Welcome!

This is a rather large site with lots of information in various areas. If you are new to the site, I would recommend that you access the information with anything larger than a cell phone. I have tried to make the information as accessible as possible while providing loads of information so you know exactly what is taught.

If you have any issues with accessing the information, please do e-mail me via the ‘contact’ section. I strive to keep the site as up to date as possible and as user friendly as possible with all of the devices that are used to access information. If you are unable to access the information, please do let me know so that the issue can be resolved – many thanks!

You can use the drop down menus at the top of the page and there are also links (to the same pages) provided below. Explore and enjoy the site! If you have any questions that are not covered here or on the FAQ page, please feel free to e-mail through the “contact” section.

Thank you!

I would like to address a topic that some of my students have shared with me. Misleading, bogus web sites. These are sites that thieves have created to steal money from hard working people. So how do you know that this is not one of those sites?

Here is the best way I can assure you that I am who I say I am:

My name is Sidonia McIntyre. I am a Registered Massage Therapist from Ontario, Canada. One can look me up on the CMTO web site (search for College of Massage Therapists of Ontario).

I regularly advertise in: Community Horse Journals, Little Bits, Western Horse Review, The Rider, and my courses are also posted on the HCBC, AEF, and NSEF, web sites, along with my business membership with OE (they don’t post courses on their site).

Every single course I offer is posted on this site. One can get in touch with the facility – please do not bombard facilities – but check out their web sites and you should see my course posted, or you can e-mail to confirm that yes indeed there is a course being held at their facility.

You will also see below a listing of my graduates (yes, you can join the list once you have successfully completed the course!). You can always e-mail anyone on the list and ask about me – people who have met me and can tell you about the course.

Finally, ask around about me. I have been teaching courses nationally for over 20 years. I have worked at maintaining an honest reputation with both the facilities where courses are offered and my students. We treat the facilities and their horses with respect and kindness and I also treat my graduates with the same respect and kindness by offering them an amazing experience with the course of their choice, and also in offering post course help. I make myself available to my grads when they have questions about a horse they are working with and need to ask me for my opinion about what I think may be the issue and the soft tissue/massage solution.

It saddens me that this is the direction of some people in our society. I hope I have given you enough resources to explore and reassure you that the courses are indeed real. You can always text me too and we can schedule time for a chat. Please do not call me as I do not answer my phone while I am teaching. You may text me at: 1-519-562-9992

Sidonia

No time to read this page, no problem! Click the link below for a shortened version of the course information – click above for my complete schedule.

click here for Cell PHONE FRIENDLY QUICK INFORMATION

What programs are offered?

3 – Courses are offered by the School of Equine Massage and Rehabilitation Therapies:

Equine Massage Course:

Graduates receive their certificate: Certified Equine Massage Therapist

This is a very intense 6 day course. The majority of this page has all the information for the Equine Massage Course. Just scroll down please.

In British Columbia, the term “massage therapist” is a copyright protected term owned by the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (Human RMT governing body). As such, we use the accepted certification of: Certified Equine Massage Body Worker.

Please click on the link below for all the course information or click on the link above in the drop down menu.

https://equinerehab.ca/equine-massage-course-information/

6 Week Professional Equine Massage Program:

This course is taught Monday-Friday with graduates receiving their certificate:

Certified Advanced Equine Sports Massage and Vertebral Realignment Therapist

The 6 Day Equine Massage Course is NOT a prerequisite.

Information on the 6 Week Equine Professionals Program can be accessed by clicking on this link:

https://equinerehab.ca/6-week-professionals-course/

Vertebral Realignment and Joint Play Course.

This course is included in the 6 Week Program.

Only graduates from the 6 Day Equine Massage Course may take this course. It is the prerequisite for the VR Program – no exceptions.

information on the Vertebral Realignment Course can be accessed by clicking on this link:

https://equinerehab.ca/vertebral-realignment-course-information/

for the full course schedule click on this link below:

https://equinerehab.ca/course-fees/

Registration for courses:

If you are registering for any course, please fill out the on line application form. You can access it by clicking on the “application form” tab, or follow this link:

https://equinerehab.ca/application-form/

Be sure to read the refund policy. It can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

https://equinerehab.ca/refund-policy/

After receipt of your application form and payment, within 24 hours you will be e-mailed the password for the pre-course homework.

