Equine Rehab - Sidonia McIntyre

MASSAGE:

VERTEBRAL REALIGNMENT:

Course dates for 2012:

Edmonton, AB .................July 07- August 03, 2012

Essex, ON ........................ November 05 - December 02, 2012

These courses will be taught at several facilites in and around the central area of the course and therefore a vehicle is necessary.

Information/directions are posted under the 'course locations' buttons under the 'Massage' heading - Whitemud in Edmonton and WETRA in Windsor.

What are the hours?

The course is from 8am-5pm daily.

One day each week will be concluded by 12pm (noon)T

he total number of hours this course is rated for is 306.

Over the last few years, I have been asked if I would consider teaching a longer course - the 7 day course goes by very quickly!

What is the difference between the 7 day course and this one?

The information provided in the 7 day course is enough to start a career in the equine massage field, but the course allows for either only a small amout of working time to try the techniques that I teach, or for me to talk about the specific area of issue with no hands on work.

The best example I have is working with the ribs. During the 7 day course, we do massage the ribs (of course); however in the 4 week long course not only do we massage the ribs but we have to time to actually work the ribs. I also show 2 additional massage techniques in this course that I do not share in the 7 day course.

There is more time so that students can be given the opportunity to gain experience and confidence in what their hands - and most importantly - understanding what the horse is telling them! I know that this seems fairly obvious - more time - but it is an integral part of this course. The ratio of book work to hands on time in the 7 day course is 30:70. In the 4 week course it is 10:90 - significantly more hands on work.

With regard to the advanced massage therapy area of the 7 day course, we have 3 days to cover the information. Students are given the opportunity to assess the horses for the issue, but no designated time to actually do the massage should the horse require the work - this is left for the final massage on the last day of class. The horse will receive the relief for the issue! In the final massage, the horse is assessed, then the appropriate massage is done for the horse based specifically on their needs. During the 7 day course, this is done once.

During the 4 week course, beginning on the 6th day of the course, assessments and massages are done daily for no less than 2 horses per day. That's 18 days of assessing and working with the horses based on the horse's needs. (yes my math is correct as the VR course takes up 4 days of the course). This works out to no less than 36 assessments and massages vs 1 assessment and massage.

In the 4 week course, all treatments are thoroughly explored and there is sufficient time for students to work with the horses. In the 7 day course, I am able to explain the issue and show how to assess for the issue - no designated massage time. In the 4 week course, the issue is explained, the horses are assessed, and they are worked on each day based on the information covered thus far and the horse's needs.

There are more treatments in this course. I also show more massage techniques.

Imagine that you don't know how to make cake with a smooth finished frosting and someone teaches you how to do this - the cake looks great! This is what I teach in the 7 day course.

Learning how to make roses, fancy frosting techniques, building theme cakes is more advanced. This is what I teach during the 4 week course.

Another aspect of this course that is not offered in the 7 day course is my personal demonstration of 3 separate sessions. In the 7 day course, I teach people how to massage using various techniques, safe stretches, etc; however, in the 4 week course, I will actually demonstrate for the class in 3 separate 1-1/2 hour sessions how I would work on 3 specific areas of issue: the neck, the scapula and the lower back/pelvis. This is the aspect of the course where students can get a chance to watch and learn how 22 years of soft tissue experience along with effective communication with the horse can be blended together to create a unique massage that is custom tailored to the horse's needs. When I was a practicing human massage therapist, I would attend meetings with other therapists in the county for demonstration sessions. This was our opportunity to learn from other therapists as they demonstrated various techniques - a very effective tool!

I have been working in the massage industry for 22 years, and I still don't know everything about soft tissue - no one can. All we can do is put in the time and effort so that we can learn.

This course allows for more time to not only learn more information, but to also allow the student to get comfortable, confident and to trust that what their hands, and the all important imput from the horse, is telling them.

I have also included the Vertebral Realignment and Joint Play course. Palpation techniques of bones, assssment of joints, proper hand placement, proper thrusting technique - and most importantly - absolutely no mallets.

This course allows for much more hands on time with the horses. As there is significantly more time, more information is also included in this course:

More anatomy, groundwork and handling techniques - how to get the horses to move and how to get them to stay, more treatments, business acumen, communication skills (with owners), along with general equine care.

Our treatments include, but are not limited to:

Tendonitis.

Scar tissue.

Cervical, thoracic, lumbar and scapular injuries, including the mobilization of these joints

Limb injuries including lower limb swelling reduction and hydrotherapy techniques

Mobilization techniques of limbs, scapula and joints

Thigh and stifle work

Head and face work

Movement of CSF and deep fascial release technique

Lower limb swelling reduction technique

Colic relief technique - in 2011, I had the privilage to work on 3 horses during the course that had developed colic. The treatments took an average of 30 minutes! Beats walking the horse for hours on end!

This is the 'short list' - there are 11 different treatments taught for the head and neck alone based on specific issues.

More aspects of the course that are not covered in the 7 day course:

Palpation of bone landmarks

Painting of the bones and major muscle groups - yes, we will be actually painting the horses with non toxic paint.

Behavioral issues with physical origins (is covered in the 7 day course, but more in depth in this course)

Assessment of the horse in motion

Assessment of conformation

Hands on hydrotherapy

Various massage techniques that are taught exclusively by me as this work is a compilation of my work as a human registered massage therapist which I have taken and transposed into working with the horses.

