I have Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies. In 2013 I had a mare who was shown in driving classes who was coming up lame and having pain and emotional issues – the vets could never track down an answer. I also was having my own pain issues at the time and I was having the same luck with my doctors. I was introduced to a massage therapist who also used Healing Touch for Animals and essential oils with humans and horses. This was my introduction into alternative healing modalities and it peeked my interest in other modalities and methods of healing. I was at the Iowa Horse Fair the first year Diana and Kay did a demo with lights. I was interested but could not afford the system that was being used at the time. And I was having a lot of luck with my energy work so I pushed it to the back of my mind. I am a distributor for Dynamite Specialty Products and one day I got a call from a gal who had gotten a list of distributors in her area. She was making calls meeting other people – that gal just happened to be Diana! I recognized her from the Horse Fair so of course her lights came up during the supplement conversation. Eventually she and Kay did some of their first equine and pet classes locally – wanting to add tools to my toolbox I went to both intro classes and purchased my first set of torches…then a pain free pad…then human pads…then certifications…then my own business so I can help animals other than my own.

I pretty much was put here on Earth to help heal the animals – especially horses. I have a bond with them that is unexplainable and there is no better feeling in the world than when a horse that is in pain and timid begins to release with the help of the lights and heal. Their eyes soften, they lick and chew, hopefully will give a shake or two. Or better yet go roll after they are turned loose. Their barn buddies are lined up in stalls or along the fence saying me next please, please, please! And it doesn’t get any better than hearing a nicker greeting from them the next time they hear me close – especially if it is at a horse show a year later and they recognize me but are too short to see over the stall wall!

My biggest ah hah moment to go ahead and work with light and not just energy (Reiki and Healing Touch for Animals) came when my Shetland, Wyatt, came up with laminitis earlier last summer. I have never had problems with laminitis with my Miniatures or Shetlands. They are on dry lots most of the year/ time and are started back on pasture very slowly for only short amounts of time. He came up lame but I could not tell where it was coming from as it looked like both the front and hind. The vet tested his feet, diagnosed laminitis in the right front. But with Wyatt being a drama king, I wasn’t convinced on the diagnosis. I pulled everyone off of the grass to be safe, fortunately he is on a balancer and we had no problems with carby feed to deal with. Other than being slightly lame and very grumpy nothing else was showing. My farrier came two weeks later and did find stretched laminae in his right front foot. He was able to trim most of it out without going too short and said Wyatt would probably be sorer for a few days. I immediately got my Light torches out after he left and using two at a time, put light on every divot I could feel working from his shoulder to his hoof. At his hoof I did all 6 ting points (acupuncture points above the coronary band). I followed this up with essential oils and a cold compress (vs soaking the already compromised hoof.) His foot was tender for a day but never lame. I did this for several days. Six weeks later my farrier trimmed him again – no stretched laminae could be seen.

In the meantime, with his foot supposedly healed, I noticed he was still off – this time looking like his sacrum area. Some days worse than others. My mule then managed to crack my left wrist and I couldn’t do much in the barn. Wyatt finally got sore enough he cast himself and I went to the barn with my pain free pad. I put it long ways on his sacrum and back. A sway test indicated I needed to use the muscle, ligament, and bone issue setting on the pad. Well I figured I might as well multi-task, put the pad on his back for 20 minutes and laid my cast on top of it. About 10 minutes in I heard his sacrum pop and he shook. I did the pad with him for a few more days and he has been fine since. I continued to use the pad on top of my cast. At 3 weeks they x-rayed and re-casted, it was doing great. 3 weeks later they x-rayed fully expecting me to have to do rehab if the cast stayed off. It came off and my instructions were to go ahead and work in the barn – slowly build up to what my normal was. If my wrist didn’t seem to be coming around then call for an appointment with physical therapy. I never made that call!

Weber is 11 years old and 16 hands tall. He competed in many classes with, Hannah Borst, my “Adopted Show Daughter”. When he was 7 years old, he had injections in his left stifle and hock. Hannah said he was probably needing it redone along with the right side this time. I decided to put my poll cap on him for 30 minutes. It is red led lights that help relieve inflammation in the TMJ and poll areas.

I have done Reiki with Weber in the past, and he is bound and determined to not let Hannah and me see him releasing tension and pain. His “go to”  to “avoid” it, is to nod his head up and down quite briskly. After doing this a few times with the poll cap on, he finally started releasing by licking and chewing, yawning, resting his left leg (as I have learned with Masterson Method – when you release the poll you release the hind end and vice versa – and he did just that!), shifting to his right leg then back to his left. At one point, he even rolled his right eye back as he was yawning. We turned him loose in the arena after his session and this 16 hand horse, who did not want to show us a 

thing before, sat down on his hind end and then rolled! He had a riding session that night and Hannah said “Weber is feeling very good tonight! In a good way!”

I am currently working on completing my sessions required to receive my certifications in human Photopuncture.

is summer I will be completing my certified equine light therapist requirements and will then I will begin my pet light therapist certification. I am interested in getting my lights to some horse shows, rescues, demos etc. to show people what light can do and get my business started. I will see how it goes – teaching has crossed my mind at some point.

Certifications:

• Certified Light Therapist, The Board of Advanced Natural Health Sciences
• Usui Holy Fire Reiki I
• Healing Touch Level 1 Healing Touch for Animals Level 4
• Usui Reiki First & Second Degree

Certificate of Completions:

• Level One Equine Anatomy, The Masterson Method
• The Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy CCA 301
• The Beyond Horse Massage, The Masterson Method

Education:

• Associate of Applied Science Degree – Horse Science Technology – Kirkwood Community