You may register for any class at any time, even the day before – there are never any cut off dates for registration

No prerequisites are required to attend any classes. The only prerequisite for classes is the on line pre-course homework.

Do you offer any payment plans?

No, The School of Equine Massage and Rehabilitation Therapies does not offer any payment plans or scholarships. If a student needs to have any paperwork filled out for any special funding programs, just send the paperwork and it will filled out free of charge.

The 6 Week Advanced Professionals program requires only the $500 deposit for registration. The remaining balance is not due until 2 weeks prior to the course start date, so lots of time to save up for this very intense, all in person, with loads of hands on time with the horses Program.

How do I register for a course?

You can click on the link below which will take you to the on line application form:

https://equinerehab.ca/course-list/

Looking for a therapist in your area? Click the link below for our national registry.

Click here to visit our listing of Certified Equine Massage Therapists

Click here to visit our list of Vertebral Realignment Graduates

Here are some of the most popular questions I have been asked about the courses:

Do I have to bring my own horse? or May I bring my own horse?

No, the facilities I book already have the required number of horses, so you do not need to bring your horse.

If you choose to bring your horse, you must contact the facility owner directly and make arrangements. Some facilities do not allow other horses onto the property as they have a closed herd, while others may require vaccination paperwork and a Coggin’s Test. This is between you and the facility. Each course location page will indicate if people may or may not bring horses onto the property. A ‘closed herd’ indicates that no other horses may come onto the property.

If you do bring your horse, you must bring sufficient hay either for the entire course (7 days), or enough to mix with the facility’s supply as we do not wish for any horses to develop colic from a change in feed.

Is there homework prior to the start of the course?

Yes, there is homework!

Once a person has registered by completing the application form and submitting the payment for a course, an e-mail is sent within 24 hours with the pass code for the ‘homework log in’. This is an opportunity to prepare for the course, so the sooner a person registers for a course, the more time to study!!

The course homework takes approx. 20 hours to complete for the 6 Day Course and approx. 35 hours for the 6 Week Professional Program.

Should I buy an equine massage book?

No, please do not purchase an equine massage book for this class. I equate learning how to massage from a book to learning the Irish Jig from reading a dance manual. It may be done, but it won’t be done correctly, and the result won’t be pretty!

Massage is more than just rubbing a muscle. It requires technique, regulated pressure, rate, learning cues from the horses as they respond to the work, and of course, our own posture! All of these nuances cannot be learned from a book.

If people wish to purchase massage books after this course, I do support it – the more knowledge the better!

Do you recommend any books on anatomy?

Yes, I highly recommend a couple of books:

Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of Horse Volume One, Riegel, Hakola. This is an excellent book that has won awards for illustration, reference text and education.

Horse Anatomy A coloring Atlas, Kainer, McCracken A really nicely illustrated book with lots of facts.

Clinical Anatomy of the Horse, Clayton, Flood, Rosenstein. This book is a dissection of the horse and lists the anatomy of the horse. As this is a dissection volume, please be aware that it is graphic.

I am a big fan of Hilary M. Clayton. she has written many books and I have been impressed with her ability to convey an idea clearly, no matter the subject matter.

There is a web site https://www.equinenetworkstore.com that has a great selection at excellent prices.

Amazon.ca also has these books

Is there testing?

Yes, in the 6 Day Course there are 3 written tests and one final hands on massage on the last day of the course.

In the 6 Week Professional Program, there are 6 written tests and at the end of each week there are massage finals.

Not to panic!! I am extremely fair when it comes to testing. Whether you are taking this course as a career, or if you want to learn how to help your own horses, testing in this course is all about what you have learned, what you may need to work on a bit, or have I done my job by explaining and demonstrating a particular part of the course in a way that every student is able to understand.

