Barbara has always enjoyed observing, connecting with, teaching and caring for animals since she was very young. She was able to have her own horse for the first time at five years of age and this was the beginning of a love and fascination with horses that continues today. After a few years of riding when she was a child, she had to give it up when her family moved. Despite what turned out to be a long time away, Barbara’s love and connection was promptly felt when she walked into a barn in 2009 for what was intended to be only a “short” visit…..it all came flooding back the moment she was near the horses. The smells and sounds of the barn reminded her of what she innately knew at the age of five: that the horses were so significant in her life. Barbara became a horse owner again in 2010 and now enjoys her interaction with the horses on many levels. Whether this interaction occurs through riding, training, grooming, hand walking or hanging out with a grazing horse in the field, she finds the collaboration between herself and the horses exciting and rewarding.
Barbara first found The Masterson Method when her horse suffered a hind suspensory ligament injury. He underwent surgery and she wanted to provide support to promote healing as he attempted to come back to work. There were many months of hand walking and Barbara found that The Masterson Method supported relaxation, improvement in range of motion, overall mobility throughout the body and also, that it had a most positive effect on soundness of mind for her horse. The horse is reminded to “let down and release tension” which carries over to his work or performance, or in this case, the stress of not working as much and being able to handle more stall rest for healing.
Barbara is an enthusiastic Masterson Method Practitioner for horses of all disciplines. She looks forward to sharing not only the physical benefits that are provided to the horse but also, the empathetic caring that can put the “light” back in a horse’s eyes, especially when they have been dealing with a lot of discomfort. Barbara finds this work practical in terms of its ability to provide a visible physical outcome for the horse and equally as important that it imparts wisdom for horse and rider alike.