Laura Spielman is the founder of The Rosie Project and is a certified Equine Massage Therapist offering Massage, Red Light Therapy, PEMF Sessions, and Stretching.  Each session consists of an evaluation, a full massage, and walking afterwards.  PEMF Sessions can be used as either an add-on to the massage or a stand alone session.  

Equine Massage can offer several benefits to horses, similar to the benefits humans experience with massage. Some potential advantages are:

Improved Circulation: Enhanced blood circulation, promoting the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the horse's muscles and tissues. This can help in the prevention of muscle soreness and stiffness.

Relaxation and Stress Reduction: Massage can induce a state of relaxation in horses, reducing stress and tension. 

Pain Relief: Massage therapy can help alleviate muscle tension and discomfort. It may be beneficial for horses dealing with conditions such as arthritis, muscle strains, or other forms of musculoskeletal pain.

Enhanced Range of Motion: Regular massage can contribute to increased flexibility and range of motion in a horse's joints. This is important for their overall mobility and performance, especially for horses involved in athletic activities.

Faster Recovery from Injury: Massage therapy can play a role in the rehabilitation process after an injury. It may help reduce inflammation, promote healing, and prevent the formation of scar tissue.

Improved Body Awareness: Massage can enhance a horse's body awareness, helping them become more attuned to their own bodies. This increased awareness may contribute to improved balance and coordination.

Enhanced Performance: For horses involved in competitive activities, massage may contribute to better overall performance by maintaining muscle health and preventing injuries.

Stretching exercises for horses can offer several benefits, promoting flexibility, joint health, and overall well-being. Some potential advantages of incorporating stretching into a horse's routine.  improved flexibility, joint health, reduced muscle stiffness, enhanded circulation, injury prevention, better posture, better range of motion.

Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level laser therapy (LLLT), involves exposing tissues to low levels of red or near-infrared light. This therapy is believed to have various potential benefits, and it has been applied to horses for different purposes. Here are some potential uses and benefits of red light therapy for horses:

Wound Healing: Red light therapy has been suggested to promote the healing of wounds and injuries in horses. It may accelerate the repair of tissues, reduce inflammation, and minimize scar formation.

Pain Management: Red light therapy is thought to have analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. It may help alleviate pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions, arthritis, or injuries in horses.

Reduced Inflammation: The therapy is believed to have anti-inflammatory effects, which can be beneficial for horses dealing with conditions characterized by inflammation, such as arthritis.

Improved Joint Health: Some studies suggest that red light therapy may contribute to improved joint health by reducing inflammation and promoting the regeneration of cartilage.

Enhanced Muscle Recovery: Red light therapy may aid in the recovery of muscles after exercise or injury. It is thought to reduce muscle fatigue and promote the repair of damaged muscle fibers.

Enhanced Cellular Function: Red light therapy is believed to stimulate cellular activity and improve mitochondrial function. This can have positive effects on overall tissue health and function.

Improved Skin Conditions: Red light therapy may benefit horses with skin conditions such as dermatitis or wounds by promoting healing and reducing inflammation.

MagnaWave Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) is a non-invasive technology that generates gentle electromagnetic pulses to penetrate every cell, tissue, and organ, traveling to the bone to rejuvenate the body’s natural balance. Through this process, PEMF increases blood oxygen levels and stimulates cellular metabolism, which offers remarkable potential to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and other address various health conditions without harsh side effects found elsewhere.

 Using MagnaWave sends a pulsating charge through tissues to treat large focal areas like joints and major muscle groups. Penetration of the charge can be up to 16 to 18 inches into the equine body. Twitching muscles help to identify imbalances, pain or sore muscles that need to be further worked on with MagnaWave.

The Rosie Project offers Mindfulness  workshops monthly at Laughing Pony Rescue in Rancho Santa Fe.  

Mindfulness with horses is all about being completely present in the moment and aware of your surroundings while interacting with these majestic animals. It requires the individual to be fully engaged with the horse, both physically and mentally, and to be responsive to the horse's body language and emotions. Mindfulness with horses is not  about riding or training them, but it is about being attuned to their needs and emotions and creating a positive and trusting relationship with them. By practicing mindfulness with horses, individuals can learn to regulate their own emotions and become more aware of their own thoughts and feelings, which can lead to a greater sense of self-awareness and personal growth.

