Building A Wellness Team

I emphasize quite a bit about your horse needing a Wellness Team. What exactly does that mean? What I am referring to is a team of equine professionals who communicate well with each other, and all have a common goal… your horse’s well-being. If you are on a holistic health journey, this can add more complexity to finding your team.
​
Several years ago, I was at a Brent Graef clinic and we were discussing my challenge of finding a horse trainer to match my needs. He made the comment that sometimes you may not be able to find someone who is on the same page, but you can find someone who is in the same chapter. This really made me think about how this applies to a Wellness Team. Not many of us have access to equine professionals who are 100% on the same page. In our area of Texas, we do not have access to those on the same page, but we do have access to those in the same chapter! It is a matter of finding professionals who agree to disagree and respect each other’s opinions. The ability to respectfully disagree and discuss is a must in any healthy working relationship.
 
Here’s an example of how the Wellness Team might work together: An owner feels like her horse is just “not right” traveling to the left. The owner has a Wellness Team in place of a veterinarian, hoof care professional, trainer, and bodyworker. The team works together to rule out anything serious and identify improvements needed in the horse’s body and training routine to help the horse be stronger and healthy. By the team being in the same chapter, discussions can occur that move in a positive and constructive direction to help the horse in the way the owner desires.
 
I sometimes find myself being a facilitator on teams. Recognizing that we may not all be on the same page, sometimes I must take information from a page and bring it back to the chapter we are in.
 
Our chapter is helping to facilitate healing in horses, the most holistic way possible, while leaving the ego out of it.
 
If you haven’t found a Wellness Team yet, please keep trying. Sometimes You may be the facilitator on your Wellness Team. Just remember that everyone has different lenses and filters by which they see things and develop beliefs. All of us have had the veil lifted on different subjects at different times, but our common goal should always be for the horse.
 
Blessings,
Amy