A lifelong horse-lover and equestrian, Deborah Bowerman-Davies passion for horses began as a child living in her native England. There she competed as a junior 3-day event rider and went on to study under the late Marie Stokes FBHS to become a British Horse Society trained instructor.
For over twenty years, Debbie competed in 3-day Eventing and Dressage throughout Europe and America. While continuing to compete internationally, she opened her own training facility where she trained junior riders, rehabilitated racehorses and developed her own therapeutic riding program. Her lifelong love for horses has led her on a search to understand as much as she could about them: how their bodies work, the nature of their emotional and spiritual lives, and how their minds work. Disgusted by the harsh cram and jam methods that dominated the equestrian landscape, Debbie’s quest for a more natural way to ride and train led her to Peggy Cummings, whose compression-less riding techniques proved a revelation.
Debbie found herself compelled to explore the spiritual dimension as well and began to study the social life and instinctive behavior of wild horses in their natural habitat—which proved to be an exploration as much spiritual as scientific. This also confirmed the realization that an understanding of all aspects of the horse was essential for building that relationship of mutual trust which enables horse and rider to reach their full potential.
In 2000, Debbie launched Equine Self-Expression™, which offers a wide range of programs including a series of workshops related to form, function and performance, 2 to 5-day riding clinics for riders interested in learning the “whole horse approach” to riding and competition, and training programs offering internships to study her equine bodywork modality, The Jigsaw Effect™. Debbie also offers the Healing, Growth and Learning™ series, which combines self-discovery with immersion in the unspoken language of equus in order to build deeper emotional and spiritual bonds between horse and rider. This program also provides training for therapists in the field of equine psychotherapy.
Debbie is certified in Quantum Energetics and Cranial Sacral Structured Therapy and has had the privilege of studying under Equine Osteopath, Jannek Vluggen. She is a senior Connected Riding Instructor and was Instructor of the Year in 2010. In 2015 Debbie received an honorary Ph.D from the International Academy of Energy Medicine.
Debbie lives in the Missouri Ozarks and travels nationally and internationally teaching workshops, clinics, and conducting her Equine Growth, Learning and Healing™ programs. She takes horses in training through the winter months.
For more information and a calendar of events, please visit Debbie’s website at
www.equineselfexpression.com.