Q & A with Laura MacSwain
Bio:
Laura MacSwain, of Rejuvenation Equine Remedial Therapy, is a certified remedial therapist and a graduate of the four year, Canadian Equine Therapy Institute program. Modalities that she has trained in are: massage, osteopathy, chiropractic, cranio-sacral and acupuncture. Laura strives to provide individualized treatment to every horse and owner she works with, to optimize performance.
Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs (SFGC): Can you tell us how and when you first fell in love with horses?
Laura: I’ve always loved horses, even as a small child but I never had the opportunity to interact with them much, until moving to Alberta. When I started taking lessons I fell more and more in love with them and even spent my days off doing barn chores, just so I could be around them. I would do groundwork with other people’s horses and exercise whichever horses needed exercising.
SFGC: Who is/was your heart horse?
Laura: My current horse, Eva, is my heart horse. She’s my mirror, with a little more sass! She challenges me and has made me a better rider and practitioner.
SFGC: What attracted you to become an Equine chiropractor?
Laura: I always wanted to work in health care, and I had been in the process of upgrading to the x-ray tech program at NAIT, when the equine therapy program came up. I thought it was the perfect way to combine both my interest and my passion. Helping horses as a career was the ultimate dream. It is so fulfilling being able to make a difference in their lives.
SFGC: How does your work affect/enhance the performance of your equine clients?
Laura: I‘ve worked with pleasure horses as well as those in training and showing. I’ve found that when the horse’s body is in balance, they are more willing to do their job and they learn and retain new skills, better.
SFGC: Do you have a favourite breed to work with? If yes, what makes this breed stand out to you?
Laura: I don’t have a favourite breed to work with but, there are some horses that I enjoy working with more than others. There are certain personalities that I seem to gravitate to for one reason or another.
SFGC: What do you consider your greatest achievement in the horse world and what would be your legacy?
Laura: I couldn’t tell you what my greatest achievement or legacy thus far in the horse world has been but I do know what I would like it to be. I’d like my legacy to be that I was honest with my clients; kind; compassionate; and that I never stopped striving to learn as much as I could, while helping as many horses as I could.
SFGC: If your horses could talk, what would they say about you?
Laura: I’m sure there would be those who think I’m odd but over all love how I make them feel.
SFGC: How have horses changed your life?
Laura: Horses have allowed me to breathe and taught me to enjoy life. To stay in the moment and that no matter what situations arise, step back to see the bigger picture.
SFGC: What would be the horse’s message to mankind?
Laura: I think that the message would differ for each person. We all have things we can learn from horses; we just need to stop, quiet ourselves and look at the bigger picture.
Thank-you, Laura, for taking the time to share your experiences with Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs and their followers.
