Please review our detailed list of resources below. Each section has information on facts, links and more information for you to read and research.
VOM AND VMR, MASSAGE THERAPY, AND THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
To learn more about VOM and VMR protocols and technology, including understanding lasers and myofascial release utilizing activator devices, visit http://vomtech.com/
Vomtech -
Horse Diseases: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLePiWqpY9_Vpgh8PCV2i85O4x7vf3LxjB
To learn more about equine massage therapy and the best school there is (in MC’s opinion) or find a professional equine massage therapist in your area, visit https://www.equinology.com/.
You can learn about the equine musculoskeletal system by visiting this great site: http://www.equusite.com/articles/holistic/holisticMusculoskeletal.shtml
Vomtech -
Horse Diseases: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLePiWqpY9_Vpgh8PCV2i85O4x7vf3LxjB
To learn more about equine massage therapy and the best school there is (in MC’s opinion) or find a professional equine massage therapist in your area, visit https://www.equinology.com/.
You can learn about the equine musculoskeletal system by visiting this great site: http://www.equusite.com/articles/holistic/holisticMusculoskeletal.shtml
Veterinarians
To learn about and contact a holistic veterinarian in your area, visit http://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/.
Local to the cities of Elk Grove and Shingle Springs and Amador County in California are three of MC’s favorite veterinarians. They practice conventional veterinarian medicine; however, each also offers an aspect of the holistic approach to animal wellness. Know that discussing organic and holistic approaches will be welcomed with these veterinarians.
Robert Hunter, D.V.M., Owner of Hunter Stallion Station: http://www.hunterstallion.com/
Jim Garfinkel, D.V.M., Owner of At Farm Veterinary Services: http://www.atfarmveterinaryservices.com/
Dean Bader, D.V.M., Owner of Shingle Springs Veterinary Clinic: http://shinglespringsveterinaryclinic.com/
Local to the cities of Elk Grove and Shingle Springs and Amador County in California are three of MC’s favorite veterinarians. They practice conventional veterinarian medicine; however, each also offers an aspect of the holistic approach to animal wellness. Know that discussing organic and holistic approaches will be welcomed with these veterinarians.
Robert Hunter, D.V.M., Owner of Hunter Stallion Station: http://www.hunterstallion.com/
Jim Garfinkel, D.V.M., Owner of At Farm Veterinary Services: http://www.atfarmveterinaryservices.com/
Dean Bader, D.V.M., Owner of Shingle Springs Veterinary Clinic: http://shinglespringsveterinaryclinic.com/
Books
Reading great books by amazing teachers is one way to educate yourself about the horse and ways to overcome obstacles with the equine body.
This is MC’s favorite, and she feels it’s a must for your tack box: Beating Muscle Injuries for Horses by Jack Meagher
Other exceptional titles are:
Physical Therapy and Massage for the Horse by Jean-Marie Denoix and Jean-Pierre Pailloux
The Horses Muscles in Motion by Sara Wyche
Beyond Horse Massage by Jim Masterson (“The Masterson Method”)
How your Horse Moves and Horse Anatomy for Performance by Gillian Higgins
This is MC’s favorite, and she feels it’s a must for your tack box: Beating Muscle Injuries for Horses by Jack Meagher
Other exceptional titles are:
Physical Therapy and Massage for the Horse by Jean-Marie Denoix and Jean-Pierre Pailloux
The Horses Muscles in Motion by Sara Wyche
Beyond Horse Massage by Jim Masterson (“The Masterson Method”)
How your Horse Moves and Horse Anatomy for Performance by Gillian Higgins
The Horse's foot
When learning about the horse’s hooves - what is right and what is wrong - it is very important to keep in mind that, like hair, they grow. And because they grow, hooves can either be improperly trimmed and shod, “held captive” to form suboptimal shapes and grow in incorrect places, or fostered and allowed to grow in optimal shapes and places. Learning about proper balance - whether your horse just needs a trim or has to wear shoes - is paramount.
MC was fortunate enough to work closely with Moses Gonzales, a master farrier who is a unique and spiritually special man with a very keen eye. He understands that ideal growth of a hoof needs to be fostered and is aware of global body pain syndromes, and he works diligently to remove the silent forces of suboptimal balance. Presently, Moses is taking some time off but will be back in the field consulting, training, and teaching again.
