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Monthly eNewsletter - February 2020
Hello All,

There’s been a lot going on this month. I’ll try to make it all interesting and entertaining. 

I just got back from Tucson on Tuesday. The entertaining part is, here’s what it looked like on the drive to the airport early Tuesday morning in Tucson, a nd here’s what it looked like when I got to Fairfield.
Funny, huh! Actually, I enjoy the winter when it’s winter weather. Annabelle did help to take the edge off the transition by sharing her breakfast with me during our morning coffee meeting:
Today it warmed up to slushy-rain weather, which is not so much fun. Well, let’s move on…
I taught two Certification Completion Courses while in Tucson, introducing 10 new talented MMCPs onto the scene. We’ll be sharing their stories in upcoming newsletters. In the meantime here they are:
I did a collaborative clinic with Mark Rashid while in Tucson. It went very well as usual, with the weather also cooperating.
Our Masterson Method Instructor, Vanessa Helvey had a horse skull on hand to show us differences in the teeth when power floated vs hand floated. She talked about the importance of the horse’s natural balance in the teeth, jaw, TMJ, and the rest of the body.

I want to take the time to thank Jo Ann Maki-Gamble, the Owner-Instructor-Trainer at Horse Sense Training in Tucson, for sponsoring the clinic. She didn’t just grab the term “horse sense” out of a hat for her business. The term describes her whole approach. Thanks Jo Ann.

Mark and I have three more Considering the Horse clinics coming up this year. One in Nicasio, CA at the beginning of April, one in Omro, WI toward the end of April, and one in Littleton, CO in July just before our Your Horse’s Brain: A User’s Manual clinic with Dr. Stephen Peters. This brain clinic filled early last year, so if you’re interested Act Now! and you’ll receive, well… entrance to the clinic. 

I think it includes a very nice lunch. So, if you Act Now! you’ll at least get a nice lunch.

Everybody knows Mark’s wife Crissi MacDonald as a talented trainer, and newly minted MM instructor. She is also the author of some of the finer photographs you’ll see on our pages from time to time.

Crissi will now be teaching the Beyond Horse Massage Weekend Seminar-Workshop with her first coming up at Blue Dot Farm in Nicasio in April , just prior to the Mark and Jim Show . This is a good opportunity to get hands-on training in The Masterson Method with Crissi, to audit the clinic with Mark and Jim, to watch Mark give lessons, and Jim do bodywork sessions at the same place all in the same week. ACT Now! 😊
A Collaborative Clinic Farther from Home 
Dan Wain is a horse trainer inspired by Manolo Mendez, with whom he trained in Australia. His philosophy is simple: To improve the quality of life for sport and leisure horses through correct training and management. Dan has an eye for movement in the horse, and a gentle horse-minded way of working that improves movement and comfort in a way that lasts. 

Dan Wain Equine Training and Rehabilitation - which happens to be named after him - is in South Warwickshire and is where Dan and I will be collaborating on a clinic coming up in May. It will be along the lines of the clinics that Mark Rashid and I do with an evaluation of movement, bodywork, and groundwork techniques that restore suppleness and core strength to the horse. It’s not on our Collaborative Clinics page yet but will soon be, with space for participants and spectators. That means you won’t be able to Act Now! But you can stay tuned! We’ll have details on our websites soon.
Also, in the UK 
Vicky, inspiring an equine participant to get up.
Masterson Method Instructor Vicky Devlin will be teaching a Weekend Seminar-Workshop in Shillington near Luton on the 14th and 15th of March. 

Anyone who has taken courses with me in the UK knows Vicky and knows what a good Instructor she is.

Vicky has been at this for over ten years and is such a good instructor she even makes me nervous. You can Act Now! on this one. 
Vicky, inspiring human participants to listen.
She’ll also be teaching a Weekend Seminar-Workshop in Ennis, Ireland , on March 28 and 29. We haven’t had a course in Ireland in a few years. This may open the door back up. Hope so!

