Mark is an internationally respected author and horseman known for his ability to understand the horse’s point of view and solve difficult problems with communication rather than force. His approach helps develop feel, relaxation, connection and softness in both horses and riders.

Happy Dog Ranch is one of a few locations where Mark teaches many times each year and the only place he offers 10-day clinics. His teaching attracts riders from all over the world. Many clinics blend compassionate horsemanship with techniques from the martial art of Aikido. Over the years, Mark’s expertise has transformed the way we work with horses at Happy Dog Ranch.

Crissi is a clinician, author, indie publisher and Masterson Method® Certified Equine Bodyworker. She has worked with all kinds of horses and people over the past 30 years.

Crissi joins Mark to teach at regular HDR clinics and shares the principles of softness that she lives by. As an author and speaker, she often explores confidence and fear in horsemanship, helping riders better understand themselves and improve the human-horse bond.

Steve is a renowned neuroscientist who shares his knowledge about equine brain science through seminars at Happy Dog Ranch. He is a sought-after speaker and teacher, and co-author of the book Evidence-Based Horsemanship.

Steve’s expertise helps riders, trainers and horse owners better understand how horses think and how scientific research can help us improve our connection and re-define our relationship with our horse.

Jim conducts regular workshops at Happy Dog Ranch, and our horses are lucky to benefit from The Masterson Method®, Jim’s interactive bodywork method that involves reading subtle changes in the horse’s body language to find areas where the horse is holding tension. Using a light touch to stay under the horse’s bracing response, The Masterson Method® allows people to help the horse release tension that it has difficulty releasing on its own. This improves comfort and performance in the horse, along with increasing trust, communication and deepening the human-horse bond.

More than 10,000 horse owners have attended weekend workshops to learn The Masterson Method®, and over 500 certified practitioners now teach it in 20 countries.

RMSAAM offers top-rated equine and canine massage, acupressure and craniosacral therapy certification courses. This education helps people learn specialized techniques to improve the lives of animals.

With a wide variety of highly skilled instructors, RMSAAM courses benefit animal owners and advocates as well as certified practitioners pursuing a career in animal healing.

Janet provides holistic veterinary services and bodywork for all Happy Dog Ranch animals, and also teaches effective methods that keep horses comfortable and healthy.

Janet’s work includes a combination of alternative therapies that complement the best practices in Western medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, nutrition, low-level laser, craniosacral therapy and tuning fork therapy. Her practice is called Akila Wellness.

Rachel spent 10 years working on thoroughbreds at racetracks around the country before focusing on equine sports medicine in the Chicago suburbs. After seeing the limitations of the conventional veterinary model on chronically sore sports horses, she began to expand her training.

Today, she operates Heart Equine in Texas, and travels throughout the United States practicing holistic sports medicine. Rachel has certifications and many hours of advanced training in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic, as well as training in human homeopathy, herbal and spiritual medicine. She educates equestrians through online courses and is a fierce advocate of whole horse support for equine athletes.

Lauren is the founder of Instill Harmony®, a Certified Advanced Rolfer™ and an integrative wholistic healer who facilitates wellbeing within the spirit, body, and mind of the horse and human. Her intention is to help humans and horses embody their brilliance together and amplify the awesome.

All Happy Dog Ranch horses receive regular neuromuscular equine dentistry from Sydney. This approach to dentistry balances the equine mouth to promote proper mastication (chewing) of their food and makes biomechanical changes that foster proper balance and use of the horse’s whole body.

By practicing her cutting-edge method of natural balance dentistry, Sydney realigns the horse’s jaw to achieve optimal neuromuscular, proprioceptive and physical function.

A lifelong student of the horse, Kim found her way to helping horses through bodywork on a full-time basis after meeting Jim Masterson and becoming intrigued with his work. Jim’s interactive bodywork method involves reading subtle changes in the horse’s body language to find areas where the horse is holding tension. Using a light touch to stay under the horse’s bracing response, The Masterson Method® allows people to help the horse release tension that it has difficulty releasing on its own.

Kim realized that the Masterson Method was a powerful tool to help her support horses, and she completed the certification process in 2019. The HDR herd benefits from her bodywork on a regular basis, and she now teaches Masterson Method weekend courses at our ranch.