I have a balance between the written tests and the hands on work. The balance is set at 80-20. 80% is based on hands on work and 20% for written tests. A person can get perfect on every test, but not do as well in the hands on portion and needs a bit more help or vice versa. Ultimately, it is about the work with the horses that counts! A horse does not care if you can say the word “brachiocephalicus”, but he does want you to be able to work on this muscle correctly!

Will we be diagnosing horses?

No, diagnostics are specifically for doctors: MDs,(medical doctors) DVMs (doctors of veterinary medicine) and DCMs (doctors of chiropractic medicine)

As Equine Massage Therapists, we can only assess.

Who takes these courses?

The 6 Day Course is typically taken by owners who wish to learn more about how they can help their horses be more comfortable, perform better, or help an older horse with their aches and creaks. All our working horses are athletes, whether they are in competition, trail riding, or just the occasional pleasure hack, and as such, they can sustain injuries.

The 6 Week Professional Program is specifically designed for people who want a career in the equine industry. Students are given every single tool to create a working business when they graduate.

We have seen some truly amazing results in the racing industry with horses that have regular massage based on a program which is taught in this class. The 2011 Queen’s Plate winner ‘Inglorious’ received 2 massages for the first time in her life (by one of my grads) one week prior to the race – again based on a program set out in this course.

Is there an age requirement?

Yes, the minimum age for this course is 16 or turning 16 in the calendar year. At times I have allowed 15 year old students to take the course, but they must at some point: have been involved in Pony Club, 4-H, home farm/ranch experience, Rodeo or Jumping Circuit etc., and must have a full recommendation from a parent/guardian. Good grades in school are also an asset, but the horse experience is what truly counts, along with the parent/guardian’s assent.

Are there any prerequisites?

No, there are no educational prerequisites for this course. As each person will have a different level of horse experience and education, there is no minimum for this course.

There is however, pre-course homework. The homework is the prerequisite for this course.

On average, the homework for the 6 Day course takes approximately 20 hours and 35 hours for the 6 Week Professional Program.

Muscles, bones, massage terminology, safety protocol are included in both the 6 Day Course and 6 Week Professional Program.

The 6 Week Professional Program has more muscles and more bone and landmarks in the homework.

Do I have to have horse experience?

No, you do not need to have horse experience to take any classes offered. Each person has their own level of experience with horses – some have grown up with horses while others may have very little. This course has an extensive safety protocol which includes handling of horses.

If a person has very little experience in working with horses, and would like to get some experience, check out https://www.cantra.ca/en/member-centres

for a complete listing of therapeutic riding associations across Canada. They are always looking for volunteers!

How much hands-on time is there in this course?

We do hands-on work with the horses for approximately 60-70% of the courses. Truly, anyone can learn about anatomy from a book but the real reason people take my classes is because of the large amount of hands on time I offer. This is the student’s opportunity to touch, feel, get massage experience, grow with confidence and get feedback from the instructor.

Both the theory and the hands-on work are equally important, as we need to understand why we massage in a particular way, and how we would approach a horse with a plan based on the condition of the soft tissues. Students need to learn how to physically massage a horse, and this can only be accomplished in the barn! For this reason, we are massaging horses every day of every class!

What are the class times?

6 Day Course:

Each class is from 8am-5pm each day. The last day of class will be shorter and will be concluded no later than noon.

Classes can begin on any day of the week, so please pay attention to the course schedule.

If there is a statutory holiday during the course, the course will continue and will be taught on the statutory holiday.

On our first day, please be at the facility no later than 7:45am.

The total number of hours of instruction is 39 hours

6 Week Professional Program:

Classes are from Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. The last day of the week will be shorter and will be concluded no later than noon.

If there is a statutory holiday during the course, the course will continue and will be taught on the statutory holiday.

On our first day, please be at the facility no later than 7:45am.

There is a long weekend in the Program – Week 5 Friday and Week 6 Monday. Each student in the Program will research and present

a 30 minute presentation on a natural health modality during the final week of the course. Most students do quite a bit of preparation

and typically need this last weekend to study for their final and work on their presentation.

The total number of hours for this course is 306.

What is the class size?

