June 2022 Practitioner of the Month.....Jennifer Broadway

Name: Jennifer Broadway

Location: Gauteng, South Africa

Certifications through Angel's Animals: Equine  Myo-manipulative Functional Therapy, working on Kinesiology Taping and Craniosacral Therapy

When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? I have been involved with the Helen Davies Equine Research Project South Africa for the last 3 years, during this time I have been afforded the privilege of being included in participating in more than 12 full equine necropsies. The deeper I delved into the interesting cases we were presented with the more my hunger grew for applying the knowledge I was gaining. I wanted to be part of the solution, making a difference in the well-being of horses and apply the research we were gathering to help educate and prevent the injuries and compensatory skeletal changes that we were seeing in the horses joining the project. 

What animal influenced you the most growing up? I have always been an animal lover, if it has fur to stroke, a nose to boop, or a body to cuddle I would be first in line to love and cuddle even though I was highly allergic, the risk of swollen eyes and itchy skin was worth it every time.

What animals do you currently own? Currently I own 3 dogs one cat, too many fish and 2 horses.

What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? Dynamic Balance provides specialized equine services that aim to create balance in motion by addressing the horse holistically. I have partnered with Lara van den Berge a Saddlefit 4 Life certified Equine Ergonomist and bit fitter. Together we address, saddle fit, bit fit and muscular-skeletal dysfunction created by either Ill fitted tack, rider imbalance, or general work related strain. Causing a horse to not be able to function to its full potential.
We are in constant discussion with other experts in our field, including farriers, chiropractors, fascial release specialists, and body workers practicing a variety of modalities to give our client the best possible outcome for their horses in terms of rehabilitation and healing.
Personally I place a large emphasis on ‘prehabilitation’. If you can set a horse up for bio mechanical success from the get go, the need for rehabilitation due to injury can be avoided. This can easily be achieved through firstly insuring that saddle fit is correct, but also by creating a culture of treating our equine like the athletes they are. Providing them with bodywork treatments to address minor muscular spasm and discomfort, identifying mild joint dysfunction early on to avoid major compensatory / skeletal dysfunction later on. 

What message would you like to share with potential clients? There are no such thing as badly behaved horses, head tossing, refusing contact, bucking, rearing, unwillingness to move forward, negative behavior whilst taking up, and  refusal to jump are all indicators or pain and or compensation. There is ALWAYS a reason. And always a solution that does not include “Bitting Up” or overuse of Spurs and Crops to force a horse to comply. If there is a lack of willingness there is guaranteed to be a problem either with tack or a physical limitation within the body. It is our aim to figure out the WHY, and help provide solutions. 

What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal bodywork? “For the good of the horse” if I can change the quality of life for even one horse by facilitating healing every hour I have put into acquiring the knowledge I have gained was worth it 10 fold. If you can make a difference too, no matter how small you should strive to do just that. This is an amazing course that will give you the tools to start making that difference. Our equine partners give so much, it’s a wonderful privilege to be in a position to give back.

VISIT JENNIFER'S WEBSITE