January 2022 Practitioner of the Month.....Wendy Wilson

Name: Wendy Wilson

Location: Gilbert, Arizona USA

Certifications through Angel's Animals, LLC: Equine Myo-manipulative Functional therapy and finishing the cranio-sacral course.

When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? Wanted to do this all my life. I didn't' have the $$ for college as a vet student, so I went into a much more mundane area. I became a CPA. Now, in my retirement, I have the opportunity to help the helpless. Every hour spent with a horse fill me with a real sense of purpose.

What animal influenced you the most growing up? Dogs. My grandfather had a kennel and every pup who wasn't doing well would come to my mom for nursing. I lost my mom quite young and lived with a family from our church. They introduced me to horses when I was 12. Although it was short lived, I never forgot the joy I found from horses.

What animals do you currently own? I have a 15 year old Snoodle who is more like a puppy than a senior citizen. We rescued her 13 years ago and have had a wonderful time with this little pistol of a pup. Bentley (Wisdoms Flying Spur) is my 15 year old RMH. He's a stoic, lazy gelding but LOVES to go on trail rides. At home, he's exhausted after about 15 minutes of work but can travel a trail for hours on end.

What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? My love and concern for every animal I touch. I use the cranial sacral art to try to connect to every horse before I start the evaluation and massage. It's such a great feeling to calm a nervous critter, to connect in ways the owners thought weren't possible. I never rush. It doesn't matter if it take twice the time I anticipated. It's the result that matter. I never over schedule my time. One never knows what to expect.

What message would you like to share with potential clients? Just like we humans often need body work, so does your equine partner. They are athletes and need the same care given to human counter parts. Many times, what you think is a behavioral issue turns out to be something physical. Just give me a chance to find the problem. If a vet is needed, or if a chiropractor is needed I'm the first to say so. I would never let my ego get out of control thinking I can cure everything. I'm honest and straight forward. My love for animals is ingrained into my very being. It doesn't matter if your horse is a hard working show horse or a pasture pet, My work can help. It's the hands on approach that I learned from you.

​What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal bodywork? Be sure you're doing this for the right reason. Be calm and know you can succeed. No matter your age (I'm 71), ethnicity or anything else, let caring for the critters be your prime motivation. Other rewards will come. One thing I've noticed, many equine professionals (vets, farriers, dental workers etc.) do NOT give of their time to rescues. Everything is about the $$. I go to a horse rescue twice a month (Good Shepherd Healing Ministries, Apache Junction, AZ ) and work on 1-2 horses pro bono. It isn't about the $$. Volunteering has it's own rewards. Give it some thought.

Visit Wendy's FB Page