This is dependent on the number of horses a facility has to provide. Typical class sizes range from 10-16.

The minimum (not maximum) number of students is 6.

Are lunches provided?

Lunches are not provided.

A refrigerator will be made available for storage, so please do bring a lunch as some of the facilities are quite remote and there are no restaurants nearby.

When should I register for a course?

You may register for a course at any time either on line or via mail. The sooner you register for a class, the more time you will have to study the homework.

Although I would prefer to teach a small class to not at all, there must be a minimum number of 6 students registered for the course for it to move forward.

If you know that you want to take the course – don’t procrastinate!

Please click on the ‘application form’ button and follow the directions.

Is there a cut off time to register for a course?

No, you may register for a course at any time – even the day before a course is to begin. The advantage of registering early is the opportunity to study the homework.

I have e-mailed you and have not received a reply

If you have sent an e-mail and have not received a reply within 48 hours, please check your spam folder. For all registrants, please go to your e-mail provider and add my e-mail to your contacts. I typically use e-mail to communicate with people – I do not use Facebook or any other social media platform, so please add the e-mail below so all communications are received:

info@equinerehab.ca

You may also text me at: 519-562-9992 Please do not call as I am teaching during the day. If you need to speak with me, text me and we can arrange a time to chat!

How do I register for a course?

You will need to fill out the application form. Click on the link below:

https://equinerehab.ca/application-form/

There are 2 waivers that need to be filled out. Both waivers are given to each student. You may view the waivers on the “application form page”.

Registration is complete when payment has been received.

Please do not fill out the application form if you are not prepared to make your payment.

After your registration is complete, you will receive an e-mail within 24 hours and you will be given the access code for the ‘homework log in’ on this web site.

If you have not received a confirmation e-mail (after 24 hours), please contact me – texting is the fastest way to reach me: 519-562-9992

You will receive a receipt on the last day of the course.

If you are joining the class at the last minute, you may either make an on line payment or bring cash or money order in the full amount on the first day of class (no cheques are accepted). Money orders are made payable to: Sidonia McIntyre

I have made a payment on line via e-transfer and have not received my homework/confirmation e-mail

Please check that the e-mail address if correct. The only e-mail address to use is:

info@equinerehab.ca

Check your spam folder. To avoid having any correspondence end up in the spam folder, add the above e-mail address to your contacts.

Be sure to click the “confirm” or “payment” button on your on line banking. A debit should appear instantly. .

How do I know a class is confirmed?

It should be presumed that all classes are moving forward, so be prepared to come to class. You may certainly contact me to confirm if a course is moving forward within 3 weeks of the course start date. A confirmation e-mail is sent to all registrants approx. 3 weeks prior to the course start date. If you have not received your confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder.

Add: info@equinerehab.ca to your contacts in your e-mail provider’s list of contacts.

If the course is still posted on this site as “Open” then you can be assured the course is moving forward.

Please be sure to check your e-mails prior to the course! If I know of a problem (outbreak) on a facility, any construction issues or any new information becomes available I will e-mail everyone to inform them of any issue.

What do I need to bring with me to the course?

A lunch

A hat and sunscreen (for working outside – weather permitting)

Fly spray in the summer is a good idea for yourself

A cushion to sit on as I provide stools and they can get quite uncomfortable

A more comfortable chair – the collapsible chairs are quite popular

Steel toed footwear is not mandatory – but highly recommended

Weather smart clothing – shorts are not a good idea

Please be sure to be up to date with your tetanus shot. In barns there are plenty of rusty surfaces and nips can also occur.

You may bring a camera with you on the last day for group pictures, but no video taping or pictures of maneuvers during the course is permitted

Everything you need is provided: pens, pencils, highlighter, paper and the course manual.

The only thing that you need to bring with you is an open mind that is ready to learn!!

What clothing should I wear?

Wear weather appropriate clothing, bring a hat and sunscreen, and if you have them, steel toed shoes.

In the winter, dress in layers, bring hot pads for hands and feet – in short, be prepared to work in the barn.

We should never handle our own horses after the class prior to changing our clothing, disinfecting our boots and washing ourselves thoroughly as well.