Meditating with horses is a beautiful way to connect with these magnificent creatures and to find inner peace and tranquility. By being present with the horse, focusing on the breath, and letting go of any distracting thoughts or emotions, individuals can create a deep sense of calm and relaxation. Horses are incredibly intuitive animals and have a calming effect on people, making them the perfect companion for meditation. Meditating with horses can help individuals to cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness, empathy, and compassion. Through this practice, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of their own emotions and those of others, leading to a greater sense of connection and harmony with the world around them.

The Rosie Project offers many different types of workshops from corporate team building, youth, personal growth, and much more.  

Leadership and Corporate Team Building with horses is a unique approach to leadership development that involves working with horses to develop skills such as communication, trust, and collaboration. Horses are social animals that live in herds and have a natural hierarchy, making them ideal partners for leadership training. Through exercises such as round pen work, group challenges obstacle courses, individuals and groups can learn to communicate effectively with horses, build trust, and work together to overcome challenges. The process of working with horses helps individuals to develop greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy, leading to improved interpersonal relationships and leadership skills. Leadership with horses is a hands-on, experiential approach to learning that can be applied to a variety of leadership settings, including business, education, and personal development. 

Horses provide immediate feedback, which helps team members to become more self-aware and develop a deeper understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Working with horses can also help teams to develop leadership skills, as they learn to lead the horse and work together to accomplish a common goal. Overall, using horses for corporate team building is an engaging and memorable way to develop important skills and improve team dynamics, leading to increased productivity and success in the workplace.  The lessons learned from working with horses can help individuals to become more effective leaders and to create positive change in their organizations and communities.  

Using horses for youth development is a powerful way to help young people build important life skills, such as responsibility, confidence, and empathy. Horses have a unique ability to provide instant feedback to young people, which helps them to develop self-awareness and emotional regulation. Through activities such as grooming, feeding, and riding, young people can learn to care for and communicate with horses, which can translate into improved communication skills and relationships with people. Working with horses can also help young people to develop a sense of responsibility and self-discipline, as they learn to care for another living being. Additionally, the sense of accomplishment and confidence that comes from successfully working with a horse can be a powerful source of motivation and personal growth for young people. Overall, using horses for youth development can be a transformative and empowering experience that helps young people to develop important life skills and build a strong foundation for their future.

The Rosie Project can partner with local therapists to offer one on one Equine Therapy.  We are able to accommodate a personal therapist or provide one of our own.  Two of our professionals have been certified by PATH International to treat Veterans with PTSD.

Healing with horses is a powerful and transformative process that involves working with horses to address physical, emotional, and psychological issues. Horses have a natural ability to sense and respond to human emotions, making them ideal partners for healing work. Through techniques such as equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning, individuals can work with horses to address issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. The process of working with horses helps individuals to develop greater self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation, leading to improved mental health and well-being. Healing with horses is a non-judgmental and supportive process that can help individuals to overcome challenges and achieve personal growth and transformation. The bond that develops between horse and human can be a powerful source of healing and can lead to lasting positive change in one's life.

Equine therapy, also known as equine-assisted therapy or horse therapy, is a type of therapy that involves interactions between individuals and horses. It is a holistic approach to therapy that can benefit individuals with mental health issues, physical disabilities, and developmental disorders. Working with horses can help individuals to develop communication skills, build emotional regulation, and improve their self-esteem. The non-judgmental and calming nature of horses can also help individuals to cope with anxiety and depression. Equine therapy can be tailored to the individual's needs, and activities such as grooming, riding, and groundwork can be used to develop specific skills. It is a powerful and effective form of therapy that can help individuals to achieve their goals and improve their overall well-being.

The mission of Laughing Pony Rescue is to rescue and rehabilitate all breeds of neglected or abused horses; to restore and train these horses so they can be matched to a loving and forever home; to teach and disseminate educational materials to the public including, but not limited to, materials relating to the care and plight of horses; and the use of horses for therapeutic purposes, therapeutic being defined as helping people with limited physical or mental disabilities that will help them to improve their current state or provide an enjoyable respite from their current condition. It is also our mission to provide a forever home for certain rescued horses that may have difficulty being placed elsewhere.

To learn more about Laughing Pony Rescue, and how to visit or support our mission, please go to www.laughingponyrescue.org or contact [email protected] for more information.