| 8:30am to 12 noon –
INDIVIDUAL HORSE EVALUATIONS: Diana will assess each
horse individually for body soreness, healthy and inefficient movement
patterns, healthy and inadequate muscle development and shoeing basics.
Behavior and performance problems will be discussed. Skeletal and muscular
charts noting the horse's condition will be filled out. Students learn
to interpret a horse's facial expression, posture, muscle tone, and
movement patterns. Learn the difference between a truly healthy horse
and one with emotional and physical problems. Recognize minor problems
before they become major injuries or obstacles to performance or behavior
under saddle. Maximum of three horses receive a full evaluation.
HORSE REQUIREMENTS: Horses with performance problems,
movement, behavior or attitude difficulty, or other training needs will
be accepted in the Hands-On Horse Care® Part 1 & 2 program.
Horses must be touchable by other members of the class. Horses will
be stabled in stalls with attached runs. The round pen is open for your
use for exercising your horse before and after class. In order to participate
in Part 2 range-of-motion exercises, horses must be able to stand on
three legs and have the fourth leg picked up. NO STALLIONS in this group
workshop unless approved by Diana Thompson.
Noon to 12:30 pm – Lunch. Bring your own lunch.
You will not have time to leave the premises.
12:30 to 5:00 pm – MASSAGE & ACUPRESSURE PRACTICE:
Diana will give how-to demonstrations and then direct students as they
practice the methods on the clinic horses to gain first-hand experience.
Students will learn and practice massage, acupressure, and movement
methods which relax and calm the horse and alleviate tense and sore
muscles. Specific methods which relieve tension in the horses' necks,
backs and hips will be taught as well as those which address each clinic
horse's individual needs.
FLOWER ESSENCE PRACTICE: Throughout the day, Diana
will show students how to mix and use the Bach Flower Essence known
as Rescue Remedy to alleviate fear or anxiety in the clinic horses.
Diana Thompson of Santa Rosa, California, is a lifelong
horse owner and since 1980 a
professional trainer. She teaches effective massage, acupressure and
holistic horse care
methods which prevent equine soreness and injury, solve ongoing stiffness
and performance problems and improve athletic ability. In 1996, Diana
founded The Whole Horse Journal, a national award-winning newsletter
devoted to natural horse care and training. She also wrote "The
Horse Will Tell You" a monthly horse training column for RIDE!
magazine for many years and was a staff writer for Equus magazine. For
more information about Diana's Programs and an acupressure lesson see
her website: www.dianathompson.com |