The Gonzales family members have a combined experience of over 80 years in researching to comprehend why horses become lame. They have come to the conclusion that proper saddle padding that creates pain-free and symmetrical saddle/rider support and does not “trap” the shoulder from moving properly is absolutely essential. They found that when there is less impingement upon the shoulder, the associated hoof development improves – an exciting finding that relates to holistic treatment.
This family devoted to horses developed such a pad that is available through their company Free-Strider Saddle Pads: http://www.freestridersaddlepads.com/index.html.
Also check out this site for information about proper balance care for your horse’s feet: http://pbhtrim.com/inspiration.php
MC was fortunate enough to work closely with Moses Gonzales, a master farrier who is a unique and spiritually special man with a very keen eye. He understands that ideal growth of a hoof needs to be fostered and is aware of global body pain syndromes, and he works diligently to remove the silent forces of suboptimal balance. Presently, Moses is taking some time off but will be back in the field consulting, training, and teaching again.
The Gonzales family members have a combined experience of over 80 years in researching to comprehend why horses become lame. They have come to the conclusion that proper saddle padding that creates pain-free and symmetrical saddle/rider support and does not “trap” the shoulder from moving properly is absolutely essential. They found that when there is less impingement upon the shoulder, the associated hoof development improves – an exciting finding that relates to holistic treatment.
This family devoted to horses developed such a pad that is available through their company Free-Strider Saddle Pads: http://www.freestridersaddlepads.com/index.html.
Also check out this site for information about proper balance care for your horse’s feet: http://pbhtrim.com/inspiration.php
Training
Although there are many sophisticated trainers, it can be difficult to find one who truly understands the holistic connections. A couple of trainers/equine therapists that MC has been fortunate to work with, and who are her favorites, are described below.
Steve Wright of The Wright Ranch
Steve has over 30 years of experience with riding, training, and breeding; most importantly, for much of his career he has been very involved with learning about therapeutic techniques for helping horses out of painful dysfunction, and he takes the time to apply them.
What he significantly specializes in is teaching “connection” lessons to help riders understand their horse. In addition to the wonderful riding techniques he teaches, he pinpoints the issues riders have and the physical and other issues horses have that could be preventing optimal movement and connection between horse and rider.
Steve understands the equine body-environment-feed-feet-behavior connections and has dedicated his life to helping horses in all these areas.
The Wright Ranch is located in Clements, California. Services include a connection lesson for horse and rider that can range from one to several hours. For a horse who needs serious restoration and rehabilitation, a long-term stay from 1 week to several months is available.
MC and Steve have worked together for many years to determine what may be preventing optimal form and function, as well as freedom from pain, for horses. Consultation with both MC and Steve is available upon request.
Check out the website to see what The Wright Ranch has to offer: http://www.thewrightranch.com/
Nicol Kunka
Nicol is a lifelong horsewoman whose accomplishments include getting third place in the Extreme Mustang Makeover on a wild mustang she trained. Nicol respects horses and knows they suffer; because of this, she does everything she can do to eliminate pain.
Nicol and MC worked together for many years, and during that time MC developed a profound respect for her moral compass when it comes to working with horses. Countless times, Nicol paid out of her own pocket for horses in training to have muscle, spine, and herbal therapy because she knew how important it was to the “whole” picture when working to produce a healthy, happy horse who moves properly.
When MC became ill in 2010, Nicol transformed herself from being a trainer to becoming a teacher, incorporating advanced equine therapy in her skill set. Attending VOM and VMR courses and investing in all the equipment that she had seen MC use so successfully for many years, Nicol went to work and is now offering a very unique holistic approach to horse care.
MC is offering consultation to help pinpoint all areas that need to be aggressively addressed regarding body-environment-feed-feet-behavior and will work with Nicol or another therapist to provide a teamwork approach if desired.
Nicol lives and works in Galt, California, and is available to travel; her website is: http://www.averagejoehorsetraining.com/default.html.