No one else in the country can teach this information as it is based on my experiences, courses that I have taken (in human massage techniques), work that I have done with the horses to make the techniques safe for both therapist and horse and work that I have done with the horses.

You will not learn information from me that can be read in any book!

Will I be taught what to look for when the horse is in motion?

Absoultely yes! In the 7 day course, we do not have time to assess based on motion. In this course we will watch the horses as they move and learn how to see where they have a deficiency of motion.

Will I be taught how to paint muscles and bones on the horse?

Yes, palpation of bones is part of this course, along with learning how to paint the muscles and bones on the horse. This is a great tool for business and can be done for demonstration purposes to show how the muscles interact with each other during movement.

I'm not so good at 'book work'. How heavily is book work weighed in this course?

There are many people in this position. Ultimately, it is of vital importance that my grads know how to work with the horses. The horses do no care if you can pronounce 'brachiocephalicus'. The horses want you to be able to assess and work on the areas appropriately.

The hands on aspect of the testing is weighed at 80% and the written testing is 20%. A person can get perfect on every test, and struggle with the hands on work, or vice versa. My job is to pay attention to both aspects and help students with their weak areas and praise the strong areas.

Nobody in any of my courses is expected to massage like I massage. Frankly, nobody can massage the way I massage because it is personal and an expression of my abilities for that particular session.

When people begin to make the connection - that the massage is not meant to be a 'mechanical' thing where every manipulation is 'text book perfect', but instead flows freely as the muscles and the horse responds to the work, then the massage becomes their personal expression.

I have asked these question many times in class: "Why does food taste better when someone else makes it? Why does Mom's chicken soup taste better than the one that I make? Can we tell the difference when a meal is made with attention to detail or just slapped together?"

Of course food tastes better when someone else makes it (and of course when someone else has to do the clean up too!). What is Mom's 'secret' ingredient? Your child has made you a PB and J sandwich - that looks aweful, but tastes like the best thing in the world. These are all examples of expressions of creativity - and not to get too mushy here, but all expressions of love and wanting to please. Just like baking, painting, creating anything at all - it becomes a creative expression. To me, the creative process is exactly the same whether I am baking, painting or massaging.

I cannot teach creativity, but what I can do is create a safe environment where people are encouraged to let loose and actually begin to create. When we finally connect with the horses, that's when the miracle of touch can do its finest work!

Imagine you are given a paint set - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. You have only painted with these colors. Then, one day a bit of the paint blends together creating a different color - shazam! The eyes have been opened to new possibilities of more colors. Massage is no different in the creative process.

The difference in the massage techniques used, flow of the massage and the confidence of the students in this course grows by leaps and bounds from the first week in comparison to the last week - all done under supervision so students can ask questions, check their pressure and learn how to read the horse's responses to the work.

Is the course held in the same location for the entire 4 weeks?

No, I try to find other facilities that are reasonably close to the central area. This allows students to work with varous breeds, temperaments and eventing, conditions, etc.

Do I have to have a vehicle?

Yes, as we will be traveling from one location to another - not in the same day, but rather from week to week, it is necessary to have access to a vehicle. I do encourage ride sharing, but people do need to have a way to get to a central location.

Is the Vertebral Realignment course included in this course?

Yes, as stated above, the VR course is included in this course.

Are accommodations included in the course cost?

No, accommodations are not included. It is up to the student to secure accommodations.

Are lunches included?

No, lunches are the reponsibility of the student. Coffee, tea, cocoa, and the junk food bin are provided. There are refrigerators and microwaves at both facilities.

Are there any prerequisites or course materials that I need?

The prerequisite is the homework. The log in information will be provided once the student has registered for the course. There are no required course materials, however, steel toed boots are highly recommended.

Is there a minimum age requirement?

Yes, just like the massage course, the age minimum requirement is 16 or turning 16 during the year.

Do we cover business?

Yes, there is a section of the course that covers business acumen.

I have been self employed for 22 years and I carry with me knowledge on how to work with people, run a profitable business and still have a life! - and I am willing to share this knowledge in this course.

If I have taken the 7 day course, do I receive a discount for this course?

Yes, there is a discount of $500.

If I have taken another massage course from another person, can I receive a discount?

No, there is no discount for graduates from another massage program.

What is the class minimum size?

The class minimum size is 6 and the maximum is 20 in Ontario and 26 in Alberta. The AB location has many more horses than the Ontario location, hence the allowance for more students.

Is there testing?

Yes, there are written tests during the week along with a final test on the last day of class. There are also hands on tests with the horses during the course. This ensures that those individuals that do not test well with written tests have an opportunity to do well with the hands on work - this hands on work is more heavily valued as the horses are the clients and aiding them in their well being is ultimately the most important aspect of the course.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

Yes:

lunch

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

Although not mandatory, steel toed boots are highly recommended

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

bring a chair - the collapsable chairs are quite popular

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

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

Do I receive a certificate?

Yes, at the conclusion of the course, graduates will receive a certificate and may call themselves an "Advanced Certified Equine Massage Therapist". A separate VR certificate is also issued.

What is the cost of the course?

This course is $2499 + GST in AB and + HST in Ontario. Please see 'course costs' for the correct figures.

How do I register for this course?

You may register on line using PayPal (our on line secure server) for your deposit or you may mail your application form with your deposit to the address provided on the form

If you have made a payment on line, you must fill in the application form and waiver and either: mail both forms or scan and e-mail both forms to me through the contact section of the site.

The application form is located under the massage 'application forms' heading at the top of the site page.