My herd
I have been enthusiastically in love with horses as long as I can
remember. I lived vicariously through my friends that had horses, but did
not have any of my own until the age of 35. I had always dreamed that when
I grew up and got a job it would be with horses. Of course, as these
things usually work out, my life went in a completely different direction.
It wasn't until recently
that I was able to make that dream happen. I wanted a more rewarding
career than my corporate job could provide and felt that through equine massage
I could achieve my goal of helping and working with horses.
In early Spring of 2006 I began studying with the
Northwest School of Animal
Massage through their distance learning program. I traveled in late May
2006 to Washington to take my practical exam, of which I passed with flying
colors. In February 2007, I traveled to Arizona to study with
internationally-recognized equine bodyworker, Dino Fretterd, through Advanced
Whole Horse Dynamics. Here I was able to study with other equine
healthcare professionals (farriers, equine dentists, and veterinarians) in treating the
horse as a whole. I learned to look at the horse from a completely
different perspective and how each of the different aspects of the horses body
(feet, teeth, musculoskeletal system) affect one another and the importance of
teamwork within the equine healthcare community. I believe I have become
much more effective in what I do because I have learned to recognize when the
horse needs help in other areas of the body before it can achieve a balanced
state.
Most recently, I have had the pleasure to observe and learn from Dr. Paul
Bruton, DVM, of Animal Healthcare of Southlake, in Southlake, Texas, whose use
of acupuncture, soft tissue manipulation and chiropractic has changed the lives
of many a horse, including my own. In 2006, I was privileged to attend a
beginners FLOW course with Dr. Lance Wright, DC, of Aubrey, Texas, and hope to
continue my studies with this wonderful new touch therapy in the upcoming
year.
I have also been a student of Parelli Natural Horsemanship since the summer
of 2004
and am currently studying Level 2 of that program. I believe that
applying the principals of natural horsemanship when establishing contact with
my equine clients can aide in quickly gaining their trust, respect, and
relaxation to my touch. By being able to read and understand the subtle
body language of the horse and making adjustments to my own body language and
touch as necessary, I can thereby increase the effectiveness of my equine massage
sessions.
