Meeting someone you hold in high esteem always comes with excitement, anxiousness and expectations. I had read her reports, googled her for months and listened to amazing stories from Cat on her knowledge, skill and empathy.

What I had expected was an expert, someone that could teach me new skills and leave me feeling a little sated in my quest for knowledge. I certainly got that. What I wasn’t expecting was to meet a scientist that in my mind is the best kind of contradiction you can find. A scientist that is exceptionally intelligent AND exceptionally intuitive. An incredible brain and an incredible heart. I was blown away when I watched Sharon meet, connect and work with horses. She had empathy, understanding, care and kindness and she used these emotions together with years of research and study. That is the sort of the therapist I aim to be.

I have no ambitions to study veterinary science or travel around the world giving lectures. I don’t wish to be the best at what I do, the world over. What I want, is to be an emotionally intuitive therapist with scientific knowledge and research based skill.

Sometimes I meet horses and immediately I know I have many layers to work, that their pain is deep and is tied up with anxiety and tension. When the owner and I can work together to make changes, lightness and calmness start appearing. They are softer, more responsive, more sensitive and more forward. They are willing and giving. These are physical and emotional changes.

So many of us have physical complaints. We get constant head aches, sore and stiff shoulders, a tight neck, lower back pain. But very rarely are we asked to participate in a sport where we are carry around a fifth of our own body weight, a weight that might be unfit, unbalanced and frustrated at US for not getting it right.

Two activities that Sharon had us complete (with much laughter) gave us insight and understanding into what it is exactly we ask our horses to do. Firstly we paired up and with our hands on the person in front of us hips, we had to walk, trot and canter. Some brave pairs managed flying changes and half passes. It displayed the coordination of moving four legs in lateral and diagonal gaits and how the power must come from behind, that a horse that can sit and be strong in their hindquarters will be more forward and balanced.

We also had the opportunity to study a skeleton and with someone each leg make it walk, trot and canter. We then placed weight on the spine, where a rider sits and were all in awe of the significant change this made to our skeleton. A heavy, static weight immediately disengaged the hind quarters and send the neck and head upwards. Interesting… We looked at the manoeuvres we ask our horses to do; a barrel racing turn, a down hill cross country jump, a vertical show jump, a high speed gallop and the piaffe. Watching the range of movement of the joints, the incredible extension they have and the tight flexion was brilliant as a rider, let alone a therapist. It gave me so much more of an appreciation of the “above and beyond” that our horses go for us.

I cannot begin to touch on all that I learnt in the incredible two days at Mayfield, although my darling husband has heard every last detail! What I can summarise from the above and from my notebook of scribbles, is that it was inspiring. My goals are lifted higher and my quest for knowledge is stronger. I have seen what you can be as a therapist when your mind, heart and hands are aligned.

A huge thank you to Cat Walker, for introducing me to Sharon’s work and always encouraging me to ask why. And for being the over passionate, over zealous, horsey friend and mentor we all need.