About Sally
Like many five-year-old girls, at the first “nuzzle from a muzzle,” a part of my heart forever ‘became equine.’ Those first loves plant deeply in our souls. While life moved fast with careers outside of the horse world, in each season I knew my happy place existed in the company of these majestic animals. After my beloved husband died in 2019, God nudged me back to the barn in a serious way. Within minutes of seeing a Masterson Method® Certified Practitioner work on my elderly thoroughbred, I was hooked on The Masterson Method® as a perfect fit for me.
Why does this interactive methodology come alive within me? In three previous professional careers, I was trained as a questioner and observer. The Masterson Method® practitioner must excel in asking, listening, and watching. Without that, the words ‘integration and interaction’ are meaningless. Literally, the horse and I will engage in a dance – my tempo, movement, hand placement and level of touch flow directly from what I’m hearing, seeing, and feeling in your horse.
My training. I found the requirements for certification as daunting and rewarding as were law school, my master’s in social work program, and the police academy. Jim Masterson, the founder of The Masterson Method® has crafted an incredibly thorough training program that involves in-person seminars, practice in front of MMCPs during the coursework and on multiple horses, a demanding anatomy curriculum, mentoring for every session within three levels of training, and in-person coaching at each level. All of that culminated in a final course covering advanced techniques and yet another critique of my proficiency by the certifying practitioner.
Do I love what I do? I do. That’s a legitimate question. You should feel confident that the practitioner laying hands on your horse loves her job, as well as being professionally prepared. This bodywork allows me to gently connect with the horse, knowing that the behavioral or functional issue that prompted your concern may be alleviated with a slight adjustment of my hand width or finger pressure, or by modifying the range of motion on a limb technique by a half inch, or pausing and lightening for ten seconds while sliding the back of my hand under the scapula to reach deep tissue. Although my horse client’s could not give testimonials, their owners have been gracious in sharing some impressions. Both horses and clients say, “That’s incredible!” My business name, Cloud Nine Equine, catches the experience precisely.
I have a thorough-going respect for horse-people who want the best for their equine partners, whether it’s working on a performance issue, or a mystery lameness, or simply a ‘spa day of feel goods’ for a 4-legged friend. Let’s talk about your horse or your herd. What are you seeing and feeling, and how can we investigate then apply The Masterson Method® for terrific outcomes. I look forward to talking with you.
Sally Herring
