Whole Horse/Human/Canine Bodywork
Horses are masters at hiding pain. In the wild, if any weakness is exhibited, the horse risks being exiled out of the herd or becoming a victim from predators. They learn to hide, ignore and manage pain. They have the inability to tell us verbally. They instead, may act out in behaviors. This is overwhelmingly a misunderstanding. The horse needs us to listen...on a deeper level...to what they are saying.
THE MASTERSON METHOD
"The part of the horse's autonomous nervous system that blocks out pain is called the sympathetic nervous system. This is the "fight, flight, or freeze" part of the nervous system. This is what kicks in and saves the horse's life when it senses, or feels danger.
The parasympathetic part of the nervous system is the part in charge of healing, resting, digesting and restoring.
The natural flight, fight or freeze response in the horse is very strong. As the owners, we work with this every day. This survival response does such a good job of blocking out pain or discomfort from a past incident that it doesn't easily allow the body to completely let tension associated with it go. The horse is in a sense, internally, always on the alert.
When you learn how to by-pass the horse's natural bracing and blocking response (sympathetic), then that part of the nervous system (parasympathetic), which allows the horse to release the tension it's been holding kicks in." -Jim Masterson (Founder)
In this relaxed state, a horse's joints are taken through a range of motion below the horse's natural bracing response. The horse then allows itself to release tension throughout the body. This allows improved athletic function, decreased pain and restores balance to the horse's body.
MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
I've been practicing MFR since 2010 on human, horses, dogs and other creatures. Fascia is a web-like network of connective tissue that covers the entire body, muscles, organs, vessels and cells. MFR focuses on elongating and unwinding shortened connective tissue and restoring functional movement. It's an important tool for increasing strength, power and overall athletic performance. The fascial system is a component that communicates to the brain and is extremely responsive to input.
MASSAGE
I'm a State Licensed Massage Therapist with a passion of restoring alignment, movement and function to humans, horses and dogs. I believe that the body works as a whole unit and needs to be treated as such. Restoring movement can reduce discomfort, improve range of motion and get you and you horse performing to your top potential.
KINESIO TAPING
Kinesio tape applications communicate with the nervous system via the mechanorecptors and nocireceptors underlying the skin. Tape works with the brain to support neurological changes. These changes result in soft tissue changes.
Decompression of the underlying tissue and vessels improve circulation and lymphatic movement, decrease pain, improve soft tissue glide, improve proprioception, improve hyaluronic acid production, relax trigger points, support joints, unwind fascial restrictions and stimulate muscle activation.
