I have always been passionate about preventive medicine and health. I started riding horses as a young girl with my late father. Prior to studying Equine Osteopathy, I worked as an Advanced Care Paramedic and Community Paramedic with Alberta Health Services. Community Paramedicine required nursing courses, I started studying Bachelor of Nursing. I'm grateful for this knowledge and experience as I feel it helps with me with my osteopathic exams, treatment and working in a team atmosphere. Our summer range was in the rocky mountains, many hours on horse back trailing and checking on cattle. I looked into body work for our horses and found an Vluggen trained Equine Osteopath (EDO). Osteopathy helped maintain and keep our horses in good working shape. We moved to British Columbia in 2015. It was then one of our horses encouraged me to study osteopathy. Our horse Bo was having issues with his sacrum and lower back. Our Alberta Equine Osteopath (EDO) was not able to come treat him for months, and there was no other Equine Osteopaths in the area. It was six months of rehab, injections and previcox. During this time I continued to consult with my EDO in Alberta, eventually she was able to make the trip out to treat Bo. Between the injections, veterinary care and osteopathy she was able to mobilize Bo and decrease his pain. Soon after he no longer needed pain control and was able to go back to work as a ranch horse. I knew I had to change my focus of studies from nursing to osteopathy. I chose to study out of the Vluggen Institute of Equine Osteopathy for the international standards of education and registration. Vluggen instructors are either a European Osteopath (D.O.) or DVM that have passed the international exam for EDO. We are taught to work in a team atmosphere with DVM's, Farriers and Equine Dentists. Osteopathy addresses and treats the body as a whole restoring mobility and encouraging the body to heal itself though homeostasis. The pillars of osteopathy are; parietal (musculoskeletal), visceral and craniosacral.
