SKILLFUL enough to make changes that are readily observable to owners and other equine professionals.

• When you work with a horse's attention to find and release problems from the inside out neither the horse nor the customer has to imagine that your work has merit - it's obvious.

• In the unique EMTC movement class you'll learn how horses move naturally, what's expected of them in various riding disciplines and to see where they're getting stuck so you'll know what you're trying to accomplish.

• Massage classes go way beyond mere techniques so you'll learn to feel, connect, follow and influence. There's a huge difference between just doing something to get the horse to yawn, stretch and chew and therapy; doing precisely the right thing and changing how the horse carries himself.

KNOWLEDGEABLE enough to speak intelligently about hooves with farriers, health with veterinarians, movement with trainers, and results with owners who will then respect and refer your work.

• No matter how effective a massage is, it's at most only momentary relief if the horse is poorly shod so knowing what's right and the sure signs of poor hoof care are absolutely critical. Being able to discuss it intelligently with both owners and farriers is equally essential.

• Knowing the names of muscles and bones is one thing, really understanding form and function is another but being able to explain what you're going to do and then doing it makes a truly lasting impression.

• From performing an assessment to identifying common riding discipline related problems and knowing the range and limits of massage therapy there's no substitute for the insights of eastern and western veterinarian medicine.

ORGANIZED enough to have a plan to start and grow your business, differentiate your services from competitors, shift from awareness to preference marketing and manage your time and resources effectively.

• Managing yourself, leveraging your strengths and mitigating weaknesses through discipline and cultivation begins with understanding how you measure up to successful entrepreneurs.

• Communicating effectively one-on-one, to groups, in writing and via other media is essential to getting your message across.

• Defining and packaging your message, reaching your market and selling your services are essentials of growing your business. Planning, managing and evaluating results are the difference between being in business and a hobby.

Prairie Winds Associations: