In the summer of 2016, my partner (now husband) and I were celebrating finishing our respective academic programs with a cross-country trip. Somewhere between the evergreens and shining waters of Lake Superior, the open plains of the prairies and the rocky mountains is where the name On Course Chiropractic was first conceived.
By this time I had already completed the training to become a certified animal chiropractor in addition to the four year Doctor of Chiropractic program and I knew I would be treating horses in addition to my human practice. The choice to complete the animal certification was a no-brainer for me. Horses have always been front and centre in my life and I was going to apply my chiropractic knowledge and skill to treat them even if it was just for the benefit of my own horses. I enrolled in the training at the earliest possible time, in fourth year when I was doing my chiropractic internship. I had been investigating the animal program since before I was even accepted into chiropractic college. I knew only two chiropractic interns were accepted each year so I planned carefully to ensure I was one of them for the year I was eligible.
As I drove across our vast country, four years and two programs of intensive professional training literally in the rearview mirror, the man I loved beside me and my entire career ahead of me, I began thinking earnestly about the type of practice I wanted to build and the population I wanted to serve. I knew that I wanted to work on horses but I had moved to a different area from the community I grew up riding in and I had literally zero clients and few connections in the horse community where I now lived. I figured I would work full time in a clinic and supplement my income with some horse appointments on evenings and weekends.
And yet, when I envisioned my practice, I never pictured the inside of a clinic. All I saw was horses and riders and the ways my new profession, powered by almost two decades of previous immersion in the horse industry, could help them find pain relief and better performance in the sport I care about so much.
What I wanted to impart to my equestrian clientele is that riding and training horses is not just about teaching them what we want them do to. It’s also conditioning a body to perform athletic tasks (even if that’s just carrying a rider for pleasure) without breaking down along the way. It’s removing barriers to success by understanding the process of injury and repair. It’s avoiding the dead ends of training with incorrect biomechanics. It’s having the horse’s long term health and soundness in mind in the tasks that we ask of them and the way we ask them to work. And it’s applying those same principles to our own bodies as riders too!
People might think that chiropractic college is about learning to adjust. It is, in part, and we spend a lot of hours practicing our manual skills. But most of our training is related to understanding the myriad of factors that contribute to health - particularly musculoskeletal health - and that goes way beyond an adjustment. We learn about the physiological processes of joint health and degeneration; the mechanical rules that govern body movement; the way we are wired to move, feel, balance, and metabolize; the histological properties of every type of tissue in the body and how that relates to its ability to function and repair; the pathological processes that can make us sick or disabled; the anatomy of how everything is connected; how to interpret scientific findings to help our patients; how to recognize when the body needs interventions outside our scope. In other words, we learn how to see the big picture: how all the factors are related, and how to devise a plan to help our patients reach their goals to live more comfortably, function better, last longer.
That concept of understanding of the big picture has a name: “wholistic”. In my practice, it means I have the opportunity to help progress horse and rider towards their goals while minimizing the chance of roadblocks along the way by recognizing and addressing small problems before they become big ones and veering back on track efficiently when things start to go sideways. Maybe it was because I was on a cross-country drive but the concept that kept coming back to me was one of getting and staying “On Course”. Being aware of all the factors involved in the journey, planning ahead, having the right tools for when things start to break down, and having a roadmap of where we want to get to and how fast we can safely do it.
It didn’t take long before my vision of mixing chiropractic with horses, riders and barns manifested into my daily reality. This year I made the big move of leaving the clinic completely and I’m now providing a host of services for horses and riders that all relate back to my mission of keeping both parties sound, functioning, and on course to their goals. With each passing day I become more excited by this journey because I am really starting to see the positive impact of working with both sides of the horse-rider partnership, looking at the big picture and helping not only with my hands but through education. I am immersed in an amazing community of owners and riders who inspire me with their skill and dedication to their equine partners. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with other dedicated equine professionals including veterinarians, farriers, saddle fitters and other body workers and it is such a great feeling to be part of a team with a common goal of helping horses.
There is a lot of uncharted territory ahead for On Course Chiropractic. Just as I envisioned barns and horses and riders five years ago, there are more visions developing clarity for me. They involve research, education, and inter-professional collaboration. They involve systems of horse and rider training that connect rehab to long term performance and soundness. They involve building this community of like-minded equestrians who are interested in training ethically, sustainably and with long term soundness in mind. And they involve a professional team all working towards the same common goals.
The On Course team grew from one to three this year. The thought that this business has the potential to support other passionate equestrians like me as we work to improve quality of life for horses fills my heart with joy and excitement for the future.
For everyone who trusts On Course Chiropractic to care for themselves and their horses, you’re my inspiration to continue on this path of learning, collaboration and skill development to best serve you. After five years, I am more excited than ever to be playing my part in helping you to stay On Course to your goals!
