Listed below are some of the countless testimonials from our Equine Massage students that we have received over the years. We began teaching in 1991. We wanted to start off with a message from Mary Schreiber at the beginning of our eighteenth year of teaching. So much has changed, but yet so much remains the same.
Thoughts On Our 18th Year
As we approach our eighteenth year of teaching, so many thoughts come to mind. Little did I think that day in New Hope, Pa. that massaging horses and establishing a certificate program would have such a profound effect on my life and on those who have attended the class. The words of gratitude that have been expressed, not only on behalf of horses, dogs and their owners, but from students themselves. When someone calls or writes ten or more years later or even a few days later, saying the experience was life changing, I feel blessed beyond belief. I knew this would be a mission of sorts but had no idea of the magnitude of what has been accomplished by so many. We began the program in a recession and made it work. My husband, Dee, and I never questioned the possibilities. When our son, Eric died in a Marine Corps training accident, we still had to keep going so maybe that recession (poverty) was a constant reminder of perseverance under the most difficult of circumstances. Please stay strong and win the race even if it is "by a nose". Hold fast to your dreams, keep in touch, and for those of you who are considering animal massage as a career, just do it.
~Mary
2nd Generation of Equissage ESMT's
“Business is wonderful, and I owe it in large part to you all! I'm hiring my second part time associate, and even though I've interviewed many massage therapists who were already certified or trained through other schools, I've ended up finding two great ladies who were not certified yet, but were passionate about learning and animals. My first requirement in working for me is to be certified by Equissage, because after all these years and many, many courses/certifications later, the Equissage technique still has hands-down, the most effective, quickest positive change on the largest variety of horses/dogs and their issues! I do sometimes add a little myofascial work or other techniques when needed, but the sports massage is phenomenal on dogs and horses (and pigs and cows, lol!)! I'm so appreciative of Equissage and Mary...what a life changer Equissage was for me all those years ago! “
Amazing News!
I just wanted to share some exciting news with you. I massaged the USEF (United State Equestrian Federation) newly named Horse of the Year! (Well one of them!) Three out of the four horses I have massaged monthly have won top awards with the USEF! One horse, won the zone ward for Arabian class Horse of the Year in Dressage. One came in 4th in a western half-Arabian class. And last but not least her stallion, who totally LOVES his massages, came in third in his class. She is headed down to Louisville, KY this coming weekend for the awards ceremony. That is really big news for this little part of New Hampshire!! I just had to let you know that you are continuing to massage all the horses in the world - a little at a time...thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Kara S.
First Massage!
Hi Mary, I just had to write you to tell you about my friends horse that I actually trained on as well as my own. He is a 19 year old quarter horse that sadly is riddled with arthritis. He couldn't put his head down to eat and just kind of shuffled along. She called a chiropractor and they said to get a massage therapist out to him. I was doing the home study course and she said I could work on him while I was learning. We saw such a major difference in him so quickly, he could move and put his head up and down. It was so wonderful to see so much improvement in a short time of massaging him. He now lopes, bucks, kicks and sees what kind of mischief he can get into. I have been doing him for almost a year now and we have seen another difference in him, his mane and forelock are growing which they never have. She has owned him since he was 4 years old and they just have never grown, what an unexpected affect. I also wanted to tell you that I have fibromyalgia and it is incredible the energy the horses give to me. Horses are such giving beings and you just have to be open to receiving. Thank you for all you have taught me, I know that what I learned from you has changed my friends horses life.
Chris M.
Great Opportunity
Dear Mary, First of all I want to thank you for all that you taught me (I was in a November 2006 class). I happened to catch a break when one of the DJs on the radio station that I listen to was talking about her horse being injured. I decided to take a chance and email her about massages. She was very excited about it and I ended up massaging her horse one weekend. She was amazed while I was working on him. He had an injury to his suspensory ligament and was on stall rest for quite a while. He's not the most polite horse anyway, but being cooped up had made him worse. He actually stood still while I worked on him and she could see the relief in him. She emailed me back a few days later to thank me. She said it was amazing, he was in a coma for 2 days (Don't worry that was a good thing). Apparently he had calmed down and felt a lot better, more relaxed. That was the best email I've ever gotten. Thank you.
