The Masterson Method^Ž

Monthly Newsletter - May 2014

Hello All,

Hoping you all had a good Mother's Day. Conley and I were able to make a quick trip to visit our families in California over the weekend. As I haven't been away from home for at least a couple weeks, this gave me a chance to stretch my legs and get away for a spell. Hope you were able to spend some time with Mom, too.

Coming up on June 6th is another holiday that many of you may not know about - Mare's Day.. In honor of this less-than-well-known but almost-as-important holiday, we're offering 10% off any book, DVD or combo purchased between now and Mare's Day. In addition, any Masterson Method Weekend Seminar Workshop you register for between now and June 6th will receive 6% off ($25 value.)

So show your mare how much you appreciate her by giving her the gift that keeps on releasing, a Masterson Method book, DVD, combo or Weekend Seminar-Workshop! And if anyone says to you "What do you mean, Mare's Day? There ain't no Mare's Day!" don't listen to them; just buy them the book.

I asked dressage trainer and author, Jec Ballou to give me her thoughts on our Dressage Movements Revealed DVD. Jec's knowledge of biomechanics, awareness of the horse, and thoughtful training style make her an ever more popular dressage trainer. See what she had to say below and take a minute to look at her website www.jecballou.com.

We've been working with Pferdia TV in Germany to have the, Beyond Horse Massage DVD, translated into German from English, and with the publisher, Kosmos, to have the book translated. Pferdia TV sent us an advertisement flyer which you can see was written in both languages. Click here, bitte.

Coming up in June are our courses in the UK. You can see our schedule on our Calendar page including one Friday night demonstration in Churchill at Equinethos, The Dovecote Stables, Hastings Hill. If you're not quite sure about attending a seminar or would just like to see how the Masterson Method works in person, then now's your chance to find out. To book your ticket for the demonstration, email equinethos@gmail.com. The charge is Ł10 a ticket.

This Friday begins another three day Final Certification Course here in my hometown of Fairfield, Iowa. We have five students coming to finish their Certification training, along with the assistance of seven Masterson Method Certified Practitioners. These are always fun gathering, and especially enjoyable as I get to stay home for another three days. Look for newly-minted Masterson Method Certified Practitioners (MMCP) Dianne Adel; Diane Dzingle; Laura Pheasant; Muriel Price and Mary Ohashi. Muriel's bio is below.

The last couple of years we hit the Horse Expo circuit pretty hard, doing demos at the Midwest Horse Expo, the Minnesota Horse Fair, the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, the Northwest Horse Expo, Western States Expo, Pomona Horse Expo and had a couple of Equine Affairs. Although they can be tiring and intense, we meet a lot of really nice, dedicated and like-minded people. We're able to show and talk about what we do with new people to whom the blink and yawn had no meaning before (unless they themselves were yawning during the presentations).

This year we've taken a little bit of a break. We only scheduled two Horse Expos. At the Minnesota Horse Fair we did some new things: a couple of movement and bio-mechanics demonstrations with dressage and western disciplines, and a four-hour Masterson Method bodywork clinic with horses, students and auditors.

All went very well; well enough that it looks like we're going to be at Equine Affair in Springfield MA in November to try out some new things (stay tuned), and we will be partnered up with our sponsor, Absorbine. We just found this out yesterday, so we'll let you know more next month, but plan on seeing us there doing something, if you're going.

Another good thing that came out of the MN Horse Fair was hooking up with well-known horse trainers Mark Rashid and his wife Crissi. They're like-minded horse people who realize the value of bio-mechanics and training from the horse's point of view in their program. They will be attending our Weekend Seminar and Advanced 5-Day Course in Littleton, CO in August and are kicking around ideas on a combined training-bodywork clinic, possibly in the Fall. We'll let you know more about that when the plans are detailed.

Until then, like me,

Enjoy your Horses!

Jim

Review of Dressage Movements Revealed DVD
by Jec Ballou

Do not be fooled by the title. Jim Masterson's new DVD, Dressage Movements Revealed, is a necessary addition to any rider's library, dressage or otherwise. In fact, the horse world has needed this helpful tool for quite a while. By finally bringing us this easy to understand resource, Masterson has addressed two key areas that will help riders create more effective daily routines with their horses.

First, by utilizing video footage of a horse being ridden while showing his locomotive muscles painted on his body, Masterson is able to illustrate how the horse is helped or hindered by the movements being asked of him. Weakness, asymmetry, or imbalances are immediately visible by observing changes in the colored muscles painted on the surface of the horse's skin. Masterson, along with Gran Prix rider Betsy Steiner and massage therapist Coralie Hughes, provide on-going narrative during each maneuver.

Click here to read the entire review

Jec Aristotle Ballou is the author of 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider, Equine Fitness, and the forthcoming 101 Western Dressage Exercises.

Ask Jim

Dear Jim,

Do you have suggestions for rib sensitivity

behind the girth area? When I massage my retired mare, she often looks to this area, scratches/bites it, moves away from my touch even when I use air gap. Ulcers? Should I release down from ribs/spine connection or go to most sensitive area? She has Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy & arthritis. More tender on right than left. Have you seen this?

Click here for the answer

Great Tip from Juliet Getty, Ph.D. on
Horses that Graze on Pasture 24/7 Eat More Slowly

If you let your horse out to graze on pasture for only a few hours each day, and provide hay the rest of the time, you've likely noticed how he approaches the grass like a vacuum cleaner, barely lifting his head the entire time he is outside. On the other hand, horses who graze on pasture 24/7 are more relaxed, eating less grass at a slower pace, taking time to rest and interact with buddies.

Click here to read more

Muriel Price, MMCP
from California

I was born of French parents in the United States. I began my lifelong passion for horses at an early age, taking lessons and caring for horses at every opportunity. I grew up going to visit my family in France every summer, on farms where horses, riding and breeding were the norm. Much of my youth from age 11 through high school was spent bareback riding up and down golden hills in Northern California with a group of neighborhood girls, and not until my 5th equine (three ponies, two horses-which I had to share with my younger siblings) did I have a saddle.... as it came with the free horse, an awesome off the track Thoroughbred.