 Message from Jim
Whew! The Florida Winter Equestrian Festival is over and I have just returned home after teaching a Phase I Certification Course in Hutto, TX. I was very pleased with all the Phase I and Phase III graduates. We now have two new MM Certified Practitioners; Debbie Dederick in Salem, OR, and Sheila Weaver in Shirley, AR (Sheila from Shirley!) You can read about Debbie below, and Sheila will be introduced in our next newsletter.
I am glad to be home even if the list of chores is longer than when I left. As they say, "No rest for the wicked." Or is it " ... the weary"? I don't know. I'm feeling a little of both right now. I know the list of chores is looking pretty wicked.
April is a quiet month here in Iowa, while May starts a whole new set of courses to teach. I encourage anyone who has taken the Weekend Seminar, to come back for either a refresher course, or to step up to an Advanced 3-day course. We have one coming up in May in beautiful Tryon, NC.
Oh yeah!... we now have two new Masterson Method™Certified Instructors to help us conduct Weekend Seminars around the country:
Tamara Yates is our Director of Certification from Chico, CA. She brings a lifetime of experience competing in disciplines ranging from Hunter-Jumper, to Dressage to, more recently, Cutting and Working Cow Horses. She has been an integral part of our Certification program for the last year and will be teaching a Weekend Seminar Workshop in Great Falls, MT in June. In addition, she has unlimited energy, and two new knees!
Stefanie Reinhold was our first very first Certified Practitioner, and lives in Madison, WI.
Stefanie and I will be co-teaching the Deerfield, Ohio course the first weekend in May. We then go our separate ways as I'll be in Tryon, NC at the end of May, and Stef will be doing her own Seminar in Lamont, IL near Chicago. I am really impressed with Stefanie and her quiet and intuitive teaching style.
I am pleased to be building a stronger teaching program with these two excellent instructor/practioners. The addition of these two women will allow us to cover a larger geographical area as well as a broader field of equestrian interest. Please contact us if you would like to work with us to schedule a Seminar with Tamara, Stef or me, near you.
And finally, thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter. Mark Twain once said, "If you don't read the newspapers, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you are misinformed." Good thing he wasn't around to see the internet. In any case, I don't think he was a very big fan of horses. I do hope you find our newsletter at least a little bit informative, if not entertaining.
In the meantime, like me, enjoy your horses.
Jim
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New Certification Practioner:
Debbie Dederick, LMT
Debbie grew up in a small farming community in Silverton, Oregon. Her early years were spent riding and showing her own horses. In the following years, she raised her four children and worked in the field of medical social work, then serious illness changed the direction of her life. During that difficult time, she drew on her memory of the joy and peacefulness of touch she experienced with her horses and babies, an exchange that satisfied her soul and brought her peace. The result was the decision to do work that would allow her to use her hands to communicate with people and animals hence, massage and bodywork.
At that point in time, most equine massage programs were teaching basic step by step, rote programs. The horses were relaxing and submitting to the massage but Debbie felt there was a vital reciprocality that was missing. She was not satisfied with just doing something to the horse; she wanted to interpret the horse's communication with her so she could more accurately effect change in tension patterns.
Her search for continuing education, creativity and her commitment to the integrity of what she wanted to offer horses and their owners led her to the Masterson Method™. The Masterson Method™has filled in the vital missing element in her Equine practice and confirmed her belief in trusting that the horse will lead you to where bodywork is needed. Debbie's experience using the Masterson Method™with such magnificent animals meets her working criteria; true communication and peace in her soul.
Debbie can be contacted via her website www.touchofkindness.net e-mail address touchofkindness@comcast.net or by phone 503 931-2077.
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Notes of Case Study
Successes  from Donna Clark, MMCP
Since I became Masterson Method™Certified, many of the horses I used as case studies became my regular clients. Astro, an Arabian who shows in Sport Horse had a difficult time bending left, he was very restricted in his right poll and the junction of C7/T1 (shoulder). After a month of weekly sessions he won everything that he entered at the Golden Gate Association Horse Show in Santa Rosa!
Tanner, a 10 yr old QH is a reining and cutting horse who works very hard. When I began working on him, his shoulders and hamstrings were quite reactive and sliding stops were difficult for him. I work on Tanner weekly and his owner is thrilled with the way he is moving and stopping.
