by Gina McKnight
Archived from the February 2022 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete
No duplication without permission.
Since it’s January and we’re having
a super-freeze here in Ohio, I thought it would be great to travel to Arizona
where it’s much warmer! Through a mutual friend, I connected with Kim
Drangsland, an equine holistic acupuncturist/massage therapist. Kim is the proprietor
of Knowledge in Motion Equine and Dog Therapy From Kim’s bio:
Since 2001, Kim Drangsland has been
honing the art of equine and canine body work. By attaining multiple
certifications in: sports massage, movement analysis. cranio-sacral, energy
balance, acupressure, and dit dow jow herbal remedies Kim has a firm
educational base. She added further study in hoof balance through Natural
Balance clinics. In addition, Kim completed 6 years of work study of human
acupuncture under Dr. John Amaro's practice and school International Academy of
Medical Acupuncture. By fusing all of these techniques together a new form of
body work was created. What evolved, is results oriented body work, using
multiple modalities including light therapy to achieve predictable results in
relatively short time frames.
Welcome, Kim!
GM: What's the weather like in
Arizona?
KD: In the Phoenix area it’s perfect. The typical afternoon temperature is 60-70 degrees. Perfect riding weather. But even in the hot summer months we ride early morning or evenings.
GM: When did you meet your first
horse?
KD: My very first pony meeting was at just under two. Then again at ten. I exercised a naughty pony named Mister Mischief. But my real experience came much later at 35 on a horse named Dusty. He shared my life for over 20 years when he passed.
GM: What horses do you currently
stable?
KD: I have two horses currently. Elmo is a 27 year old grey Quarter Horse and Carmela is a 22 year old strawberry roan out of the wild herds of the Salt River area. They are the joy of my life.
GM: As the proprietor of Knowledge
in Motion Equine and Canine Therapy, do you see a lot of injured and/or
unhealthy horses? What disciplines do you treat the most?
KD: I treat every discipline. It’s a pretty even mix of each. I tend to attract very knowledgeable and experienced horse people. What I’ve learned is that the experienced, knowledgeable horse person and horse are the same no matter what discipline they use. They use different verbiage but follow the same principles of biomechanics and movement. The horses move differently due to conformation and use. But all disciplines use hindquarter engagement for propulsion and balanced movement. All use flexing and bending to supple the horse. In my experience most injuries result from imbalanced hooves, uneven footing, and off balance movements. Most of the horses I see are very healthy, some elderly with chronic age related issues. The intense injury horses I’ve treated were almost exclusively horses turned over to rescues and freak accidents. I’ve treated a lot of rescue horses for various rescues over the years.
GM: What is the best method of
treatment for a depressed horse who has just lost their stablemate?
KD: That’s an interesting question. There are acupuncture points for grief, vitality, and anxiety that work well to help with adjusting to these changes. When a horse is facing a big change like losing eyesight or the loss of a buddy, I talk to them as well. I listen for their concerns. I have the client go for hand walks with them and talk to them. Often, these hand walks are very helpful for both the horse and owner. It is both therapeutic and reassuring to spend time moving together without the pressure of performance. Just two beings moving the energy through their bodies without expectation. But biochemically movement releases endorphins which help alleviate depression. It’s simple, free, and effective.
GM: That’s super advice, Kim. My
mare lost her companion last year and went through a terrible depression. I do
believe that spending time without expectation is key to healing. Overall, what
would you like horse owners to know about caring for their horse?
KD: Listen to your horse. Know your horse better than whatever unsolicited advice anyone tells you. Know their good movement. Know their habits. Then you will sense when something is off with them. By far the most important thing you can do is look at pictures of feet. You don’t have to know what is wrong, to see what is right. Get an idea of what balance looks like. If something is off in the hoof angle the problem will absolutely travel up the body. When you have a farrier that has your horse moving well, do whatever it takes to keep them.
GM: Do you have advice for novice
riders and those looking to purchase their first horse?
KD: Get a veterinarian to do a pre-purchase exam. Don’t let anyone “sell” you a horse. If you have experienced horse people to help you, use them. Even though that horse bucking and running with its head held high is a thing of beauty, it’s not usually fun to ride all of that energy. That temperament is who that horse is. The inexperienced unconfident horse needs an experienced confident rider. The inexperienced rider needs an experienced confident horse.
GM: What does horsemanship mean to
you?
