Therapist sets out to help equine patients
Carrie Ann Tremblay is a woman who has always loved horses.
She wanted a career in which she could work with animals and was directing her energies toward becoming a veterinarian. The preveterinary medicine major worked at a small animal vet clinic, and while she was there, she had an opportunity to shadow an animal therapist. It was because of that experience she made the decision to become an equine therapist.
After obtaining her bachelor's degree in equine studies with a concentration in equine therapy from Midway College in Midway, Ky., she had the opportunity to intern with equine therapists Mimi Porter (her mentor) and Monica Martins, leaders in the field of equine therapy. Tremblay considered several places before making the decision to relocate to Aiken.
Tremblay's Results Equine Therapy offers mobile therapy services, and she has been applying her non-invasive techniques and therapeutic options to help horses improve their quality of life as they recover from injuries and rehabilitate.
"Aiken seems like a really comfortable place and an up-and-coming horse area," Tremblay said. "There's a higher concentration of performance horses; it gives you a little more variety. I really like working with people who have performance horses, and people who take joy in owning horses. They have a little bit more of a connection to their horses."
The services Tremblay offers do not replace veterinary care, she said.
Among the variety of treatment tools Tremblay uses to promote rehabilitation and the healing process are massage and stretching, cold therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation and photon therapy, she said.
"They don't replace the staples of equine care when a horse has an injury," Tremblay said. "There's stall rest, there are anti-inflammatory and pain-controlling drugs that they get. It just adds another layer to their care. It can shorten the amount of time that they need to be on stall rest. It can lessen the amount of anti-inflammatory drugs that they need because that's one of the main goals of equine therapy - to reduce the inflammation and get the healing on its way. It decreases pain. A lot of the modalities help relax the horse, cancel out the pain and help to relieve whatever is causing the pain."
The modalities have a variety of uses, and it's incredibly versatile in a case-to-case basis, said Tremblay, who believes she is introducing people to a new therapeutic option. She also conducts clinics and has used the modalities on small animals.
"I believe in it so much and have so much passion for it," Tremblay said. "The therapy is not only for rehabilitation. It's for prevention and maintenance. A horse that's in competition really benefits from the therapy, as it helps prevents injuries from occurring while they're competing."
For more information about Results Equine Therapy, call 393-1090 or (518) 366-3064, or visit www.resultsequinetherapy.com.