2020 – I am currently pursuing a certification in The Masterson Method of equine bodywork. The MM is a unique form of light-touch bodywork designed to help the horse release stress and tension in their bodies.

I completed massage training for equines at the Western Montana School of Equine Massage in Hamilton, MT. During my time there, I was trained in various kinds of massage with a strong focus on Tui Na, a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This branch of medicine dates back to 1700 BC and is a form of massage applied along acupoint meridians.  Tui Na utilizes the acupuncture points and the meridian system in the equine body to reduce pain, align the joints and muscles, and increase the body’s energy to create overall health and balance.  Many soft tissue and musculoskeletal disorders can be treated with the use of Tui Na alone.  Athletes in China regulary use Tui Na to both treat and prevent injuries.

 

Horses experience muscle soreness as they progress in their training, just as human athletes do.  The stresses of jumping, trailering, showing, top dressage work, reining, rodeo, and racing, just to name a few, take its toll on the equine body.  Regularly treating your equine athlete with bodywork will treat minor problems as they arise, to prevent them from evolving into major problems. Common training problems or bad habits arise from soreness within the horse. Horses that refuse jumps, buck, rear, are ‘girthy’, show uneven gaits, have problems with their leads, and exhibit cranky behavior should be evaluated. Often, these problems can be resolved.

 

    

Areas of Expertise 

• Nerve Sweeping

• Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage

• Tui’Na warming and rolling

• Rhythmic muscle pulsing

• Deep tissue compression

• Deep tissue trigger point release

• Deep tissue percussion

• Equine Kinesiology

 

BENEFITS OF BODYWORK

 

• Improves muscle tone

• Lessens stiffness

• Sedates nervous system, allowing relaxation

• Drains lymph material

• Stretches connective tissues

• Improves blood flow

• Improves flexibilty and balance

• Improves range of motion