Monterey, a Grand Prix Level Dressage horse had a difficult time picking up the left lead. He showed restriction on the diagonal of left front, right hind. After 3 sessions of releasing his left poll, shoulder restriction, he had no problem picking up that left lead.
I volunteer at the SPCA weekly and work on the horses that have been rescued...this is painful for me but very rewarding...I would take them all if I could...maybe someday...most have been abused and starving and the SPCA lovingly cares for them and most get adopted.
On Saturday, April 3rd, I gave a demonstration at Gilroy Gaits, a training facility for Grand Prix Jumpers & Dressage horses. It is 55 miles from my home but, well worth the trip. I demonstrated on The Mighty Quinn, an 18.2 Belgian Warm Blood, Grand Prix Level Jumper. He had lots of restriction and reactivity in his right atlas/axis and his left lumbar/sacrum area. He was so responsive and the horse owners were quite impressed with the work and the immediate show of release by the horse. His owner wants me to work on him weekly through the show session, along with the 4 owners who watched the work.
The Masterson Method and the ensuing results the Method produces speaks for itself and my business is growing and thriving. The first thing I did was to work with my husband Dwight, designing my brochures. I went to barns and worked "pro bono" on the horses of trainers. I still offer that and it comes back tenfold. Now that the show season is upon us, I am quite busy and feeling more fulfilled than ever in my life. My most recent endeavor was building my website. I am so grateful to Jim, Conley, Tamara and Stefani for helping find my purpose and now I live my passion. Donna
Editors note: You can get in touch with Donna via email: equinebodywork@comcast.net. Donna lives in Carmel Valley, CA
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Question
Posted
on Linked In Website:
If it were sociably acceptable (maybe even
legal) what favorite tool that you use with your horses would you want
to use at the office? To get things done, we all rely on tools - lounge
ropes, whips, bits, spurs, reins, hands, legs hips, lead ropes, flags,
etc. - which of these would like to use at the office and give us a
little story why.
 An answer that Stefanie Reinhold, MMCP
posted:
I would have to say the "Bladder Meridian
Exercise", a relaxing and 'fact finding' tool that is part of the
Masterson Method™of bodywork for horses.
And I have done this in
meetings. This is how it works: You approach your counterpart softly,
yielding to confrontational behavior or resistance, just to come back
and softly ask again.
Once counterpart understands you are not
threatening him on this particular issue, move to the next issue and
repeat. If you stay slow and soft enough, you will soon have a relaxed
counterpart and will slowly learn where his/her 'sore spots' are. Since
you yielded to resistance, the counterpart will feel heard and that
creates trust.
Good basis for cooperation. Voila!
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Tip of the
Month From
Alienore Conrad, MMCP;
I have been working on this wonderful 21 year old
thoroughbred Mr. Jeeves, with a history in hunter/jumper. He has lots of arthritis issues and he
has taught me to go slow with the work.
He has front end "stuff",
especially shoulders/withers and poll.
When I began working on him as part of my internship phase he was very
stoic. He is now much more demonstrative with licking,
chewing, yawning, head shaking.
But . . . he needs lots of
time to do the releasing. I
have learned to step aside, get smaller than he is and do some breathing myself
and wait for him. He tends
to paw with his left front foot when he is getting uncomfortable. I usually "stay" a bit longer through
the fidget and then let him have some space to release. Being able to wait and ask for just a
little at a time has really payed off in improving his range of motion.
