Cajenne's Masterson Method Success Story

​“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!