Karin Leibbrandt
In 1996, I started my veterinary studies. At the time, I never imagined that after graduation I would primarily focus on training and rehabilitating horses. I always wanted to become a (top-level) sports equine veterinarian. Unfortunately, during my training, I discovered that this primarily meant knowing which medication to administer, in what dosage, and how to administer it, so I could get a horse fit enough to enter the arena and perform without testing positive.
That wasn't for me, so after graduating, I decided to work in primary care equine practice and slowly figure out what I wanted to specialize in. During that time, I encountered many horses that became lame at a young age and/or exhibited behavioral problems for which no explanation could be found. I was fascinated by why so many horses became injured at a young age and why the treatments we offered were often ineffective. This led me to wonder: "What causes this, and why does it happen?"
Over 20 years ago, there was hardly any research on the effects of hyperflexion (low, deep, and rounded, as well as rollkur) during training. So I had to research and determine the effects this training method has on the horse's body myself. I also had to figure out for myself what constitutes a healthy and correct training method. I remembered the words of one of my favorite professors at the faculty: "If nothing is known and there's no literature available, then you have to use your common sense." So that's what I did! I still hear his words in my head regularly: "Use your common sense."
"I was fascinated by why so many horses were injured at a young age and why the treatments we had were often not effective enough."
I've spent the past 22 years rehabilitating horses, retraining them from hyperflexion to a healthy, biomechanically correct training method, and learning the importance of a healthy, functioning myofascial system (for more information, see the knowledge base). I've also developed my own riding method, called 4-Dimensional Dressage, have been teaching for 12 years, and authored the book "Successfully Training Your Horse: Horse-Friendly Performance with the Modern Sport Horse."
So I've found my specialty. It's different from what I expected, but I wouldn't want anything else. Equine rehabilitation, in the broadest sense of the word, is my complete heart and passion. You build a bond with your equine patients, because rehabilitation isn't a quick fix. You guide them for a long time, and sometimes you have to pull out all the stops to find the right solution.
Although I'm always incredibly busy, I fortunately still find time every now and then to travel abroad to give lectures on everything related to rehabilitation, training, biomechanics, hypermobility, and the myofascial system. During my travels abroad, I've met wonderful people who all work hard to improve the lives of horses, and I'm grateful to be able to contribute.
