Rein or Shine Horse Massage

Since 2012 I have worked on over a thousand different horses from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines: from lesson horses that do it all and rescues in need of rehabilitation, to dressage and performance world champion competitors, and winning barrel horses. I include in each massage an evaluation form depicting the areas of soreness, and teach you exercises you can do to help continue the positive impact of the massage.

MY Mission

To collaborate with horse owners in the Western Washington region to provide the best quality of life for our four legged family through a strong educational foundation and partnerships with owners to create an individualized treatment program for each horse that comes into my care. In providing the best quality care possible backed by continuous learning, I hope to spread awareness throughout the community about the positive impacts of horse massage with regards to overall general health, healing, and helping our animals reach their full potential and achieve competitive goals.

Achievements

How it all Began- The Inspiration!

Rein or Shine Horse Massage was inspired from the realization that the bucking fits my mare was notorious for seemed to occur at very specific moments when I was asking her to lift her shoulders, turn, and push off using her hind end. I knew it was pain related, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. I had my saddle fit checked, lameness tests, her teeth done, and still couldn't figure it out. The punishment my body was taking at the time from trying to handle her repeated rearing, jumping into the air, bucking, and landing vertically (think bronc busting) turned me toward massage and chiropractic, so I asked my trainer if there was anything like that for horses. As it turned out, there was an entire world I was completely unaware of. I immediately called the recommended person in the area and after the first session I started to notice improvement with my mare. She was happier overall, moving with more balance, and there was no crazy bucking incident the next time I set up barrels. Under her recommendation, she came back at two week intervals, which turned to three week intervals, and in combination with chiropractic, my horse had completely changed her demeanor. She was never mean, but her willingness to try new things, and her trust in me grew tremendously. I had people coming up to me at shows saying "Is that the same horse?!? I can't believe it!". I competed with her locally at Silver Spurs Saddle Club and at both the county and state level for both performance and gaming as she turned into the all-around horse of my dreams. I knew the positive impact bodywork had on my horse, and as I headed off to college at the University of Idaho I knew I needed to find someone that could continue the body maintenance on my mare in an entirely different state. It turns out, that was a lot more easily said than done.

By the end of the school year, I could tell Covergirl wasn't feeling her best. I had tried three different professionals, and some of them had done more harm than good. It was at that time I decided that if I wanted it done right I would have to do it myself. I researched many different horse massage schools across the country, but decided that at my young age I wanted a national certification so if I ever decided in the future to work on other people's horses I would be taken more seriously. My two horses, in addition to the lesson horses at the barns in both Idaho and Washington were the primary beneficiaries my first year massaging. As I became more practiced in the techniques and more attuned to how massage positively impacted each of the horses I was working on, I decided to start Rein or Shine Horse Massage. Trainers soon noticed the difference in the lesson horses performance. They recommended me to clients who had horses that weren't able to perform at their potential (and were therefore plateauing in training) and to clients who's horses were recovering from injuries. The word of mouth spread around the barn, and I had a consistent clientele who I would work with during holiday breaks when I was back from college. After graduation, I dedicated my time to my family as my dad was diagnosed with metastasized melanoma which had spread from his lungs to his brain. His diagnosis coming a week before my graduation totally flipped my world upside down. I didn't know where I was going to go or what I was going to do but I knew the importance of spending time with family. He gave me tremendous amounts of advice throughout my entire life, but during those last few months together as I was overwhelmed and lost, the advice he always gave had even more importance and impact on me. He always told me to follow my dreams, be the change I wish to see in the world, and have faith and belief in myself-because to him I could always do anything I set my mind to. And my mind is set- I want to make a positive change for the horse community as a whole and be a successful business woman. And to do that, I am devoting my time, heart, and energy into Rein or Shine Horse Massage.