There are people who enjoy horses, and then there are those of us who feel as though horses are simply part of who we are. We notice when a horse takes a shorter step. We recognize the slightly worried look in an eye. We can tell when a back feels tight beneath the saddle, or when a horse that normally moves freely suddenly seems reluctant to bend.
Sometimes we cannot explain exactly what is wrong. We only know that the horse does not feel quite right. Perhaps you have wished you understood more about what was happening beneath the horse's skin. Maybe you have wondered whether your hands could do more than groom, saddle and reassure. Or perhaps you have reached a point in your life when you would love to turn your years of experience with horses into meaningful work.
Equine Align Academy offers an affordable online place to begin learning equine massage and bodywork.
Its self-paced online program introduces students to functional equine anatomy, gentle hands-on bodywork and a thoughtful way of listening to the horse before trying to create change. You do not have to relocate, leave your job or spend weeks away from home. You can watch the lessons online, practice with your own horses between lessons and return to the demonstrations whenever you need to see them again. For the horse owner who wants to help a personal horse — or the aspiring practitioner asking, “Could equine massage become a career for me?” — Equine Align Academy provides a practical first step.
Equine Align is a gentle, hands-on form of equine bodywork intended to encourage a horse to release deep tension and restrictions and move toward its own natural, optimal alignment. The approach is not based on forcing a horse's body into a particular position. It asks the student to slow down, become observant and pay attention to what the horse communicates. Equine Align is the result of more than 25 years of experience, instruction and development through the Art of Equine Massage and Bodywork. The academy states that hundreds of students have been certified around the world.
Equine Align Academy describes the process in four words: Listen. Connect. Follow. Influence.
That philosophy is one of the things that makes this program different. Before you can help a horse release tension, you must first learn to listen. That does not mean listening for words, of course. It means noticing the horse's attention, posture, expression, breathing and response to your hands. You learn to recognize when the horse is guarding an area, when it is beginning to relax and when it is ready to allow a little more change. The connection comes before the influence.
Equine Align Academy's online course is presented by Sara Stenson, CMT, Cemt and Cnmt. Sara's professional experience in massage and bodywork extends back decades. Her background includes human massage therapy, neuromuscular re-education, equine massage and bodywork, CranioSacral study, T'ai Chi and a lifetime spent with horses.
Sara has used that experience to develop an approach centered on communication, alignment and gentle influence rather than force. Students repeatedly mention Sara's ability to explain the material in an understandable way and her willingness to answer questions. The current online-course page states that she offers guidance to students as they work through the lessons.
The Equine Align Academy is also developing future advanced virtual and hands-on educational opportunities. Those advanced offerings are listed as coming soon rather than currently available.
It would be easy to teach every student to begin at Point A, perform the same sequence and finish at Point Z. But horses are not all the same. One horse may be defensive about having its shoulders touched. Another may carry tension through the back or hindquarters. A third may have learned to brace before a person ever lays a hand on it. That is why Equine Align Academy places so much emphasis on learning to listen and follow. Students are not being taught to push, force or mechanically perform the same routine on every horse. They are learning how to recognize what the individual horse is offering and how to respond with gentle, informed touch.
Sara Stenson has described her approach by saying that she “listens” to a massage rather than simply “doing” a massage. Her writing emphasizes becoming quiet and patient enough that the horse can offer trust and communicate through its responses. That sounds simple, but it represents an important difference. Good hands are not only strong hands. They are educated hands. They know when to apply influence, when to soften and when to wait.
Equine Align Academy's online program combines anatomy instruction, bodywork demonstrations and an explanation of the philosophy behind the work. The current course includes:
The demonstrations show students how to work with important regions of the horse, including the:
Students are also shown how the individual areas come together during a complete massage session. The functional-anatomy lessons explain the important bones and muscles associated with each major area. This gives students more than a collection of massage movements. It helps them understand what lies beneath their hands and what they are trying to accomplish.
The course is described on the academy's homepage as a 50-Hour Equine Align Certificate program. The enrollment page also describes certification through Equine Align Academy.
This is a reasonable question. Equine massage is hands-on work. No online program can put your hands on a horse for you, and no video can replace the importance of practicing thoughtfully with real horses.
I have known of Sara and her amazing work for decades. She was the head of Prairie Winds Massage School for many many years. Sara's expertise is only matched by her warm heart and instinctive way of connecting with both horses — and students, putting them both at ease. I have personally viewed much of the course and am Excited to share this with anyone looking to understand Massage and Equine Bodywork for either their personal horses — or a career. Sara will spare no effort to ensure her students understand and are able to implement her knowledge and skills to help the horses they are helping. I highly endorse the program… 5 Stars!Ann Pruitt, Director at InfoHorse.com
What an online course can do is let you watch an experienced instructor demonstrate the work clearly — and let you watch it more than once. During a live demonstration, you may miss something while taking notes or trying to see around another student. With an online lesson, you can pause, replay and return to the same section as often as needed.
