Hi everyone, my name is Teigan, and I am the new Horse Manager at North Shore RDA.

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I was introduced to horses when I was 6 years old, and they have been an integral part of my life ever since.  Over the last 19 years I have been through pony club, competed, coached, and experienced the amazing benefits of being involved with horses. I love the mutual respect and connection you build when spending time with them, their therapeutic nature, and the sense of freedom that you gain from riding.

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I completed my Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in 2019 through AUT University, and am currently completing a Master of Sport, Exercise, and Health.

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I live in Te Atatu with my husband Cody and am very excited to be joining the amazing team at North Shore RDA!

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In this newsletter I wanted to talk about a couple of things that we do to help our amazing herd of horses stay in top shape.

Bowen Therapy

One of these is Bowen Therapy. Bowen is a soft tissue therapy, in which the therapist uses fingers or thumbs in a rolling action over specific muscles, tendons and ligaments. Bowen is useful for a wide range of conditions from acute pain to chronic conditions, including unevenness, disunited gaits, muscle atrophy, stiffness on one rein, sore backs, and uncharacteristic temperament or performance changes. Approximately once a term we have Jess come out and perform Bowen on our horses, and we have seen the positive results – more freely moving, happier, less sore horses!

Another way we like to treat our horses is with our Equissage machine. The Back Pad gives a deep-tissue cycloidal massage to the entire horse, and the Equissage Hand Unit allows for spot treatment over the body. With regular use, the Equissage can improve blood circulation, relax muscles, reduce muscle and joint pain, and improve joint mobility. We are so lucky to have such a great resource available to our RDA horses, and love knowing that they are receiving such great treatment.  You can find out more at https://nzbowentherapy.org.nz/discover-bowen/

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Special thanks to Jess Aislabie our Bowen therapist.  Jess is a qualified nurse and is training to be a Bowen Therapist. She has completed the ‘human‘ treatment course and is completing her equine training.  Part of this requires case studies and our horses have been used for this, much to their benefit.  Thanks Jess! 

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Regards

Teigan Palmer

Horse Manager

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