Andrea Drake - Emmett Practitioner - Horses & Humans

14/06/2026

EMMETT for Horses Instructor, Rebecca Cooper, has this to say about expectations of lasting change from bodywork alone.

🚩⚠️‼️My horse had some manual therapy, but it didn’t work! 🚩⚠️‼️

Before we dive into this, lets look at the following statement.

"The body always chooses the pattern it believes is safest, not necessarily the pattern we would prefer."

This applies to all living things, not just horses. I also treat people, and we are just as prone to choosing familiar, safe patterns. Are we not?

When a horse receives manual therapy, owners often hope that the issue will be fixed immediately and permanently. Sometimes this happens, but more often the picture is more complex.

This expectation is understandable. We naturally think of the body as something mechanical: find the problem, correct it, and move on. Yet horses are not machines. They are living, adaptive systems that are constantly responding to their environment.

Manual therapy (The EMMETT Technique particularly) is not simply a physical adjustment. It is often a conversation with the horse's nervous system. Through touch and movement, we encourage the body to release tension, improve movement patterns, and explore more comfortable ways of functioning.

The treatment may create change, but whether that change remains depends on what happens next.

If the horse returns to the same sources of stress, discomfort, imbalance, or compensation that existed before treatment, the body may simply return to the patterns it knows best. In many cases, recurring problems are not a sign that the treatment failed. Rather, they indicate that the factors driving those patterns are still present.

To understand why manual therapy may not hold after a single session, we need to look beyond the treatment itself and consider the whole horse and its total care.

Lasting change occurs when the horse's body is given both the opportunity and the reason to choose a new pattern, and appropriate care is given.

To be continued…..

As always, consult your primary healthcare provider or veterinarian to determine the most appropriate care for you or your animal.

11/06/2026

Could lymphatic drainage be a key tool in dementia care 🧠

Recent pilot research from 2024 has explored how the EMMETT lymphatic drainage technique may support those living with mild to moderate dementia. By stimulating the lymphatic system, this gentle approach helps the body eliminate metabolic waste and supports the brain's natural clearing processes.

The study showed promising improvements in:

🟡 Sleep quality - easier onset and longer duration
🔵 Cognitive function - better scores in memory tests
🟡 Daily wellbeing - enhanced mental and physical states

A non-invasive, compassionate addition to the dementia care toolkit.

04/06/2026

A bit about me.

Some people are born into the horse world.

Others get drawn in at first exposure, like a remembering, despite having little understanding, and nothing but an overwhelming desire to be with horses.

And their mums don’t know anything! So they buy an unborn foal because it’s a horse she can afford! 😂 No, don’t be silly! Ummm, yeah!

So, without me knowing anything, a week before my 8th birthday, I get called up to sit behind this beautiful grey thoroughbred mare, Carly, while my first horse was born into my waiting arms. They let me name her! I didn’t know why! I called her Sunshine because of the way the sunlight was shining through the eucalypts we were under, on the nature strip on a back road in Meeniyan. I’ll never forget it.

“Now, see the nose there? Just lift that off there, yes, there’s a nose.”

She was still, only for a second and then movement and all of a sudden, a whole horse was there, with her head on my lap, legs pushing through the white sack.

About a week later, the morning of my 8th birthday, I was blindfolded and taken outside on a drizzly January day. I knew it was a horse but when I took the blindfold off and saw Carly (the mare) and Sunshine there, I had to ask, which one is mine?

Sunshine!

Oh my God.

So then I spent the next 6 months, wooing my foal within a herd of 6 mares with their foals and a pony stallion (Sylvester Stallone). That experience taught me more about horses than any human could, ever. It turned out to be the best craziest decision my Mum ever made.

This photo is us at about 8 months old. We used to walk everywhere for the first couple of years. Often with my sister and her goat beside us.

This is the first horse I trained (though we don’t call it that). I broke her in myself and was out riding the roads of South Gippsland whenever there was daylight and no school 😂 she taught me how to. We had so much fun.

My love for herds hasn’t diminished. I ended up becoming a horse midwife for a while, probably as a direct result of this experience, first undertaking a 2 year Advanced Certificate of Horse Studies (Thoroughbred Breeding), then working on studs.

Sunny had to teach me everything but she was a very kind teacher. I lost her to theft when I was 16 and she was only 8. Ten horses were stolen on that night along with her. It hurt!

So, I sometimes joke that I was raised by a chestnut filly! Not quite true but not entirely wrong either.

I’m 55 now and still feel exactly the same! It ain’t a phase I’m going through people - this is me!

02/06/2026

The EMMETT Lymphatic Drainage sequence works to relieve congestion and improve lymphatic circulation and blood flow around the body. It can be helpful for a horse that is under the weather, after veterinary treatment, to eliminate toxins and relax the muscles. I applied this to a horse yesterday and was pleased to see a little watery nasal discharge and trickle from eyes shortly after finishing.

I’m so pleased to have these tools at my disposal and I can help humans improve their lymphatic drainage functions too.

But - I don’t do it when horses or humans have active viral infections - get me after the infectious period to help get your system back to full flush mode!

27/05/2026

Hot tip - people who haven’t trained in EMMETT, may not have had enough experience of it to actually critique it! They cannot know what they don’t know. Full stop.

It is not ‘like Bowen’ or massage - it is a technique developed by Ross EMMETT, a man with a desire to help others, who found many ways to do so. It is a skill that takes a little time to develop and in order to maintain registration as a Practitioner, requires ongoing learning and refinement regularly under the tuition of instructors. We have a community of Practitioners who support each other to get better and better at applying the technique. And Ross is still here watching it all evolve! ( keeping it EMMETT)!