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How to Keep up with Jim
Follow Jim on Facebookfor up to date information on the Masterson Method™. And, finally, take a look at the article written in the May edition of Dressage Today on Jim's techniques! |
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Seminar
Calendar
April 24th Demonstration Des Moines, IowaAnimal Rescue League $10 donation to Animal Rescue League. For Flier and more information contact: Tammy Hansen plsc28@hotmail.com or call (641) 373-2858 May 8th - 9th Deerfield, OHMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Co-taught by Jim Masterson and Stefanie Reinhold Only a couple spots left!Click here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon May 22nd - 23rd Tryon, NCMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar- Workshop Click here for FlierContact Ivey Sumrell for registration and information. Or Call: 704-516-6518 (cell) May 24th - 28th Tryon, NC5-day Phase I Certification Course. Prerequisites apply. One spot left!Read about our Certification. Click here for Flier
For more Information Contact Us
641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon
May 29th - 30th - 31st (Memorial Day Weekend) Tryon, NC3-Day Advanced Course for Horse Owners and Enthusiasts. Click here for FlierContact us for more information Or call: 641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon May 29th - 30th Lemont, IL (near Chicago)Masterson Method™ Weekend with Stefanie Reinhold Click here for FlierContact us for more information June 12 - 13th Truro, Iowa
(20 minutes from Des Moines) Masterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon June 14th - 18th Des Moines, Iowa5-Day, Phase I Certification Course. Prerequisites apply. Read about our CertificationClick here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312 M-F 9am - noon June 15th -16th Great Falls, MTPrivate Masterson Method™Seminar with Tamara Yates July 3 - 4 Bristol, UK SeminarsMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierContact Pen Gunter for Booking form and information at: Tel: 07974 250098 or penny@equinesportstherapy.co.ukJuly 10th - 11th Shropshire, UK SeminarMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierContact Pen Gunter for Booking form and information: Tel: 07974 250098 or penny@equinesportstherapy.co.ukJuly 17th - 18th Helchteren, Belgium Masterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierContact Linda Gould: linda@woofsandhoofs.be Or phone: +32 478.21.22.08 July 24th - 25th Dublin, IrelandMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierContact Sheaffe Monteith: Shantocentre@gmail.com or call: +353 (0) 87 203 4236 July 26th - 30th Dublin, IrelandOur First European
Phase I Course!5-day, Phase I Certification Course. Prerequisites Apply. Read about course description.Click here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon Come join us in Ireland!August 1st Dungannon, Co Tyrone, IrelandOne-day Masterson Method™ Click here for Fliercontact Sheaffe Monteith: Shantocentre@gmail.com or call +353 (0) 87 203 4236 August 14th-15th Little Compton, Rhode IslandMasterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierFor more information and registration: Ron Bouchard; 860-564-7759 or email him at: Equisportmt@sbcglobal.net Sept 4th-5th NEW DATESPalo Alto, CaliforniaStanford University Red Barn Masterson Method™ Weekend Seminar-Workshop Click here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon Sept 6th - 10th New Dates - Memorial Day +4Palo Alto, California 5-day, Phase I Certification Course. Prerequisites apply. Read about course descriptionClick here for FlierFor more information Contact Us641-472-1312, M-F 9am-noon |
Bodywork
Training Videos
Having a hard time explaining to someone exactly
what the Masterson Method is? Let Jim help you! Send your friends to
our webpage: Training Video Clips.We have some short-clip training
videos of Jim teaching at various seminars. Titles include: The
Bladder Meridian; Working with Fearful or Resistant Horses; What is the
Masterson Method? Where to Start Work on your Horse.
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Putter
Putter was one of my case studies (who is now living in my barn!!) He is sometimes a little dramatic...but he REALLY loves the Masterson Method!
Shelia Weaver, MMCP
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Ask Jim:
Dear Jim:
I am currently working with an equine massage therapist for my gelding,
who is experiencing a compensatory muscle knot after we surgically corrected a meniscal lesion last July.
The muscle knot appears to be located in the Semitendinosus and Biceps Femoris muscles. We are working diligently, but I would like to be sure we're working on the right areas and there is nothing else we can do.
I've waited almost a year to get him sound; the meniscal lesion is gone, arthroscopy was clear and we are both mentally ready to ride again. Unfortunately, this knot appeared in December and it is preventing him for bringing his left hind leg forward symmetrically with his right hind. Any suggestions? Tracy
Dear Tracy,
I'm sure the the work your massage therapist is doing now is helping with your muscle problem. However, there are techniques in the DVD that will help to release tension in other parts of the body that may affect this area. In my experience injuries or discomfort in other parts of the horse's body almost always affect the horse's poll and atlas area, especially if the horse has been standing on three or three and a half legs for a while.
Conversely, releasing tension in the poll has a very strong effect on releasing tension in the sacrum, and muscles that pull on the sacrum and pelvis such as the semitendinosis and femoral biceps.
Releasing the poll also relaxes muscle spasms at the hip joint, which is close to your knot. This would be the first step I would take. Other exercises included to release the sacroiliac and hind limbs will also help. As you know, you're dealing as much with the compensatory affects on the horse's body as the injury itself at this point. It's important to look at the whole horse, including diagonals.
Start with the very first technique in the DVD, the bladder meridian, then the neck and poll/atlas, and then go from there. Let me know how it goes.
Best Regards,
Jim
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