Horses Unlocked:
An Institute for Learning How to Be With Horses
Horses Unlocked came to life when Mary Ann and Siv noticed that, after combined decades of working with people and horses, very little is taught about how to be with horses. Finding relationship with, and being able to witness horses authentically, is the first step in almost every other process we want to engage them with.
Mary Ann Menetrey
Mary Ann’s career path over the last several decades has focused on healing, whether it is horses, humans, or the land. She is currently a Registered Practitioner of Equine and Human Ortho-Bionomy, a Certified Equine Positional Release Instructor and Practitioner, and a Certified Practitioner of Masterson Method Integrated Equine Bodywork. Mary Ann has spent the last 20 years studying and practicing these methodologies and similar bodywork modalities, which are primarily non-force and geared towards stimulating the body’s self-healing abilities. Her studies were initially driven by a desire to help her own horses with physical, health and emotional issues where traditional practices could not find a solution. Mary Ann is also a faculty member of EQUUS, which provides equine-assisted, innovative self-mastery and development approaches for individuals and organizations.
A passionate student of the natural sciences, Mary Ann’s studies have also included undergraduate and graduate degrees in Soil Science, and she spent many years managing programs dedicated to improving the quality of our land and water resources. In these positions she honed her ability to problem solve, and to listen and understand points of view without judgement; skills that have been invaluable in her life and practice.
A life goal of Mary Ann’s is to help benefit horse-human relationships. Her equine sessions and workshops are geared towards ensuring the horse feels safe, the horse/human interaction is positive, the nature of the horse is honored, and the human can recognize the need for changes that are mutually beneficial to the horse and themselves. She bases her equine and human practice, Primo Motion Wellness, near Espanola, New Mexico.
Siobhán Watkins, Ph.D
Siv Watkins specializes in working with senior, neglected and injured horses. She is intensely dedicated to caring for sick horses, and horses undergoing rehabilitation. In the past, Siv has worked as a barn manager for a racehorse rescue, herd manager for a therapeutic riding barn, and been a wilderness riding guide. Now, she offers services in specialized husbandry, movement training and science communication through Skeleton Key Equine.
Before becoming an equine professional, Siv had a career spanning 17 years in the academic and corporate life sciences, and holds a Ph.D in biology which she earned in 2011. Her background in the biological sciences, which included teaching high-level subject matter at the university/college level, has served her current interests in equine science and research. Siv is a regular contributor to Eclectic Horseman, and writes and teaches on topics relating to equine science.
Siv’s greatest and most impactful teachers have been the very many horses she has been privileged to work alongside. In particular, her own big gelding, Apollo, who was lost to sudden unpreventable illness in 2023. Apollo was one of Siv’s greatest teachers, and she misses him every day. The good work she does to help horses now is part of Apollo’s rich and lasting legacy.