"Feature Friday-Inez Donmoyer-Unicorn Dreams Wholistic Touch"

Howdy Folks,

Inez Donmoyer, founder of Unicorn Dreams Holistic Touch, is a Certified Equine, Canine, and Small Animal Massage Therapist and Reiki Master Practitioner. Her life revolves around helping horses and companion animals live healthier and feel better. Her passion includes helping that bond between horses and their people to be as perfect as possible through a whole health and well being approach. As part of her practice, Inez donates 10% of services paid to reputable 501c3 animal related organizations (rescue, therapy, K9, service dog, etc) in the client’s name. She is an animal advocate and donates her services to local Rescues, Shelters, Therapy Animal organizations, and Therapeutic Riding Centers.

Inez demonstrating release at "Lost & Found Horse Rescue" photo by-Jen Kolberg

Inez says she was born with a "horse gene" and began riding her pony Speckles when she was four. She credits Speckles with giving her the thirst to learn. Her next teacher was Kasey, a rescue horse who really needed rescuing. Inez was twenty when she took in Kasey and together they shared many happy hours. It was then that Inez began to go to horse expos and meeting the great trainers, and first realized it's important to look at life from the horse's point of view. As she explored the new-to-her ideas, she and Kasey made wonderful strides together. Kasey, Inez says, was truly a fine teacher. Through the years there have been other horses, each tasked with, and accepting the job of teaching Inez more layers of understanding. And encouraging her to learn more.

It was in 2009 that Lighting Bug, a 12 year old Tenn Walker really helped her begin to put all the pieces together. He had spent his youth in a "show barn" and while he had much to learn outside that kind of life, Inez and he loved the lessons they taught each other. Suddenly, too soon, he had a bout of laminitis. Inez could not understand it; Lightning Bug didn't carry an extra pound. That's when Lightning Bug really began to teach Inez. She dove into the books of Pete Ramey and other natural hoofcare practitioners, and joined Dr. Kellon’s ECIR yahoo group lists in 2010 and cruised the internet for more information. 

Inez & Lightning Bug "Her greatest teacher"-photo by-David Kapper

This led her to learning more about nutrition, diet, ECIR and laminitis. It was Lighting Bug who urged her on by giving her a thirst for knowledge as she tried to understand how this could happen to him.

Inez began to connect dots. At this time she had just begun her journey into my equine massage certification then her canine and small animal massage certification (Bancroft School of Massage in Massachusetts. 200+hrs per program). She was, and still is, also in the process of earning her grad degree from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. This same year (2011), she also “found” and joined the Holistic Horse Care Cooperative. And so her journey deeper into integrative and holistic therapies began.

In 2011 Inez founded Unicorn Dreams Wholistic Touch to offer Equine, Canine and Small Animal Massage/Bodywork, Animal and Human Reiki services and Aromatherapy to promote thriving health and wellness –and teach others how they too can create a healing environment for animals and humans. Inez seeks to bring wellness and comfort to the animals she tends. Oftentimes she will incorporate energywork to the massage session if the animal calls for it.  She looks at the whole picture. How is the animal moving? How is his diet? His feet? His environment?

Inez knows that the animal/horse is the greatest teacher if one will just observe and "listen." She endeavors to show and teach others what they can do and what to look for, stressing the importance of balance in all of the animal. In the case of the horse, the whole horse paradigm is a key component. Integrative therapies are her main interest and helping people help their animals holistically is something she strives to do.

Inez gives Chance release at "Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue"-photo by-Amanda Rose

In her words "It was thought that when I 'got older' the equine obsession would begin to temper & fade. If anything this 'phase' has only grown stronger. My 'equine obsession' still consumes my thoughts, only now, instead of daydreaming about pretty pony manes, I am wondering if that gelding I saw the other day with his temporalis muscles in spasm has had his teeth checked or his feet addressed. How do his incisors align? Why is he standing with his feet camped under him? I am thinking about how to approach this with a client, how to tell them that in order for him to have the full benefit of the bodywork, those things must also be taken into consideration. Then my mind wanders into nutrition. What is that horse eating? How much exercise does he get? How is he emotionally? Is he happy? Each answer leads me to another question and observation, another hop down the rabbit hole. Yes, I am indeed horse obsessed. And dog obsessed. Well let’s just say I am obsessed with animals. Obsessed with their wellness and overall vitality. I am holistically and animally obsessed and I hope this hunger is never satiated."

Inez says her quest for knowledge continues and she will tell you she is a "forever student" and will continue to learn so she can help others. Thank you Speckles, Kasey and Lightning Bug for instilling that desire to learn and help others in Inez.

If you would like to talk to Inez check out her website http://www.unicorndreamsfarm.com/ 

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry