Wildfire Integrative Bodyworks, LLC

Wildfire Integrative Bodyworks, LLC Using a muti-modality, integrative approach Wildfire aids in helping all aspects of the equine body

07/03/2025

What happens when muscles contract and don’t fully release? Get muscle knots and tension? Fascia lines snag or develop adhesions? We get restricted range of motion. What happens when we get restricted range of motion? The body compensates and snowballs into dysfunction. What happens then? Decreased performance and increased risk of injury. Also potential behavioral issue under saddle.

🚨Rare openings for appointments 🚨 Tuesday July 1: Snohomish to Oak HarborWednesday July 2: Arlington to Oak HarborAs of ...
06/22/2025

🚨Rare openings for appointments 🚨
Tuesday July 1: Snohomish to Oak Harbor
Wednesday July 2: Arlington to Oak Harbor

As of right now, my schedule and rotations are full for the remainder of the year aside from the occasional cancellation. There are two rotations that I would have room for one more client on each one. As always, I do have a waitlist and recommendations for a couple other phenomenal body workers that I work closely with. 

🥇 Shows: Regular rotations are different from shows. My schedule at shows is open to anyone, client or not.

06/09/2025

How did you play in the sun this weekend? To say the PNW weather was gorgeous yesterday is an understatement. Got a great ride in then headed to the lake for wakeboarding and tubing fun.

First clinic was a huge success and she is coming back for another one! Spots are limited so if you are wanting to come ...
06/08/2025

First clinic was a huge success and she is coming back for another one! Spots are limited so if you are wanting to come let me know! You will gain access to the private facebook group.

“Betsy Vonda is a 3-time All American Quater Horse Congress Pole Bending Champion with over 25 years of successful competitive experience in both Speed events and Western Performance. She became a Paramedic in 2010, moving into the role of Emergency Service Education and Program Coordinator in 2018. Betsy has been teaching clinics since 2008 and has a deep passion for continuous learning and sharing knowledge in a way that is attainable and understandable to all skill levels. She recently transitioned from Paramedicine to Equine Postural and Performance consulting to help owners who feel something isn’t quite right and are struggling to find answers, as well as helping those who want to optimize their working relationship with their equine partner and better understand their behaviour.

During this clinic, Betsy will share tactical and visual strategies that improve the rider’s ability to jockey their horse with precision through the pole pattern. She will share simple yet effective methods to refine the horse’s positioning for a smoother weave and to reduce the chance of knocking. She explains the fundamentals of a fast, accurate turn, but also addresses common problems that may cost a rider valuable time and how to overcome them. She will work with each rider on their specific goals and share effective mindset to set yourself up to succeed in the arena.”

06/03/2025

Quick Tip TuesdayThe Tuber Coxae is the lateral end of the ilium of the pelvis. It has numerous muscles that attach to it with tendons as well as fascia attachments. These attachments can develop knots and adhesions. Using friction around the Tuber Coxae on these attachments is a great way to break up those adhesions. Most horses really enjoy it and will lean into it.I either use my fingers, lateral side of my hand or a graston tool. Remember, even too much of a good thing can be harmful so listen to your horse and don’t overdo it. Also limiting this approach to 1-2 times a week depending on the horse.

05/29/2025

Rough ground, slippery reins and still landed a new PR! 🙌🏻 Regular bodywork helps keep them moving great and helps prevent injury.

05/27/2025

QUICK TIP TUESDAYIs your horse a bleeder? Before I start, there are many reasons are horse can be a bleeder as well as many ways a horse could be restricted through the diaphragm. Tension and incorrect biomechanics can lead to the diaphragm being restricted. If the diaphragm is restricted, your horse is not breathing properly. If your horse is not breathing properly and you run barrels or speed events this can put them at a greater risk of becoming a bleeder.Right now we are talking about the relationship between the ventral neck, psoas and diaphragm. - Does your horse keep their head and neck in the air when you ride? - Does your horse use their neck to lift and drag their front end?- Do you use a tie down? Even side reins and martingales they can brace against. - Is their lower neck rock hard and more developed than the rest of the neck? - Does your horse break at the poll but keep the neck super stiff?Chances are, you have dysfunction and tension.

05/25/2025

Saddle Fit and the muscles that are affected.
While all the muscles are indirectly affected by poor saddle fit, quite a few muscles are directly affected.
- Thoracic Trapezius: shoulder elevation and retraction
- Longissimus Dorsi: spinal extension and bending
- Spinalis: mobilizing and stabilizing the cervical-thoracic junction
- Latissimus Dorsi: shoulder flexion and limb retraction
- Rhomboid: lifting the shoulder, elevating neck, stabilizing

Dysfunction, atrophy, tissue/nerve damage can all happen to these muscles by a poor fitting saddle.

