About Stride / Harmony

Elaine Clift is a graduate of the University of Guelph, and holds an honours B.Sc. in biological sciences. She has worked for the University of Guelph in several areas, including Animal Care Services, at the Equine Research Centre, and the Arkell Equine Centre.  She has also worked as a harness groom, and travelled throughout New York and New Jersey in the Sires Stakes circuits, as well as prestigious high purse races like the Maple Leaf Trot, Roses are Red, and North America Cup.  While taking time off from the world of horses, Elaine became involved in showing and competing with dogs, and has titles in many dog sports including conformation, obedience, flyball, agility and herding.

Currently involved in flyball with two dogs, Elaine became interested in massage therapy after a racing accident injured her most experienced racing partner.  Determined to help him race again, she visited vets, had x-rays taken, chiropractic work done, and still his soundness did not return.  After attending several massage therapy clinics and learning several techniques, her dog began to improve, and returned to racing faster than before.

On returning to the world of horses, it didn't take long before Elaine began applying the techniques she learned to horses.  After falling in love with a horse that was sore and uncoordinated from over use in ill-fitting tack, she decided it was time to tackle a major project - return him to health.  Elaine bought him, and went to work.  He has changed from a horse with a poor top line and extended abdomen, to a horse with clean lines that uses his body properly.  No longer sore, he can do gait transitions with ease, when before he needed to gain speed and momentum to change gait.  He has become an energetic, athletic horse who is quite a mischievous handful, and a joy to ride - a far cry from the slow, sore horse that could not easily transition from walk to trot, that could not canter more than a few strides.  Gaining confidence, Elaine began working on other horses, to great success.

Elaine has recently began the study of Reiki, a traditional Japanese method of healing.  She is qualified to practice Usui Reiki, and continues to study both this style and the more traditional Japanese style of Komyo Reiki.  Elaine is a member of the Canadian Reiki Association.