Horses are my passion. From my first pony ride as a toddler to a childhood spent at horse shows, on trail rides, in parades, and at ropings, I rode western until college, after which I flirted briefly with hunters before realizing my dream of studying dressage. These days, I am happy to be owned by Andy, aka Maestoso II Athena II-1, my Lipizzan gelding who loves trail rides, roping steers, babies in strollers, and best of all, showing off his tempi changes and pirouettes for an applauding audience. 

Equine body work has been a longtime interest of mine, as I learned early on that my horses felt better and performed better when they had the benefit of massage and other complementary therapies from expert practitioners. Then I discovered my own aptitude for equine body work, and enrolled in an Equinology INC ® Equine Body Worker Certification Course. Two weeks full time in the classroom with Equinology founder and course instructor Debranne Pattillo were followed by hundreds of hours spent practicing, studying, and completing the rigorous externship program required for certification.

Certification by Equinology as an Equine Body Worker is an achievement I treasure. Their program is grounded in the best of science, enhanced by exceptional instruction, and it produces exceptional graduates. I can say that without prejudice, because long before I was their student, I used Equine Body Workers certified by Equinology for my own horses. My personal experience as an Equinology student gave me an even greater understanding and deeper appreciation of Equinology's educational standards.

In addition to my studies with Equinology, a lifetime's education from living with horses informs my equine massage practice and gives me a deep database of experience to utilize. I couldn’t help but absorb a lot of useful knowledge in a lifetime spent with countless horses at well-run farms, studying with gifted trainers, hanging out in the barn aisles at great horse shows, and writing articles about every aspect of horses and horsemanship.

Over the years, I have been Managing Editor of Horse Lover's National Magazine, and Staff Writer and Advertising Representative at California Riding Magazine, in addition to owning and managing sport horse boarding facilities. I am also a partner in Dark Horse Media Biz, a comprehensive communications and marketing company for equestrian businesses. 

This wonderful lifetime with horses led me to equine body work, where I can make a difference one by one. One horse, one pair of hands, one goal: A happy, healthy horse.