After so many years of putting my love of horses on the back burner, a friend invited me on a horse trip. My passion was re-ignited and I read any book about horses I could find. When I tired of reading trainer’s books and how-to books and books about color, breed, lifestyles,etc, I happened to see “Beyond Horse Massage” by Jim Masterson. The cover photo intrigued me enough that I bought it on the spot. That was 2018. I read it over and over for 2 years until I felt that I knew the methods without looking at the pictures in the book.

I was a volunteer horse leader, side walker and member of the equine management team at Reining Liberty Ranch, an equine therapeutic facility near my home. They have a Grand Traverse Horses 4 Heroes program and have therapy riding, equine assisted learning, hippo therapy, and other programs.

The first horse I tried The Masterson Method® on was a beautiful, high headed Tennessee Walker named TAZ. I was assigned to be his “person” to help him acclimate to the therapy program and the Grand Traverse Horses 4 Heroes Program, and to help him get over his spookiness. When our State shut down during the Pandemic, myself and another volunteer went 2 full days a week to be with, groom, and do groundwork with the horses. That was when I tried the Bladder Meridian on TAZ. His responses and releases were so obvious. He was like putty in my hands. I knew then that this was what I wanted to do for the horses. He was transformed as I worked with him each day into a happy, healthy, relaxed (most of the time) horse. When people associated with the ranch started coming to the arena when I was doing the bodywork, they soon became just as relaxed as the horse. That was when I looked into the MMES program. I am happy and excited to be a new MMES and be able to connect these wonderful service animals to people who need that connection, and have the horses receive the benefit of that care and connection.