From rehabilitating traumatised animals to pioneering equine thermography, Diana has spent a lifetime learning their language – and teaching others to listen
Diana Robinson’s life has always revolved around horses. Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) ‘too many years ago,’ as she puts it, she grew up on a farm with a father who loved playing polo and who owned racehorses. She was placed on a horse as soon as she could sit up at eight months old, and from that moment, she has never wanted to get off.
Her childhood was both idyllic and tragic. At almost five years old, she witnessed the devastating effects of a freak polo accident on her father. ‘A ball struck his horse between the eyes, dropping it at full gallop and leaving him with a spinal injury. While not immediately paralysed, he collapsed months later. At the same time, Diana’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. She died while her husband was in hospital, leaving Diana and her siblings to be raised by their grandparents until her father returned home seven months later.
Horses remained a constant source of solace and joy. She was home-schooled for a year, then went to boarding school at seven, but credits her father’s polo ponies as her greatest teachers. Her upbringing was one of independence and resilience: ‘When you’re never told to be frightened of something … you aren’t,’ she says. By her teenage years, she was working at a stud and a racing yard and teaching children to ride.
in Zimbabwe
War and espionage
As Rhodesia entered its bush war in the 1970s, Diana sought to become an equine vet in the UK. But as a woman, she found doors firmly closed – no one would consider her for large animal work. Returning home, her father encouraged her to join the newly established Rhodesian Women’s Services. After the six-week initiation, it was recommended she join the equine division, which she refused, feeling it was inappropriate at her age to try and teach men to go into battle. Instead, she entered a top-secret signals intelligence unit, where she spent more than three years working in Ciphers and learning about espionage.
Discovering the healing power of horses
Marriage took Diana to South Africa, where her work with equine therapy began in earnest. In Johannesburg, she was asked to take charge of the early days of the Riding for the Disabled unit. She worked alongside leading professors from Onderstepoort, the only institution in South Africa offering a Bachelor of Veterinary Science.
‘I definitely regretted not training as a vet,’ she says, ‘but I found something I loved – the healing side of working with horses. Having had a father in a wheelchair, I instinctively understood. It was fascinating to see how much horses could help disabled people gain independence.’
She began experimenting, bringing in off-the-track under-performing Thoroughbreds. ‘People asked what on earth I thought I was doing,’ she says. ‘Thoroughbreds? For therapy? But the ones that don’t perform that well on the track generally have the most incredible temperament – and it was that temperament, intelligence and sensitivity I was after for therapy work. And it was successful. It really really worked.’
One of her most memorable experiences was with Neil, a 33-year-old man with autism who had never spoken: ‘Someone from the Johannesburg Autistic Society told me, “I don’t want to knock your enthusiasm, but I don’t think you’ll manage what you’re setting out to do.” But I thought, nothing ventured, nothing gained! So I worked with Neil. He was very aggressive initially, but soon began to enjoy the attention. He would come to see the horses but refused to touch them. After I encouraged him to touch and hug trees, he got braver, but even that took some time. After a few months, I got him into the saddle. He was very nervous at first, but we all encouraged him. After a few months of riding once a week, he came to the arena with a more positive attitude. He clambered into the saddle with help, a mile-wide smile crossed his face, and he gave me the thumbs up. He began to trust me. We’d been working patiently with Neil for 17 months, when one morning he indicated I should stop. Looking back at him, I asked, “What do you want, Neil?” He smiled, hesitated a moment, then said, “horsey.” I had a lump in my throat and couldn’t speak for a moment. It was the first word he’d ever spoken in his life. It was a momentous occasion. Sadly, after four years, funding for the programme was cut. But by then, Diana had gained a very deep understanding of the therapeutic value of horses and realised how much of what she’d learnt as a child she could use.
Equine-assisted learning and rehabilitation
Not long after, Diana was attacked as she drove into her home, very badly beaten up and robbed. At the time, car-jackings were quite commonplace in Johannesburg. Her army training helped her cope with the trauma, but the experience pushed her to leave the city. She and her husband moved to a farm in the rural Free State province, where she found healing in the company of her horses. ‘I realised there were many women experiencing the same trauma,’ she says. ‘So I decided to create a peaceful retreat. No psychologists. No formal investigative therapy – just being with my horses, soothing the soul simply by sitting with them, observing.
‘I was using traumatised horses I had been asked to rehabilitate. I noticed that rather than being a greater risk, they were more sensitive to traumatised people. They understood. They responded in way I couldn’t explain then. They so impressed me with he results I had from the ladies in the groups, I developed the Equus Soul Encounters. I watched,I learned, and I began to understand.
‘A number of these retreats were documented in magazines, and I got endless calls to rehabilitate badly-behaved horses. I’d take them on like a kid collecting candy – all horse people will understand that!
