- Helping Horses Feel Their Best with Equine Bodywork in Lynchburg,- VA
Hi, I’m Chani, the hands — and heart — behind Equine Nirvana. I’m originally from Texas, where horses have been my passion since the age of five. My early years were spent immersed in the equestrian world, training in classical dressage and show jumping, and spending over 16 years actively involved in the Lone Star Pony Club — riding, showing, teaching, and mentoring younger members in horse care and management.
After earning a degree in Agriculture, life took me in new directions. Marriage, motherhood, and a cross-country move brought me to Virginia in 2021. Once my child was settled into school, I felt that familiar pull back to the barn. I didn’t have a horse of my own at the time, but I found myself surrounded by horses from all disciplines — and I started noticing something they all seemed to have in common: many of the horses labeled as “difficult” or “problematic” were actually showing signs of physical discomfort.
That realization sparked a new journey — one that blended my lifelong love of horses with a desire to help them feel and perform their best. It led me to study Equine Soft Touch Technique and ultimately to the Masterson Method®, where I knew I had found my calling.
In September 2025, I completed over 500 hours of intensive training and became a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner (MMCP). This achievement represents not just a credential, but years of dedication, study, and hands-on work with horses of all types, ages, and needs.
Today, I combine the gentle foundation of Soft Touch with the depth and effectiveness of the Masterson Method to support horses’ physical comfort, emotional well-being, and overall balance. My approach is grounded in science, guided by feel, and always tailored to the individual horse. I also continue to expand my knowledge and plan to offer additional modalities in the future — because there’s always more we can do to help our equine partners thrive.
I look forward to meeting you and your equines, and to being part of their journey toward greater comfort, mobility, and connection. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out — I’m always happy to talk horses.
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Ode to a Very Special Pony
I was lucky enough to be one of those little girls who experienced the love of a pony. Her name was Feather. She was a beautiful snow-white Welsh Mountain Pony with one blind eye and a "caterpillar eyebrow" over her good eye, and she was my best friend for years.
Feather was incredible for many reasons, such as loving to steal people's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the barn's outdoor table and eating them all, or the time she was standing behind me and snuck a bite out of my pepperoni pizza. All of us at the barn used to joke she didn't know she was an herbivore. Feather, like many ponies, loved food in all its forms.
But the one thing that always stood out to me as awe-inspiring about my little pony was her incredible resilience.
After enduring who-knows-what that left one of her eyes blinded and created a large flap of scar tissue to rest over her other eye ridge, she still managed to love and trust me wholeheartedly. She taught me how to be a horsewoman. We played. Bombing around on trails, galloping as fast as we could, jumping over logs while imagining they were 4-foot oxers. She taught me so that I could go on and ride the 16-hand jumpers and the crazy young 'uns. She was my beginning.
Feather was also the first to introduce me to equine bodywork. After only a few short months of first riding Feather, she began to buck. A lot. Uncertain as to why, we brought in our friend and wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Madeline Ward to see what might be causing Feather's bucking problem. Already studying outside traditional Western medicine practices at the time, Dr. Ward did some bodywork with Feather and discovered that her ribs were extremely restricted and causing her a lot of discomfort. Place a saddle and a child on those uncomfortable ribs, and it was no wonder she was bucking! Dr. Ward helped bring movement and flexibility back into Feather's spine and ribs, and I got my amazing pony back, better than ever.
Since I was very young, I have witnessed bodywork do wonders for all types of equines. Young and old, horse, pony, or donkey, everyone can benefit. I love being able to bring that same relief and reinvigoration to my clients and their caretakers. Even years after her death at 32 in 2007, Feather is still resonating my life with her teachings.
