By Trish Domigan
My name is Trish Domigan, and I’ve been riding for most of my life, with a focus on dressage for the last 30 years or so. My passion for horses began with competing, but now I really enjoy helping horses and their people understand biomechanics and how to reduce tension and improve mobility through body work. As I am about to retire from my engineering job of almost 39 years, I recently completed my certification to become an equine body worker – you are never too old to start a new career!
My equine partner in crime, Joao Ratao, is a twelve-year-old, 16.2-hand chestnut Lusitano. Joao was imported to Canada from Portugal before coming to the US. The farm that imported him placed a heavy focus on ground work, and the fundamentals of proper dressage and jumper training. He loves everyone and everything, and is the babysitter for horses that may need a calm, kind soul near. Under saddle, he takes care of his rider, is very sensitive to the aids, and tries his hardest to understand what is being asked of him. He loves his job (and cantering!) and would do it every day of the week if we let him.
When I was looking for a new partner, I am six-feet tall and had very specific criteria in mind: a horse with a large enough barrel to take up my leg, who was not hot (but also not a kickalong ride), a sensible mind, and could be described as “older-adult-amateur-friendly.” I love chestnuts, but color wasn’t very high on the list. I also wanted a partner who could help me earn my USDF Bronze Rider Medal. Although I had only had warmbloods, I heard wonderful things about Iberian breeds, and their great brains, so I wanted to check them out.
One day, I was casually browsing on Facebook, looking at available horses, when I saw a post about a chestnut Lusitano that was described as “sitting on a couch” – I was instantly in love!!! His rider was a lovely woman who presented Joao beautifully.
This was during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I wanted to try him in person, so I made the drive to Canada.
When I sat on Joao for the first time, he was so sensitive, but kind. Although I was very nervous, he was a complete gentleman and did not take a single misstep. I went to try him a second time, feeling much more confident knowing that he was not going to run away with me. I knew after the second ride that he could become my heart horse.
He was so much fun to get acquainted with. He is responsive, game for anything, very smart, and loves to canter! When we are together, he is clever in figuring out what I am asking. He can be a smartypants and has to be asked to wait, but is always a good boy.
As our relationship progressed, I wanted to get a custom saddle that fit his back better than the one I had. I was trying a new saddle on him, when he bolted and started to buck. I broke my hand and injured my knee in the fall. It was very uncharacteristic of my beautiful boy. After a full vet workup, Joao was diagnosed with kissing spines.
Following a thorough evaluation, it was determined that Joao was a candidate for interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) surgery in five spots. This is when the interspinous ligament is cut to relieve tension on it. The surgery went great, and the barn where he is boarded took incredible care of him post-surgery. He was moved into a very large stall in the main barn so we could keep an eye on him. While he was healing, he was a bit suspicious of anyone touching his back, but who could blame him!
Once Joao was cleared to begin work again, we developed a fitness plan for him. To get him fit again, we had wonderful help from the trainers at our barn. We had a program for him to build the muscle back that he had lost, and when it was time, an experienced trainer rode him, while I worked with another trainer to regain my confidence. We both worked hard to overcome our respective challenges, and Joao has redeveloped his topline while continuing to rebuild strength and balance, in and outside of the ring.
At the time of the accident, I really didn’t understand the pain that Joao was trying to communicate to me on that day. Looking back, he was swishing his tail, but otherwise was not showing signs that his back was hurting him. The Lusitano breed is renowned for their loyalty and desire to please their “person,” and because of that, I think he really wanted to do what I asked, but was in pain doing so.
As a result of this missed communication, I’ve really begun to focus on learning how to make sure my equine partner is more comfortable through body work. I love to ride my beautiful horse, but I want to make sure he is happy and comfortable, whether I am in or out of the saddle. The more I learn, the more I enjoy teaching other horse owners and riders how to do bodywork to keep their horses comfortable, resulting in happy partnerships.
Joao is the reason that I became a bodyworker. I wanted to better understand the subtle nuances of equine body language, and help alleviate any discomfort that may not be obvious initially. I received my first certification about a year after Joao’s surgery, and am now working on my third certification.
Joao is an excellent ambassador for the Lusitano breed, both in terms of his baroque looks and his brain. He is a stockily-built horse, with a thick neck and short back – his conformation is very much in line with the Lusitano breed standard! His brain is- in my opinion- his strongest Lusitano trait. He is incredibly trainable, and loves to learn new things, and his partnership with his rider, and relationship with humans, is as big as his heart. He is sensitive to his rider’s aids, but will be gentle to an inexperienced rider.
While we plan to continue to focus on dressage, I would love to also try working equitation and liberty work, since he already has some liberty training. I think diversifying ring work by incorporating a variety of other activities would be fun for both of us.
As a rider, Joao has taught me to be more empathetic to my horse, and I am always looking to make sure that his comfort and happiness are the priority in our relationship.
I think that Iberian horses are very special, and I always encourage my friends to consider the breed. Their trainability and focus on their partner are second to none, making them an excellent option for adult amateurs. The bond that you can have with a Lusitano is so much more than what I have felt with other horses.
