About Laurie Crosswell

Laurie and Aristo

My mother says I started asking for a pony when I was 18 months old. A friend of the family had horses, so I was allowed to start riding her horses when I turned 2. My parents finally relented and bought a Shetland Pony for me when I was 5. I did not want the black pony that was broke to ride. No, I wanted the silver dapple pony that had never been touched by human hands. My horse training experience commenced. Most of my young friends babysat to earn spending money. I started 2 year olds under saddle for a "horse trader" in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Other people, had me ride their older horses that had training problems or those that just needed exercise.

Horse shows started to draw my interest. I showed in a few open breed shows, which led to the purchase of a fancy high-stepping Palomino show horse named Aristo. During high school, we competed in PHBA and TPEA events earning Palomino Championship, Texas High Point Horse, and Register of Merit in Western Pleasure and Western Show Horse. Aristo was one of the top Palomino horses in the nation.

While in college, I managed a horse breeding and training ranch in Godley, Texas. I successfully trained and showed the ranch's Quarter Horses in Western Pleasure, Trail, Horsemanship and Barrel Racing. I competed in these events, but always had the desire to ride reining horses. The opportunity presented itself in 1988. I showed in NRHA, SWRHA, and TRHA events. in 1989, I won the SWRHA's first annual Win-A-Saddle Series, Limited Non Pro Division. I continued to show, train and give riding lessons until 1998, when I moved from Texas to Utah. Currently retired from the show ring, my riding is strictly for leisure.

Some of the problems I encountered while riding did not make sense from a strictly training aspect. I researched alternative therapies. Sports massage produced excellent performance results, the benefits were long lasting, it was non-invasive, and was well received by the horse. In 1999, I went to Equissage© in Round Hill, Virginia to complete my equine sports massage therapist certification. My certification to work on dogs followed in 2005.

Each therapy session I provide to an animal is aided by my unique background, which incorporates the experience of continually working with horses since 1958, certification as an animal sports massage therapist since 1999 by the leading school in the nation, a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology plus post-graduate study, my 8 years of training as a bodybuilder, and personal experience as an athlete.