I will be at the Friday Night Lights Memorial Day race tomorrow for anyone needing performance prep, taping or saddle fi...
05/25/2025

I will be at the Friday Night Lights Memorial Day race tomorrow for anyone needing performance prep, taping or saddle fitting. I plan on arriving between 8 and 8:30am. I will need to run a couple time onlies but will be free before and after that until it’s time for my run.
As always, it’s easiest for me to have a heads up if you want on my list but not required.
So excited for another fun day of racing! Good luck to everyone!
Friday Night Lights barrel race

Just got home after wrapping up being in Moses Lake with the District 7 WAHSET team at state championships. This is my s...
05/18/2025

Just got home after wrapping up being in Moses Lake with the District 7 WAHSET team at state championships. This is my second year following these girls(and a few boys) to their meets as they work hard and ride harder. I’m so impressed at the dedication, multiple lessons/practices a week, early mornings, long nights. Even more impressed by the parents that make this happen and supporting our youth. I tip my hats to you and the chaos you endure 😂. I have grown so close to many of these kids and their families as they entrust me with keeping these amazing horses feeling their best. They have truly become family to me. My heart is a little torn knowing some are seniors this year and I wont see them at meets next year(even if I do see you monthly for regular bodywork). But excited to meet the future freshman as they begin their journey with WAHSET. See you in January!
I’m so proud of you that will be moving forward to PNWIC!
P.S.: I was surprised last night with my own WAHSET sweatshirt! It even sparkles ✨ although I’m told I will be needing to add more names 🥰 It was such a heartwarming and unexpected gift.

Once again, I slacked on taking an adequate number of pics and videos. But I did get a few lol

Thank you for another fun and busy season!

I am not a vet and should never replace your veterinary care team. But sometimes a dysfunctional body can make your hors...
05/12/2025

I am not a vet and should never replace your veterinary care team. But sometimes a dysfunctional body can make your horse look lame/off. Sometimes they need injections due to their discipline or even their conformation. And sometimes they need injections or have injuries due to the body compensating so much or for so long that it puts extra strain on structures and it becomes a domino effect. I love hearing this feedback 🤍

Before Tara came, Fame was constantly lame in her right front, starting late winter. It was only when she turned to the right, and she seemed just off enough that I didn’t want to ride her. We figured that she might have had knee injections in the past, so arthritis seemed like a plausible explanation. However, when Tara came, she found a lot of tightness in Fame’s low neck in that side. She worked a lot on that area, and the day after bodywork, Fame was completely sound! No matter how tight I turned or how fast she trotted, she didn’t take a step wrong. Tara recommended using micro current to keep her feeling her best, and now I am able to get Fame back in shape to ride again!

Because who doesn’t like some satisfying before and after pics 🤩 I absolutely love my job!
05/11/2025

Because who doesn’t like some satisfying before and after pics 🤩 I absolutely love my job!

Address

Oak Harbor, WA

Telephone

(707) 761-0655

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The Inception of a Dream

Growing up Tara has always had a passion for all animals but had the special connections with horses. She was blessed to be able to be around them and ride at an early age and followed them wherever life took her. She began working in the veterinary field in 2007 and has thrived in it since but it never seemed to be the end goal. Something was missing still. In 2014 she had a horse who’s body had been treated hard. He had arthritis, old injuries that healed poorly and the mental state associated with chronic pain. Vets, chiropractors, massage therapists and nothing seemed to stick. She was introduced to micro-current from a friend and it changed his world. The pain was manageable, the bodywork was holding and he was happy again. It was at that moment that Tara realized what she wanted to do in life. She wanted a career in helping horses whether rehabilitative, prevention or healing. She prayed that God would light the way He intended for her and to work through her to help them.

In 2016 she set off to get the funding needed to get her dream started. After 2 years of being told “no” by banks and financial institutions and many prayers Tara was finally given her start from a good friend who told her “yes” and believed in what she was doing. Tara went to school and learned how to use not only the microcurrent but also laser and soundwave. This is where she also realized that not only horses but any animal could benefit from these modalities. But it didn’t end there. After a year she wanted to grow more and become a bodyworker with a full understanding of the equine body and how it worked. After having to make a huge sacrifice to pay for more school, she enrolled in Langley Equine Studies in 2019 and graduated a year later with honors. Anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, swedish massage, structural integration, acupressure and more were all included in the school. She became nationally certified and is already taking advanced courses and plans to continue taking additional courses and learning all different approaches.

The ultimate goal is to one day have a full rehabilitation and conditioning facility where horses can come for one day or one month getting what they need from Tara while working closely with their vets. These are big goals and ambitions and there are days that they are daunting but she remembers her faith and words to remember. God is going to send you places you don’t feel qualified to go. He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6