Willowbrook Academy

Sara grew up riding fences and herding cattle on a Wyoming cattle ranch where she spent countless hours with her horses.  As a trainer, she soon realized they were training her as well.  It’s all lessons in life.

Sara began her bodywork practice 1978, studying with Shizuko Yamamoto, apprenticing in Barefoot Shiatsu.  In 1995, she earned her Certification in Massage Therapy & Body Insight Neuromuscular Re-education.  She then studied equine bodywork from a certified Rolfer and continues her studies in Craniosacral Therapy with the Upledger Institute.  In the mid 90’s she brought her unique approach into her second love (giving Michael first dibs), the world of horses.  

Sara and her husband, Michael co-founded the Shen Tao T’ai Chi Chuan.  She is a student, practitioner and teacher of the Yang Style Short Form since the late 70’s.  Sara taught T’ai Chi at the Dali Lama’s 1997 Conference on Education at Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado.  She created T’ai Chi for Horsemen clinics and released a DVD entitled “T’ai Chi Chi Gung – An Ancient Art for Horsemen, “Working with the rider and the horse to facilitate freedom of movement and a quiet listening communication for the partnership through relaxation.  

It is a great honour & privilege to have Sara Stenson as a member of team.

A Note from Sara:

"Listen .. Connect … Follow … Influence 

This is the model we will delve deeply into so that we may understand the natural healing rhythms of our being to then apply it to the being of the horse. We can learn to leave our egos, agenda and stories behind to quiet our monkey minds so that we can hear what the horse has to say to us. Horses taught me this and many other important things because I had the good fortune to hear one say to me that “humans don’t listen to me, why should I listen to you.” At first, I was trying to convince him I was worth listening to. That I had magic of some sort; he wasn’t buying it. Horses always know the truth. The change came when I gave up and quieted myself. My feel then told him I would listen. Instantly the horse came to me with open curiosity. Boom. Ego alert. You see, first I had to set aside my agenda and tune in to his realm. It wasn’t him that needed to change; it was me. It’s always the human! I received direct feedback from an intelligent horse … he taught me to listen. 

This class is about exploring how we can set our stories aside so our entire being becomes a receiver of information (you are hard wired to do that!). Opening all senses to hear and feel what a horse is emitting about the inner balance of her mental/emotional/physical body, as well as her spirit body. When we open ourselves whole-heartedly for the horse, listen deeply to its life, connect energetically with the intent to heal, we can influence miraculous changes in ourselves and the horses we help. Quiet yourself, listen, tune in, we are life itself, just like the horse, wrapped in a healing energy given to us as a great innate power within. It’s not just about the horse; it encompasses our entire being and life if we cultivate that. Let’s explore how we can fully experience our lives while helping each other reset natural rhythms.  It makes for a happier planet."

Growing up on a farm gave me the opportunity to get my first horse at twelve years old. I wasn’t from a horse family, so learning to meet a horse’s needs came from both desire and necessity. That experience sparked a lifelong pursuit of becoming a student of the horse.

After graduating from the Oklahoma Horseshoeing School in 1997, I apprenticed with a local farrier before starting my own business. By 2005, I was trimming and shoeing full-time—working with horses from many disciplines, backgrounds, shapes, and sizes. Since then, I’ve earned several certificates in equine massage through weekend courses and completed a diploma at the Equine Dental School in Michigan, all to deepen my understanding of anatomy and how the whole horse functions as a connected system. 

 When I’m not working under a horse, you’ll usually find me outdoors—camping, hiking, kayaking, or tackling projects around my hobby farm. Time in the saddle means trail riding with friends or chipping away at my cow horse dreams.

In this session you will learn:

• Common pathologies in the horse that contribute to lameness
• Angular deformities
• Safe handling practices
• And so much more …

We will delve into how true the saying “no feet – no horse” really is!  Every system in the body is affected by the foundation on which it stands.