Like so many of my equestrian comrades, I surrendered early to the crazed devotion that tends to descend upon young girls who have discovered horses. An absurdly shy kid, horses were my refuge; I began riding at a busy Chicago-area hunter/jumper lesson barn at age 8, became a working student at 10, and spent the greater part of my adolescence cleaning tack, sweeping floors, and riding until I could barely walk. It was a fantastic way to grow up.

    Also typical, I took time off from horses to attend college and establish my early career (I worked full-time for many years in the Portland area as a professional harp player), before meandering back into the equine realm in the mid 2000s.  I adopted my current spitfire OTTB mare, Saoirse (“Seer-shah”= “Freedom” in Irish Gaelic) in 2010, and we’ve since spent our time together pursuing eventing disciplines, learning silly tricks with clicker training, and just hanging out.

    Finding horses again as an adult was like turning a light on in a dark room: the stunning effect they had on my life revealed what a transformational blessing they so often are to us chronically stressed-out human beings.  I also came to feel an enormous debt of gratitude, both personal and collective, for their centuries of tireless service and companionship.  The overarching mission in my massage practice is to express that gratitude, and to begin to repay some of that debt.

    I first discovered the power of equine bodywork when my mare began to experience intermittent lameness, back pain, and recurring ulcers.  Thus began a parade of vets, saddle-fitters and bodyworkers that most horse caretakers are all too familiar with.  I was immediately struck by the intimacy in the communication between my horse and the massage therapists who worked on her; while Saoirse doesn’t speak English, she was able to express quite clearly where she was feeling discomfort, and what massage techniques helped her find relief.  

    I initially decided to learn some basic Masterson Method and TTouch massage techniques through books and videos to help my horse in between her sessions with professionals.  Almost instantly, I was completely hooked; after a lifetime spent doing hours a of sensitive work every day with my hands as a musician, working with my hands on horses was a natural evolution.  I began massaging friends’ horses for fun in my spare time, and gradually came to realize that I’d stumbled upon my dream job.

    I spent the next several years studying equine massage at the Norwest School of Animal Massage, one of the few fully accredited institutions for animal massage in the country.  To date, I've obtained certification in general large animal massage, large animal performance (i.e. sports) massage, and Equi-taping (or equine kinesthesioIogy taping), and I continue to explore self-study on a daily basis. I anticipate a lifetime of formal and informal continuing education in my field.

    I am currently licensed to practice large animal massage in Washington State (which has the strictest licensure requirements for animal massage in the country), and I also practice in Oregon, which currently has no licensing process for animal massage.  I am also nationally certified in Large Animal massage from the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage, and I belong to the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.