Time: 9am to 5pm on each of the three days. Please arrive by 8.30am on the first day for sign-in.

Where: Happy Horse Sports Therapy LLC, 1038 NH-120, Cornish NH 03745.

Cost: $850 – payment can be made via venmo or cheque, once a spot has been confirmed for you.

Dress: Please dress warmly, as we will be working within a 3-sided shed. While protected from the wind for the dissection, only the break area will be properly heated. 

Meals: Morning and afternoon tea (coffee, tea, bottled water, snacks) will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. A fridge, freezer, microwave and kettle will be available for your use. 

Accommodation: The closest towns are Lebanon NH, Windsor VT or Claremont NH.

Parking: Please park on the grass off the driveway and walk down the driveway to where the dissection will be taking place.

 

Dr Sharon May-Davis comes to us all the way from Australia. She is a life-long horsewoman, a successful competitor, a dedicated researcher and an authority in the areas of equine anatomy, biomechanics and dissections. She has worked therapeutically on horses all over the world including top performance horses in 8 different disciplines.

     

Academically, Sharon has a PhD from the University of New England (Australia). She has published 20 scientific peer-reviewed papers (with more in the works) in areas of congenital malformations, variations in anatomic morphology (congenital or induced) and the potential influence these have on performance, management and equine behaviour.  Information for these studies is based on her findings gleaned from over 500 equine dissections (~30 breeds) in 10 countries.

      

Sharon is probably best known as author of the first papers describing the congenital malformations of C6-7 to which she later assigned the acronym ECVM. Additional research projects focus on comparative morphology between equine species and sister taxa by means of analysing paleontological specimens.

Over the three days, Sharon will take you on an amazing journey as she unveils the complex layers of fascia, musculature, nerves, blood vessels, bones and secrets beneath the skin. Specific topics include joint pathology, fascial connections, ligaments, muscles and their inter-relationships. We will review what is known of the donor horse’s life history, medical/behaviour issues and clinical diagnostics (if available). As the dissection progresses, Sharon will point out pathology in the body that may relate to problems with which the horse had been living. Imagine a real-life equine CSI episode with your very own “CSI” Expert Guide!

      

Sharon’s dissections are also “hands on” (for those willing).  You will be able to: 

* palpate normal/abnormal muscles and areas of restriction in the fascia

* experience range of motion of both the front and hind limbs, and get a better understanding of the stay apparatus of each, including the upward fixation of the patella

* see and feel the effect of different bits and noseband pressures to understand how they affect (restrict) the movement of the hind limbs via connection to the hyoid apparatus

* and much, much more!  

The cost for each dissection is $850 USD. See below for our refund policy. Please note, payment is required in full prior to the dissection start. 

     

Your Fee includes:

* Manual (PDF)

* Disposable protective wear for the dissection (gloves, gowns)

* Drinks – coffee, tea, bottled drinking water

* Snacks – morning and afternoon tea 

       

Not included in the fee (your responsibility):

* Transportation

* Accommodation

* Meals 

* Note taking supplies

* Folding chairs

       

If you would like to attend, please send us an email as per the instructions below with your preferred date. If the dissection still has spots available, you will be contacted to make payment. Your place will be held for 10 days, while we wait for your payment to arrive. After 10 days, your spot will be open to the next in line on the waitlist. 

We can accommodate only 15-20 participants in each dissection. 

     

Priority for attendance is being given to: equine veterinarians, academics (i.e. those involved in equine research through a university or private facility), and osteopaths, bodyworkers and physiotherapists actively working on horses. 

     

If there are slots remaining, we will then add hoof care providers, saddle fitters, equine dentists, instructors/trainers and students of these disciplines. 

The reasoning behind Sharon’s preferred audience is based on the technicality of the dissections and the method in which Sharon teaches/shares the information. In other words, a working knowledge of anatomical terminology is a must.

      

Sharon brings to each dissection an extensive knowledge of the functional anatomy of the horse, inside and out, that she shares with a professional, yet fun teaching style, laced with a wicked sense of humour! 

In a standing dissection, the horse is suspended by a specially designed rack, which allows everyone to walk around the whole body, view all angles and compare both sides as the dissection proceeds. This upright posture also makes the practicals of moving the limbs easier and therefore the biomechanics more understandable.

The dissection will be held at a private residence at 1038 NH-120, Cornish, NH 03745. There is no letterbox, but the driveway is marked by a stone post with 1038 on it. The driveway is between East Rd and Jackson Rd. Your GPS may send you to Jackson Rd, please ignore this and STAY ON NH-120. There is no access to the property from Jackson rd. 

     

When you turn into the driveway, you’ll see a run-in with the Happy Horse Sports Therapy logo on it. Continue down the driveway and park just off the drive. It is a short walk down the drive to where the dissection will be taking place. There is no internet or cell service at the property, but you can access the Starlink wifi network without a password. 

      

There will be a porta-potty available for use. While the dissection area won’t be heated, the break area will be. There will also be a fridge, freezer, microwave and kettle available. 

* Cancellation by Sharon or An Act of God:

– The course fee minus $50 will be refunded.  $50 is retained for administrative costs (supplies have to be pre-purchased).

     

* Cancellation by Attendee:

– The course fee minus $100 will be refunded for cancellation notification given 3 weeks prior to the dissection starting date.

– NO refund will be issued if notification is received after 3 weeks from the dissection starting date, unless we can fill that slot from the waitlist.

Please send an email to HappyHorseSportsTherapy@yahoo.com with the following information:

* Your name

* Your equine profession or area of interest

* Your phone number

* Your email address

* Which dissection you’d like to attend – Dissection 1 (3-4-5 Oct) or Dissection 2 (9-10-11 Oct), or if you could attend either date.