How in the world did a couple of city slickers end up moving to a ranch, owning 5 horses, and boarding another in just a little over 4 years? It all started with a question asked by Ken’s life coach when Ken wanted to achieve a volunteer goal, “What did you enjoy doing as a kid?” Ken’s dad raised Morgan horses and one of them was Ken’s. His dad sold Pinery property back in the day and Ken’s job was to take care of the livery horses and lead trail rides for potential property owner’s children. When the work was done, Ken would take his horse, Misty, and his dog on rides exploring the area. When Ken turned 16, his focus turned to teenage boy things and he drifted away from his horse.

The result of the question asked by Ken’s coach needed to involve horses. Through our church, we found out about a non-profit adaptive riding center that needed volunteers. It should be noted that I had very little exposure to horses other than my daughter’s summer camp riding and vaulting lessons. Ken asked me one Saturday morning if I wanted to go with him to attend a volunteer orientation. I said, “sure,” which he really didn’t expect. The rest is history. We head and side walked during lessons and we each had our favorite horses. Princess Piper was Ken’s and Blue was mine (both happen to be Morgans).

Piper developed a condition called Kissing Spines which made a saddle and rider quite uncomfortable for her and she needed to be retired. I didn’t hesitate and asked if we could adopt her. I had absolutely no idea what it took to take care of a horse. We were able to find a place to board her and on April 1st, 2020, she became ours. It turns out that she is related to one of the Morgans that Ken’s dad raised. We boarded her for a year and a half and saw her almost every day (only cyclone bomb snow kept us from her for 2 days). We fed the other 9 or so horses and cleaned 3 times a week to offset the cost of her board. In the process, the horses taught me a lot. I started reading all I could about horses and began my journey to become a certified Masterson Method® practitioner.

On the way to see Piper, I started asking Ken questions like, “When we get a ranch, do you want a pickup truck?” Notice that I didn’t ask “if.” We started looking for horse properties but were not all that serious because we just built our “forever home” close to downtown Parker. We stumbled upon our current home, had a tour, and made an offer on the spot. The barn is very close to the house and I’d be able to see Piper from my bedroom window. Knowing we would need to have a companion for Piper, we had the fortune of being gifted Elliot. Piper and Elliot came home together and immediately bonded. We named our place Grant Ranch Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, and shortly thereafter took on our first rehab horse, Annie, who was from the same adaptive riding center as Piper. Annie was able to return to work after a few months.

We were asked to help evaluate a horse that was being offered to this adaptive riding center. This horse, who we named Misty after Ken’s first horse, had severe laminitis due to an improper diet and we were a part of her rehabilitation. She improved dramatically and came to Grant Ranch to meet Annie. Misty and Annie went together to the adaptive riding center and we came home with the old guy Blue who was being retired after 15 years of service. Annie wasn’t able to continue working and Misty was still prone to laminitis causing her to be retired as well. We told Misty she would always have a home with us and she became ours and now Annie is ours as well.
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We decided to extend our 3-stall barn by 2 stalls when there was a need to board a horse being retired (Guinness was a weekly bodywork client for me and I grew very fond of him). We were very fortunate that the horses all accepted each other as a herd – they all get along quite well. Our world revolves around these horses and we consider ourselves blessed. It’s a total labor of love and we couldn’t ask for a better life. Who knew?

​After performing over 425 bodywork sessions during my relatively short professional career as a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner, I’ve discovered a few simple techniques that seem to make a big difference for the horse.
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Withers to Hoof Point Palpation Transition
Instead of just “showing up” at the start of the hoof point palpation line, which can be startling for the horse, lightly trace your hand down from the end of the withers palpation line to the beginning of the hoof point palpation line. Showing up there without warning may elicit a “tickle” response that can be misinterpreted as a reaction.

Mouth Tickle
When your horse client is responding but isn’t necessarily releasing (e.g., after working the hind end From the Top), try a soft mouth tickle with one finger over the bar just long enough to get the mouth moving. Based on my experience, this is a nervous system “log jam” breaker and a big release will likely follow. I will only use the tickle a few times during a full bodywork session as needed, and most impactfully, at the very end.

Cervical Trapezius Muscle SRSR
This is an area where I see a lot of tension as indicated by tightness, no matter what the horse’s job is. Use light touch SRSR at this superficial muscle and watch for responses. Releasing tension here and at the deeper rhomboid muscle can improve movement of the scapula in drawing it upward and forward.

Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Wiggle
Using a flat or slightly curved palm, apply the Withers Wiggle technique to the remaining thoracic spine though the lumbar spine to help the horse release tension in muscles surrounding the vertebrae. Just gently move the skin along the topline laterally and cranially/caudally. Watch for responses and wait for the release.
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It’s all about improving the horse’s comfort, balance, and performance. Continue listening and adding tools to your toolbox for the good of the horse! 

