Infraspinatus and Brachiocephalicus - all part of my week

My week training for the certification in Equine Sports Massage Therapy was intense (to say the least) and amazing at the same time. I sure was in for some surprises.

It started quaint, with easy travel to Providence, RI, and a scenic drive to Griswold, CT. I stayed at the Bay Mountain Farm B&B, also an Equine Sanctuary and Rescue. The farm was build in the early 1700s, and has been lovingly restored by Cindy and Glenn, the owners. It's like stepping back in time, but with all the modern conveniences (like hot showers!). 

Bay Mountain Farm B&B

After a good nights sleep I went on my merry way to Equissage New England/New York where I was warmly welcomed by Doris and Ron, the owners/instructors, but also had my first surprise: I was the only student that week (the maximum number of students is three). The second was that Doris is German, not only that, she is from Freiburg - one of my all time favorite cities. Luckily, the three of us 'clicked' from the beginning, which was good thing as we were going to spend a good deal of time together. I had chosen that program specifically because Doris is not only a Certified Equine Sports Massage Instructor, she is also a certified Masterson Method Practitioner and Coach. OK, off to a good start!

It dawned on me pretty quickly that this would not be an "easy - breezy" week with some jaunts to the beach. Instead, I was having eight hours per day one-on-one and sometimes even two-on-one instruction, supplemented by ample homework at night. Classroom sessions in the morning, hands-on work in the afternoon. 

Doris and Ron turned out to be consummate professionals and true horse people, warm and friendly, but nevertheless demanding. Doris luckily understood my hang to perfectionism and the frustrations that come with it ("must be in the German genes"). More than once I doubted if I could ever make it, and -as usual- I was my own harshest critic. At night I crammed muscles and their functions, knowing I would be tested the next day (yes, there was a written test every day):

The challenge on Velcro - where does which muscle go and what's its function??

Fortunately, it so happened that the other woman staying at the B&B turned out to be a smart, funny and sassy New Yorker. Amanda -an adjunct professor of Literature- was there to write on her book. We went out to dinner several times and had a blast. 

Soon it was time for the exams, several pages of written exams followed by a full Equine Sports Massage. I was relieved that the written part went well, but my stomach flipped a bit seeing Doris with her large clipboard, observing my every move like a hawk but also trying to keep me at ease. Luckily, Cappuccino (a handsome Paso Fino) was in a good mood and didn't give me any trouble.

Whew! All went well, I didn't forget or mess up and at the end Doris and Ron presented my with my certification and a lovely card from Ziggy (their adorable Jack Russell). 

There a quite a few Equine Sports Massage training programs around, and they sure are not all the same. I am convinced I found the best one - at least it is the best one for people that truly want to learn and are committed to it. 

Now, JP, pour that Champagne: Horse and Sense LLC is officially up and running!

Dressage Camp for Remy - Massage Camp for me

Almost time to start packing for both of us again - and somehow Remy always seems to manage to have more stuff than I do. Perhaps because I pack his bags for him?

I have decided to add a certification in Equine Sports Massage to the Masterson Method Bodywork. Both complement each other, and I will have more tools in my toolbox (one can never have enough tools, just ask JP).

Here is a short comparison:

Masterson Method
By moving the horse’s joints through their range of motion while in a relaxed state, the horse can participate in the release of tension in the major junctions of the body that affect performance.

Equine Sports Massage
Muscle manipulation necessary to release spasms, keep fascia and scar tissue as pliable as possible, maintain muscle conditioning and health and improve blood and lymph circulation. This in turn expedites the elimination of toxins and promotes a more rapid healing of injuries.

On Sunday I am traveling to Connecticut for an intensive week of training - the student / instructor ratio is 3/2. In addition I am excited about my stay in an historic B&B, the farm was build in the early 1700s and is lovingly restored. It also serves as an Equine Rescue and Sanctuary.

Remy will be heading to "Roz' Dressage Camp". As he has been going so well lately for me it will be wonderful to have an excellent trainer work with him and progress him (and yes, iron out the flaws I have instilled, sigh). I know he'll be in great hands, both under saddle and in the barn.

Note to self: Pack enough carrots and Nutella, respectively!

Is this the "new normal"?? - Could it be..?

Today's trip to our lesson started with a detour: As soon as I got a glimpse of the standing traffic on US23 I made the split second decision to get off the on-ramp (after making sure it was safe, of course) and go trace our steps back until we could hit the back roads. Good thing Remy is such a patient traveler (not a good thing that I didn't have the Bluetooth active). We made it late but safe by taking the scenic route. Luckily Roz was switching lessons around and Chapin traded with me.

Starting out Remy's back felt tighter than yesterday, so we decided to go fairly quickly to a forward trot to loosen him up. From then on we had another really good lesson, Remy was soft and supple, and after the canter work his trot felt pretty awesome. I liked the half-pass - change the bend - half-pass other direction exercise very much. It got Remy more supple and more responsive to my leg aids. Another exercise that worked great is putting some leg-yield steps in the canter work.

