About Michelle
My name is Michelle Metheny, your Equine Massage Sport Therapist! I’ve been a bodyworker since 2022 and always continually learning every year. In 2025, I added Kinesiology Taping to my practice to further enhance the benefits of massage, alongside improving joint mobility and unwind compensation patterns through corrective exercises.
I’m a lifelong horse enthusiast, I grew up in a small town in Hinton, Alberta. Since I was born, I’ve always been drawn to horses but didn’t come from a horse family. With the limited resources in my community for riding lessons and nearby barns, I didn’t get ride much until I came across my first lease horse, Chester, a red roan quarter horse gelding in my grad year of High School. Since then, I’ve been heavily involved in the equestrian community.
After High School, I went and pursued my Unit Clerk Certification and started working in a Physiotherapy office. At the time I was applying to jobs in the Okanagan in hopes to move there, after a few years, I finally got a job at Interior Health and in two weeks I packed up everything and moved myself and my horse at the time, Tucker to Vernon, BC.
This was an exciting career path for me, but overtime I found myself wanted to do something more and after struggling with my own horse with soundness, injuries and well-being, I wanted to expand my knowledge further to help understand him better. So, I enrolled in an Equine Sport Therapy course through Natural Touch Therapy Institute and Elevate Equine Bodywork was born.
I have spent to the last few years learning and completing my Equine Sport Therapy Certification through online schooling and hands-on case study work on over hundreds of horses. But my education doesn’t stop there, I am a lifelong student of the horse and am always learning and seeking out more ways I can help horses as every case is different and unique. When I’m not learning and working on horses, I enjoy spending my time hiking, skiing, camping, and exploring BC with my partner Andy.
Certifications
Equine Sport Therapy (Natural Touch Therapy Institute, 2021-2024)
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pathology
- Massage Therapy
- Saddle and Tack Fitting
- Applied Kinesiology
- Nutritional Assessment & Balance
- Structural Assessment & Balance
- Cranial Assessment & Balance
- Use of Herbal Remedies
- Assessment of Rider Imbalances
- Principles of Movement
- Energy Balancing Techniques
- Recognizing Hoof Imbalances
- Recognizing Dental Imbalances
- Acupressure Techniques
- Use of Magnetics
- Treatment of Injuries
Additional Education
“Sozo Equine” Foundational Kinesiology Taping Masterclass
“Freely Forward Bodywork” TMJ Masterclass: Unlock your Horse’s Jaw
Physical Therapy for Horses: A Visual Course in Massage, Stretching, Rehab, Anatomy, and Biomechanics
“Masterson Method” Beyond Horse Massage: Alleviating Soreness, Strain and Tension