In January, Vicky also led a team of five Coaches and 14 Fieldwork students on our first Group Coaching of the year in England. I hear it went very well. Here they are huddling for warmth.
Cold fingers and toes - warm hearts and smiles. Go FieldWork Students!
Horses and Humans 
I wanted to share with you a video from MMCP , Orson Wajih showing an interesting horse-human interaction he experienced while working on horses in the herd. Orson is a forward-thinking (in a good way!) physiotherapist who works with both horses and humans and who has a clear understanding of the neurological aspects of bodywork on both.
Laterality in Horses: What We Know and How Can It Help Us 
Instructor Diane Howard lives in Thoiry, France and is our first person to certify as a Masterson Method Practitioner and Instructor in Continental Europe – many, many years ago. Her education and research into equine sciences are on-going. She has written an article entitled "Laterality in Horses: What We Know and How Can It Help Us" in which she shares with us more knowledge on topics interesting and relevant to our work.
International Weekend Seminar-Workshops coming up soon:
New Zealand: We have two Weekend-Seminar Workshops coming up:

As promised, if we get enough people signed up for an Advanced 5-Day Course I’ll be coming to NZ in November. This Seminar Workshop is a prerequisite, so check our Calendar below, and ACT Now!

Australia: April 25 and 26 in Boho, Victoria with Instructor Pam Martin . Pam’s always a popular Instructor with her students. Become one of them and Act Now!

Poland: April 4 and 5 in Rzesyce with Instructor Beata Filonowicz . Działać teraz! (Act Now! in Polish... according to Google Translate : )  

Germany :  April 18 and 19 in Dohle with Instructor Walter Saxe .

Belgium: April 25 and 26 in Zandbergen with Instructor Lucie Klassen . 
Back in This Direction Reminders:
Canada: If you haven’t taken a Weekend Seminar-Workshop, you can sign up for one with Mark in Rosedale, BC on April 25 and 26 , and then do the Advanced 5-Day on April 27 to May 1 in Fraser Valley BC.

Advanced 5-Day Course in Fraser Valley BC from April 27 to May 1 with Instructor Mark Fletcher . and want more, Act Now! and sign up.


And , for Equine Assisted Therapists and Volunteers, our Masterson Method Equine Specialist 3-day course will be in Manor TX from April 4 to 6 . 

And finally , I’ll be doin’ demos at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver in two weeks. It runs from February 28 to March 1. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cold, or really cold, I always have a good time at this one. The people that put it on, and our Masterson Method people there to help, always make it worthwhile.

I’ll also be at the Iowa Horse Fair in April , so if you’re close by come on over.   
Until then, like me,

Act Now! 😊 and enjoy your horses!

Jim
Facebook Live Event
Our Facebook Live event with Jim Masterson has been rescheduled due to illness and is now happening next month on Wednesday, March 18th at 1pm Eastern Standard Time .

We are taking any and all questions you have about The Masterson Method and Jim will answer them personally for you. Don't miss out on this great opportunity! Send us questions through  Facebook messenger  or  our website .

Don't forget to check out this   time zone converter   to see what time the event will be happening for you.
Our Masterson Method Mobile Response Team at it again! Lynn Griffith Gives an Update
Lynn with friend and mentor Ken McNabb
You can’t keep our Masterson Method Mobile Response Team (MMMRT) down. Wherever tight muscles, nervousness, distrust or just plain ole’ discomfort lurk, don’t be surprised to find our Masterson Method Mobile Response Team on the scene. Lynn Griffith was at trainer Ken McNabb’s clinic in CA recently and filed this report:

Masterson Method ... never leave home without it!

My fellow MMMRT (Masterson Method Mobile Response Team) member, Tracy Park and I thought we’d spend Valentine’s Day watching my old friend and mentor Ken McNabb at his horsemanship clinic in Corning, CA. As we sat watching his 17 riders do their exercises, Ken noticed that one of his riders was dismounted and standing with his horse in the corner of the arena. Ken asked John if his horse, Minnie was OK. John explained that he didn’t think so and Ken approached to check her out. Ken commented that Minnie was sweaty at her flank and nowhere else, which could indicate anything from a belly ache to colic, but that she certainly wasn’t feeling well. Ken mounted her and asked gently for easy movement. He said that he didn’t remember her being this lethargic yesterday in day one of the clinic. As Ken wears a microphone, everyone in the arena could hear the exchange.

My nervous stomach was screaming at me to do something. The next thing I knew, I was bounding down from the bleachers and heading for the arena gate. I entered and approached the threesome. I told Ken, who knows I do The Masterson Method, and offered to do a session on Minnie as it’s so effective for colicky horses. He nodded his approval and told me to talk to John. I introduced myself, the owner agreed and the three of us headed out of the arena to the barn area where Karen, John’s wife was waiting and most anxious about her beloved, Minnie. I gave them a brief overview of the method, got their consent and entered Minnie’s stall. Minnie was very nervous, as was I. These people had handed over their lovely mare to a total stranger, certainly wishing I was a veterinarian and not some shaman about to “lay hands” on their girl.