Erin B.
Proof Massage Works
Hi Mary, Got some big validation tonight while at the track. Last week, the trainer of two horses I worked on blew me off twice. The last time that I worked on his horses pre-race, they ran second and a 3 way photo finish, respectively. There's a fellow at the track that does magnets and electricity and herbals--charges much more than I do.(so he must be better?) This trainer chose to have his horses worked on with magnets and electricity. Tonight, one ran 6th, and and the other ran 8th. Validation.
Brenda B.
Post-Op Colic Scare
Dear Mary, Just thought I would let you know about an experience I had yesterday. One of the horses on the yard had a colic op 8 weeks ago and I have been massaging him twice a week since then. Yesterday afternoon he cast again and showed further colic symptoms. The vet said he could re-operate or destroy him. He gave the horse some painkillers and muscle relaxants and then waited for the horse box. I asked whether I could do the colic sequence on him and it was agreed. Within 2 hrs he was marching round trying to bite everyone and desperate to be off. This morning he is fine! Obviously I am not claiming it was anything I did but it seems likely to me that it must have helped. Mary, I am so grateful for all you taught us.
Heather W.
Colic Relief Success
Dear Mary, I just had to write to tell you about a client of the equine veterinarian I work for. This 20 year old ex-ranch horse, who had been in abdominal distress (Colic) since early morning had a left side small intestine impaction, determined deadly without surgery being performed. The Vet administered medications, even performed chiropractic & acupuncture techniques, she was at a loss. I asked the owners if I could try some massage on him, they said "what the hell", anything at this point. I went to work and also incorporated my Reiki, healing energy (Sweating). After 2 sessions and an hour in between, the horse let out a big sigh and relief was his at that moment. I had tears in my eyes, what a wonderful feeling, the owners were very thankful and the Vet gave me all the credit. Sorry so long, wanted to share my experience with you and thank you for everything you've done for me and the horses entrusted to us.
Allison J.
Colic Sequence
I have been amazed and impressed with the "colic sequence." Each time I massage a horse, when I come to the back rub and back circles the gut begins to make enormous audible rumblings....very impressive. I used the colic sequence the other day on one of our weanlings who was down and groaning with a tummy ache. I also used it the other day on one of my playing horses who had very faint gut sounds. Both showed amazingly quick improvement and were fine. It is something I wish I could show to everyone..... I plan to video one of my horses for you....she was my very first horse. She is 30 years old and blind. I want to video her as she is being massaged so that you might show to everyone the true amazing power that touch really does have. It is so dramatic how this old girl responds to each stroke. I think it might be a powerful image especially for the people who come to you who have had absolutely no prior horse experience. Thanks so much.
Amanda A.
When Massage and Medicine Come Together
Hi Mary, Had to write and let you know about an incredible massage story. Yesterday morning, I got a call from a lady not too far from where I live. She has a mare that had been trotting along, and stepped in about a foot deep hole in the ground. The next morning, the horse was laying down and was cast in her stall. By this time, the horse's muscles were shaking. The vet came out and got the horse up and gave her Bute. The vet said that the shaking was from severely straining her back muscles when stepping in the hole. The owner asked the vet if massage would help, and the vet told her to wait a couple days and see how the bute helps her. Well, the next day, the horse was still the same and kept losing her balance and falling down. Knowing that the horse wasn't in shock (since the vet didn't think so), I agreed to massage this little mare. This mare's back was so tight that you could actually see how tight the muscle in her back was. I massaged her right side and then moved on to her left side. About halfway through her left side, we noticed that she was no longer shaking on her right side and was standing a lot better. When I left, the horse was still a little shaky, but there was a noticeable difference even in her attitude. I felt great being able to help a horse and to immediately see the results. Not to mention how great it felt to know that the massage worked, even when the vet couldn't help as quickly. Her owner has even set up another appointment for her in a couple of days! I am looking forward to her next massage to see how she is doing then and how she will do afterwards! Thanks for teaching us how to help the animals we love!
