Before I became a chiropractor, I was yard manager on a GB competition carriage driving yard.
We competed internationally on a regular basis, which meant the horses weren’t only competing at international-level three-day events – they also had to cope with long-distance travel to and from competitions. When we competed in Spain, the journey took five days, and the horses then needed a couple of days to acclimatise to the heat before the competition started.
Competing at that level made me aware of all the stresses and strains the horses’ bodies were under, and I became really interested in how we can help and support our animals – whether they’re competing at the top level, taking part in fun dog shows or keeping us company on long walks through the countryside.
When I started looking into courses that would help me become that support system for our four-legged friends, I found the Master’s degree in McTimoney Animal Manipulation. I’d already completed a degree in Equine Science, so it meant I could train specifically as an animal chiropractor. The McTimoney technique fascinated me because practitioners look at the whole animal – its movement, its environment and its workload – and treat each animal as an individual. It’s also a gentle technique, which makes it ideal for all animals, young and old.
Then, completely out of the blue, I was at a yoga class and got chatting to the teacher about a course she was looking into – and it turned out to be McTimoney Animal Manipulation too! I went along to an open day at the college, and that confirmed this was the path I wanted to take.