Meet Your Practitioner
About the practice
The core of our practice is Structural Integration, a unique type of bodywork that works in a series and uses gentle touch to release restriction in the connective tissue, or fascia, that locks a body into a compensatory posture and bio-mechanical dysfunction — created by trauma (physical and/or emotional), as well as consistent wear and tear on a horse’s body from work and/or play.
Core restrictions and compensations restrict free and efficient movement, stress and degenerate the tissue, cause pain and can ultimately lead to lameness. Physical manipulation techniques can resolve these issues. The work is progressive and done as a series, building on itself, as superficial tension patterns clear and your horse integrates the work into his system, producing long term benefits and corrective changes in the biomechanics of your horse, which leads to a much healthier and happier life.
Because Structural Integration addresses the root issue of movement dysfunction, a horse’s postural alignment, it address the innate issue of laterality and crookedness, since all horses suffer from lateral dominance.
Our work uses gentle, permissive touch, and is done at the depth and speed readily accepted by the horse, to release physical tension, promote relaxation, and restore harmony within the connective tissues and nervous system without being met with resistance.
Your practitioner, Caroline Wood
Caroline Wood honors her teachers whose works have positively influenced others — Dr. Kerry Ridgeway of Equine Therapeutic Options, Sher Bell Boatman of Campana Ranch Training Stables, Joseph Freeman of Equine Natural Movement School, Jim Masterson of The Masterson Method, and Andrea Laing.
Caroline has a strong eye and ability to see how the horse moves, picking up subtle lameness, restrictions, and gait aberrations that reflect the horse’s specific postural inefficiencies and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Her intuitive approach, is navigated by the guiding star of heart coherence and is rooted deeply in acts of service.
Caroline believes there are no bad horses, and “bad” behaviors are just expressions of unmet needs. Her bodywork sessions are framed around setting the intention, creating a sacred space, and showing up authentically to allow our horses to relax and release what no longer serves them.
The combination of Caroline’s grounded and calming energy; commitment to professionalism and ethical conduct; solid training to create results that stick; and, intuitive abilities are well received by horses and owner’s alike. She has been told she has magic hands.
“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
— George Bernard Shaw