2008 was a big year for strangles, influenza and rhinovirus. Extra precautions should be taken: wear coveralls if you have them, then remove them at the facility and place them in a large garbage bag along with footwear before entering your vehicle. Shower (including hair) prior to handling your own horses, or touching your dogs or cats either (as they can literally carry the virus into the barn). Regardless of an outbreak in a barn, we should always use extra caution!

Barn Chores

The facilities where all courses are taught are real working farms who have opened up their barn doors and have graciously allowed us all to come to their properties and work with their horses. This is a big plus as students get to work with horses in real-life environments and not attend a school where the horses are massaged constantly – students learn how to work with working horses! These farms have altered their daily schedules to accommodate the course – which is a disruption to their day to day working schedules. Having the luxury of working with these horses comes with responsibilities which include barn chores. In order to have access to the horses, we take on many of the responsibilities to aid the owners/staff which include: cleaning stalls, cleaning and filling buckets, tossing down hay, sweeping alleys, taking horses in and out and feeding. It has not been unusual in my practice to have to go and fetch my horse from the field, muck out a stall that is not clean and to fill up a water bucket and feed the horse some hay. In an ideal world, the horse is already in the barn, groomed and the stall is mucked, but in the real world, things sometimes do not go according to plan… If I have a bad attitude about having to get a horse from the field, groom them and muck a stall and it puts me into a bad state of mind, then the ‘energy’ of the massage will be changed (and not for the good!); however, if I accept that sometimes I will have to do these chores, and I keep a cheery spirit, then it will not change my attitude and the ‘energy’ of the massage can progress in a quiet and peaceful way.

Be prepared to get your hands dirty!

What is the best way to reach you if I have a question?

E-mail is the best way to reach me – the internet never sleeps! If you are a registrant, please add my e-mail to your contacts: info@equinerehab.ca

You may e-mail me through the “Contact” section of this web site located at the top of the page.

Texting is also a great way to reach me: 519-562-9992

Do you offer on-line instruction?

Absolutely not is the short answer. I do not believe that massage can be learned from a book, neither do I believe that massage can be learned on-line. We can learn facts, anatomical landmarks, muscles, anatomy and physiology, but we cannot learn the art of massage without an instructor’s help. Equine anatomy can be learned from books and does not require on line instruction.

I have been asked this question a lot in the last couple of years, and as I business person, I could have created a program for people to do this course on line. But, my primary goal is to teach people the art of massage so my graduates can offer their learned, caring touch to the horses. I do not feel that massage can be learned from a book or watching a video – the nuances are easily missed.

I made the decision to keep working with people face to face, to have the ability to let people test their pressure on me in order to get feedback, to watch them as they work so that I can help them with catching cues that the horse is clearly giving as they work and to help the students in maintaining correct posture so they do not sustain injuries. None of these things can be accomplished with an on line course, then getting together every now and again to monitor the student’s progress. Catching a problem at the onset of learning also aids people so that they do not learn bad habits. I have made this statement in most of my classes: “Massage is not rocket science, but, the art of massage is rocket science”. Because I respect the power of massage, I have made the decision to only teach this course as it stands- person to person and never on line.

Do you teach individual or private classes?

No, I do not teach private classes for individuals. The class minimum size is 6. If there is a group of people that would like to book a class (usually for the following year), then please feel free to contact me and we can discuss adding a class!

Do you offer group discounts?

No, I do not offer group discounts. This is a certification course, and every person pays the same fee.

If I take both the Equine Massage and Vertebral Realignment (VR) courses, do I receive a discount?

The massage and VR courses are totally different courses and although the two techniques go hand in hand very well, they are still separate courses.

Do you have a refund policy?

Yes. You can view it by clicking on the link below or if the link is not working, then go to the bottom of the page and click on the “Cancellations and Refund Policy”

https://equinerehab.ca/refund-policy/

Do you teach classes in the winter?

Generally no, I do not teach in the winter months as I drive from one location to another. The weather in our beautiful country during these months can be quite volatile and dangerous for all. Besides, hubby and I do need to see each other for a few months! Typically, classes are offered from to April -November.