Susan F.
Thoughts On Our 18th Year
As we approach our eighteenth year of teaching, so many thoughts come to mind. Little did I think that day in New Hope, Pa. that massaging horses and establishing a certificate program would have such a profound effect on my life and on those who have attended the class. The words of gratitude that have been expressed, not only on behalf of horses, dogs and their owners, but from students themselves. When someone calls or writes ten or more years later or even a few days later, saying the experience was life changing, I feel blessed beyond belief. I knew this would be a mission of sorts but had no idea of the magnitude of what has been accomplished by so many. We began the program in a recession and made it work. My husband, Dee, and I never questioned the possibilities. When our son, Eric died in a Marine Corps training accident, we still had to keep going so maybe that recession (poverty) was a constant reminder of perseverance under the most difficult of circumstances. Please stay strong and win the race even if it is "by a nose". Hold fast to your dreams, keep in touch, and for those of you who are considering animal massage as a career, just do it.
~Mary
2nd Generation of Equissage ESMT's
“Business is wonderful, and I owe it in large part to you all! I'm hiring my second part time associate, and even though I've interviewed many massage therapists who were already certified or trained through other schools, I've ended up finding two great ladies who were not certified yet, but were passionate about learning and animals. My first requirement in working for me is to be certified by Equissage, because after all these years and many, many courses/certifications later, the Equissage technique still has hands-down, the most effective, quickest positive change on the largest variety of horses/dogs and their issues! I do sometimes add a little myofascial work or other techniques when needed, but the sports massage is phenomenal on dogs and horses (and pigs and cows, lol!)! I'm so appreciative of Equissage and Mary...what a life changer Equissage was for me all those years ago! “
Amazing News!
I just wanted to share some exciting news with you. I massaged the USEF (United State Equestrian Federation) newly named Horse of the Year! (Well one of them!) Three out of the four horses I have massaged monthly have won top awards with the USEF! One horse, won the zone ward for Arabian class Horse of the Year in Dressage. One came in 4th in a western half-Arabian class. And last but not least her stallion, who totally LOVES his massages, came in third in his class. She is headed down to Louisville, KY this coming weekend for the awards ceremony. That is really big news for this little part of New Hampshire!! I just had to let you know that you are continuing to massage all the horses in the world - a little at a time...thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Kara S.
First Massage!
Hi Mary, I just had to write you to tell you about my friends horse that I actually trained on as well as my own. He is a 19 year old quarter horse that sadly is riddled with arthritis. He couldn't put his head down to eat and just kind of shuffled along. She called a chiropractor and they said to get a massage therapist out to him. I was doing the home study course and she said I could work on him while I was learning. We saw such a major difference in him so quickly, he could move and put his head up and down. It was so wonderful to see so much improvement in a short time of massaging him. He now lopes, bucks, kicks and sees what kind of mischief he can get into. I have been doing him for almost a year now and we have seen another difference in him, his mane and forelock are growing which they never have. She has owned him since he was 4 years old and they just have never grown, what an unexpected affect. I also wanted to tell you that I have fibromyalgia and it is incredible the energy the horses give to me. Horses are such giving beings and you just have to be open to receiving. Thank you for all you have taught me, I know that what I learned from you has changed my friends horses life.
Chris M.
Great Opportunity
Dear Mary, First of all I want to thank you for all that you taught me (I was in a November 2006 class). I happened to catch a break when one of the DJs on the radio station that I listen to was talking about her horse being injured. I decided to take a chance and email her about massages. She was very excited about it and I ended up massaging her horse one weekend. She was amazed while I was working on him. He had an injury to his suspensory ligament and was on stall rest for quite a while. He's not the most polite horse anyway, but being cooped up had made him worse. He actually stood still while I worked on him and she could see the relief in him. She emailed me back a few days later to thank me. She said it was amazing, he was in a coma for 2 days (Don't worry that was a good thing). Apparently he had calmed down and felt a lot better, more relaxed. That was the best email I've ever gotten. Thank you.
