Our Journey
My First Horse!
I have been passionate about horses my entire life. I read about them, drew them, studied them, and dreamed about them. The top of my Christmas wish list was always a horse. For birthdays I was often given riding lessons or the opportunity to go ride on the beach. I have cleaned many stalls and done other barn chores in exchange for riding other people's horses. I have leased several horses over the years, barn managed, wrangled, had lessons, and trained but Sierra was my first horse, my pet pony!
Almost a year after buying her I moved her to a new facility and that is where this journey really began. Sierra was broken, and not just for riding. She dragged her feet and occasionally bucked with me. It took a couple of the people I was boarding with to help me see that behaviors I had seen as lazy were really indicators of chronic pain. The clincher was when I had someone palpate Sierra and her back end dropped out beneath her.
My Intro to Bodywork
I researched and weighed advice and then changed everything. Sierra was put on a different exercise plan. I changed her feed completely and added in supplements from Wild Horse Products. Finally, I had a chiropractor come out to work with her.
I asked a ton of questions. My background in Biology allowed me to understand where and why my horse had been pain and how he was helping her. I could also see Sierra take a deep breath and begin to relax muscles that had been clenched tightly in pain. Sierra needed three appointments over the next three months to get her all back in alignment. At the third appointment we found the main problem ~ two thoracic vertebrae in the withers that were not only out of alignment but they were also twisted. I cannot imagine the amount of pain my girl was in!
In between appointments I researched, bought books, watched videos, and experimented with stretches and massage techniques on Sierra. My chiropractor could see the difference and commended my work. I started working on other horses in the barn too, with owner permission, and we all saw the difference in their movement and behavior. That lit a fire under me!
The Birth of Better Horse Bodyworks
I decided to leave teaching and focus entirely on equine bodywork. I have always been fascinated by the relationship between structure and function. My experience with my horse and with others made me realize there is a difference between conformation and posture. Horses that are misbehaving or not performing to potential have a reason and I wanted to be able to help them and their people.
I received my Deep-tissue Massage training from Brandenburg Massage Therapy in Pennsylvania. I love what a deep tissue massage does for a horse but I know that it is not always enough. I continue to practice techniques based on Masterson method as well as TTouch, Integrative Therapies, and Myofacial Release techniques. It is important to me that I find and fix the root of the problem not just deal with the symptoms over and over.
I will never finish learning how to help our equine partners. Most evenings I am watching videos or reading about more techniques. The next technique I plan to offer is Acupressure. I am looking forward to seeing the results when Acupressure is combined with my Aah! Light. Within the next year I will be training in and adding canine bodywork as well! Then my business name will change to Better Horse & Hound Bodyworks!
About Sierra
Hi! My name is Sierra and I am 12 years old and I love apples. Carrots are good but apples are the best! I am probably mostly a Quarter Horse. No one knows who my sire is but I do have baby pictures. Wasn’t I a cutie?
I am the reason Mom became a bodyworker. I guess I am a little bit accident prone. I have a big scar on my leg from when I tangled with a barbed wire fence in my youth. When Mom got me a couple years ago I was a total mess. I had vertebrae in my withers that were unaligned and twisted. My neck, hips, and some of my ribs were also out of alignment. I was in so much pain and my tummy hurt all the time but no one listened to me and I learned to hide it and just try to do what they told me to.
Mom listened. She brought in a chiropractor and then learned how to do massage. She is always practicing new techniques on me. She also feeds me yummy herbs. I feel really healthy and shiny and they don’t hurt my tummy at all. Mom says that I am still a klutz though. Just because I sometimes take corners too fast and have my feet slide out from under me. Or she could be thinking about that time I was cast in my stall. Or when I rolled too close to the fence and got stuck under it. Well, maybe I am a bit accident prone.
My most recent injury was to my left knee and fetlock. I whacked my leg on the fence and injured the ligaments. In my defense my friend was taken in from the pasture first so I was all alone. I started running the fence line and when I spun around to go the other way the T-post jumped out at me! Ouch! Stall rest is no fun although the extra massages are nice.
Mom recently moved me to a new home that is closer to her house and where we have an arena to work in. She had been only hand-walking me before that. Of course now she mostly makes me walk on the longe line. It is so booorrring walking in circles but she insists it is good for me. Yesterday was the first time she really let me play. It felt so good to canter and squeal and buck! She did not let me play nearly long enough but we were both glad that there was no heat in my ligament afterward.
I can tell that Mom is thinking about riding me again but I let her know that although the leg is feeling better I hurt in other places. I told her when she was grooming my chest that first or second rib is out on the right side...again.