She continued to move around me as I did my “drive by” Bladder Meridian Technique. As my hand worked down the poverty groove and started to descend below the hock, I asked the owners to watch for the blink as I would be unable to see her face. Bingo!!! Both John and Karen were calling out, “Blink! Blink, blink, blink!” I could hear the elation in their voices and their newfound trust in this new method of magic that Minnie was experiencing. OK, now we’re getting somewhere and, not only had Minnie signed on, but so had her owners. I worked that fertile area for as long as my body could take it and stood back to allow Minnie to process my efforts. Release, release, release! When the time was right, I moved to the opposite side and, Bingo! Blink, blink, blink! Head shaking, blowing out, resting hind leg!

The rest of the session was textbook and the smiles on John and Karen’s faces, I will never forget. Minnie’s breathing had normalized, the sweating had stopped and she appeared to be comfortable and calm. Once I finished and exited her stall, Minnie gave me the ultimate payday... rapid fire yawning.

Here are a few pictures from this amazing day ...
Minnie Before

Minnie After
New Instructors in Europe
Welcome to Sylvia Hamm and Masja Fick , our latest Instructors in Europe. 

Masja is an equine osteopath in the Netherlands. Her extensive knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics gives her insights into The Masterson Method that will be a plus for her students there. 

Sylvia has extensive experience as a trainer and riding instructor. She has been busy assisting Walter Saxe with Masterson Method Seminars and Advanced 5-Day Courses in Germany for some years now and is ready to take on classes of her own. Her husband, Stefan, is a master saddler and teacher who has presented to MMCPs at our educational conference in the UK. 
Here is a message from Walter Saxe:

The Masterson Method business in Germany is continuously growing. This year there will be 10 Weekend-Seminars and two Advanced 5-Day Courses. The courses are always fully booked and the demand for the Advanced 5-Day course is growing rapidly.

Silvia Hamm has assisted me at many seminars and events over the past years and can pass on our techniques professionally. In addition, she is also very popular as a mentor with the students. We are very happy that she will take over the seminars in the south of Germany.
Masterson Method Equine Specialist (MMES) Program News
Doing the Happy Dance!
Liz Liverman , MMES in Leesburg, VA, reported this:

I showed an equine rescue how to do the Bladder Meridian Technique, and I got this email from them today:

'Hi Liz! [We] wanted to let you know that a few weeks ago we used The Masterson Method on Dora. Dora is susceptible to heaves and was all worked up about another horse. Within a few minutes we had her calmed down and breathing normally. We thank you for your excellent instruction a few months ago!'

 Makes me feel so good to be able to help the horses like that! Happy Dance!!!
Hearts & Horses Lead Masterson Session for Volunteers
MMESes   Alexandra Whittey ,  Carol McKennan ,   Amy Coen   and   Brenda Thompson   teamed up to facilitate a well-attended Bladder Meridian Technique, hands-on demo for volunteers and community members at their   Hearts & Horses   Lecture Series in Loveland, CO. Diane Foley, a volunteer who participated, shared this:

Learning The Masterson Method was a very empowering experience! I was pleasantly surprised how quickly and efficiently I learned to identify where the equine was hurting. With a little practice, I saw and felt a release of the equine's tight musculature. I am excited to incorporate The Masterson Method into the Hearts and Horses Care Team routine to help maintain and improve the equine’s health, quality of movement, and trust in their handler. 
Helping a Mare Cope with Fireworks
Ruth Bourgeois , MMES and founder of   Equine Spirit Sanctuary   in Taos, NM shared this about using MM on one of her rescue mares:
 
On New Year's Eve here, the local tradition is to set off fireworks at midnight and to shoot guns in the air. I have come to dread New Year's Eve because of this. We have 29 equines at our rescue. Most of the horses are OK with the noise - except for Hope, the 7-year-old who came to us when she was just 3 days old, as an orphaned filly. She always gets stressed when there's fireworks or gunshots, like on New Year's Eve, even when the horses near her are pretty much sleeping through the whole thing. 
 
 As I stood in the stall with her, I kept my hands on Hope. She always needed that hands-on reassurance while the noise echoed through the barn. This time, I put my hand on the spot on her shoulder which is a calming spot I had learned with The Masterson Method. I kept my hand there, watching for her reaction. She was stressed, but after a few moments her eyes started to soften, her head dropped, and she relaxed. She had some nice releases, ending with a big yawn. I was happy to see this.
  
