As a child, I always wanted to be an equine vet, but you do not get much to do with horses in Japan, so I had to wait until I was an adult to become involved with horses. My initial interest was more about teaching riding, how you could get the best out of the horses and the riders in a lesson. After taking a course on Balance in Movement, I became more interested in the way of the horses, its dynamics and mechanisms, its psychology and behavior and the whole approach to the horses.
I wanted to learn more about horses, so I decided to study at the British Columbia College of Equine Therapy and completed their 2-year Equine Sports Therapy Program. While I was on this program, I came across the book ‘Beyond Horse Massage’ while I was looking for a book about therapies. After reading the book, I tried the Bladder Meridian Technique on a Connemara gelding which I had on loan back then. I was very excited and impressed as he responded with repeated yawning and stretching.
Then I attended the Weekend Seminar which was held at a nearby farm in Vernon, B.C. Canada. I learned the techniques in more detail which I was not able to pick up from the book. Since then The Masterson Method® has become an integral part of my bodywork. Now I treat 6 dressage and owner’s horses from a riding club every month, and I treat lesson horses and trekking horses from nearby Riding School as a volunteer.
In Japan, The Masterson Method® is not well known yet, but I believe Bladder Meridian is very effective bodywork which requires no knowledge of horse anatomy. The underlying philosophy and the way of thinking of The Masterson Method® are close to that of Oriental medicine, and I think it will spread in Japan and Asia. I still need to build up my experience and hone certain skills, but I hope that I can contribute and be a help to the horses and horse lovers in Japan.