Equine Align Academy allows students to:
The course currently provides 90 days of access. The academy says that access can be extended for special needs when the student contacts the school. For someone who works full-time, manages a farm, cares for a family or simply cannot travel to a residential school, this flexibility may make equine bodywork education possible.
You do not have to arrive with plans to open a professional practice. You may be a horse owner who simply wants to better understand and help your own horses. You may be a rider who wants to learn why a horse feels restricted or uneven. You may already work in a barn and want to add more knowledge to the experience you have gained over the years.
The course may be a good starting point for:
Maybe you are already the person everyone at the barn approaches when a horse seems tense or uncomfortable. Maybe you have spent years learning to read horses without realizing how valuable that ability could be. Or perhaps you are simply thinking, “I know I want to work with horses. I just do not know where to begin.”
Equine Align Academy presents its online course as the place to begin, whether you want to help your own horse or start along the path toward professional certification.
Yes it can. For the right person, equine massage and bodywork can become meaningful and rewarding work. That does not mean that taking one online course guarantees an instant business, a full appointment calendar or a particular income. No responsible school can promise that.
A genuine professional career requires practice, continued study, good communication and the willingness to keep learning from every horse. But every career has to begin somewhere. An affordable online course allows you to begin exploring the field without immediately relocating or taking a long absence from your present work. You can learn the foundation, practice with horses and discover whether you have the patience, sensitivity and commitment the work requires.
Equine Align Academy's students have described the program as helping them see a possible future in equine bodywork. One online student said she had struggled to find a career path involving horses. After studying and practicing equine massage and bodywork, she could see herself turning the skill into a career.
Another graduate described becoming a successful equine massage and bodywork practitioner in Montana and gaining the confidence to educate horse owners in her community. Other former students have reported using their education to establish their own businesses and work professionally with horses. Those are individual experiences, not promises. But they show what may be possible when education is followed by serious practice, continued development and good business judgment.
Loving horses is important, but a professional equine massage practitioner needs more than love. You need patience. You need to be willing to observe before acting. You must become comfortable working with different horses, different owners and different situations. You need to explain your work clearly without making promises that bodywork cannot support.
You must also understand your professional boundaries. Equine massage and bodywork should not be presented as a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment. A responsible practitioner needs to recognize when a horse should be evaluated by a veterinarian or another qualified equine professional. Anyone planning to charge for equine massage services should also investigate the laws and professional requirements that apply in the state or area where the work will be performed.
The Equine Align online course can provide education and a starting foundation. Your development as a practitioner will grow through experience, careful practice and continued learning.
This Is the Beginning You Have Been Looking For — Call Sara Today
Not everyone who loves horses needs to become an equine massage therapist. But some people have spent years feeling that they were meant to do something more with the knowledge, patience and understanding they have developed around horses. Perhaps you want to help your own horse feel more relaxed and comfortable. Perhaps you are looking for an affordable online equine massage course that fits around your present life. Or perhaps you are standing at the beginning of an entirely new career and simply need someone to show you where to place your hands — and how to listen.
You can study from home. You can repeat the lessons. You can practice between sessions. Most importantly, you can begin learning to approach every horse as an individual. Call Sara today and get started — an amazing future awaits you.
Equine Align Academy offers a self-paced online course in equine massage, functional anatomy, alignment and gentle bodywork. Students can study from home and practice with horses between lessons.
“Best” depends on the student’s goals, learning preferences and professional plans. Equine Align Academy is a strong choice for students seeking a gentle, horse-centered approach, repeatable video lessons, functional-anatomy instruction and the flexibility to study from home.
Yes. The online course includes anatomy presentations and video demonstrations covering the shoulders, back, sacrum, hindquarters, rib cage, neck, head and a complete massage. Students should have access to appropriate horses for practice.
No. The course is presented as a starting point for people who want to help their own horses as well as those interested in progressing toward professional study.
Yes. Lessons are self-paced during the access period. Students can watch the videos according to their own schedules and repeat them as needed.
Yes. The course includes eleven functional-anatomy whiteboard presentations explaining the important bones, muscles and functions of major areas of the horse.
The academy describes the online program as a 50-hour Equine Align certificate course, with a certificate awarded upon successful completion.
The course can provide foundational knowledge for someone exploring professional equine bodywork. Starting a business also requires extensive practice, continued learning, appropriate insurance, business planning and compliance with applicable state or local requirements.
No. Horse owners can take the program simply to understand their own horses better and learn a more knowledgeable, sensitive approach to touch and bodywork.
Yes. The academy states that Sara Stenson provides guidance and answers student questions as they work through the lessons.
The course currently provides 90 days of access. The academy says access can be extended for special needs when the student contacts the school.
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