When life gives horse people lemons, they usually make more than lemonade. In 2024, when the fluctuating job market and the rise of artificial intelligence ended her accomplished resume in corporate advertising, eventer Erna L. Adelson made a new career for herself.
Inspired by what she learned about equine body work and complementary therapies for her own Off-The-Track-Thoroughbred, Erna embraced the lay-off as a catalyst to become a body worker herself. Her Ramona, San Diego-based business, Performance Equine Maintenance, is a year into helping horses “maintain soundness, happiness and health.”
“I was in the right place to make the most of this opportunity,” says Erna.
Erna’s 11-year-old mare, Naughty Sophie, gets much of the credit for this new path.
Having worked with several OTTBs, Erna was familiar with their typical challenges. “A lot of Thoroughbreds have long-standing musculoskeletal issues from being started so young, which leads to tension and balance issues. They tend to lean on the forehand – because of the way they were trained to work. And they can be a bit scared when asked to come up in the forehand and collect.”
Sophie’s Story
Sophie had that issue and a few others. Tightness in her back, defensiveness toward the bit and a “certain amount of stubbornness” that fits her stereotype as a “flaming red mare,” led her to be quite locked up in her body.
Corrine Selders, DVM, began helping Sophie when Erna was leasing the mare. Dr. Selders’ veterinary practice incorporates holistic modalities – including acupuncture and PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field therapy).
By the time of her exit from the corporate world in May of 2024, Erna had purchased Sophie. “Dr. Selders was incredibly generous in teaching me treatments that she knew would help my horse.” Along the way, Erna became an even bigger believer in the treatments Sophie was receiving as she thought about new career possibilities. Erna designed herself an internship shadowing Dr. Selders, her farrier, Joel Gonzalez, and fellow bodyworker Sadie Geernaert, and invested in a PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy device.
“I spent my severance on a PEMF machine not knowing if it would pay off,” Erna shares of one of many scary steps involved in starting her own business. She embarked on rigorous course work required to earn a certificate as an Equine Body Worker from the highly regarded Equinology Institute.
The program starts with deep dives into anatomy, biomechanics and biology – “it’s like equine vet school 101,” Erna explains. With that foundation, certificate seekers then learn hands-on massage techniques and apply them with case study horses. Many of those horses became Erna’s first clients.
Modalities in Erna’s growing toolkit include PEMF, red light therapy and acupressure massage. And she’s just getting started. In November, Erna will take a sports specific massage course that includes myofascial release techniques. She plans to become a Permitted Equine Therapist with the International Equestrian Federation in 2026 so that she can work on horses during international competitions.
Knowing first-hand the benefits of interacting with horses ignites her interest in equine assisted therapy as a future pursuit. It’s another field in which Sophie has set Erna up for success. “Like a lot of horses, Sophie has to be relaxed if she’s going to learn something. So, I have to find and be in the right mind set when I work with her.”
In addition to Sophie, Erna credits the larger horse world as inspiring her leap into a new work life. “I still have days that are terrifying,” she acknowledges of a move made amidst unusual levels of uncertainly everywhere in the world. “More things go on my credit card at this point than I would like to admit,” Erna says.
Counting On Community
“Having a horse and a barn family is where I have always found the strength and community I need to face the rest of the things going on. This year has taught me how much I love to do this, how much clarity and direction I get from having horses in my life and how lucky I am to know people who feel the same.”
“We do not deserve horses,” Erna continues. “But we have a responsibility to them.” She counts herself lucky to work with owners who take that responsibility very seriously.
Clients for Erna’s Performance Equine Maintenance are mostly based near her in Ramona. The relative scarcity of qualified equine bodyworkers there when she began seeking help for Sophie indicated a void to fill locally and that’s been the case so far.
Meanwhile in her own riding, Erna aspires to get back into eventing competition with Sophie, who she purchased in 2023. Erna’s mom, Erna P. Adelson, has been a regular Galway Downs competitor for many years. Daughter Erna inherited the horse gene and learned to ride from lesson programs and summer camps while growing up in New Jersey.
The Adelson family moved to San Diego just as the younger Erna headed off to college at UC Santa Barbara. There, she traded work at a nearby barn for saddle time. When she launched her advertising career in Los Angeles, Erna L. found her horsey home as a volunteer rider for top hunter/jumper trainers Carlton and Traci Brooks.
In 2021, Erna, her husband and their now coming 5-year-old son moved to San Diego County to be closer to her horse-loving family. She found Sophie and followed her mom’s footsteps into eventing. “When the stars and the budget align, I would love to be back competing.”
Meantime, there’s lots to be learned and satisfaction to be gained in the ever-evolving field of helping horses. And there’s lots of horses who need help.
Feature photo: Tina Fitch
You must be logged in to post a comment.