Both equestrians and animal practitioners are athletes. (And many practitioners are also equestrians.) We all know how physically challenging and potentially dangerous our work is – we often accumulate injuries while riding or working with our clients.

We understand that our poor riding habits, asymmetries, and past injuries force the horse to compensate in order to accommodate our deficiencies, often causing the horse pain and dysfunction… which is why many riders seek help to rebalance their bodies – to heal from bodily insults, we regularly visit different human manual therapists.

Because riders and practitioners alike want to stay fit in order to avoid injury and enjoy a long career doing what we love, most of us work out regularly at a gym, sometimes with a private trainer, or do group sessions such as Zumba, Pilates, yoga, or simply exercises that we have been taught and do on our own, including stretching.

And most of us assume that our fitness trainers and our manual therapists have kept up with their continuing education – that they have updated their knowledge and training to include the latest findings about fascia, biotensegrity, and contemporary approaches to healthy movement. Most of us tend to not ask questions – we trust.

But what if we have been getting it all wrong?

What if traditional approaches to exercise are outdated, counter-productive, and even harmful long-term?

What about stretching?

Join physiotherapist and rider fitness specialist Tuulia Luomala and movement specialist Paul Thornley for a dynamic conversation about fascia, biotensegrity, and a safer, more effective way to exercise.

Community Gatherings are one-hour conversations between Dr. Haussler and his guest collaborators, followed by 30 minutes discussion with attendees.