Where women working in the horse industry connect!

(615)730-7833

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Karin Bielefeld - Bielefeld Equine Consulting

Karin Bielefeld has been working with the horse and rider professionally since 1972. I have had many students that have competed in Hunters and Dressage, along with other disciplines. Growing up I worked with horses that were considered “not worth the time”. The experience I gained from these wonderful animals has been priceless. Even though my students are successful in the show ring I try to keep everyone grounded on the value of each and every horse and that they all can teach us something.  One of my passions is rehabilitating lame and old animals back into productive lives. The experience is not only rewarding, but also keeps me amazed how a horse does not limit itself. Due to lameness and age the horse’s skeletal structure shifts.. As the skeletal structure shifts, the muscle in the horse adjusts itself to accommodate the change. Some muscles will atrophy, causing other muscles to stretch out. I design exercise programs for the horse to recondition the muscle into working symmetrically with its partners. As the muscle structure starts to work symmetrically the muscle memory starts to come back to its normal state and the skeletal structure is then supported correctly again. It has been my experience that often chronic lameness has been associated with an old injury somewhere else in the horse’s body.   To support these skeletal shifts, the “Ugly Pad” was designed. Its purpose is to replace muscle structure that has been damaged or lost in the area of the horses back. It is custom made with closed cell neoprene. The pad acts like a second set of muscles that stimulate the horses back while balancing the saddle. This reduces the pressure points on the horses back and balances the rider. Along with the above I work with riders and their horses to accomplish their goals. I work with riders, whether it is for the show ring or the rider’s interest in better understanding the needs of their horse. When giving clinics I follow the following principle in determining and resolving problems between horse and rider: Quite often I have found that by addressing these areas very rarely do we find that a horse “won’t” do what is asked of him. You can find Karin under RIDING INSTRUCTORS or PRODUCTS in our member directory.