KD: It’s a relationship between two beings, that have minds and emotions. Both listening to the communications of each other while moving in unison. But it’s so much more than even that. It’s all the work that happens before the saddle goes on, or after it comes off. It’s a mindfulness of the needs of your horse. All great horse people have common traits, no matter what discipline they use. They put their heart and soul into what they do. They take the needs of the horse into consideration with each goal set. They learn to accept failure as a way to learn more. Because if it teaches you something, it’s not actually failure. They are mindful of making the best decisions they can in any given moment for a being that depends on their good judgment. They sit in stalls all night long because a horse is not feeling well. They use grooming and turnout as a moment to assess movement and soundness. They continue to assess their seat, legs, and hands in the reaching for improvement. Horsemanship is a never ending goal to become better and learn more. A great horseman understands there is always more to learn. That’s the beauty of horsemanship it is has no ending point.
Connect
with Kim:
www.knowledgeinmotion.org
“A
great horseman understands there is always more to learn.
That’s
the beauty of horsemanship it is has no ending point.”
KD: In the Phoenix area it’s perfect. The typical afternoon temperature is 60-70 degrees. Perfect riding weather. But even in the hot summer months we ride early morning or evenings.
KD: My very first pony meeting was at just under two. Then again at ten. I exercised a naughty pony named Mister Mischief. But my real experience came much later at 35 on a horse named Dusty. He shared my life for over 20 years when he passed.
KD: I have two horses currently. Elmo is a 27 year old grey Quarter Horse and Carmela is a 22 year old strawberry roan out of the wild herds of the Salt River area. They are the joy of my life.
KD: I treat every discipline. It’s a pretty even mix of each. I tend to attract very knowledgeable and experienced horse people. What I’ve learned is that the experienced, knowledgeable horse person and horse are the same no matter what discipline they use. They use different verbiage but follow the same principles of biomechanics and movement. The horses move differently due to conformation and use. But all disciplines use hindquarter engagement for propulsion and balanced movement. All use flexing and bending to supple the horse. In my experience most injuries result from imbalanced hooves, uneven footing, and off balance movements. Most of the horses I see are very healthy, some elderly with chronic age related issues. The intense injury horses I’ve treated were almost exclusively horses turned over to rescues and freak accidents. I’ve treated a lot of rescue horses for various rescues over the years.
KD: That’s an interesting question. There are acupuncture points for grief, vitality, and anxiety that work well to help with adjusting to these changes. When a horse is facing a big change like losing eyesight or the loss of a buddy, I talk to them as well. I listen for their concerns. I have the client go for hand walks with them and talk to them. Often, these hand walks are very helpful for both the horse and owner. It is both therapeutic and reassuring to spend time moving together without the pressure of performance. Just two beings moving the energy through their bodies without expectation. But biochemically movement releases endorphins which help alleviate depression. It’s simple, free, and effective.
KD: Listen to your horse. Know your horse better than whatever unsolicited advice anyone tells you. Know their good movement. Know their habits. Then you will sense when something is off with them. By far the most important thing you can do is look at pictures of feet. You don’t have to know what is wrong, to see what is right. Get an idea of what balance looks like. If something is off in the hoof angle the problem will absolutely travel up the body. When you have a farrier that has your horse moving well, do whatever it takes to keep them.
KD: Get a veterinarian to do a pre-purchase exam. Don’t let anyone “sell” you a horse. If you have experienced horse people to help you, use them. Even though that horse bucking and running with its head held high is a thing of beauty, it’s not usually fun to ride all of that energy. That temperament is who that horse is. The inexperienced unconfident horse needs an experienced confident rider. The inexperienced rider needs an experienced confident horse.
KD: It’s a relationship between two beings, that have minds and emotions. Both listening to the communications of each other while moving in unison. But it’s so much more than even that. It’s all the work that happens before the saddle goes on, or after it comes off. It’s a mindfulness of the needs of your horse. All great horse people have common traits, no matter what discipline they use. They put their heart and soul into what they do. They take the needs of the horse into consideration with each goal set. They learn to accept failure as a way to learn more. Because if it teaches you something, it’s not actually failure. They are mindful of making the best decisions they can in any given moment for a being that depends on their good judgment. They sit in stalls all night long because a horse is not feeling well. They use grooming and turnout as a moment to assess movement and soundness. They continue to assess their seat, legs, and hands in the reaching for improvement. Horsemanship is a never ending goal to become better and learn more. A great horseman understands there is always more to learn. That’s the beauty of horsemanship it is has no ending point.
www.knowledgeinmotion.org
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