Sometimes the question pops up - how did you learn all of this? And as is true for most things in life, it certainly wasn't a straight road without bumps, detours or go-backs.

I originally started out just using the knowledge and tools I had acquired taking care of myself and my own family. I have been interested in an integrative approach to life for a long time. My focus was never on disease or illness, but rather on our amazing ability to heal when we provide the body what it needs. Of course, when I got any new family member, including my cats and horses, I applied what I knew to them and kept learning. I had some really great results and always loved sharing what I found out with anyone who wanted to know.

There came a point though where I made the decision to pursue this as a profession which, of course, included going for professional training! I looked at a lot of schools, programs, resources, got feedback and listened to testimonials. I finally settled on one because it seemed comprehensive and also included the horse's point of view, which was really important to me.

When I went through my initial training, I learned a variety of techniques. Massage, cranio-sacral, pressure point, energy work, acupressure and a variety of others. Later on, I was taught how to do an initial evaluation of the horse. This info would then inform my approach for the particular session. Did the horse improve after I was done? Was I able to release tension so he no longer felt so braced in a particular body part? Was I able to improve the range of motion, e.g. in his stifle? Later on, I learned how to connect the dots even further to help find some of the root causes on what was going on.

Of course, when you are being taught all those things, you are so focused on LEARNING them, you are very much stuck in your head. You want to get the mechanics down because, let’s face it, crawling around the legs of unfamiliar horses or asking them to pick up their feet when things may be hurting – well, your first priority is to not get hurt yourself, to be followed by executing the technique and lastly adding feel to it.

Let’s just say, some of those techniques presented a learning curve for me! And some horses really thrived on teaching me thoroughly.

But the biggest lessons really came after. Every horse presents a different story. In a way, it is really like reading – in reverse – what is going on in his body. As the horse learns to work through and around discomfort, even a slight one, he starts laying down patterns of compensation. When we release them, it’s like peeling an onion – you go from the outside in. The newest ones are close to the surface, you can feel them rather easily. Whereas older ones can be quite tenacious and take a more patient approach. They can feel sticky, like an old label you are trying to peel off little by little. You search around to find the easiest place to start the loosening process. Sometimes that place allows it to let it all go, sometimes you have to work at it. No pattern is ever the same, even if they are similar.

I also had many incredible people enter my life who taught me how to refine and build on that knowledge. If you are passionate about something, you just keep learning. The best mind to cultivate is a beginner's mind - you are always open to possibilities.

And because of this, my evaluation has changed considerably – it is far less mechanical now. Yes, I still feel for brace and tension, pain and lack of mobility. But there is a subtle flow in the body – something I had to learn to feel for. Softly. Delicately. Intuitively.

Horses are so incredibly sensitive, we very rarely need to exert tremendous amounts of pressure to see their responses or reactions. Frankly, I get a much clearer picture when I don’t push and poke and probe with might. By using a light touch, I can feel where this flow is interrupted, where it stops, where it disappears, where a tension pattern “hooks into the body”. I can feel a tiny bit of change in the texture underneath my fingers, a change in temperature even. I can feel the tuck and pull.

During my training we had a pretty set way of approaching our session. Of course, this was to help us get into a routine, a guideline to help us learn. To be thorough.

Now, I allow my intuition to guide where I start. It starts with saying "hello" to the horse and then I feel for where the body disconnects first. Why?

Because if I can re-establish flow in the body overall, all the other deeper patterns become much more clear. Second, it helps the horse relax tremendously. It’s like putting it all back together and then addressing the individual parts on a deeper level so they can start functioning in a more optimal way. Everything is connected and influencing and effecting everything else. There are no exceptions.

And that’s the beauty of bodywork. An expert practitioner will never just work on “a problem” – but always the whole. That concept also includes the mental and emotional state of the horse.

Which brings me to my latest bit of focus – it’s really more of an obsession if I am honest.

Science has had tremendous breakthroughs in the last several years. Especially in the areas of quantum physics, quantum mechanics, quantum biology. Some of it may even sound like Science Fiction. And since I have always found the edge of “what we know” very exciting (although I can’t say the same for science fiction), I love the research coming out. It adds an amazing depth of understanding to what I do, especially since horses are such sensitive creatures.

Particularly how mental and emotional traumas are linked to the physical body. You see, when a horse has a traumatic experience, that energy can actually get lodged and stuck in the body tissue. It is known as an “energy cyst”. It has also been found that certain physical patterns in horses correlate with emotional and mental states. And so it comes full circle – everything is connected. As always.

I hope you are as interested and excited about this as I am. Understanding the connections – not just seeing them or feeling them but truly understanding them – can you imagine what this can bring to our relationship and interaction with our horses?

To see, hear, feel them fully? Can you imagine how this will change the very way we interact with them? Can you imagine how long our horses have waited for this level of understanding from us?

I personally cannot wait to see our horses benefit from this. I hope neither can you.

So why should this be important to you as an owner and rider?

When our horses feel heard and understood, they can relax very deeply. I see this all the time when I work on my client's horses and several others are also in a deep trance. This deep relaxation allows me to tune in and help the horse release deep seated tension in his body without him feeling the need to brace against it.

What are the results you may ask?

calmer behavior
more throughness
increased ability to respond to aids and requests
increased range of motion
increased length of stride
a less reactive horse
faster recovery from training or showing
faster recovery time from past injuries
regaining mobility in previously compromised areas
overall improvement in well-being and health

These are just some of the benefits. Of course every horse is different. I can help you and your horse create a deeper, more connected partnership. Isn't this what we all want? To be able to connect and dance with our horse?

Call me for a free consultation. Let's start making your dream a reality.

Learning How To Feel The Horse

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