Steve Wright of The Wright Ranch
Steve has over 30 years of experience with riding, training, and breeding; most importantly, for much of his career he has been very involved with learning about therapeutic techniques for helping horses out of painful dysfunction, and he takes the time to apply them.
What he significantly specializes in is teaching “connection” lessons to help riders understand their horse. In addition to the wonderful riding techniques he teaches, he pinpoints the issues riders have and the physical and other issues horses have that could be preventing optimal movement and connection between horse and rider.
Steve understands the equine body-environment-feed-feet-behavior connections and has dedicated his life to helping horses in all these areas.
The Wright Ranch is located in Clements, California. Services include a connection lesson for horse and rider that can range from one to several hours. For a horse who needs serious restoration and rehabilitation, a long-term stay from 1 week to several months is available.
MC and Steve have worked together for many years to determine what may be preventing optimal form and function, as well as freedom from pain, for horses. Consultation with both MC and Steve is available upon request.
Check out the website to see what The Wright Ranch has to offer: http://www.thewrightranch.com/
Nicol Kunka
Nicol is a lifelong horsewoman whose accomplishments include getting third place in the Extreme Mustang Makeover on a wild mustang she trained. Nicol respects horses and knows they suffer; because of this, she does everything she can do to eliminate pain.
Nicol and MC worked together for many years, and during that time MC developed a profound respect for her moral compass when it comes to working with horses. Countless times, Nicol paid out of her own pocket for horses in training to have muscle, spine, and herbal therapy because she knew how important it was to the “whole” picture when working to produce a healthy, happy horse who moves properly.
When MC became ill in 2010, Nicol transformed herself from being a trainer to becoming a teacher, incorporating advanced equine therapy in her skill set. Attending VOM and VMR courses and investing in all the equipment that she had seen MC use so successfully for many years, Nicol went to work and is now offering a very unique holistic approach to horse care.
MC is offering consultation to help pinpoint all areas that need to be aggressively addressed regarding body-environment-feed-feet-behavior and will work with Nicol or another therapist to provide a teamwork approach if desired.
Nicol lives and works in Galt, California, and is available to travel; her website is: http://www.averagejoehorsetraining.com/default.html.
Breeding
When considering purchasing a horse from a breeder, a horsewoman who can provide you with insightful information is Lynn Strauman of The Gypsy Rose Ranch.
Lynn has been breeding horses her whole life and is the owner of The Gypsy Rose Ranch, which was founded in 1999 and where she breeds and raises Gypsy Vanner performance horses. She is located in Clements, California, on 40 beautiful acres.
Her breeding program has produced many outstanding “get” (the offspring of a prized stallion) who have won in breed shows as well as competitions against many other breeds and types of equine in different disciplines such as dressage, gymkhana, combined driving, three-day event, hunt seat, and various cattle-related events.
What Lynn specializes in is realizing how special the horse is to the human journey. MC respects Lynn’s breeding program because she does not breed horses just to make money - she produces horses to be loved and cherished family members who will bring joy to their riders. Lynn has a very special and limited amount of production because of her spiritual belief that horses are not a commodity.
Visit The Gypsy Rose Ranch for more information: http://www.ghswest.com/gypsyhorses/
Lynn has been breeding horses her whole life and is the owner of The Gypsy Rose Ranch, which was founded in 1999 and where she breeds and raises Gypsy Vanner performance horses. She is located in Clements, California, on 40 beautiful acres.
Her breeding program has produced many outstanding “get” (the offspring of a prized stallion) who have won in breed shows as well as competitions against many other breeds and types of equine in different disciplines such as dressage, gymkhana, combined driving, three-day event, hunt seat, and various cattle-related events.
What Lynn specializes in is realizing how special the horse is to the human journey. MC respects Lynn’s breeding program because she does not breed horses just to make money - she produces horses to be loved and cherished family members who will bring joy to their riders. Lynn has a very special and limited amount of production because of her spiritual belief that horses are not a commodity.
Visit The Gypsy Rose Ranch for more information: http://www.ghswest.com/gypsyhorses/
ADDITIONAL CAUSAL FACTORS OF EQUINE BODY BURDEN
“Equine body burden” refers to anything that burdens the optimal functioning of the nervous, lymphatic, immune, muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, and structural support (the feet) systems.