I feel like the MM touch helped Hope a lot that night. While the other horses pick up on each other's energy to get through an otherwise stressful moment, Hope looked to me to help her get through it. The MM work made that happen in a more significant and meaningful way than I've ever experienced with her. And I have seen with our other rescue horses how powerful the MM work is, and how it makes a lasting impression on them.
About MMES
The Masterson Method Equine Specialist specializes in sharing specific light touch Masterson Method techniques with persons served in equine-assisted learning and therapy programs. By doing this bodywork on horses, participants deepen their connection with horses while also gaining self-awareness and self-regulation skills; meanwhile, therapy horses are tended to through simple bodywork and learn a new way of relating to people. It's a win/win!
 
Questions?  Visit The   Masterson Method Equine Specialist Page   or contact the Program Coordinator at   megan@mastersonmethod.com .
Tips from Jim Masterson on Front End Techniques using The Masterson Method
Ask Jim

 Question:

Hi,

I started doing the Bladder Meridian Technique on my horse and he becomes very twitchy when I get close to the withers. I lighten my touch but he seems like he gets agitated and he will even turn his head and bite at his stomach. My question is, do I stay at that spot until he relaxes or do I take a step back and after a few seconds try again, maybe with an even lighter touch? Is biting at his stomach a release? He is a very sensitive horse that holds in a lot of anxiety. Thank you for your time


Answer:

So the first thing is the horse is feeling something in his stomach or wherever he’s nipping. There are inner connections in the horse and the horse tells us where they are, so if you’re at the withers and he’s feeling something in his stomach or flanks, then he’s feeling discomfort there.
 
The second thing is to make it more comfortable for him to release. As you do the Bladder Meridian Technique, you can do this by giving him a little more contact with your fingers at the withers and see if he’s more comfortable with that, or back your hand away from touching him to whatever distance he’s comfortable with. That could be two or three inches or it could be eight or ten inches. You have to watch his responses and see where he can handle it and stay at that distance until he can release something.
 
Check to see if he has anything in his past that might have residual tension in those areas or anything current that is going on that could be causing this. Hope this helps. 
 
~Jim
New Certified Practitioners
Ian Whiting
Cornwall, UK

After living a life without the friendship of an equine, I found myself in a situation where PTSD was dragging me down. I received life changing injuries as a result of Army Service in 1976 and it really caught up with me 2 years ago.

I was lucky to have the chance to attend a 3 day Horse Sense for Stress Seminar and it was like somebody had flicked a switch. From then on I have worked to achieve a good breath of knowledge through groundwork, riding, anatomy and The Masterson Method.

I went from sitting at home in a state of depression to now being able to help our equine friends. My other purpose is to help other Veterans find this great way to relax and I hope to be working with various military charities in the UK very shortly. I am based on the Cornwall / Devon border and am quite happy to travel.

Phone: 07787437091

BTW: If I don't answer it's because my attention is probably on a horse - please send a short text and I will get back to you asap.
Sian Johnston
Johannesburg, South Africa

I am a qualified animal physiotherapist, now dual qualified as a certified Masterson Method practitioner. I work on both dogs and horses where I have adapted the technique when working with dogs, with incredible success in these cases.

Working primarily as a veterinary physiotherapist, I work together with the veterinary industry in maintenance and rehab cases around the Johannesburg area. 

I have a major passion for animals. Helping them to be heard by their people. Using techniques such as The Masterson Method, I am able to communicate clearly with the animals I care for, whilst improving their quality of life.


  Phone:   +27 827932942
Weekend Seminar-Workshop Schedule
* if the course you had your heart set on is sold out, please email jo@mastersonmethod.com to be added to the waiting list, or   if you'd like to host your own weekend (and earn a free spot) please email tamara@mastersonmethod.com.
USA Seminars

February 22-23   Aiken, SC

February 29- March 1  Gilroy, CA

March 7-8  Middleburg, FL

March 14-15  Omaha, NE

March 14-15   Stockton, NJ

March 28-29  Boyds, MD

April 4-5  Nicasio, CA

April 18-19  Ada, MI

April 18-19  Sherwood, OR

May 2-3 Cedarburg, WI

May 2-3  Durham, CA

May 16-17  Bedford, VA

May 23-24  Perryville, AR  

May 23-24   La Porte, IN

May 30-31  Boscawen, NH

June 6-7  Indianola, IA

June 13-14  Bandera, TX

June 20-21  Coatesville, IN

June 27-28  Sharon, VT

July 18-19  Woodacre, CA

July 25-26  Newberg, OR  

August 1-2  Georgetown, TX

August 8-9  Ocean Shores, WA

August 8-9  Richfield, WI  

August 22-23  Coatesville, IN

August 29-30  Augusta, ME

August 29-30   Portola Valley, CA

October 10-11  Ada, MI  

October 24-25 Houston, TX

October 31- November 1   Bristol, TN

November 7-8  Briones, CA

November 7-8  Sherwood, OR


Canada Seminars

April 25-26 Rosedale, BC

May 30-31 (taught in French) Granby, QC


June 27-28 Alder Flats, AB

August 29-30  Bragg Creek, AB 
Europe Seminars

March 7-8 Aßlar, Germany
(taught in German)

