A qualified Equine Therapist is a valuable addition to your horse’s care team. Horse owners seek out equine therapy modalities and bodywork to help their horse move through their physical and emotional challenges, to promote a healthy lifestyle, and to support a harmonious relationship between horse and human partners.

Following a varied education in the equine bodywork field and completion of multiple certifications - as well as a never-ending pursuit of knowledge - Kaiti’s work has a focus on myofascial and craniosacral therapy following osteopathic principles. Together with Kaiti’s additional skills and training in equine manual therapy, these methods form a whole-horse approach that is highly effective to unwind deep layers of physical and emotional tension for your horse.

Do you feel like you’ve checked off all of the boxes, but your instincts tell you that your horse still isn’t feeling their best? Addressing the fascial and craniosacral systems may be the missing piece.

Our horses deserve:

• To move with freedom, confidence and comfort - in work and in play.

• A resilient nervous system and musculoskeletal system.

• The ability to develop fitness and healthy musculature.

• To use their full range of motion with ease.

• To enjoy touch and look forward to their time with their human partners.

Horses rely on us as their stewards to facilitate these positive outcomes for them. We need to look at their physical and emotional well-being through a holistic lens to ensure that we are meeting their unique needs as highly sensitive, active, and social beings.

Regular equine bodywork is an impactful way to ease body tension and restriction, which in turn increases range of motion and reduces strain on muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and joints. By restoring balance and freedom of motion, we can facilitate ideal posture and biomechanics unique to each horse’s body and lifestyle. Bodywork also promotes relaxation, eases stress, and encourages regulation of the nervous system.

Allowing horses to move with freedom, confidence, and comfort improves well-being and reduces chance of injury.

Through her work as a Multi-Certified Equine Therapist, Kaiti offers equine bodywork techniques that are gentle and non-invasive but incredibly effective. Myofascial and craniosacral therapy - combined with other manual therapy techniques such as massage, proprioceptive techniques, and positional releases - work together to address the entire neuro-musculoskeletal system (the nervous system, the soft tissues, and the skeletal structure). Movement and activation techniques integrate the changes into the horse’s motor patterns.

The myofascial and craniosacral systems are intertwined, working together to maintain the body's balance and functionality. Understanding the inherent relationship between them opens up new paths to optimal wellness. By harmonizing these systems, we can support our horses' bodies' innate capacity to heal and thrive.

Kaiti also utilizes red/infrared light therapy, stability pads, and equine kinesiology tape as needed to support her manual therapy work.

Kaiti values her role as a team member on your horse’s care team, and loves to collaborate with other professionals on a holistic approach to equine wellness. Kaiti’s methods of bodywork are extremely effective on their own, as well as complementary to the work of other equine manual therapy practitioners.

A blend of intuition, compassion, experience, and education set Kaiti apart. Since beginning her initial certification program in equine therapy a decade ago, she has consistently pursued additional certifications and education in anatomy, physiology, behaviour, and equine therapy techniques. Kaiti is constantly expanding her knowledge through self study and continuing education courses in order to do better for horses. She has been working professionally in the equine care industry for nearly 20 years, and has been working as a Certified Equine Therapist since 2015.

Kaiti’s methods with horses are built upon trust, consent, and the horse’s ability to find comfort and safety while working together to facilitate relaxation, balance, and recovery.

Kaiti believes that effective bodywork cannot be done to the horse; it must be done with the horse. During her equine therapy sessions, this looks like taking time to receive consent, respecting when consent is taken away, allowing horses to move away or pause the session, and working compassionately to develop trust. Kaiti works with horse stewards who share these values, and who will take the time and put in the effort that is required to support this way of interacting with horses.

Kaiti’s experience in the equine therapy field has taught her the value of following intuition and utilizing the power of innate energies to enhance her palpation skills and keen eye. A blend of science and spirit is what allows the unwinding of chronic tension patterns and the restoration of whole-horse well-being to occur.

Education

Teaching & Speaking

• Langley Equestrian Academy - Grooming with Intention Demonstration (2020), Benefits of Equine Therapy Presentation (2021)

• Equine Connection Conference (TA) - Supporting Your Horse’s Physiology Through Manual Therapy One Day Workshop (2022)

• EQ Therapeutics (TA) - Manual Therapy for Horse Owners (Levels 1 & 2) Weekend Workshops (2021-2022)

Associations

• International Equine Body Workers Association (IEBWA)

• International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork (IAAMB)

• Horse Council of British Columbia (HCBC)