Talk to an EMMETT Practitioner and see it for yourself.

Feel free to comment here if you have anything to add!

25/05/2026

I’m back practicing EMMETT for horses and humans! Let me know how I can help. Thanks for your patience.

Horse appointments available by arrangement (With human moves, if requested in same session - even while you ride if you like - does wonders for your balance, seat and strength).

Limited Human appointments available only Thursday and Friday afternoon this week.

Can work around other times as necessary for the following week, with some notice.

Happy to be back. Limited availability but happy to work with you to find timing that suits for you or your horses.

I do this for the absolute love of helping people and their horses. That is my motivation. Nothing more.
Nothing less.
And I have helped many now.
Let me know if you think I can help.

25/05/2026

Is Your Desk Job Quietly Destroying Your Posture? The Hidden Anatomical Culprit Behind Lower Back Pain

If you are among the millions of professionals in the US, UK, and Canada spending over eight hours a day seated, you are likely developing a biomechanical dysfunction that manifests as chronic lower back pain. Many individuals attempt to resolve this discomfort through endless lower back stretching routines, only to find the pain returning within hours. Why? Because you are treating the symptom, not the source. The true culprit lies deep within your anterior core and pelvis: a chronically tight iliopsoas complex.

The Anatomical Problem: The Psoas Paradox
The hip flexor group, primarily consisting of the psoas major and the iliacus, is the only muscle system that connects your lower extremities directly to your lumbar spine. Originating at the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae (T12-L5) and inserting at the lesser trochanter of the femur, the psoas acts as a crucial bridge for structural stability and human movement.

When you remain in a seated, flexed position for prolonged periods, the iliopsoas muscles adapt to this shortened state. Over time, this chronic shortening mechanically pulls the lumbar spine forward and downward, creating a condition known as an anterior pelvic tilt. This excessive tilt dramatically increases the lumbar lordotic curve, placing immense compressive shear forces on the intervertebral discs, particularly at the vulnerable L4-L5 and L5-S1 junctions. Furthermore, due to the neurological principle of reciprocal inhibition, as your hip flexors become hyperactive and unyielding, your primary hip extensors—the gluteus maximus muscles—become neurologically downregulated and weak. This muscular imbalance destabilizes your entire kinematic chain.

Reputable Science Backup: The Biomechanics of Pain
Recent biomechanical research underscores the profound impact of hip flexor immobility on the entire musculoskeletal system. Studies in clinical biomechanics demonstrate that individuals with a restricted range of motion in hip extension experience altered gait mechanics, forcing the lumbar spine to compensate through excessive hyperextension during walking. This repetitive micro-trauma is a leading clinical driver of non-specific lower back pain. Reputable data confirms that targeted elongation of the iliopsoas, combined with active gluteal engagement, significantly reduces lumbar shear forces and restores neutral pelvic alignment.

The Anatomy Logic Protocol: The Perfect Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
To effectively release the iliopsoas and realign your pelvis, precision is absolutely critical. A poorly executed stretch will only exacerbate lumbar hyperextension and worsen the problem. Follow this exact anatomical sequence:

The Setup: Assume a half-kneeling position on a comfortable mat. Your right knee should be completely grounded, with your left foot planted firmly in front of you. Ensure both knees are at strict 90-degree angles.

The Pelvic Lock: Before translating any weight forward, you must establish pelvic neutrality. Actively squeeze your right glute (the side of the kneeling leg). This action drives a subtle posterior pelvic tilt, locking the pelvis into a safe, neutral alignment and preventing the lumbar spine from overarching.

The Micro-Translation: Maintain the glute contraction and gently shift your center of mass forward by mere inches. You should feel a deep, isolated elongation in the anterior aspect of your right hip and upper thigh.

The Hold: Maintain this static stretch for 45 to 60 seconds, utilizing deep diaphragmatic breathing to downregulate the nervous system and allow the thick muscle fascia to release. Repeat symmetrically on the contralateral side.

Understanding your anatomy is the first step toward reclaiming your physical health and optimizing your biomechanics. Don't let muscular imbalances dictate your movement quality.

If you found this anatomical breakdown valuable, share this post with a colleague or gym partner who spends too much time seated at their desk. Make sure to follow Anatomy Logic for more deep dives into the science of pain relief and human performance. Drop a comment below if you want us to cover a specific joint or muscle group next!

17/04/2026

Thank you to my lovely clients for your support, encouragement and trust. Just to let you know, I will be unable to take appointments from 21st April to around the 18th May. Last appointments available are this coming Monday afternoon. Otherwise, see you when I see you! Apologies for the short notice.

17/04/2026

Very much looking forward to learning some new moves in this next step in my EMMETT Technique journey!

It's back!!! EHP2 - The second advanced course for EMMETT horse practitioners has been away for a cut and polish and returns to us with 4 new moves added to the course.

And for this course on June 20/21, you have two instructors for the price of one!

In the new course we have moves for:
Sinus
Oesophagus
Elbow
Stifle
Jaw/poll/sternum
Foreleg/withers
Adductor

Date: June 20/21
Venue: Macclesfield Vic
Instructors: Rebecca Cooper & Neil Jamieson

Register with me or via this link.

https://www.emmett-technique-hq.com/component/eventbooking/instructors-tutors/course-instructor-rebecca-cooper/4473-ehp2-macclesfield-vic-au-20-21-june-2026?Itemid=332

16/04/2026