As a very accomplished equine musculoskeletal professional and after much experience both professionally and personally, MC believes that the single most detrimental element that creates and fosters pain, disability, and dysfunction in our modern world today is chemicals. An important part of MC’s consultation program consists of helping individuals understand the many invisible and silent dangers of chemical accumulation. In addition to synthetic, lab-created harmful chemicals, many so-called organic substances can create the most detrimental body disruptive organisms and chemicals.
Here are some links to help educate yourself about this very serious health threat:
http://www.chem-tox.com/
http://www.aromatherapynaturals.com/pages/dangers-of-chemical-cleaners
Molds/blacks molds create extremely volatile organic compounds called mycotoxins, which have been scientifically proven to damage and disrupt the body system functions.
Sewage and sewage-related organisms and gasses, which include urine, have also been scientifically proven to cause significant harm to the body’s systems, in addition to increasing the threat of parasite infestation. Refer to the websites below to learn more about volatile organic compounds:
http://www.drthrasher.org/
http://www.realtimelab.com/clinical/veterinarian
Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF)
It’s not only relevant but imperative to discuss the rise in the “dirty,” “chaotic” energy that EMF exposes us to.
After much investigation, it is MC’s opinion that a major source of body disruption is the increasing amounts of EMF in our environment, which can bring on all forms of stress, including body pain syndromes and other negative physical changes.
For education and options to protect your family members, both human and equine, from harmful EMF, refer to the following websites:
http://www.earthcalm.com/emf-protection-pendants-bracelets/
http://www.emfnews.org
http://bodyecology.com/articles/little-known-dangers-of-emf.php
Parasites
The equine body burden can also be brought on by a parasite problem.
“Parasites can harm the body tremendously - they are able to hamper the immune system and cause diseases.” – Dr. Clark Information Company
Whenever a body is weakened, a parasite can take advantage of, and literally feed off, that. To learn more about how parasites affect both humans and animals, refer to the following pages from Dr. Hulda Clark’s website:
http://www.drclark.net/
http://www.drclark.net/cleanses/beginners/herbal-parasite-cleanse
As a very accomplished equine musculoskeletal professional and after much experience both professionally and personally, MC believes that the single most detrimental element that creates and fosters pain, disability, and dysfunction in our modern world today is chemicals. An important part of MC’s consultation program consists of helping individuals understand the many invisible and silent dangers of chemical accumulation. In addition to synthetic, lab-created harmful chemicals, many so-called organic substances can create the most detrimental body disruptive organisms and chemicals.
Here are some links to help educate yourself about this very serious health threat:
http://www.chem-tox.com/
http://www.aromatherapynaturals.com/pages/dangers-of-chemical-cleaners
Molds/blacks molds create extremely volatile organic compounds called mycotoxins, which have been scientifically proven to damage and disrupt the body system functions.
Sewage and sewage-related organisms and gasses, which include urine, have also been scientifically proven to cause significant harm to the body’s systems, in addition to increasing the threat of parasite infestation. Refer to the websites below to learn more about volatile organic compounds:
http://www.drthrasher.org/
http://www.realtimelab.com/clinical/veterinarian
Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF)
It’s not only relevant but imperative to discuss the rise in the “dirty,” “chaotic” energy that EMF exposes us to.
After much investigation, it is MC’s opinion that a major source of body disruption is the increasing amounts of EMF in our environment, which can bring on all forms of stress, including body pain syndromes and other negative physical changes.
For education and options to protect your family members, both human and equine, from harmful EMF, refer to the following websites:
http://www.earthcalm.com/emf-protection-pendants-bracelets/
http://www.emfnews.org
http://bodyecology.com/articles/little-known-dangers-of-emf.php
Parasites
The equine body burden can also be brought on by a parasite problem.
“Parasites can harm the body tremendously - they are able to hamper the immune system and cause diseases.” – Dr. Clark Information Company
Whenever a body is weakened, a parasite can take advantage of, and literally feed off, that. To learn more about how parasites affect both humans and animals, refer to the following pages from Dr. Hulda Clark’s website:
http://www.drclark.net/
http://www.drclark.net/cleanses/beginners/herbal-parasite-cleanse
