CLICK HERE for Northeast Equine Journal article
CLICK HERE for
Northeast Equine Journal article
Joe Connors has been the owner, trainer and instructor of nationally known Hurricane Hill Farm, located in Auburn, NY, for over 35 years. Here he has trained AQHA World Champion horses and
riders. He has also trained NRHA Futurity Finalists.
Joe is the current NSBA Director for New York, as well as the founder of the Yankee Reining Horse Association and a 4-year Past President of that association. He is a lifetime member of AQHA and NRHA, a member of AQHA's Professional Horsemen's Association and a past 15-year Director for the Empire State QHA. He is also a Youth Advisor for the New York Junior QHA and an AMHR current member and Judge. Joe resides with his wife Kim at Hurricane Hill Farm.
Joe graduated from Cornell University's Farrier School under the tutelage of Master Farrier and Standardbred specialist Harold Mowers. Under Mr. Mowers' direction, Joe was taught stride analysis of standardbred horses while they were actually under racing conditions, as well as normal relaxed movement. "I learned the importance of foot fall timing, conformation factors which effect the direction of the foot while in flight, etc. What Mr. Mowers taught me went far beyond a teacher and student relationship."
Dr. Donald Delahanty, who was head of the large animal hospital at the time, was a great influence on Mr. Connors also, encouraging him to learn all he could regarding the musculature and skeletal system of the horse. Stating that these things were invaluable tools for corrective shoeing. Joe spent 18 years as a farrier.
Joe also studied human anatomy physiology at Cayuga Community College, and took courses in massage therapy, as well as working with noted Kinesiologist Laird Burke.
It was the training of horses which finally directed Mr. Connors to his final enterprise, which he calls Body Works. As a trainer, he decided that many of the problems he experienced as a trainer were not actually "training" problems. They were physical problems suffered by the horse in question, which the horse would display as resistance.
For example, a particular horse may not want to bend his neck in one direction. It is quite easy for a trainer to think that this horse doesn't want to cooperate. When in fact, that horse may have muscle fibers on one side of neck locked in a state of tetanic contraction, and unable to effect their own release. Once the problem was resolved, the horse would become willing to bend his neck.
Incorporated in Body Works are different modalities. Sports Massage Therapy, Trigger Point Release and Acupressure. All these modalities are non invasive measures which release muscle fibers stuck in tetanic contraction, allowing the body to rebalance. They relieve restrictions which cause limited motion, thus restoring it. They also allow the spinal column to become realigned if it is subluxated. For complete information about Body Works, click on that page in our menu.
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