No. 364. Melissa Priblo Chapman - Distant Skies, an American Journey on Horseback

Melissa A. Priblo Chapman is a freelance writer who has had work published in magazines including The Western Horse, Good Dog!, and Doggone. Her story “Gypsy, Cross-Country Dog” appears in the book Traveler’s Tales: A Dog’s World alongside the work of such renowned authors as John Steinbeck and Gary Paulson. Chapman has been a paid speaker to over 100 organizations in regard to her solo cross-country trip and is a member of the Long Riders Guild, a worldwide league of equestrian adventurers. Chapman is a married mother of four and lives in Upstate New York. She rides every day and continues to share life with her horses and dogs.

Wendy and Linda celebrate 40 yrs of colaboration and friendship!

Sharon’s passion for horses was first noticed when she was caught riding a bush horse at 4 years of age. She would climb up the front leg and haul herself up onto the back via the mane proud as a peacock. She still doesn’t know to this day how she survived, but by 14 she was working with racehorses and riding competitively in the show ring and winning up to Open Minor Royal classes by 18. Her desire to understand the biomechanics of the horse led her down the path of dissections and research and if that wasn’t enough, she built horse skeletons where students could move the limbs so to have a better understanding of the leg in motion. This became a critical factor when she rehabilitated or assisted in the selection of horses for performance riders in Australia and overseas. Her keen eye for detail saw her involved with horses that became or were already the Australian Champion in 8 different disciplines, with some competing at WEG and or the Olympics. With Equine degrees and a number of other qualifications in tow, Sharon’s research and published scientific papers have seen her lecture around the World as a key note or guest speaker at numerous events. So with this in mind, Sharon will be speaking on one of the current topics associated with her research - Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation (ECVM), or the Congenital Malformation of the 6th and 7th Cervical Vertebrae.

Becky Tenges, owner of Equine BodyWorks LLC and a life-long lover of horses, brings her extensive knowledge and training to the horse and its team of trainer, farrier, veterinarian and other equine professionals. Becky, the daughter of a farrier, grew up in Southern California on an Arabian horse ranch and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics from UC Davis. After leaving a twenty-year career in Investment Banking, Becky returned to her involvement with horses, initially for the therapeutic benefit they provide to humans; and now for the therapeutic benefit that she can provide to them. With over 40 years of experience with horses, Becky’s focus in her business practice is to provide therapeutic relief to her equine clients and information and answers to their owners and trainers. Becky brings straightforward methodologies and a heartfelt dedication to reducing discomfort and enhancing movement & performance.

Rebecca Husted published the first textbook on Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (Wiley-Blackwell) in 2008. She is a decorated combat veteran, retired Signal Officer, US ARMY, holds BS (Biology) Wofford College, Ph.D. (Animal Physiology) Clemson University. She provides training in Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAERTM ) techniques across the US and internationally. She has published numerous critiques, techniques, and journal articles on a variety of technical subjects in large animal disaster and emergency rescue, horse barn fires, and heavy rescue of large animals. She is a Principal/SME member of the Technical Committee of the NFPA Standard 150 – Animal Housing and contributes to equine/livestock welfare committees and others defining technical competencies for large animal response around the world.

Sarah Louise Lilley is a clinical Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or “Tapping”) practitioner.  A sought after coach and speaker, she helps equestrians overcome fears, blocks and trauma. Known for her holistic and heart-centered approach, Sarah equips riders with tools that cultivate ease, trust, and clarity by releasing the root causes of anxious thinking and limiting beliefs. Sarah has taken the stage at Warwick Schiller’s Journey on Podcast Summit and appeared on numerous equestrian podcasts including: The Whole Equestrian with 5* Eventer Emily Hamel, WeHorse’s The Equestrian Connection with Danielle Crowell, Horse Illustrated’s Barn Banter and The Equestrian Podcast with influencer Bethany Lee. When she's not riding her horse or working with her clients, Sarah mentors the next generation of Practitioners at EFT Universe, the world’s largest EFT certification program. She recently taught alongside Dawson Church at The Omega Institute. To learn more about Sarah, please visit EmotionalFreedomwithSarah.com /or Instagram @SarahLouiseLilley

Mike Buskohl graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College "sometime last century" and spent years treating human patients before becoming certified for animal chiropractic by the AVCA. He feels fortunate to have studied under the most significant figure in animal chiropractic: Sharon Willoughby, DC,DVM. For the last 25 years he has focused his efforts on equine chiropractic and biomechanics. In 2013, it was his great privilege to assist Olympian Melanie Smith-Taylor in a series of clinics teaching young riders better communication skills. Although he has worked with equine athletes of many disciplines, for the last 12-14 years he has focused primarily in the hunter/jumper world. Mike is currently working with a team at Bellis Show Jumping to create a rehabilitation center

Rebecca (Gimenez) Husted published the first textbook on Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (Wiley-Blackwell) in 2008. She is a decorated combat veteran, retired Signal Officer, US ARMY, holds BS (Biology) Wofford College, PhD (Animal Physiology) Clemson University. She provides training in Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAERTM ) techniques across the US and internationally. She has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on a variety of technical subjects in large animal disaster and emergency rescue, horse barn fires, and heavy rescue of large animals. She is a Principal/SME member of the Technical Committee of the NFPA Standard 150 – Animal Housing and contributes to equine welfare committees and others defining technical competencies for large animal rescue around the world.

Dr. Nerida McGilchrist (formerly Richards) is a world-renowned equine nutrition specialist from Australia, holding a Bachelor's Degree in Rural Science with First Class Honours and a Ph.D. in Equine Nutrition. In 2004, Nerida founded Equilize Horse Nutrition and began consulting for leading equine feed and supplement companies globally. Her expertise has led to the research and development of a bunch of world-leading feeds and supplements, earning her a top-notch reputation in the industry. In 2008, Nerida launched FeedXL, an online horse nutrition platform where she served as lead nutritionist, educator, and software feature designer until 2022. More recently, Nerida collaborated with Racing Queensland and their Queensland Off-The-Track Program to develop a first-class equine nutrition education video and eBook series, available to everyone on the Queensland Off-The-Track Nutrition Education Hub. Nerida's roles have had her extensively "on the ground" at breeding farms and stables around the globe. She has spent countless hours walking and testing pastures, analysing manure, and poring over diets to find the best ways to optimize equine health and performance. Her favourite projects are those that take her to Japan, where horse farms and racing stables are eager to stay on the cutting edge of nutrition research. Nerida is particularly passionate about enhancing performance through gut health, and in particular preventing gastric ulcers and maximising microbiome diversity through correct forage and grain feeding practices. Currently, Nerida is developing My Happy Horse, the world's first virtual equine nutritionist, set to launch as an app later in 2025.

Originally from Belgium, Catherine Wycoff is a physical therapist for humans and for horses, with an undergraduate degree from Liege University (Belgium) and a doctorate from Des Moines University (US). Kinetic Balance, her private practice, is situated in Lovettsville, with a satellite office in Middleburg, Virginia. She is a certified Feldenkrais, Anat Baniel Method for Children and kinesiotaping practitioner as well as a Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist and a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner. She is training to become a paradressage classifier for the USEF. Catherine is a lifelong horse lover and rider and has been learning from Wendy Murdoch since 2007. She has volunteered and setup private practices in Laos, Taiwan, China, Burma and Austria in addition to the US.