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Hello! Thank you for your interest in Equine Bodywork & Wellness. 

It is my honor to be able to share my techniques and knowledge with each and every one of you.

I feel such immense gratitude that so many of you incorporate what I do into your equine wellness program. 

 

So, what do I do? 

 

Put simply, I have taken over 20 years in the equine wellness industry and have developed techniques to release myofascial & muscular tension, unblock & mobilize joints, and rebalance your horse’s musculoskeletal & energetic systems. I incorporate several modalities I have learned from extensive formal education and from working with the horses.

(The horses have proven to be the best teachers) 

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 I incorporate several healing modalities in my practice.

An equine sports therapy session involves:

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1) Releasing muscle tension & spasms, balancing the myofascial kinetic lines, and mobilizing joints through manual therapy, Reiki, and stretching. 

2) Providing  Magnawave PEMF Therapy and Photonic Red Light Acupressure to rejuvenate the body's cellular matrix to restore health from within.

3) Utilizing kinesiology taping to help relieve pain and provide structural support to new muscle biomechanic patterns. 

4) Dynamic stretching to reprogram the central nervous system to the achieved new range of motion.

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In 2018 I was approved and certified by the FEI to be permitted to work on horses at FEI competitions. The FEI certified just over 40 equine bodyworkers in the U.S. after extensive verification of credentials, and from referrals from several FEI veterinarians and riders.

 

My goal is to assist you in keeping your horse at optimal wellness and soundness.

I believe, and have seen, that when you balance a horse’s body and relieve pain, they also become balanced in their brain/temperament. 

They are easier to ride and are happier to do the work asked of them because they can.

Many training/temperament “problems” simply just go away when a horse is holistically relieved of pain and musculoskeletal tension.

It is a joy to ride a horse that is pain free, balanced, and comfortable in its own body. 

 

A horse’s body tells its story.

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My job is to read the horse’s body. 

 

As an equine sports therapist that works with many of the same horses on a monthly basis, I have been given an extraordinary opportunity to observe how a horse’s environment effects it’s overall health and soundness. By “environment” I mean diet, stabling, rider balance, training methods, saddle fit, ulcers, hoof balance , etc. 

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I have logged over 10,000 hours working on hundreds of horses, and that time has taught me a great deal about what they need, and what is generally detrimental to their health. 

I have also had a remarkable opportunity to work on horses ridden by accomplished and true horsewomen and men and have learned from them what “environments” work for horses to achieve optimal health, (in mind and body). 

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I aim to not only provide balancing sports therapy to the equine athletes I work on, but to also educate their owners how to better "read" their horse's body. Knowledge is power, and when a rider understands how to access their horses muscular health they can keep them sound, healthy, and happy. 

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"Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much."

-Francis Bacon

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I began my education in equine health at The University of Georgia and majored in animal science.

At UGA my equine specific courses included  physiology & training,  nutrition,  reproduction, &  management.

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My time spent as an equine sports therapist has also allowed me to learn from premier health professionals such as Don & Lisa Doran from Animal Dynamics,  equine dentist and acupuncturist

 Dr. Diane Febles, equine chiropractor Dr. Cleveland, and Dr. Waldsmith and Dr. Bardo at the

EQUINE CENTER.

 

I love learning and taking continuing education courses whenever I can. In addition to my education at UGA and Animal Dynamics, I have taken courses on kinesiology taping and myofascial Anatomy Trains release, Dit Da Jow therapy,  PEMF therapy training, moxibustion acupressure, and saddle fitting.

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I have studied with Dragonfly Reiki over the course of three years to become a certified Reiki Master.

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My life partner, David, is a talented Neuromuscular therapist with over 20 years experience as a bodyworker and massage therapist. He has also helped guide me through continued education in NMT and trigger point release. 

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I have apprenticed under, and learned correct saddle fitting from master saddler, Mike Corcoran.

  I HIGHLY recommend Mike's truly custom English and Western saddles. Even before I met him, I noticed that horses that were ridden in his saddles had healthy, pain free backs. (Which is why we met! I had to meet this saddle magician.) I have yet to come across another brand of saddle, or saddle fitter, that has such consistent results of  improving performance and pain relief in both horse & rider by balancing a saddle.  

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 I am currently taking classes through Balanced Body to become certified as a Pilates instructor.

I was first introduced to the power of Pilates through Cassandra Thompson. I began applying the principles she taught me to my own riding and it has made all the difference in my balance in the saddle. Pilates also helps me better understand equine biomechanics and how simple in-hand exercises can help a horse achieve better dynamic balance.

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I have attended numerous riding clinics by internationally acclaimed instructors and riders to better understand the athletic maneuvers riders are trying to achieve with their mounts. I also had the opportunity of spending several months working and learning at the Parelli ranch in Ocala, FL.

Learning from some of the best equestrian instructors has helped give me insight on the areas I need to focus on to best support horse & rider.

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I use all of the information I have acquired to best provide my clients with up to date information on the current status of their horse’s overall physical health, and to support them in their athletic endeavors.

 

Equine health is a team effort. 

 

I do not have all of the answers and cannot cure all of what ails your horse.

No one does. Please run far away from anyone that claims to be able to fix everything or to know everything about what "is wrong with your horse." A good equine professional's job is to look at, and access the entire horse, and give recommendations on what they can do to help based on their chosen skill/education. I work on the energetic, myofascial, & musculoskeletal systems of the horse. 

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When asked, I am always happy to refer trusted veterinarians, dentists, nutritionists, saddle fitters, farriers, and trainers to help guide you to bring your horse to optimal balance and health.

I refer other professionals based on positive results I see in the horses' bodies from their services,

not because of kickbacks.

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 It truly does take a village to keep horses healthy, sound, and happy. 

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....that One Horse that changed your life....

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My first horse Valentine changed my life and led me down the road to being an advocate for equine wellness and horse owner empowerment. Valentine came into my life while I was a

pre vet/animal science student at UGA.  My OTTB mare Valentine taught me the value of listening to the horse and working within their limits. She led me down the path to learning natural horsemanship to have a deeper connection with the horse. I sadly lost Valentine after a 10 year journey with her due to a freak accident when she stepped on a nail in her pasture.

The nail penetrated into her navicular bursa, and she had to have emergency surgery to save her life. Well, long story short, the surgery was botched.

Throughout that experience I felt completely powerless to help my horse. The veterinarians only offered solutions of more surgeries and drugs to relieve pain.  Five months and another surgery later,

I had to make the hard decision to send her to heaven when her other hoof foundered, and she was unable to walk on either hind leg.

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My best friend was gone.

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A few months later I decided I wanted to learn how to help my other horses through holistic care and enrolled in Don & Lisa Doran's Equine Sports Massage courses. I wanted to empower myself to make better decisions about my horses' health. I wanted to really understand my horses' bodies.

Don and Lisa changed my life and how I looked at horses. To them I am eternally grateful.

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After my time spent with Don & Lisa, I started working on my horses and saw amazing changes in their overall muscle balance and biomechanics. They were easier to ride, happier to be ridden, and more connected to me. I started to work on my friends' horses and saw similar positive results and I was hooked. From there on I have made it my mission to learn as much as I can to share that knowledge to empower other horse owners.  I aim to help guide owners to really understand their equine partner so that they can make better, informed decisions about their wellbeing. 

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In short, Valentine helped me find my life's purpose, and every horse I work on and help is in her memory. 

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