My total darling of an Icelandic Horse, Ori, was wonderful in all respects. He had a blond mane down to his elbows and a fuzzy butt like a peach, but he became a professional napper. I refused to believe his behaviour was malicious as it just wasn’t his nature. A few physio and vet visits later, along with my stubborn refusal to accept no for an answer, and we found he had very deep muscular spasm all along his spine and being ridden was genuinely painful for him. Here began my life as a bodyworker.

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My experience with Ori led me to train in Equine Touch with the founders Jock and Ivana Ruddock in 2008.This enabled me to help him more regularly and then to also help other people’s horses too.

Equine Touch is a non-invasive, holistic body work which works with the horse rather than on it. Using hands on methods to release tension in the fascia throughout the whole body. 

 

I went on to study many more modalities, each adding tools to my toolkit that have benefitted more and more different cases. My most recent qualification is a 3.5year training to earn my diploma of Equine Osteopathy.

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Osteopathy, as I have been taught it, is a three fold manual therapy based on the teaching of the father of osteopathy A.T. Still, underpinned by a deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology. We work with the musculoskeletal system, the craniosacral system and the organ systems to stimulate the body to return to health. Sometimes that looks like big manual adjustments, sometimes it is subtle holds on the fascial system. Every move is designed to restore mobility and optimise blood flow in the body, giving the best conditions for health to return.

 

Through my work and education I have come to realise that a truly holistic solution cannot be provided by body work alone.  I became frustrated by being repeatedly called back to fix the same issues in my clients, often issues unintentionally caused by their training. It seemed that the goal of schooling a horse should be to make him stronger and less prone to injury and yet I kept seeing sore backs, tight polls and worn out hocks.

I have pursued many movement trainings including Straightness Training, French classical dressage and Balance Through Movement Method. The more I have studied, the more I realised my skills lie as a bodyworker, not a trainer! So I have now teamed up with Laura Shakeshaft of www.rhythmandharmony.co.uk  Laura uses the Feldenkrais inspired Debono moves to help horses find ease and smoothness in movement, and her work dovetails so synergistically with mine that the combo of us both working with your horse is always greater than the sum of the parts.

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Horses never lie, they only ever do that which is easy or more comfortable for them. The key is to make that which you ask of them the most easy and comfortable option. So that balance becomes a posture of choice, and fluidity is returned.

Horses are not malicious, mean or grumpy but often hurting, frustrated and communicating with us in a completely different language.