About Me

About Me

With over 400 hours of combined classroom instruction, hands-on practice, and guided study, I have dedicated myself to the Masterson Method® approach to help horses release tension and restore their innate physical expression through increased range of motion in a relaxed state.

I have been caring for horses for nearly 20 years, first as a private owner, later as owner/manager of a small boarding /training stable, and currently as a veterinary assistant in an ambulatory equine sports medicine practice.

As a whole-picture practitioner, I am eager to work with you and the professional care providers--trainers, riders,  veterinarians, chiropractors, farriers, and others-- who work to keep your horse in full health.  I truly believe it takes a village to support horses through the  challenges of  the work we ask of them, and my work is one segment of that community of care.

Why Masterson Method®?

I saw my first videos of Jim Masterson doing this light-touch bodywork in 2013 and was immediately drawn to the softness and quietude of the approach-- so much of what we do with horses is loud and fast and assertive, if not aggressive.  For me, Jim's soft, calm, patience generated a space where I, not a prey animal, felt comfortable; I could only see it helping make these flight-based equine companions more at ease.  In addition to the softness, the basic operating mandate to "follow what the horse is telling you" appealed to me as someone who is always curious about, and sensitive to, what animals are trying to communicate with us.  Developing the skills of reading and improving the body language of the horses I'm handling has become the ultimate calling in my life.  I'm here to listen to them, to help them reconnect with, and express, their own needs.  This work creates the space wherein they can let go of the tensions that hold them and release their own bodies into soft, powerful movement.

The effectiveness of this approach was confirmed for me shortly after moving my two spirited Morgan geldings home to my private farm.  On our first 4th of July at home, the neighbors hosted what became an annual private fireworks event, complete with whistling aerial displays to accompany the auditory bombardment of firecrackers and cherry bombs.  I had the horses inside, with fans running and a radio playing, but the very-near outside world was alight with flashes and flares, thundering with bangs, crashes, and pops.  These two spirited Morgans were decidedly alarmed.

As I sought to  comfort them, I began some simple Masterson techniques  I'd seen on YouTube and read about in Jim's book.  Within 5 minutes, these verge-of-panic geldings were standing quietly in their adjacent stalls, lowering their heads, sighing and softly blowing.  In a phenomenon I have seen countless times since,  one gelding would relax and soften as he picked up the calm vibes of the other one I was physically touching.  We rode out the rest of the fireworks show in a  state of grounded peace, the horses now trusting both the safety of the barn and the comfort of their own regulated bodies.

From that night on, I've been dedicated to bringing this same physical comfort and psychological peace to every horse I meet, and while it has taken over a decade for my life to allow me the freedom to pursue my certification in the Masterson Method®, I have seen time and time again the powerful effects of the softest of touches, and I know in this practice that I am right where I belong.