Ever since I can remember, horses have been an important part of my life. Even before I was born, the love of horses already ran through my blood via my parents, owning my first pony before I could walk. From what I can remember. I played with that pony more often than I played with other kids.
Having grown up alongside race horses and taking care of them via our family business, I became accustomed to seeing horse injuries and I was always interested in learning about techniques that helped their recovery. It was approximately 25 years ago that I watched my first session of a horse osteopath. I was immediately fascinated by the positive reaction the horse showed and the increased well-being and performance the session delivered. From pretty much then on, horse therapy and bodywork never left my mind and I had always had a goal of one day turning that passion into a horse osteopath / chiropractic career.
After completing an initial basic horse osteopath training course, I moved my studies into animal acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Here I found more tools to further my skillset, however I still didn´t feel as though I had garnered the specialized knowledge and skill base to provide the dedicated service I was after.
It was at this stage that I came across a book by Jim Masterson and his self-prescribed method to treating horses, and I was immediately drawn in to his wholistic approach to the wellbeing of a horse, a method that highlighted the need, not to work ‘on’ the horse, but to work ‘with’ them. It made all sense for me. I began watching more and more of Jim’s videos and started to integrate his techniques into my client’s treatments. I was excited about the horses’ reactions and the feedback the owners offered. This gave me the motivation to move on to be a Masterson Method® Certified Practitioner.
As a Certified Practitioner, my goal is to provide my client’s horses with a proactive session by understanding the areas of concern and releasing as much tension in the horse’s body as possible. I truly believe this kind of body technique, which works with the parasympathetic system, is the most targeted method to improve a horse’s overall wellbeing.