Rosemary Gillies CESMT
"If you have gained the trust of a horse,
you have won a friend for life..."
I have been a lifelong lover of horses. While I didn't own my own until I was an adult, I was "that horse kid" & spent every possible minute I could helping out at the barn & riding as well as working at my local riding school in order to catch ride where I could. One of my favorite places as a child was the local horse sanctuary where you could visit and hang out with the horses.
After school I took a break from horses to work in the finance industry & start a family, but found my way back to horses after our move to Texas in 2015.
I have previously worked as a groom in the dressage world for USDF Gold Medalist trainers, as well as being a barn manager for a large, mostly dressage boarding facility.
After juggling barn management with part-time bodywork, I decided to take the jump into a full time career change in 2019 and haven't looked back! Since first qualifying as a CESMT, I have taken many CE classes, training & certifications, including NBCAAM board certification in Equine Acupressure & becoming an FEI Permitted Equine Therapist. Our goal is to offer integrity & excellence to our equine clientele and their owners.
Why Bodywork?
It is my experience that people often turn to complementary therapies after a long road of lameness or inconclusive health issues and when traditional methods have been exhausted. However, in my opinion, the best way for horses feel and perform at their best, regardless of their age and workload/discipline, is to combine veterinary preventative care, correct nutrition, farriery and exercise with a therapeutic wellness program; the whole horse holistic approach.
A functional integrative approach for the equine performance athlete has become important in all disciplines, just as it is for human athletes, but this approach is not limited to the competitive animal, it is valuable to all our horses; the weekend warrior, the retiree, the rescue project, the lesson or therapy horse.
Don't we all want the best for our horses?
Prevention is better than cure...
Whilst all illness and injury may never be completely avoidable, it is entirely possible to incorporate a team approach to ensure your horse's overall wellness; to prevent, reduce or delay the occurrence of destructive inflammatory processes and compensatory patterns.
A consistent program of correct diet & exercise, alongside bodywork, with good management of the environment can maintain the body in an optimum state to heal should an accident or injury occur.
Mission
I strive to provide a service that helps all horses feel a little better.
This may simply be as part of a wellness program, to keep them in top shape to be able to do their job, either as an athlete or a lesson/therapy horse, or to enable them to remain supple & comfortable in their retirement.
My role may be as part of a team helping with recovery/rehabilitation.
I value my integrity, which means if your horse has a problem that I think needs additional help, or that I am not the right person to help you at this point, I refer back to your vet or other equine professional. Bodywork is an incredibly valuable tool, but nothing I do will hold in your horse's body whilst it has a veterinary issue that needs treatment, or tack that doesn't fit for example. I strive to maintain a good working network of other equine professionals of all types, be it veterinarians, farriers, saddle fitters, other bodyworkers and so forth in order to provide the best possible care for your horse.
Not one of us has all the answers, we all have different skills, strengths & weakness:
often it takes a team effort to get the best results.
I am committed to continuing education and self improvement.
Bodywork and alternative therapies are an ever changing field, especially with the progress being made in the study of fascia for example. I am always working to make sure I keep up to date with new information and techniques that will be beneficial for you and your horse.
Complementary Therapies are NEVER a replacement for adequate veterinary care & diagnosis.
I hold certifications/have training in:
*Myo-Manipulative Functional Therapy*
*Tensegrity Balancing Therapy*
*Myo-Fascial & Trigger Point Release*
*Sports Massage Therapy*
*Acupressure*
*PEMF Therapy*
*Kinesiology Taping*
*Cranial Sacral Therapy*
*Photopuncture & Light Therapy (LLLT)*
*Reiki*
All services are non-invasive and drug free.
Please see Services page for pricing
Please see Certifications page for a full information about our training and professional memberships.
In addition to my professional certifications, I am a competing AA member of USDF, USEF, AQHA, & the Houston Dressage Society.
I am a practitioner/professional member of the following associations & organizations:
Association of PEMF Professionals
World Alliance of Equine Osteopaths (Student Member)
BANHS Board Certified - Equine Light Therapy
NBCAAM Board Certified - Equine Acupressure
FEI Permitted Equine Therapist
I am fully insured by Alternative Balance
Copies of certifications and insurance documentation available on request.