What is your philosophy regarding working with horses?

In my opinion, doing this type of work is much easier if the horse is working in partnership. Partnership requires give and take from both parties. Yes, the horse may pin his ears or lift his leg to show discomfort, or as a warning, or as a defense mechanism or simply in response to a next door stall mate. It is up to us to work through this with the horse. This is where my philosophy regarding working with the horses comes into play. The horses have the right to indicate pain, they have the right to move during the massage, and I encourage the horses to engage with me often – this means that their attention is continually drawn to me during the massage – this keeps me safe as the horse is interested in what I am doing, is a willing participant and shows true partnership when they will actually show me the problem areas. The best source to ask where the area of issue is located is not the owner or veterinarian or farrier or saddle fitter or nutritionist or whoever else has worked with the horse, but rather the horse.

I believe that one way horses communicate with us is through body language. As we cannot teach them how to actually talk using words, the task falls to us to learn their language. I practice natural horsemanship: request, respond, release. It is as simple and as complicated as those three words. I do believe in discipline, but the discipline comes in the form of pressure that requests the horse to respond; when they have responded appropriately, then they gain their release. Striking a horse is inappropriate and is not tolerated in this course – this also includes shanking (pulling aggressively on the shank with a sharp downward repetitive pressure). We cannot gain their trust in allowing us to work on areas of pain if the same hand that is working with the horse has just struck the horse. This leads to confusion, distrust and disengagement of the horse from the session which leads to us now having lost the primary source of information.

Physical signs of pain can be obvious or quite subtle, but they are there! Watching the horse for these signs helps guide us during the massage so we can better understand where the problem areas are located, and equally importantly, where they feel pleasure so we have areas to work that allow for a ‘cooling off’ from some work that can be uncomfortable. The horses are much easier to read when they are working with us rather than just standing there taking the massage whether they like it or not.

You do not have to know natural horsemanship to take this course, and you do not have to practice it either. If someone disregards all the information regarding natural horsemanship and can massage a horse without ever raising a hand, shanking, or any other means of inflicting pain/discomfort to the horse, then I have no quarrel with them.

What I can convey to you is that once I learned how the horses communicate with each other and I tried to ‘talk’ with my own horses and they started to ‘talk’ to me, it opened a whole new world and allowed me to explore the possibilities of mutual trust. I think that this is a vital aspect of physical care as I am asking the horses to show me where their pain is located, and allow me to work in their tender areas. Any of you that have had that nasty knot in your shoulder and have had your massage therapist work it out know that massage is not all enjoyment and relaxation – it is sometimes very uncomfortable! This creation of trust with the horses allowed me to develop moves that I had previously done with my human clients only. Transposition of moves from human to horse was tricky and dangerous, but with trust and guidance from the horses, the moves became more fluid – and the best part – the horses got better and their movement and attitudes improved. What could be better than that?

There are lots of people that practice this type of work and have put together videos, newsletters, magazines, and offer courses etc: Jonathan Field, Pat and Linda Parelli, Dan James, Chris Lyons, Josh Lyons, Monty Roberts and Warwick Schiller just to name a few. Google them and see for yourself which person’s ideas you resonate with the best!

My friends Janice, Dave and Lennox at the Jandanda Ranch in Pinantan Lake, BC regularly have clinics on natural horsemanship at their beautiful ranch.http://www.jandanaranch.com.

What makes your course different from other equine massage courses?

The simplest answer is experience. I bring over 34 years of massage experience to the barn with me. As a registered massage therapist, I learned proper massage terminology – which is used in the courses I teach. Professionalism is an integral part of the courses I teach. This includes showing up on time, being prepared for classes, using the proper use of terms, and most importantly – spending time in 100% supervision of all students. Many courses do not do this and leave students to learn on their own with very little supervision. The whole point of me teaching courses is to provide my students with the tools to successfully offer their newfound gifts to the most deserving ones of all – the horses! We use our horses in work, competition and play. Offering our touch to them in a way that they can choose to accept is one way of giving back, maintaining performance or simply connecting in a real, organic, loving way with our horses – which they can choose to accept.

