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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels March 11, 2004 For Makenzie Michel, working with horses has always been a part of life By Elizabeth Hughes For the Tidings She does not ask her patients how they are feeling or where it hurts. In fact, she doesn't ask them anything at all. Instead, she watches them - their eyes, their ears and their tails. These are the signs that Makenzie Michel has come to understand from her life with horses. These signs are how she knows what her patients are feeling. Michel's life focuses on horses - training, instructing and equine massage. It's as important as exercise, proper feed or vet care, she said. "I look at the whole big picture. It's a team," Michel said. You could say that horses run in the family. Her mom was a trainer of her own small barn, her dad was a farrier and her aunt, Jenni Martin, is a Grand Prix rider. So it was pretty evident to Michel that she would work with horses. She grew up riding in Eagle Point, learning from her mom. When she was a bit older, she worked for her aunt on the East Coast, on the hunter/jumper circuit. After finishing high school, Michel continued to pursue her love for horses. She moved to Florida to work with her aunt on the hunter/jumper circuit. From Florida, it was on to Connecticut, to North Forty Farm, which has a large lesson program. Michel began grooming for the farm, but soon was in charge of a string of five sale horses and taught six to ten junior rider lessons a day. During her time working on the show circuit and with top-caliber horses, Michel started to notice something. A trend was catching on: massage therapy. While working at North Forty Farm, she injured her arm and was out of the saddle. The day after her injury, she was unable to lift her arm and the massage therapist at the stable worked on her for about five minutes. Michel immediately noticed a difference. It clicked. She saw first-hand how massage could help. Michel started following the therapist around on her routine, and her curiosity and interest grew. She started looking into schools and decided on the Arizona Institute of Massage and Kenesilogy in Scottsdale. For four months Michel lived and breathed massage, going to classes five days a week and working at a racing stable. "I worked on it day and night, practicing constantly," she said. After receiving her degree in January 2002, Michel started putting her knowledge of massage to work and is now working in the Rogue Valley, offering massage to local horse owners. Massage is not Michel's only focus. She is the vice president of the Southern Oregon Hunter/Jumper Association and the trainer at Curly Willow Ranch, where she trains a small number of horses, all which are lucky enough to receive massages. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams