About

May 13, 2008

CLOUD 9

HORSE CARE AND EQUINE MASSAGE

Horse Veterinarians of British Columbia | House and Horse Sitting Services |John Lyons Training Articles|

Treeless Saddles|


	ABOUT

"Don't focus on any problem, focus on what you want your horse to do"

~ John Lyons ~

I wasn't fortunate enough to grow up on a farm and ride "Nelly" to school or have a pony to take to the 4H Club like so many others. What was obvious was my ability to connect with animals. I felt very calm whenever they were with me and I felt safe. I liked what I felt from animals and have strived to explore that feeling more and more each year.

I started rescuing animals when I was about 8 years old. Cats, birds and dogs came home to stay "overnight" and this rescuing instinct has not stopped. At 16 years old I worked with Hackney ponies and have since graduated to horses.

In the not too distant past I rescued 3 Standardbred horses who were left out in the very cold February weather with no food or water or shelter. (The barn door had been locked so they couldn't get in.) Over a period of 2 months I fed, watered and brought them in out of the cold and tended to the "rain rot" that had developed. They were groomed and fussed over daily. One of the horses was a mare "in foal."

The S.P.C.A. was very happy with the recovery of the horses and they were sent back to the original owner and they are doing well.

One can measure the greatness of a nation and its moral progress by the way in which it treats its animals." Let's take some personal responsibility for how our animals END their lives."

~Ghandi~

In the 1970's I trained as a Thoroughbred groom where I was in charge of 5 Thoroughbreds. The usual activity at the barn was, up at 5:00 a.m., feeding, turning out (if they were lucky) mucking out, grooming, hot walking, administering medication, bandaging etc. and anything else pertaining to the horse's needs.

Since 1987 I have had 5 equine partners, Arab/Saddlebred, Peruvian Paso, Arab, Saddlebred and another Peruvian Paso (2006).

My on-going studies/Distance Learning/Text and Video etc. are:

Jean-Pierre Hourdebaight - R.M.T., Massage Awareness, Inc., Florida, USA. I am involved in Equine Massage Awareness Home Study course which involves an in-depth video, (the visual guide), a very advanced well-written practical guide manual (theory) and a Workbook that Jean-Pierre has written with questions to keep me involved and learning.

Parelli Natural Horsemanship ~ Pat Parelli

Equine Acupressure ~ Animal Acupressure Training Programs ~ Nancy Zidonis, Amy Snow and Marie Soderberg

TTouch Equine Awareness Method ~ Linda Tellington-Jones

Stretch Exercises for your Horse ~ Karin Blignault

For The Good of the Horse ~ Mary Wanless

Sports Massage ~ I have studied the "form" and sequence of the movements from the "How To" Manual of Sports Massage for the Equine Athlete by the founder of EQUISSAGE, Mary Schreiber.

VOLUNTEER:

Past Volunteer (2003)

Equine Massage Therapist ~ Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities, Langley, BC., prda@uniserve.com

Past Volunteer (2003)

New Stride Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation ~ Abbotsford, BC

What is It About Horses and Young Girls?

By Gwen Jones

In a world of computer games, the Internet and shopping malls, what is it about this four-legged farm animal that seems to capture the heart of most of them?

According to a recent study by the American Horse Council, 1.9 million Americans own horses -- just over 4 million people are recreational riders and 3.6 million show horses. The horse industry has a $112.1 billion impact on the US gross domestic product: greater than the movie industry and the tobacco manufacturing industry.

Even with people mainly in cities, horses have really disappeared from daily life for most North Americans. And yet their appeal hasn't faded.

I wonder why. As a youngster, I was enthralled with horses. I read books about horses, took riding lessons and all of my drawings were of horses. It's a girl thing mostly. I didn't come from an equestrian background. It does have benefits. You learn to control a large muscle-y animal which may prepare you for being married to another version of one. A horse weighs about half a ton. You can't be shy around a horse. You learn to be confident and firm. The general care of a horse which includes brushing, mucking out stalls and feeding gives you a feeling of responsibility. It's a healthier environment - a riding stable can delay the problems of dating and drugs. It's a great physical activity. In an age where teenagers find that television's problems are dealt with in 30 minutes, riding takes a longer, more dedicated approach. I think girls who ride make better drivers because you're trained to look forward and plan what's ahead. No one wants to get hit by an overhead branch on a trail. It is a monetary investment but I think it's on par with boys playing hockey and the equipment that entails. Overall, I would say it is money well spent.

Gwen Jones is an adult living in Toronto, Canada and rides when she can.

Equestrian Boutique

Horse Veterinarians of British Columbia | House and Horse Sitting Services | John Lyons Training Articles|