Holistic Equine & Rider Solutions

17/04/2023

HERS is a partnership between Heart Centered Horsemanship and Deb D'Amato: Horse Mumbler, Massage & Bodywork Therapist, offering Yin Horsemanship clinics that explore the integration of hands-on modalities into the training process. Our next class at LaBelle Equestrian in Mt. Ulla, NC will be June 4. We are also available to bring Yin Horsemanship to your farm!!

For information and registration, you can message us here or go to www.heartcenteredhorsemanship.com

14/02/2023

🤦‍♀️

27/05/2022

New stuff! Old stuff! Suitable for any experience level (with yoga or horsemanship) and also beneficial if you’ve joined us previously for yoga or Yin.

We have a couple of spaces left in our Yoga and Yin Clinic at LaBelle Equestrian on June 11. This class will describe how the practice of yoga can improve your horsemanship and riding, how you can give your horse the same benefits that you gain through the practice, and how we can incorporate yoga into riding so that the horse can follow your movements easily without pressure or resistance. Deb D'Amato will be joining to teach the Yin portion, bringing her expertise in bodywork to guide participants in ways to release muscular tension and improve the horse's comfort and movement. Spaces are very limited so if you're interested in attending, please let me know asap!!

18/05/2022

June 11! It’s June 11! Join us!

02/05/2022

Come to Our Yin Horsemanship a la carte day June 4th!

Choose your segments (yoga for equestrians, Yin Horsemanship, Riding Lesson, Bodywork) and learn new ways to do the things you already do with your horse as well as techniques that are new to you. And if you’re riding with us, you must wear a helmet. Because you really never know when you might wish you had.

https://youtu.be/0m-c4GixUpg

02/05/2022

Yin Horsemanship a la carte!

We will be at Labelle’s Equestrian ALL DAY June 4th-
You can join us for all 3 segments or choose your schedule:

Yoga
9:45-10:45 ($15)
Yin Light
11-1 ($55)
Riding Lesson or Equine Bodywork 2-3:30 ($55)

Each new session will be suitable for both new and experienced Yin Horsemanship equestrians. DM or give a call with questions or to sign up!

03/04/2022

Another successful Yin Horsemanship clinic, this time out in Reidsville, with a fabulous group of horsewomen and cheeky, happy horses. A big thank you to everyone!
Gather 4 of your horsey friends and book us at YOUR barn! Hosts attend free. Groundwork skills, bodywork techniques, anatomy & physiology, communication and interaction, all with a Yin Approach you can use with any horse and any discipline.

30/03/2022

Deb here🙋🏼‍♀️This is some cool research, further proving Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory is more than just educated speculation. There are many different aspects of the vagus nerve affecting many different messages and actions to & from the brain. In Yin Horsemanship I introduce you to Polyvagal Theory as it applies to working with horses. Interested?

https://neurosciencenews.com/vagal-nerve-brain-body-20266/?fbclid=IwAR2TLi16y0N5gMi_fCUw-V8FSRLgGF6QZgoNudJ-nzlqKGWbArxA0Ip-ltk

Study reveals how different signals in the brain are coded in the vagus nerve, finding three key features that are independently coded by vagal sensory neurons.

24/03/2022

So each part of this sampling of structure should have differential movement. The work we do with the Yin Horsemanship method helps to encourage differential movement in the horse’s body so movement is easy and efficient. Come learn how! We are now offering a once-a-month day to explore the various ways we can help ourselves and our horses.

The deep fascia is a homogeneous structure, but the terminology for the deep fascia of the lower limb varies according to location. You can think of it as a stocking that is continuous, but with different names at different locations. In the thigh it is called ‘fascia lata’, in the leg the ‘crural fascia’, in the foot the ‘plantar fascia’ and ‘dorsal fascia’ of the foot. All these are just topographical nomenclature, and do not identify defined boundaries of the deep fascia. In this image the thin, white layer that you see is wrapping all the muscles of the leg below the knee and is the deep fascia (also called the fascia profunda). Because of its location, it is specifically called the ‘fascia cruris’ or the ‘crural fascia’.

Source: Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System by Carla Stecco pages 51 and 298.

18/03/2022

You asked for it, we’ve designed it!
The all new….

Yin Horsemanship a la carte!

We will reschedule March 26 to later in the spring, but April 24th and June 4th we will now be at Labelle’s Equestrian ALL DAY!
You can join us for all 3 segments or choose your schedule:

Yoga
9:45-10:45 ($15)
Yin Light
11-1 ($55)
Riding Lesson or Equine Bodywork 2-3:30 ($55)

And…we will be offering this program once a month!
Each new session will be suitable for both new and experienced Yin Horsemanship equestrians

04/03/2022

Join us!