​This is the story of our Elliot (also known as Suspended in Animation), a 14-year-old Appendix Quarter horse with best boy status. He was acquired from a slaughter auction by his former owner about twelve years ago. After rehabbing and selling him, she was able to repurchase him from a neglect/abuse situation. With his former owner, he was an accomplished eventer and jumper until around 2017 when he developed lameness in his hinds. It was determined he would need his hind pasterns fused due to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions, which had developed into severe arthritis. He made a full and complete recovery and went on to compete again with his former owner.

He was given to us two and a half years ago as a companion for our Princess Piper and has been such a blessing. When he first arrived with Piper, the two of them spent a good deal of time mutually grooming and then did a few laps around the racetrack with Elliot in the lead. He was at first high-energy and needed to learn some personal space manners. Being patient, quiet, and extremely gentle with him was exactly what he needed. He is now able to relax and is no longer easily startled.

Elliot, who is nicknamed Goober, is a big, strong horse with a heart of gold. He is quite energetic and loves to run, rear, buck, and jump (with all four feet off the ground) when he is excited and happy (and particularly after a bath!). We ride him occasionally (he’s the only one of our four that can be ridden) and he has always been a perfect gentleman under saddle – he’s very well trained and is a constant source of joy and smiles! Elliot also loves to sleep and will lay down just about anywhere. While snoring sweetly, he dreams of running and eating, not necessarily in that order!

He is very playful and tends to want to put his teeth on the backs and butts of Piper and our old guy, Blue, so when he moves, they do too. Annie (the little Haflinger) is the only one who allows some play. I think she clocked him with her powerful little buck, so he knows he needs to be gentle with her. I’ve been asking him to be nice to the others and he is listening. The herd is spending more time closer together, even lying down sleeping in the pasture close together.
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Elliot took a cookie aggressively a month or so ago and was yelled at. The next time I offered a cookie and ever since, he has been so very gentle, tentatively using just his muzzle. All of this is a testament to his intelligence and need to please. We love him so very much and have promised to take very good care of him forever and ever.

If I believed in reincarnation, I’d like to come back as a Grant Ranch horse! My husband and I started Grant Ranch Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, LLC when we saw the need for a retirement home for therapy horses. We presently have 3 of those, 2 are ours (or we are theirs) and one belongs to a close friend. Our lovely Princess Piper, who got me started in this wonderful horse life, is a 20-year-old registered Morgan with 7 years of therapy service. She was retired due to a Kissing Spines diagnosis. The instructor/barn manager told us that a therapy ranch is typically the last stop for a horse. I didn’t hesitate or consult my husband before asking, “can we adopt her?” and the rest is history. She cannot be ridden due to her condition and we promised her we would never put a saddle or a rider on her back. Over the last 4 years, she became my very best friend and constant companion. Blue is a 28-year-old registered Morgan with 15 years of service as a therapy horse. He was not necessarily ready to retire in his mind, but his body said otherwise. He has a prominent sway back, some arthritis in his hocks and stifles, and has Cushings. Annie, who is the cutest Haflinger ever, served for at least 10 years as a therapy horse. She is around 25 years old and was retired due to issues with her withers and Cushings. Here’s what it’s like to be a Grant Ranch horse on a daily basis:

7 am – a few organic baby carrots to say, “good morning!” and breakfast which consists of varying amounts of soaked grass hay pellets (warmed when it’s even a little cold), ration balancer grain specific to each horse (everyone gets salt to encourage hydration), and grass hay in slow feed nets.
I need to mention that Annie cannot swallow hay for reasons unknown (she’s been vet evaluated in every related anatomical aspect), so she gets the majority of her calories through soaked pellets. Blue has also had issues processing hay due to his old man teeth leading to FWS, so he gets about half of his calories through soaked pellets.
11 am – a few slices of apple and paddock gates opened for group turnout with some grass hay for lunch.
3 pm – ration balancer grain specific to each horse (everyone gets equine chia seeds and Blue and Annie get Prascend), a bit of grass hay for a snack, and a couple German horse muffins with a soft peppermint.
4 pm – liberty bodywork or groundwork with whomever wants to participate.
7 pm – dinner consisting of varying amounts of soaked grass hay pellets (again, warmed when it’s a bit cold), and grass hay in slow feed nets, paddock gates closed.

Fresh water is available at all times in multiple containers throughout the property and stalls/paddocks are cleaned daily.

I realized how much care we give them after writing instructions for a horse sitter (2 pages long!). In my mind, it’s a total labor of love and I wouldn’t have it any other way. These horses of ours do not deserve anything less. Are they spoiled? Absolutely – we feel that they’re adequately compensated for the joy they give us. And then there’s our 4th very special horse, Elliot who is not retired … stay tuned for his story.

