About Me

My Mission

Promote deeper connection within the horse and rider team through empathic understanding and observation, thoughtful selection and fitting, and restorative body work.

Hello! I'm Jessica Wipprecht.

I'm a certified independent saddle fitter and equine massage therapist.

As a nurse practitioner on one side, and an equestrian on the other, I use my deep knowledge of biomechanics to help human and horse alike. And although horses don't speak with words, they communicate through behavior and their energy. Much like humans.

I speak "pony." As we work together, you'll likely speak it too, as I love sharing what I observe and learn. I'm the translator between what your horse's behavior and conformation is saying and what we should try to fix it, heal, grow and learn.

You and your horse are a team, a partnership. It's my goal to listen, observe and correctly translate the dynamics of your horse-rider team to recommend the best solutions.

Hello! I'm Jessica Wipprecht.

I'm a certified independent saddle fitter and equine massage therapist.

I understand the language of horses differently than most. As we work together, you'll likely speak it too, as I love sharing what I observe and learn. I'm the translator between what your horse's behavior and conformation is saying and what we should try to fix it, heal, grow and learn.

You and your horse are a team, a partnership. It's my goal to listen, observe and correctly translate the dynamics of your horse-rider team to recommend the best solutions. This may include time off from riding to let your horse heal. If you don't feel that you can go without riding, then another fitter may be a better option for your team.

My Mission

To promote deeper connection within the horse and rider team through empathic understanding and observation, thoughtful saddle selection and fitting, and restorative body work.

My Vision

Listen, observe and correctly translate the dynamics of your horse-rider team to recommend the best solutions for your unique situation.

My Values

Empathy for you and your horse
Clear and honest communication
Creating a safe space with positive, healing energy
Sharing what I've learned

I have been obsessed with horses since I was 2 years old. We lived beside a small farm and I remember asking my father to see the horses every day. I started riding lessons when I was ten years old. I remember riding as much as possible with friends; and, at 25, I purchased my first horse. Before I started working professionally with horses in 2020, I trained as much as possible, helping others with training, groundwork, and trailer-loading.

Early equestrian obsession

For as long as I can remember, I've always been drawn to helping people and animals by truly understanding how they move in the world, and function within their environment, to empower them to find their happiest, healthiest selves. The biomechanics have always fascinated me. My perception and observation skills have been fine-tuned through many years of experience – resulting in deep curiosity, empathy, and desire to care for all living beings.

This curiosity first moved me professionally to pursue nursing since around 2006, then specializing further as a nurse practitioner a decade later. My work has always centered around close observation of each patient to recommend the most ideal care and treatments. This naturally extends into my mindset with the physiology of horses and their riders.

True calling

I look at the biomechanics of human and horse every single time. I look at how much their leg swings when riding, if their hips rise and fall evenly when posting a trot, if they lean more left, right, forward, or back. I notice if their shoulders are uneven, if one leg is longer than the other.

I watch how the person walks before saddling up and how they get on the horse – if they have hip issues, if they need more assistance and can’t handle some saddles that are wider at the twist. If they have back issues, they will be stiff when walking and can’t get into the saddle easily.

All of the nuance plays a role in how the horse and their rider communicate, work together, ride together, and grow older together. It also plays a huge role in the riding equipment that is – and should – be used for each horse and rider team.

Horses and their riders

It's my goal to listen, observe and correctly translate dynamics of your horse-rider team to recommend the best solutions.

Over the last few years, I've further strengthened my equestrian-focused muscles through hands-on training in equine massage and saddle fitting.

My certification in saddle fitting with the incredible Saddle Guy Mike Scott, LMT, CSF, Equine Therapist & Saddle Fitter located in South Carolina, involved case studies, research, verbal and written testing, presentation, and hands-on training. I'm so thankful for the wisdom he shared!

In 2020, I earned my certification in equine massage with Delaware Valley University's Equine Massage Therapy Certificate program, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. This training included over 200 hours of instruction, homework, and research in equine anatomy, physiology, and corrective therapies. Through hands-on experience, I learned massage techniques, stretching exercises, and how this knowledge complements proper saddle fitting.

I also had the privilege of taking an insightful, full-day class in saddle fitting for body-workers with well-known Terri Peiper, of Fit Right Saddle Solutions, now in Tennessee. In her words, she is focused on "spreading the word about proper saddle it and how it affects our horse's behavior, performance, and ultimately the health of horse & rider."

Cross-training in this was was super helpful for me, as each trainer provided a unique point-of-view and way of sharing what they do best.

Continuing my education is a MUST! There are always new developments in saddle company technologies, and new studies about horse health. I feel it is important to keep up to date, so I have attended the following so far:

Gillian Higgins (Horses Inside Out) Anatomy and Physiology for Saddle Fitters
Post Mortem equine dissection by Sharon May-Davis in Aiken, SC
Currently attending Saddle Assessment Club with Holly Barnett

Training & certifications

When I think of how I can best help others, I share what I've come to understand – in a very no-nonsense, direct way. When I'm in-person with a horse and rider team, I teach as much as possible. Wild horses couldn't keep me from sharing dynamics I observe.

I wish more horse owners would listen to their horses and invest in learning how horses think, communicate, and behave. I feel very strongly for them – they aren't machines, they're not on this Earth just for our riding pleasure.

Too often, we humans have caused our horses great pain (whether we realize it or not), but they carry on to try to please us. Well, we need to fix it. We need to be more open-minded about what we may not yet know. We need to do more for our horses – more preventative care and work (stretches, massage, chiro, PEMF, etc). More aware of what we're helping or hurting.

We need to be better horse owners. And we can be! We can learn, forgive ourselves for what we didn't know in the past, and apply what we've learned for a happier, healthier tomorrow.

Our horses want that for us. (They've told me).

Sharing what I love