Growing up in central Connecticut, Emily spent countless hours at her local barn where she received a strong foundation in Centered Riding, dressage, and stable management. After moving to New York City, Emily worked for over ten years in corporate marketing and event planning. She traveled long and far to get her “horse fix” during this period, including training dressage in beautiful Chester County, PA and volunteering with various therapeutic riding stables in Hudson Valley, NY.
In 2012, fate put a copy of Jim’s Beyond Horse Massage book in Emily’s hands. As she began exploring the techniques, she found the light touch and partnership approach of The Masterson Method® to be an amazing way to connect with horses from all backgrounds and disciplines on a profound level, as well as way to give back to the hard-working therapy program horses.
Realizing her deep appreciation for the power and potential of the human-horse relationship, Emily moved to Denver in 2016 to pursue a new career in equine-assisted therapy, furthering her education at University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work in partnership with the Institute for Human-Animal Connection. In addition to studying the relationship between horses and people, Emily is interested in nature connectedness and the important role that the natural world plays in education, creativity, and well-being.
She strives to continue to give back to therapy program horses through The Masterson Method®, as well as work on performance and pleasure horses throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Emily is certified as an Equine Specialist through the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) and pursuing certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH Int’l).