Client Spotlight - Jessica Mikels

In this blog post, I caught up with Jessica Mikels, loving horse Momma to an 11-year-old Welsh Cob mare named Penny! They are two incredible beings that I've had the honor of working with these last few months!

Hello, I'm Jessica Mikels and this is my horse, Penny. When I got Penny, seven years ago, I was very green and so was she! I had to relearn how to work with her. Before Penny, my only experience had been with very experienced and patient horses. Penny taught me so much, but most importantly she has (and continues) to teach me how to listen to her. We began our journey in positive reinforcement (or clicker training) five years ago and, Wow! It has been amazing. I feel passionate about this approach and what it has brought to Penny and me. I am now interested in helping others who may also be considering this journey with their horses!

Jessica and Penny are a wonderful team, and I truly enjoy my visits with them both! Not only is massaging Penny so fulfilling, seeing these two gems work together and "figure out" things together is amazing! Jessica does nearly everything with Penny at Liberty, including adding in some strength and proprioception exercises I added to their time together during the weeks in between our sessions. The improvement in Penny from a biomechanical and physical standpoint has been palpable. I love when I arrive to a session and this team gets to show me what new thing they've learned together and just how well Penny performs her "homework"!

Jessica continues to learn all she can about positive reinforcement training and will even be attending a huge conference next month in Chicago to soak up all she can. Sometimes we think of "horse and rider bond" but that isn't the case for Jessica and Penny, as they work solely from the ground, with an unspoken (and non-physical) bond. Jessica is working on equine husbandry completely at Liberty and may someday offer small clinics to those who are also interested in learning R+ and clicker training with their horses. I am rooting her on, and if (when, right Jessica?) she offers this in the future I will be sure to share the details!!

When I asked Jessica how Healing Edge Equine LLC has helped her and her horse - this is what she had to say:

Working with Natalie has been so amazing. Penny often struggles in the Fall with feeling uncomfortable. Natalie has helped Penny work through discomfort and tension in her neck and back and what a difference it has made!

Thank you, Jessica, for allowing me to work with your special mare, and for your kind words! I cannot wait to see what this Spring and Summer hold for you both!!

If you are interested in learning more about Jessica, Penny, and their journey, give Healing Edge Equine LLC a like and follow on Facebook & Instagram :) We will continue sharing more about this duo and any clinic opportunities to work with Jessica in the future.