I was that kid! Most of us horse people say it—that kid who couldn’t let it be. I was the kid who knew every field our family regularly drove by that had horses in it. My nose pressed up against the car window. That little girl! I was not blessed to be born into a horsey family. I lived in town; Dad didn’t like horses because he did farm work with them as a kid. Yada yada!
I had to wait until the summer after ninth grade before I got one of my own. And he was Barney! My family really couldn’t afford for me to have a horse. There were eight of us kids. I understand now, as an adult, how was that fair? I am so lucky to have kind parents. And you know, I’d grow out of it in a few months. Quite quickly I became "barn girl" and worked for my horse's board.
When I aged to my fifties, a couple of extraordinary horses came into my life.
Lacy and Charm. Both are both Appaloosa mares.
My inspiration and interest in helping horses came from my horse Charm who was gravely injured at four years old, just a few months after I got her. Charm set me on this journey.
I first had to get specialized veterinary care, an equine chiropractor, and a bodyworker. I was then retraining her in a way that gave her physical therapy.
I attended a class at Anam Cara. The instructor there (she was Charm's bodyworker) was instrumental in guiding me to bodywork. Then after completing a second Equine Massage course at Therasage EMC in Wisconsin, I was ready to get out there and do the work. That course gave me confidence and showed me a path for my journey. I launched my business in 2016.
I started my business as a side hustle while having a day job as a Certified Veterinary Technician at the University of Wisconsin. I was building a small clientele in anticipation of a second career after retiring from UW, which happened in late 2019. My initial focus was the muscular system. While getting good results with the muscular system bodywork, I felt I was missing something. I added Equine Myofascial Release and Equine Kinesiology Taping to my repertoire in 2018 and 2019.
Each new learning experience built on the other until I discovered Craniosacral Care. Everything I had done previously was a stepping stone to CranioSacral. CranioSacral Care, in in my opinion, epitomizes what a person can do for any horse.
In 2021 and 2022, I attended what you might call “dry labs,” or lecture series, in farriery, at Mackinaw Dells Farrier School. I am not doing hoof trimming (yet), but I’ve completed the prerequisites for that. Attending the farrier classes has given me a good view of what a healthy hoof should look like. Believe me, there are many problems in many horses' hooves that prevent a sound and athletic horse from being the reality.
Farriery and Dentistry are both integral parts of balancing a horse. I have strong opinions about equine dentistry.
As a horse person, I have dabbled in many different disciplines. My knowledge of many different horsemanship styles helps me understand what you want to do with your horse and what needs to happen to get there.
In my youth, I did Western Pleasure (which was very different back then), tried reining (it was also nothing like what we have now), a little bit of speed/gymkhana things, hunt seat, and jumping. I hung around at a Dressage and Eventing barn and took classical dressage lessons. Always plenty of trail riding.
Rejoining the horse world as a mature person, I have shown in Ranch Horse Shows (rail class, horsemanship, cattle classes, ranch trail), rode some dressage, Working Equitation, dabbled in driving, and of course, my favorite riding.
Are you still with me?
While I would never claim to be an expert in any of the disciplines I’ve learned, I’ve done enough to have a pretty good idea of what highly varied types of horses do for a job.
I will claim to be an expert in the craft
I am passionate and dedicated to -- My Equine Bodywork and Craniosacral Care. I take every opportunity to expand my knowledge and further my understanding of the Whole Horse Equine Condition.
I have learned that things are not often what they seem, and we must look at everything: the equine body, its movement, where the horse is carrying its weight and the balance of the body to hooves and teeth.
As a lifelong learner, I take advantage of opportunities to acquire new knowledge. I am always researching topics and attending lectures and workshops. I like attending events, horse sports, and classes where I can interact with other equine professionals and horse owners.
Thanks for sticking with me on this saga, and I hope to see you soon if I know you, or I'd love to meet you and your horse if you are new!
First Horse, Barney
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