Riding for the Disabled horses to get the Equine Touch
The deserving horses and ponies of the Ballina and District Riding for the Disabled Association are soon to benefit from the feel-good factor when they act as subjects for the area’s first course in the Equine Touch.
Horse owners from the Ballina area will be learning this internationally renowned form of hands-on bodywork during a three-day course at the RDA centre at North Teven from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 August.
This course is booking up so fast that a second course is now being scheduled for early December.
Equine Touch instructor, Jane Clothier, says she is delighted to be working with the RDA horses and ponies.
“When learning hands-on bodywork for the first time, it’s important that everyone has trustworthy horses to practice on,” she said.
“The RDA horses and ponies are perfect in this respect, as they are so gentle and patient.
“At the same time, we are repaying these fantastic animals for their hard work in such a valuable organisation as the RDA.”
Jane says that because she is currently the only instructor working in New South Wales, this is a rare opportunity for horse owners to learn how to take a greater role in looking after their horses’ well-being.
“Equine Touch can help to maintain horses’ condition, support recovery from illness or injury, and improve overall performance,” Jane said.
“Being such a gentle approach that is easy to learn, it has already proved enormously popular in the US, UK, Europe and New Zealand.
“In the past year, it has taken off in Western Australia and Victoria, where the number of students is rising rapidly.
“This first course is three days long and gives participants a complete set of moves to use with their own horses, as well as additional moves to work on problem areas.
“Students don’t need a great knowledge of anatomy to take part, just experience of handling horses.”
Anyone interested can contact Jane Clothier by email: jane@equinetouchNSW.com or by phone 0447 672 523. More information can be found on the Equine Touch website.
PICTURE: An Icelandic horse enjoys some Equine Touch from instructor Jane Clothier.