I simply loved the results and in 2000 I qualified as an Equine Masseur. I had some amazing horses pass through my hands. Some even stayed!
The rehabilitation process taught me that kindness and the gentle touch is the most rewarding process for the horse. And one of the most interesting things I learned on the course was Pressure Point Therapy. The gentlest of touch creates a reaction, and observing their reaction leads you to a greater understanding of where the muscular issues may lie. I mean, they flick their tails when a fly lands on them.
‘When I work on a horse, I like to observe what they tell me with their ears, their eyes, the chin and the mouth. Their reaction tells me if I’ve got the spot and what kind of pressure I need to use to release a knot! Of course, there’s more to it than that, but my favourite saying is: “Through observation comes wisdom.” And horses are fabulous tutors.’
Seeing red
Diana’s training deepened her understanding of how horses compensate for pain and injury. ‘I had 24 horses when I did my massage course: I had plenty to practice on. During this endless practice I learned how roughly we handle these sensitive creatures – most of us are guilty of it. I adjusted my touch and learned so much from their shifting body language and responses. They told me so much when I took the time to listen!
‘Then I was introduced to equine thermography. That blew my mind, as they say! I immediately set about training so that I could combine the use of the infra-red camera with my massage work, because now I could see the inside of the horse, as well as know exactly what was happening on the outside. Having the camera to support me visually I would probe where I saw a problem on the screen, gauging the horse’s reaction. If there was none, I knew the trauma or injury was an old one, no longer troubling the horse.
‘I was trained on an Iris 2000 camera: on humans first, and then I moved to equine. I had two years of training in total. And now with fifteen years of scanning, I have scanned thousands of horses of many different breeds and in an assortment of disciplines. I have learned so much, scanning horses across Africa and Britain.
‘What I have discovered is quite shocking,’ she says. ‘Probably 90 percent of those horses had subluxations – partial dislocations of their joints – that no one had picked up on. A horse can have multiple subluxations and still perform, but they’ve been compensating for their discomfort, and we’ve not noticed. When the demand on their bodies becomes greater – perhaps with a higher level of competition requiring more fluidity – that’s the time they start to resist, and things begin to go wrong. The knock-on effect has been too great, and the resistance shows not just in iffy lameness, but in a change in behaviour: in bucking, rearing, shying, leaning on the farrier, head shaking … many other issues. At this point the poor horse is labelled naughty! But it’s not just the subluxations they are struggling to compensate for, it’s also poor training, poorly-fitted tack, over-biting, poor farriery, perhaps an unbalanced rider … until eventually they become dangerous. Not because they want to be vile, but because we’ve not listened.
The use of thermographics as a diagnostic modality is useful in all equine circumstances. I’ve scanned across the disciplines, but have probably scanned more racehorses and top competition horses than happy hackers.
‘Racehorses really benefit. As their joints are nowhere near closed when they begin their racing career it is vital that, skeletally, they are kept as aligned as possible to avoid these knock-on issues, which hopefully keeps them sound winners! This is especially true for chasers. This can be a ‘quick fix, that lasts!’ And correction doesn’t hurt – in fact you can hear them sigh in relief.
The scanning procedure is simple: an assortment of protocols needs to be adhered to, which are given to the client upon enquiry. There is no radiation risk, and I travel to the horse, saving a lot of money and time. Approximately sixty images are taken, which I download and audit carefully. A full histogram is then emailed to the client 24 hours later, with advice on what has been observed along with a recommendation on which professional needs to treat the horse – which might be a vet, a physiotherapist, chiropractor, farrier or others.
This modality is a wonderful pre-purchase examination too, and great for saddle-fit.’
Connect
Diana’s years of experience have culminated in her book, Connect, a guide to developing a deeper relationship with horses through touch, observation and understanding. She believes that many horse owners – no matter how well-meaning – are often too rough without realising it.
The book delves into everything she has learned, from reading subtle body language to using the thermographic imaging to detect discomfort. It’s a practical and insightful resource for anyone who wants to enhance their relationship with their horse, whether for competition or companionship.
Today, Diana continues her work, consulting with horse owners, trainers, and breeders, and promoting Connect. Her mission is simple: to help people see horses differently.
‘We live such fast-paced lives: we don’t stop to just be,’ she says. ‘We don’t get that opportunity, or we don’t stop ourselves, to just take a breath, take a step back and have a really good look.’
Diana offers demos at yards and clubs for groups to see how equine thermography works.
Please feel free to book a slot: call Diana on 07407 684 605 or email
dianakrobinson22@gmail.com
Diana is an advanced equine thermographer, equine masseur,
equine behaviour specialist, pressure point therapist, lameness and unsoundness specialist.
