This equine massage therapist might not seem like the conventional dressage aficionado, but he’s found his place helping horses achieve their best.

Peek over a stall door at a big East Coast dressage show, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see a muscled, tattooed, mustached man in there working his magic. He’ll be stretching a leg, manipulating a muscle, or quietly soothing the horse with a look of complete contentment on his face.