I wondered afterwards "Is this our new normal??" Could it be possible that both of us work in a relaxed but focused way, continuing to build on the previous lessons?

Yep, we can do this! Remy says no worries, I've got us covered -- at least I hope that's what he says. I better ply him with extra juicy carrots tonight, just to be on the safe side. Never hurts to cover all the bases...pass me the German chocolate, please.

The boys are benefitting from my 4th grade lessons - and luckily my memory served me right

Way back in 4th grade I had a biology teacher that was insistent that we had to learn as much as we could about plants. So as a 10 year old I learned about plants and their medicinal benefits for humans and animals. I stored the knowledge somewhere in the depth of my brain, never really thinking it would come in handy again.

During our trailride on Saturday the Remy and Chambord were trying to grab some of pretty white flowers growing close to the trail. While snacking is usually a big No-No, in that case they were lucky my long-forgotten lessons kicked in:  Schafgarbe "Yarrow" or "Archillea millefolium" is very beneficial for horses.

Afterwards I had second thoughts: Did my memory serve me right?? What if the plant is poisonous?? I mean, 4th grade was not exactly yesterday. So I went to Google for verification. What a relief, I had remembered right:

Yarrow has many benefits for horses, especially the bitter compound helps with digestion. The plant is also anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, increases appetite (Ok, our boys might not need this), good for metabolism and blood. Overall, the plant also helps to protect the horses' stomachs.

So, in that case, snacking is OK - but only at the end of the trail (Yes, JP, you may get a bourbon instead!)

"He has four feet and he can use them" - and how did he manage to text??

Today was our weekly "Big Boy Bridle" (aka double bridle) day and Remy is taking to it lake a champ. We had a very good training session with -as always- great exercises. I do like the shoulder-in on the second track to change of bend to shoulder-in, so for example shoulder-in right then straight back to the left, then shoulder-in right again. That makes Remy way more flexible.

The half-pass exercise was centerline - half-pass - leg yield - half-pass which helped with the responsiveness to my leg (on the right I still get a "maybe"). This worked especially well in the canter half-passes.

The most fun I had is with something I hadn't tried before with Remy: Ueberstreichen in the canter. It goes like this: We canter on the circle, I give completely with both hands over the open side of the circle and then pick him up again on the closed side. While I give with my hands Remy's frame does not change, neither does the canter (i.e. no falling out, getting slow). Roz seemed surprised by my obvious delight and she drily said "he has four feet and he can use them" meaning Remy can work collected in a frame with the hind legs pushing. And then -of course- we had to try the same on our weaker (right) side. When that also worked well I had a hard time wiping that grin off my face. Sticking my head under the cold hose (it was a hot day) didn't do it.

JP stopped by just as we were done and asked about the ride. I told him everyone was happy, so he went on his merry way to go grocery shopping. Coming home he surprised me with a bouquet of roses "on behalf of Remy, he texted to say he was really happy with you today and instructed me to get flowers!".

Hmm, now how would Remy manage to text with those big feet, I wonder??  I guess it must have been telepathic texting - those two do have a special connection (and however it worked, I don't care, I'll just enjoy the roses)!

Busy times - and "A good day at the office"

Whew - nothing cleans a house like having guests ... at least in my book. Our annual Get Together/Open House/JPs birthday had me frantically cleaning the entire house, nooks, crannies, and windows included. More than once I grumbled "where's the housekeeper??" and then I looked at my disheveled self to see her in the mirror!

Of course, after all the frantic cleaning nobody cared about the house, everyone stayed on the patio or wandered into the (always clean!) barn, because the weather was perfect - and the bar was outside!

Monday started with a consulting job (which I enjoyed) and then it was time for some serious exercise: Our hay farmer has beautiful hay, but alas, no workers. It means driving over an hour, load hay into trailer and on truck, drive home, unload, stack, repeat. This time we got a special treat: Bob, the farmer, opened his treasure trove for us and showed us his lovingly assembled "man toys" and memorabilia.

Size matters :-)

My Masterson fieldwork is going well. However, writing the reports and doing charts afterwards are a bit of a nuisance. But it's all worth it when the horses are responding well to the bodywork. I am very fortunate to be able to work on nice horses - some even fall asleep on my shoulder as this beautiful Irish Sporthorse H/J mare did.

1100 pounds relaxing on my shoulder

I am having better rides than ever on Remy. He is soft, supple, in front of my leg, and does work really well (to my surprise) in our once-a-week double bridle lesson. As Roz put it  so well the other day "A good day at the office!" - especially when your office is at the barn!

This T-Shirt goes from office to riding, proclaiming

"Do no harm but take no sh*t"