March 14-15 Shillington, UK

March 21-22 Kaarst, Germany
(taught in German)

March 28-29  Ennis, Ireland

April 4-5 Rzeszyce, Poland
(taught in Polish)

April 18-19 Döhle, Germany
(taught in German)

April 25-26 Zandbergen, Belgium

May 9-10 Warwickshire, UK
taught by Jim Masterson

May 16-17 Brockenhurst, UK
taught by Jim Masterson

May 16-17  Hergatz, Germany
(taught in German)

June 6-7  Künzell, Germany
(taught in German)

(taught in German)

August 15-16 Bad Sassendorf, Germany (taught in German)

October 3-4 Pfaffenhofen, Germany (taught in German)

October 24-25 Großefehn, Germany (taught in German)

October 24-25 Miesenbach, Austria

November 21-22  Zandbergen, Belgium  


Australia & New Zealand Seminars

March 28-29  Meeanee, New Zealand

April 18-29  Te Awamutu, New Zealand

April 18-19  Boho, Australia


South Africa Seminars

February 29-March 1 
Masterson Method Equine Specialist Training
USA Trainings

Saturday, April 4-Monday, April 6

Friday, May 29-Sunday, May 31

Monday, July 13-Wednesday, July 15

Fr iday, August 21- Sunday, August 23

Friday, October 9-Sunday, October 11  

Friday, October 16-Sunday, October 18
Masterson Method Collaborative Clinics
Considering the Horse - Mind and Body
Collaborative Clinic with Mark Rashid and Jim Masterson

April 6-8 at Blue Dot Farm
To register contact: dianneadel@gmail.com 415-847-6878

April 24-26 at TLH Farms
To register contact: jackie@edgewaterfarms.com  920-428-9550

July 8-10 at Happy Dog Ranch
To register contact: bernadettespillane@gmail.com 303-915-8531


Your Horse's Brain: A User's Manual with
Dr. Steve Peters, Mark Rashid and Jim Masterson

July 11-12 at Happy Dog Ranch
To register contact Bernadette Spillane:  bernadettespillane@gmail.com

*Auditing is available for Collaborative Clinics, see link above for more information.
Advanced 5-Day Course Schedule
USA Advanced Courses

April 6-10 Wickenburg, AZ with Coralie Hughes

April 20-24 Ocala, FL with Mary Last

May 18-22 Bel Air, MD with Samantha Walker


June 22-26 Watsonville, CA with Sandy Vreeburg

July 20-24 Coatesville, IN with Coralie Hughes

September 21-25 Cedarburg, WI  with Becky Tenges

September 21-25  Manchester, NH with Samantha Walker

October 5-9 Watsonville, CA with Sandy Vreeburg

October 12-16 Coatesville, IN with Coralie Hughes

November 2-6 Tucson, AZ with Vanessa Helvey

November 9-13 Georgetown, TX with Becky Tenges


Europe Advanced Courses

*Note this is a Wednesday to Sunday course.

May 11-15 Salisbury, UK with Jim Masterson

May 18-22 Salisbury, UK with Jim Masterson

June 22-26 Brochów, PL with Beata Filonowicz (taught in Polish)

*Note this is a Wednesday to Sunday course.


Canada Advanced Courses

April 27-May 1 Fraser Valley, BC with Mark Fletcher

May 11-15 Cobourg, ON with Lori Hoppe

June 1-5 Cobourg, ON with Lori Hoppe

August 17-21 Calgary, AB with Lori Hoppe
Certification Completion Course Schedule
USA Courses

June 25 - June 26

June 27 - June 28

September TBD

Europe & UK Courses

May 23 - May 24  
Expos and Demos
Proud Partners
"Absorbine’s relationship with The Masterson Method® is a natural fit. Jim’s breakthrough but simple concepts are all focused on helping the horse to relieve tension, feel more comfortable and improve their relationships with owners and handlers.” 

~ Amy Cairy, Director of Marketing,
W. F. Young, manufacturers of Absorbine products

MASTERSON METHOD
641-472-1312