Mary’s News

Mary’s Article, “Making it Easier for Your Horse to Hold Up His Legs” Published in The Horse’s Hoof

Mary’s article, “Making it Easier for Your Horse to Hold Up His Legs”, has been published in the Winter 2012 issue of The Horse’s Hoof magazine.   In the article, Mary describes how the middle parts of the horse – the sternum, ribs and spine – must be free to move in order for the horse to balance easily on three legs.

Using text and photos, Mary describes how to help relieve your horse’s muscular tension and restore suppleness, making it easier for your horse to hold up his legs. And easier for you to clean and trim his hooves!

Mary to Present Free Feldenkrais and SENSE Method Demo in Alpine, CA

Mary Debono, a Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and the originator of the SENSE Method, will be presenting a free demo of the Feldenkrais Method for equestrians and the SENSE Method for horses during the lunch break of the  Libby Lyman horsemanship clinic this Sunday. Mary’s demo will include short movement lessons that can help you enjoy a supple spine and a pelvis that can follow your horse’s movement.  You may even find your aches and pains disappearing!  In addition, you can learn how the SENSE Method helps horses become supple and balanced.  Libby’s clinic is being held at the beautiful Imagine Farms in Alpine, California, Friday through Sunday, January 27 – 29, 2012. Auditing is free.

The first 20 auditors to Mary’s demo on Sunday will receive printed copies of two Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® lessons.  Please visit Mary Debono’s website  for more information on the Feldenkrais Method ® and the SENSE Method.  We hope to see you in Alpine!

Learn a simple movement lesson to free your spine and pelvis!

Mary Debono’s SENSE Method Tour Goes International!

Mary uses the SENSE Method to relieve tension in horse's front leg

Mary Debono, a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and the originator of the SENSE Method, will be expanding her Horse and Rider workshop tour internationally in October.

Mary’s next stop is Imlay City, Michigan, where she will lead a two-day SENSE Method foundation class on September 23 – 24 at EquiSports, LLC.  On September 25, she will head to South Lyon, Michigan, for a ½ day advanced class and a ½ day of private sessions for horses and riders at Gaited Acres Farm.

On October 7 – 8, Mary will teach a two-day Horse and Rider workshop in Caledon East,Ontario,Canada, which is about an hour outside ofToronto.  The workshop is being held at the beautiful 350-acre facility, Petlyn Farm, which is sure to be a treat, especially in autumn. There is lovely on-site lodging available for horses and humans.

Mary is planning to schedule an equine SENSE Method workshop in San Diego County, California in November.   While many parts of the world are getting chilly in November, San Diego usually has mild and sunny weather.  If you’d like more information about Mary’s workshops, please email us at workshops@sensemethod.com.

Noted Hoof Researcher Visits SENSE Method Equine Workshop

Internationally-recognized veterinarian, hoof researcher and equine barefoot advocate Robert Bowker, DVM honored us with a visit to the SENSE Method Equine Workshop held in South Lyon, Michigan last month.

Dr. Bowker participated as I led the class through a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson, which is a series of gentle movements designed to enhance coordination, flexibility and posture.  Participants learned how to free up their back, shoulders and neck by improving awareness of their spine, ribs and sternum.  It was gratifying to see people being able to turn their heads easier, reach farther with their arms and eliminate back pain!

Next, I explained how we can apply the same concept to a horse, using my hands to invite awareness and motion to the horse’s spine, ribs and sternum.  We could see how this improved the movement in the equine’s back, shoulders and neck. Pairing up with a horse, the participants then practiced the SENSE Method moves I had demonstrated.

Mary demos SENSE Rib Moves

It was wonderful to see how the Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson had prepared the students by giving them an experience of the effectiveness of these gentle movements. They understood in their own bodies how increased mobility in the ribs, sternum and spine leads to freer movement in the back, neck and shoulders, so it was easy for them to help their horses make that connection too. These SENSE moves are especially useful for horses that are stiff, sore or short-strided, as well as those transitioning from shoes to barefoot.

After the class ended, Dr. Bowker generously shared his findings on the many benefits horses receive when we trim them correctly and leave them barefoot.  We were an appreciative and captive audience!  (BTW, an excellent resource with tons of great information on natural hoof trimming is thehorseshoof.com.   Yvonne Welz does a fantastic job of producing a highly-informative barefoot hoof care magazine too.)

Happily, it looks like I’ll be returning to Michigan to teach another SENSE Method Equine Workshop in late August.  Please contact me if you would like more information. Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you’ll consider posting a comment.  I always love to hear from you!   ~ Mary

Dr. Bowker and Mary Debono

Mary helps student feel the SENSE move on herself as she works with a horse

Mary and the SENSE Method Profiled in the Oakland Press!

“SENSE Method offered to help ease equine stresses” – read the full article in the Oakland Press.

Three-Part Series Published in Horses for Life

Mary Debono’s three-part series on Improving the Performance of Horse and Rider has been published in Horses For Life, an online publication, beginning with Issue 57.  In the first article, Mary details how she used the SENSE Method^SM to relax and supple a dressage horse, the second article describes how she used the Feldenkrais Method^® to teach the rider how to improve her posture and seat and the third article will explain how Mary worked with horse and rider together to bring both into harmony and balance.  Please see HorsesForLife.com.

Upcoming Equine SENSE Workshop in South Lyon, MI

All are welcome to attend our free Open House on Saturday, June 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. in South Lyon, Michigan. Mary will be demonstrating the SENSE Method^SM for horses and dogs and the Feldenkrais Method^® for humans. And there are a couple of spots left in the June 3 – 5 equine workshop being held in South Lyon, Michigan. Contact Mary if you are interested! Visit the Horse and Rider Workshops page to get a glimpse of what Mary teaches in an equine workshop.

Colorado Equine SENSE Workshop a Success!

Mary led an enthusiastic group in a horse and rider workshop May 13 -15, at the beautiful Happy Dog Ranch in Littleton, CO. Participants learned how their body awareness and emotional state directly affects their horses. Mary taught SENSE Method techniques to bring both horse and human into better balance.