Belles View

The Crew

Hi ~ I'm Belinda and this is my way of trying to do a little bit for the world....one horse, one understanding ear, one smile (or even a guffaw if it's a good day!) at a time.

Traveling along my path with me are two of the best friends a girl can have: 

• Already A Dream (aka Frank...or Frankenstein...or Franklin - for those times he's being particularly posh!) - he is my 17 hand Thoroughbred-As-Painted-By-Jackson Pollack.  Or an Appaloosa, as his papers say.  He likes to jump and run and follow everybody around to make sure he isn't missing a thing.
• Harley - the pride of and proof that "Baltimore Street Dogs" can rise above.  He's almost 14 now and has surpassed (by at least a decade) all expectations of the vets.  Because of his myraid of now-former health issues, I became interested in natural, organic remedies and common-sense solutions. 

Why Sports Massage?

It is because of Already A Dream ("Frank") that I found the world of Equine Sport Therapy Massage.  As he grew up, he became extremely thin and had odd tremors and seemed to be quite miserable.  I had him tested for HYPP "just to see" as he has Impressive on his Appaloosa Sire's side.  I must say that I had been told time and time again that it would be rather pointless, as the odds that such a tall, gangly, fine-boned animal could have a halter horse’s genetic disorder were quite long.  He tested N/H for the disease. 

As crazy as it sounds, the diagnosis was a blessing.  A little knowledge goes a long way for finding a solution.  So having experienced with Harley the benefits of a proper diet specifically adjusted to his needs and plenty of exercise, my barn manager and I set to work on “fixing” Frank.  In addition to eliminating the vast majority of potassium from his diet (and stocking up on plenty of corn syrup and salt), we set up a massage to see if we could get the muscles poofed up and working again.  And it worked!  Really and truly, within a couple of hours, my furry friend looked significantly happier and healthier.  I said, “well, this is it.  I know what I want to do.”  I went home, did my research and headed off to Equissage© in Virginia and became certified.  I continue to read and study up on different ways of stretching and exercising the equine body, so that I may even more effectively help my clients.

I’ve spent over two decades studying dance and movement.  I well understand the biomechanics of the human athlete’s body. However, stress and strain are not solely a human trait.  For example, think about how you feel after a long day in the office, the classroom, the restaurant, or, if you’re lucky enough, the saddle.  Your neck aches which can make your head ache and then there are the back and shoulder areas that seem to constantly give us grief.  It’s all interconnected.  And it can make us super-cranky. 

Now, picture a day as a horse.  Consider that most of its weight is carried in the head to shoulder region, so even if the horse does nothing but graze – ouch!  That’s a lot of stress to put on those shoulders under the most relaxed circumstances.  And then we ask them to run and jump and go over rough terrain all while holding that head up and carrying us and our tack and pushing off/landing on thin legs.  Those are, undoubtedly, some seriously worked and achy muscles.  Yet, we expect them to provide the same level of endurance, good humour and willingness wherever and whenever we ask.  Then, we don’t understand when our partners continually toss their heads or throw a buck in exasperation.  They are simply being cranky.

High performance human athletes get regular sports massages to relieve tension and prevent injury, so it only makes sense that our equine athletes who ask so little of us get the same in return.  And that is my mission – a less cranky world for our best partners.