Karen has been passionate about horses their wellbeing and welfare for over thirty years, from her early days learning to ride, through to teen the adulthood working on both private and public livery yards, stud yards, riding schools, and event yards gaining experience with horses from the full range of equine disciplines at all levels. It was at this point where she decided to follow this passion further.
After studying at Bishop Burton College, one of the United Kingdom’s top equine educational centres, Karen was awarded her BSc (Hons) in Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation. Alongside her studies for her honour’s degree, Karen also undertook a Equivalent Foundation Degree in Equine Sports Massage and Remedial Massage Therapy, training under international massage therapist Angela Hall (Equine Massage Academy) gaining a double distinction through EMA & Lantra. After time spent working in the field of therapy continually studying and growing alongside some of the world’s elite equine physiotherapists, Doctorates and veterinarians Karen once again decided to return to education at Nottingham Trent University to study and gain a PGDip in Equine Performance health and welfare. As part of her therapy work Karen has worked alongside various equine organisations and partook in multiple research projects on equine health and welfare some of which have involved large organisations such as the World Horse Welfare, Animal Health Trust and Saddle Research Trust. Working within the equine therapy field and understanding the biomechanical effect of the rider Karen started to notice that some of the recurrent issues in her case studies came from the imbalance and musculature issues of the rider. Wanting to help improve the mechanics of the rider she then embarked on a Human Sports Massage qualification and is registered with the International Alliance of Holistic Therapist. Adding human therapy to her profile has since anecdotally proven to increase outcomes and success rates of horse and rider interaction from a rehabilitation viewpoint.
Development and Education in therapy is one of Karen’s passions, she often teaches free clinics to clubs or private yards on a variety of subjects albeit horse or rider which prompted her research and develop her own style of therapy the Equine Myofascial Ball Technique (EMBT). This technique has seen fantastic results in competition and rehabilitation clients and has now been successfully rolled out as a continual professional development course (CPD) for all equine therapist and body workers who have trained to level 5 and above. The course is in partnership with the Equine Massage Academy and accredited by UK rural skills (UKRS). There is even an option to have a one-day owners’ course which is tailored for the horse owner to help support their horse after their therapy sessions.
In her spare time Karen enjoys competing in dressage, show jumping and hunter trails. Her ethos is to help educate and support horse owners keeping the best interests of the horse at the heart regardless of the horse’s job from a happy hacker to elite performance horse.
Based in the heart of Yorkshire, Karen and has excellent transport links and covers most of the UK. All enquiries will be considered, providing a suitable agreement is reached.
