ABOUT US
INTRODUCTION
I would love to be able to say that I have been around horses all my life, that I rode from the age of two, fell off naughty ponies at Pony Club and went on to own a variety of horses growing up that taught me everything I know. It is true that I rode when I was little, but that was restricted to twice yearly visits to Dartmoor, braving the wind and the rain on half term hacking trips. Working with horses now, because I have always been around horses, is not my story.
MY BACKGROUND
Having done an English Literature degree at Leeds University and spent a year living and working in Australia, I joined Unilever as a Brand Manager. After three years, I left to live and work in London for thirteen years as a Brand Strategist/ Planner in international advertising and media agencies. I was lucky that my job frequently took me to Europe and much further afield, but this, in conjunction with city-based life, meant I had little chance to indulge my love for dogs and my interest in horses.
NEW BEGINNINGS
In 2010, my partner and I set up our own business, a brand consultancy called BlazyePearce and moved to the South West, to West Devon, choosing to live right on the edge of Dartmoor. It was then, in conjunction with getting the two Labradors that I had promised myself that I really got bitten by the infamous horsey bug. Arguably at a time of life and at an age that I should have known better, I began having lessons at Oaklands Riding School outside Exeter and hacking out a number of times a week on the moor out of Eastlake Livery and Retirement Yard and Cholwell Riding Stables down near Mary Tavy. It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that I actually preferred spending time with horses on yards, rather than with people in meeting rooms and on planes and I decided to try and find a way of making that the norm, whilst still utilising some of my existing skills.
DISCOVERING BOWEN THERAPY
Having had a lifetime of sports related injuries and therefore, being well versed on physiotherapy, sports massage, acupuncture and many rehabilitation exercises, I was intrigued when I came across Bowen in my research.
What I found interesting and continue to find amazing, is that so much can be achieved by seemingly doing so little.
THE ROLE BOWEN THERAPY CAN PLAY - TEAMWORK
I was incredibly lucky in that I got to train under Paula Esson, Julian Baker and Sylvia Wilkinson from the College of Bowen Studies and Lotty Merry of Rose Farm College of Equine Studies. Paula and Lotty in particular have been brilliant tutors and mentors and they continue to inspire me in terms of furthering my knowledge and experience.
Both of them have installed in me, a belief that the ‘client', human or equine, is the sole hero of the treatment experience. Whilst Bowen has a critical role to play in managing and optimising human and equine health, it is just one of many therapies, treatments and techniques that are available to people and horses, in addition to dietary advice, exercise programmes, correct shoeing, or foot trimming, saddle and bit fitting and health checks on teeth and backs. Add health professionals and doctors and vets into the mix and the client is surrounded by experts, all of whom will have a point of view on their issues and how they can be resolved.
And that is how it should be. In my experience, limited as it is in the therapeutic and equestrian world, but pretty extensive in the world of marketing, advertising, media and communications, it is the teams of experts who each understand and respect each others’ field of expertise, who are free to have a point of view and make constructive observations intended for the overall benefit of the client, without feeling the need to undermine someone else’s view or position, that not only get the best results, but are trusted and respected in turn by their clients.
FALLING IN LOVE WITH HORSES
Sounds over dramatic I know, but that is what has happened over the last three years particularly as I have been constantly around them, ridden them, treated them, watched them and read endlessly about them.
I’m not going to lie and it was an open secret whilst I did my human training, but I was training in human in order to work with horses. I have been lucky enough to work with some people for whom Bowen can literally change their lives, but in my opinion, it is the way in which many horses react to treatment that makes being a therapist so amazing. It really is a total pleasure to treat such magnificent creatures in all their shapes and sizes and see tangible signs of their bodies reacting to the work being put in.
ME AND MY HORSE
Seven years that have seen close calls, falls, broken bones and an awful lot of pure, unadulterated enjoyment later and having searched for a 15.3 hh, nine year old, bay gelding, I am now the obscenely proud owner of a 16 hh, 7 year old, iron grey mare. They say they find you and as we embark on our second year of getting to know each other, I think even she is O.K with the match!
I am really lucky in that I can keep her really close at Matthew Hall Equestrian, under the vastly experienced, professional care of Matt and Lisa who have both been instrumental to our development so far.
QUALIFICATIONS & COURSES ATTENDED
Cert. RFCES, Cert. C.B.S, S.A.C Dip (Anatomy & Physiology).
Fully insured with Balens Ltd.
Qualified Emergency First Aid with the Red Cross in May 2017.
3 day Whole Horse Dissection with Lotty Merry at Rose Farm College of Equine Studies, March 2018 (CPD).
Sports One with Paula Esson, College of Bowen Studies, May 2018 (CPD).
Introduction to Laser Therapy on Animals with Mrs Jan Lloyd-Jones, Global Horse Source Ltd., May 2018 (CPD.)