Massage For All Horses

 

I have always loved horses and wanted to be around them. My riding life began when I was eight years old at summer camps, taking lessons and when I was sixteen I started working as a co-op student at C.A.R.D.  (The Community Association for Riders with Disabilities) in Toronto which was the beginning of a long and wonderful journey.

 

Working as a volunteer and employee at C.A.R.D. turned into decades of incredible experiences interacting with all of the different riders and all of the varied facets of horse care and barn management. During this time I was also taking my OEF riding levels and participated in some fascinating clinics with Mary Wanless*, Linda Tellington-Jones* and Gary Vander Ploeg* among many. More recently I've had the pleasure of attending clinics with Walter Zettle* and Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg* two people with a fantastic wealth of wisdom, experience, and knowledge.

 

Shortly after my time with C.A.R.D. ended I had the good fortune to have one of my favorite horses from there "retired" to my full-time care, a relationship of over twenty years!

 

Continuing on with my riding lessons and working at various horse facilities in the polo, thoroughbred and hunter-jumper field gave me a chance to ride many different kinds of horses for other people, along with my own horses.

 

More formal equine schooling followed with my completion of the certificates from the University of Guelph in the Groom One and Equine Science programs.

 

In 2009 I went back to school, graduating in 2011 as a Certified Equine Massage Therapist. The course I completed was a comprehensive,in-depth study of equine massage therapy consisting of physiology and pathology, equine anatomy, muscle and bone structure, massage theory and history, equine behavior,  hydrotherapy, passive and active stretch routines, palpation and Swedish massage techniques, lymphatic drainage, acupressure, sports massage, assessment protocols and professional ethics along with 40 case studies.

 

It's an incredible experience working as an equine massage therapist, I love what I do and the feedback I've received from the horses is very gratifying, to say the least. I feel that through my work I can really make a difference in the quality of life of the horses I work with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

" The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and fire "

- Sharon Ralls Lemon

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* See Links page for their websites and more.