The horses have taught me so much in my 25 + years of working with them! Why do horses have perfectly imbalanced shoulders? If you look at your horse, you should see a difference between one side and the other – this is absolutely the correct posture for every single horse. If someone is trying to change this- most especially from a chiropractic standpoint – please stop. Why? Take my course and find out!

I have taken all of the information the horses have shared and have written my own, full color manuals. The 6 Day Equine Massage Course, The 6 Week Professional Manual and the Vertebral Realignment – No Mallet Method Manual. Each student will receive a copy of the manual for the course they are attending. Each manual is my own original work with pictures of issues and the massage techniques used to aid the relief of the issue.

Working with the horses in a safe way is my number one priority. This cannot be accomplished if I am absent or only teach for a weekend then send my students off to work on their own (developing bad or unsafe habits), then meeting again and seeing what they have done in the past month, or worse yet, to offer on line instruction. This is about getting one’s hands dirty and making sure that getting the hands-on component with the horses is met – with full supervision.

Courses are offered nationally for this very reason – to allow people the opportunity to learn this valuable skill no matter where they live in Canada!

I do not check out what other people are doing/offering in their courses as I want to keep my course content authentic to what I know best – how to handle, read and work upon soft tissues of horses. This keeps what I do personal as the course content comes from real hands-on experience and not from taking from someone else’s work and adding their content to my courses. The true authors of my courses are the horses themselves as they have taught me just about everything I do with them – they are the authorities on the subject of what works for them!

If you are looking for a teacher with experience, original course content, who values your safety and is prepared to actually be present and supervise your work and progress then this is the course for you.

Equine Massage Associations

People have asked me about what the benefits of joining an association might be after they have graduated. In all honesty, there are no benefits that I can perceive. As a registered massage therapist in the province of Ontario, I am regulated by a Board (The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario) and provincially legislated (The Massage Therapy Act of Ontario). As an RMT, I must carry 2 millions dollars of liability insurance as mandated by our College. To my current knowledge, in the province of Ontario, one person has successfully sued an RMT for soft tissue damage – one in the last 34 years. As an RMT, our insurance premiums cost approx. $200 per year for $2 Million in liability. In the equine world, this cost runs approx. $800 per year for liability insurance. Some associations boast reduced premiums; however, once the cost of the annual associations fees have been factored in, the cost is about the same… for a vocation that is not regulated, not legislated and quite frankly, no one can actually prove that a horse has been injured by a therapist during the course of the session time as horses actually feel really good after massage and will show it by running, kicking, bucking, rearing, rolling – basically anything that they can do to really make use of their new range of motion and mobility.

Associations are fine and it can put you in touch with other people who are doing massage, but it cannot enhance your business, nor will their ‘discounted’ offers of equine massage insurance be of any true value.

If you are truly sold on the idea of joining an association and you need me to fill out a form or produce a letter indicating the course content, etc., I offer this free of charge; however all forms must be provided for me.

Grants and Funding

There are some grants that offer funding for students in various provinces. There are some veterans grants and some social programs that offer funding. It is the responsibility of students to track down funding and to provide any/all paperwork to me fill out. The filling out of forms is provided free of charge.

CEU’s (continuing education units)

For those people that belong to associations that require continuing education, feel free to contact me and I can send in an application for CEUs to your association.

Below is a list of organizations that have accepted this program, along with the CEU rating. Be sure to check with your association as CEU values can change.

If you belong to an association not listed, please feel free to contact me and I will contact the association and request a review.

Natural Health Practitioners of Canada ………………………………………. 5 CEUs

MTANS (MT Association of Nova Scotia) …………………………………….5 Secondary CEUs

MTWPAM (Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners Association of the Maritimes) … 15 CEUs

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Please be advised that the “Grad Log in” is for graduates of the program only. Once the equine massage program is completed by the student, then they will be given the log in information. Thank you!

The “Homework log in ” section also password protected; once a person has registered for a course with an application form and deposit, they will then be given the information to access this area.