​Bugsy is a 9-year-old Quarter Horse gelding with almost no history other than being a “so-so” cow pony in his past life. He came to his new owner a few months ago and was a very good boy from the start. His new owner is fairly certain that he has never been exposed to any kind of bodywork. Cow ponies are very hard working and are expected to do their job well. In my experience, there’s not always a lot of regard for issues in their bodies unless it prevents them from working. Soreness becomes tension, and if tension is not addressed, it turns into restriction, and restriction can lead to lameness. I first worked with Bugsy shortly after he came to his new home. I noted that his halter was pretty tight on his nose and he wasn’t able to move his mouth fully, so I decided to remove it and just use the lead rope. While the lead rope was handy, I didn’t need to use it as Bugsy remained completely still throughout the whole session. Imagine performing Tongue/Hyoid Releases and Lateral Cervical Flexion at liberty – it’s incredibly liberating! Bugsy’s responses were somewhat subtle yet his releases were huge with repeated yawns and third eyelid rolling. In true cow pony form, he had a lot of tension in the psoas and gluteal muscles and at the hind end as a whole. During his second session several weeks later, I wanted to try liberty bodywork with him again. Although his responses were a little more pronounced with him needing to fidget by taking a couple of steps forward a few times, he was otherwise quiet and fully participating. I’ve worked at liberty with my own horses many times but never to this extent. Safety always needs to be a primary concern when working with horses, but that rare horse that will allow liberty bodywork is out there. With Bugsy, I followed my intuition and the experiences warmed my heart and soul. Don’t be afraid to listen to yourself while you’re listening to the horse!

​“What did you do to this horse?” asked the same dressage trainer as in my prior blog post. I’m asking myself, “oh, no – did I break the horse?” The horse in question is Cajenne, a 16-year-old Westphalian gelding who was a Block 3 Fieldwork horse for me. Cajenne came to his present owner in June 2021 without any prior history except for evidence of whip scars on his flanks and other evidence of abuse. He was very guarded, did not care to interact in any way with humans, and seemed very worried and shut down. Prior to our first fieldwork session in November 2022, I worked with him in two mini sessions over a couple of months prior. Given Cajenne’s history, I wanted to introduce him to bodywork slowly and in a manner he could accept without worry. Following those mini sessions, his owner remarked, “After just one session, we noticed a huge difference in how he felt. It was almost like riding a different horse!” The 2023 dressage show season yielded Cajenne and his owner a USDF bronze medal along with many other accolades.
Cajenne received an SI injection in the Fall of 2021 because of soreness indicated with his tendency to travel with his hindquarters to the left. In the Fall of 2022, an ultrasound showed damage to Cajenne’s nuchal ligament near the poll, for which he received shockwave treatments. I now work with Cajenne every other week, and with each session, he shows improvement in tension and restriction, especially in these areas.
For Cajenne to experience such an impactful outcome so quickly, was it increased comfort in his body or a level of trust for another human? Yes, to both! He knew I was listening very closely to him and he realized that I was allowing him to easily release accumulated tension. Also from his owner, “He has gotten SO much calmer over time and you have been a big part of that! Thanks so much for helping him! He truly is a different horse now and it makes me so happy.” Cajenne is one of my very favorites to work with and I call him a big gray teddy bear with his need to cuddle during his sessions. When I doubt my abilities and purpose, I think of Cajenne and feel recharged and fulfilled. I am so thankful to be even a small part of his present wellbeing!

​“What did you do to this horse? I can’t believe the difference in Trystan!” This question/comment come from a well-known and respected, highly accomplished dressage trainer whose barn I now visit weekly for bodywork with her client’s horses. Trystan is a 12-year-old Welsh Pony Thoroughbred mix gelding who I first worked with in April 2023, and the question from the trainer was asked after his very first The Masterson Method® session. The trainer also mentioned to me, “This was his sink or swim month to see if he would stay or be sold because he was so spooky that he was not enjoyable to ride. After just one bodywork session and in addition to other holistic changes, he’s this happy, confident little guy who is so fun to work with. Thank you for making such a huge difference in this little guy’s life!”
During that session, Trystan only had palpation reactions (albeit big) at his atlas (front and top) and TMJ on the left. With Tongue Releases, he yawned repeatedly. Since this technique massages the poll from the inside and because his poll was particularly sensitive (he was not initially comfortable with any extent of Head Up or Head Down), I suspect he released not only at his TMJs/hyoid apparatus, but also at the poll-atlas junction. He had knots on both sides at his poll and with softening, he was eventually receptive to light work and was even able to tolerate a bit of massage with his head down as the session progressed. He was relatively quiet/stoic with work at other junctions/ areas of his body.
With his responses during bodywork, it made sense to me that tension at his poll-atlas junction was a major contributing factor to his “spookiness.” I was at that time amazed that one session could yield such profound results for a horse but I’ve now witnessed it on several occasions in my MMCP career. In subsequent sessions with Trystan, we paid special attention to the poll-atlas junction with an obvious decrease in tension there as sessions progressed. I now work with Trystan monthly to keep him feeling the best in his body and he only on occasion has anything to say about his poll. Trystan and his owner went on to complete the 2023 dressage show season with many awards, most notably Champion 1st Level Pony at the RMDS Championships and the RMDS 2023 1st Level Pony of the Year. That’s a tremendous triumph for a horse who very was close to being sold and I’m so pleased that I was able to participate in that success!