re building with your dog.