21/02/2022

Wow.... I’d forgotten this was also a notable on my birthday 😒

"If the Grateful Dead came to town, I’d beat my way in with a fu***ng tire iron, if necessary." ~ Hunter S. Thompson
Dr. Gonzo made his journey to the other side 17 years ago today, but his words will stay with us forever. What's your favorite Hunter S. Thompson quote?

17/02/2022

Everything is connected, and the fascia is a big part of it. The fascia is interwoven throughout the body with a number of lines that can be connected. They help with stability in movement and communication, and it is the same design in horses. Remember about diagonals? If your horse is lame or has issues with a leg, check the leg diagonally to it

15/02/2022

Someone on another post asked if Yin Horsemanship would be good for a PSSM horse. Here is my answer:

from my experience I have to say YES! The YH program helps us become more sensitive and aware with our presence and our touch, how to assess how much pressure to use , what techniques we can use to help. Each horse has unique issues and sensitivities, and as you know this can change daily. What worked for one horse or for today may not be right for the next one. We help you learn easy ways to be softer yet more effective with your touch and how to use being more fully present with your horse so any one technique can be efficiently and effectively tailored to you and your horse in that moment. One PSSM horse I work with is so sensitive that sometimes just a soft hand on her withers is enough to help her relax, or if she’s having a better day maybe adding some movement to that hand is helpful. We help you discover ways to know for yourself how to proceed.

We are now registering for Yin Light (2 hour sessions) at LaBelle Equestrian (contact us ) AND the full day program at JL Winding Road Farm ([email protected])

04/02/2022

As you may know, the clinics we present focus on hands-on bodywork techniques that horses love. Drawing from influences of massage, myofascial release, Masterson Method and more, we have recently added to our repertoire! You may already know that we have been participating in an ongoing online course with Mary Debono. She is a practitioner in the Feldenkrais Method and her courses include both lessons for people and hands-on moves for horses that she developed herself (based on Feldenkrais), penned Debono Moves. We have been learning new ways to perceive softness, flexibility and movement through these Awareness Through Movement techniques that fit perfectly with our Yin Horsemanship philosophy... so we've added some to our clinics!

We are now offering Yin Light classes which will be broken down into short 2-hour segments, each starting with an introduction to the basics of Yin Horsemanship principles, techniques, anatomy & physiology and then each focusing on a different aspect of the horse and techniques. The immersive hands-on techniques are all simple to learn and ones you can immediately use. You can do the entire series or attend a single class (but of course we recommend all 3!)

As bringing awareness, power, and differentiation to our own movements can benefit our work with horses, Stacey will be offering an optional Yoga For Equestrians class before the clinics at LaBelle Equestrian. A calm mind and attunement within our bodies helps us shift from a strictly mental concentration while learning new things to a more effective full body engagement which is imperative for a better sense of FEEL. One of my frequently used phrases is "Don't think...just feel." Come learn what this means!

What you will learn and experience at a Yin Horsemanship Clinic include...

*using gentle touch and movements within the horse's body to offer comfort, facilitate relaxation, release chronic tension, and activate underused muscles

*in-hand groundwork exercises that can help you and your horse transition seamlessly to riding exercises with ease and clarity

*a variety of ways to create small movements within the horse's body that will facilitate a more calm and relaxed state while activating areas that are dull or "stuck"

*learn the incredible power that touch and small movements can have to help your horse move and feel better, as well as improving your relationship!

Pre-registration for all clinics is required so please contact us if you would like to reserve your space! Bring your favorite horse or work with one of the herd at LaBelle Equestrian, and please share this with your friends!

Yin Light Clinics 12-2pm $80 each
March 26, April 23, June 4 LaBelle Equestrian, 2445 Centenary Church Rd, Mt Ulla
Yoga (before Yin Light Clinics) 10:30-11:30 $15 (or $10 if attending clinic)

We will also be offering a full Yin Horsemanship Introductory Clinic April 2 10-3pm at Winding Road Farm in Reidsville. $175

09/01/2022

So true!
Join us this spring for a Yin Horsemanship clinic and learn easy ways to develop a trusting relationship with your horse. We’ll be doing short 2 hour blasts of interactive trainings bringing together bodywork, groundwork and riding that no one else is teaching!
Message us to get on the mailing list!
Gather your friends and have us out to your barn!

09/12/2021

Here’s the link to the benefit auction for farrier Johnathan Myers, who many of you may know. There is also an event on the 18th where many local farriers will be offering their services with proceeds going to Johnathan (appointments required)

https://www.32auctions.com/johnathanmyers?fbclid=IwAR1ZoF0UKYGWZP4pkEUSy9YpQm4hqfJRJ4xSUKHEaGwmzXBOtNyE9MgPeX8

Silent auction 'Johnathan Myers' hosted online at 32auctions.

28/11/2021

Come see us for more helpful tips 😉