Erin B.
Proof Massage Works
Hi Mary, Got some big validation tonight while at the track. Last week, the trainer of two horses I worked on blew me off twice. The last time that I worked on his horses pre-race, they ran second and a 3 way photo finish, respectively. There's a fellow at the track that does magnets and electricity and herbals--charges much more than I do.(so he must be better?) This trainer chose to have his horses worked on with magnets and electricity. Tonight, one ran 6th, and and the other ran 8th. Validation.
Brenda B.
Post-Op Colic Scare
Dear Mary, Just thought I would let you know about an experience I had yesterday. One of the horses on the yard had a colic op 8 weeks ago and I have been massaging him twice a week since then. Yesterday afternoon he cast again and showed further colic symptoms. The vet said he could re-operate or destroy him. He gave the horse some painkillers and muscle relaxants and then waited for the horse box. I asked whether I could do the colic sequence on him and it was agreed. Within 2 hrs he was marching round trying to bite everyone and desperate to be off. This morning he is fine! Obviously I am not claiming it was anything I did but it seems likely to me that it must have helped. Mary, I am so grateful for all you taught us.
Heather W.
Colic Relief Success
Dear Mary, I just had to write to tell you about a client of the equine veterinarian I work for. This 20 year old ex-ranch horse, who had been in abdominal distress (Colic) since early morning had a left side small intestine impaction, determined deadly without surgery being performed. The Vet administered medications, even performed chiropractic & acupuncture techniques, she was at a loss. I asked the owners if I could try some massage on him, they said "what the hell", anything at this point. I went to work and also incorporated my Reiki, healing energy (Sweating). After 2 sessions and an hour in between, the horse let out a big sigh and relief was his at that moment. I had tears in my eyes, what a wonderful feeling, the owners were very thankful and the Vet gave me all the credit. Sorry so long, wanted to share my experience with you and thank you for everything you've done for me and the horses entrusted to us.
Allison J.
Colic Sequence
I have been amazed and impressed with the "colic sequence." Each time I massage a horse, when I come to the back rub and back circles the gut begins to make enormous audible rumblings....very impressive. I used the colic sequence the other day on one of our weanlings who was down and groaning with a tummy ache. I also used it the other day on one of my playing horses who had very faint gut sounds. Both showed amazingly quick improvement and were fine. It is something I wish I could show to everyone..... I plan to video one of my horses for you....she was my very first horse. She is 30 years old and blind. I want to video her as she is being massaged so that you might show to everyone the true amazing power that touch really does have. It is so dramatic how this old girl responds to each stroke. I think it might be a powerful image especially for the people who come to you who have had absolutely no prior horse experience. Thanks so much.
Amanda A.
When Massage and Medicine Come Together
Hi Mary, Had to write and let you know about an incredible massage story. Yesterday morning, I got a call from a lady not too far from where I live. She has a mare that had been trotting along, and stepped in about a foot deep hole in the ground. The next morning, the horse was laying down and was cast in her stall. By this time, the horse's muscles were shaking. The vet came out and got the horse up and gave her Bute. The vet said that the shaking was from severely straining her back muscles when stepping in the hole. The owner asked the vet if massage would help, and the vet told her to wait a couple days and see how the bute helps her. Well, the next day, the horse was still the same and kept losing her balance and falling down. Knowing that the horse wasn't in shock (since the vet didn't think so), I agreed to massage this little mare. This mare's back was so tight that you could actually see how tight the muscle in her back was. I massaged her right side and then moved on to her left side. About halfway through her left side, we noticed that she was no longer shaking on her right side and was standing a lot better. When I left, the horse was still a little shaky, but there was a noticeable difference even in her attitude. I felt great being able to help a horse and to immediately see the results. Not to mention how great it felt to know that the massage worked, even when the vet couldn't help as quickly. Her owner has even set up another appointment for her in a couple of days! I am looking forward to her next massage to see how she is doing then and how she will do afterwards! Thanks for teaching us how to help the animals we love!
Susan F.
