Ever since I can remember I have loved horses, it was just “Meant to be”. So it was not surprising that already at the age of 4 I was making up all kinds of reasons to go to the riding school near our house, Manège Sint-Hubert, Stal Van Paesschen. Only years later I realized that this was a very special riding school where I came into contact with many different sports disciplines up to the highest level. Dressage, jumping, polo, … How lucky can you be to grow up among such fantastic riders and horses. Being a competitive rider was never my ambition, I preferred to be behind the scenes where I was massaging and stretching all my horses. I was also very fascinated watching the vet do their job. Osteopathy and sports massages for horses didn’t exist back then, so I was going to become a veterinarian. But I soon realized that injections, castration and putting horses to sleep were not quite my thing. Years later, via a detour, I finally found my passion. Making horses better with gentle manual techniques. It is still very new, and there are not many training programs worldwide. Certainly not if you want to learn new things all the time, different techniques, more and more and more.

To give you an idea of the studies, trainings, courses, lectures, etc. I already followed, here a short overview

• Physiotherapy and training clinic – Dr. Dun
• Shiatsu practitioner – Equina
• Final project Shiatsu: The influence of Shiatsu on the biomechanics of the horse (case on treadmill)
• Anatomy of the head, dental care and the influence of the bit – Dr. Versluis

• Manual Lymphatic Drainage M1-2-3, sports injuries, healthy diet – The Blue Stallion (De Blauwe Hengst)
• Clinic Manolo Mendez: Training and Manual techniques
• Congress Univeristy of Antwerp: healthy nutrition – Dr. Dupondt
• Training with a heart rate monitor – Carolien Munster
• Congress Equitom: foot problems – Dr. Mariën, Dr. Adriaensen
• Div. dissections of Equine Studies by Sharon May-Davis and Zefanja Vermeulen
• Anatomy, biomechanics, biomechanics advanced – Sharon May-Davis
• Congress University of Antwerp: Colic – Dr. Mariën
• Equinology, Writtle University, UK
• Equine kinesio taping – Dr. Butler
• Osteopathy for horses M1-10 – Vluggen Institute, GE

• Qualisys Movement Science and Anatomy, Utrecht University – Dr. Back
• Masterclass joint mobilisations and musculoskeletal testing – G. Higgins
• Orthopedics, Sporthorse Medical Diagnostic centre – Dr. van Toor
• Seminar: Biomechanics – Hilary Clayton

• Conference: Fascia connections of the equine – Janek Vluggen, Equine Performance Center – Ocala USA
• Conference: Osteopathic Fascial connections: John Lewis, Dr. Dan Hawkins, Dr. Audrey De Clue, Dr. Kathy Seino, Michael Wildnnstein, Dr. Nesti, Dott. Ercole, Dr. Tom Beech, Dr. Biddle, Dr. Johnson. Chi Institute – Florida USA
• Dissection Dr. Ivana Ruddock Lange
  
• Centaur Biomechanics: Saddle influence, Bridle fit, Rider a-symmetry, coaching, training aids
  
• ISAO International School of Animal Osteopathy – IT

Give Back

Furthermore, I also think it is very important to remember that not all animals have it easy everywhere, so I try to do something for them regularly, such as “Shiatsu for Charity”