It’s okay to shop equine bodyworkers
I said what I said.
Not every bodyworker will feel like the right fit for you & your horse and it’s okay to try out different bodyworkers until you find one that feels like a good fit for you!
So, how do you determine if someone is a good fit!?
Education
Consider how important their education is to you. Do you know where your bodyworker received their training? Do they have one certification or multiple certifications? How long have they been practicing? Which of these are the most (or least) important to you?
Personality
Do you like the way they interact with your horse? Does your horse seem to like them? Do you like them? Do a self-assessment, how important is it (or isn’t it) to you if you/your horse like them?
Involvement
Do they explain what they are doing in a way you can understand? Do they provide you with Details/notes about what they worked on/how your horse reacted? Do they follow up with you after a session to see how your horse is doing? Decide… do you like being involved or would you prefer a bodyworker who does the job and leaves you be?
Feedback
Do they listen to what you have to say? Do they take your suggestions and thoughts about what’s going on with your horse seriously or do they brush you off? Are they open to the other therapies you do for your horse or do they downplay other modalities?
Price Point
Unfortunately, we aren’t all made of money so this is a real consideration. Do they have services available in your price range? Can you comfortably afford their services at the frequency they recommend? If they are out of your price range but their services match your horse’s needs - are they willing to work out a plan with you? Maybe you can’t afford to have your horse seen as often as they’d like - but are they amenable to seeing the horse less often and giving you more homework between sessions?
Ultimately the (unofficial) oath of this profession is to help horses function to the best of their ability. I’m not so naive to think that I will be the best fit for every single horse and every single rider, common sense just tells me that can’t be true. Heck, I certainly don’t like every single person I meet and sometimes I even meet horses I don't like! 🤷♀️
Does this mean I think I'm a bad bodyworker? No! I actually think I'm pretty great and I'd say my clients would agree 😂
But, I know that sometimes personalities mismatch. So, if you're not feeling the love with your current bodyworker, I want you to feel confident that it's okay to shop around.
Maybe you'll find that you like the other options even less.... or maybe you'll find your ✨perfect✨ fit.
Be bold. Be brave. And always do what's best for your horse ❤️
