Meet Joanne - Founder of Equestrian Freedom Technique
My journey with horses began at the age of 10, the moment everything changed. I didn’t know it then, but it would shape the next three decades of my life. Horses became my grounding force, my teachers, and the thread that quietly wove its way through every chapter that followed.
I studied Equine at Bishop Burton College, still without a fixed plan just a deep love for horses and a sense that they belonged in my future. Later studying business with the desire to own my own equestrian business. I trained in Equine Sports Massage with Mary Bromiley, worked across yards, and explored every corner of the equestrian world. But even with all that experience, I knew I hadn’t quite found my place yet.
What I was really doing was learning discovering what I did and didn’t want to do, what felt aligned, and who I was within the equestrian world.
Alongside this, another path was unfolding.
In 1998, I began a career in local government to support my equestrian journey. That work grounded me in safeguarding, ethics, leadership, and the realities of supporting people through complex life situations. It shaped my ability to hold space, make sound decisions, and work with clarity and compassion — skills that now sit at the core of my practice and continue to support our equestrian dreams to this day.
In 2006, I established Quest Holistic Therapies. Through massage, reflexology, and holistic treatments, I supported clients in understanding how their bodies hold stress and how they heal. These years gave me thousands of hours of hands‑on experience in emotional safety, listening, and client care and they deepened my understanding of the body–mind connection in a way no textbook ever could.
And through it all, horses have remained my constant: The horse that has and continues to be my inspiration is Quest, my palomino mare, born in 2003 and raised with me from day one. She is more than a horse she is the heart of my journey. Our family’s love for palominos isn’t just about colour; it’s about character, softness, and the golden thread that runs through everything I do.
When I discovered EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), everything finally clicked. It brought together my equestrian background, holistic expertise, and professional leadership into one cohesive approach. I trained to Advanced Level and now support riders through trauma‑informed, emotionally safe sessions that honour both the human and the horse.
Through Equestrian Freedom Technique, I offer:
- Decades of equestrian experience
- Emotional understanding developed through holistic practice
- Safeguarding and leadership from public sector work
- Advanced EFT training and trauma‑informed care
- A calm, structured space where riders feel safe to grow
I don’t believe riders need fixing. I believe in helping people understand themselves their patterns, needs, boundaries, and strengths so they can show up with clarity and connection, both in life and with their horses.
This work is where I’m meant to be.
It’s the place I spent thirty years unknowingly walking toward.
And it’s an honour to walk beside riders as they discover their own place, in their own time, in their own way.