Django goes to Bodywork Class!
Symmetry = Soundness Bodywork Course with Bambi Dore
Django is a 9 year old thoroughbred gelding that was purchased about a year ago as a rehabilitation project, he has been very untrusting and nervous about being touched or worked with. It was obvious by the severe “S” curve in his body that he was in some sort of accident. With microcurrent and some bodywork by Bambi his body had been unwinding, but he still had areas that needed attention. While being free lunged he had difficulty picking up his left lead at the canter, his gaits were always rushed with no relaxation, and his head always straight up in the air.
I had attended the Module 1 course a few times taking other horses, so when I decided to attend the Module 2 course I knew it was Django’s turn to attend. I was unsure how he would handle having multiple people work on him, but I was immediately pleasantly surprised. The amazing thing about this type of bodywork is that so many changes take place but it is so gentle and the horses really want to work with you. He was so open and receptive to all the work that was done on him, I can easily say that a very different horse walked away from the course then the horse that walked in.
Due to the extent of the work done on him, I was told to give him a couple days off to let his body adjust. When I did work him next I was very pleased to see that during our free lunge work he was so much more relaxed. His head and neck were dropped, his gaits were more relaxed, and he was even picking up the left lead without hesitation!
About a week after the course, I noticed that Django was moving funny – not lame just not right. Because of the bodywork courses, I was able to better asses his body using the techniques I have learned to determine that the problem was coming from his stifles. There was definite tightness in his stifle, inner groin, and hamstrings that I am now treating with microcurrent glove work. This doesn’t mean that the bodywork that was done on him went away, but rather like an onion his layers are peeling away and the deeper layers are surfacing.
The biggest take away from the course that I have learned is to have patience and not expect instant fixes. When we have broken horses it takes time to undo the damage but in the end the results are definitely worth the time and effort!