Transcript:

[0:00]

Jessica: Hey everyone, my name is Jessica and I am a nutritionist with Mad Barn. I’m back with another episode of The People Behind the Horses, and this is a segment where we talk with individuals that are helping to bring about the next generation of growth and inspiring the horse industry to a new level. So I’m really excited today to be joined with Dr. Jillian Johnson from Farmhouse Chiropractic here in Ocala, Florida. Thank you so much for joining me today — I’m so excited to talk with you and learn a little bit more about your journey and the incredible practice that you have here in Ocala. So I guess to start off, why don’t you tell us a little bit more about yourself, how Farmhouse came to be, and that kind of journey?

[0:40]

Dr. Jillian: Sure, thank you so much for having me. This is a dream to share what I’ve built and what I love — I get emotional thinking about it. I found animal chiropractic at nine years old. I was in Jamaica and I had a horse with a rear leg injury. Options were limited, as you can imagine. We were doing everything we could; she was laid up. My dad was actually surfing with his buddy, who was our family chiropractor, and maybe complaining — offloading a little bit — about these vet bills and his horse we weren’t riding. And he goes, “Marshall, you know I work on horses too, right?” My dad’s like, “Whatever, at this point let’s throw some more money at it.”

[1:13]

Dr. Jillian: Yeah, Dr. Funk came out, he adjusted my mare — the face — it changed everything for me. And I was very passionate and very lucky to find my calling so early. So that was it for me. I tried to figure that out. I thought about going to vet school because, ew, people — at the time. And then I was a surgery tech at Texas A&M. I was like, “I do not have the heart for this, or the hands for surgery.” So then I decided to pursue human chiropractic and just focus on my field.

[1:45]

Dr. Jillian: Then I kind of fell in love with human chiropractic and putting horses and people together — because if you’re not working on the person, you’re band-aiding things, right? So it’s kind of like a backpack. Then I started working on both. I got out of school, and that’s just kind of where it started. Now we have an office at the World Equestrian Center year-round. I have a whole team that I’m sure we’ll get into talking about — and that’s how Farmhouse was born.

[2:08]

Jessica: Wow, what a journey, and I’m really excited to dive a little bit more in. You talked about this connection that you do — being able to work on both the rider and the horse. Can you talk a little bit more about how those play into each other, and why you really want to focus on the whole picture?

[2:26]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. So I used to do demonstrations where I’d have people stand on a Bosu ball, and I’d put some bricks in a backpack. If you put them on evenly — okay, do a squat, right? No problem. You put them on one-sided, like everyone used to tell us not to do, that becomes a harder question. Our job and responsibility as riders is to make the questions we ask our horses easy — and that’s our responsibility.

[2:48]

Dr. Jillian: So if you work through something with a horse and you fix it with a person as well, you’re able to get past that frustration so much sooner — as well as understand where your partner’s coming from. At the end of the day, it’s all about partnership. And when you’re able to address both with a team of professionals that collaborate, you’re able to optimize your performance and reach your goals so much quicker.

[3:09]

Jessica: Wow, that’s so interesting. And it’s interesting that we haven’t seen a bunch of other industries be able to have this collaboration and work on both horse and rider. Throughout your years at Farmhouse, have you noticed that compensations or concerns you see in the horse mirror the rider, or are they usually completely different?

[3:27]

Dr. Jillian: Bodies are weird — people always ask me that. You can say yes, there’s this correlation or that, but it just depends on the person. They can have an asymmetry themselves — we’re not always even, which is why we should get adjusted and work out and everything else. But sometimes it’s a behavior, sometimes it came from the person before you. I tell people a lot of times when you’re importing a horse, when you’re first getting a horse, get them done and get a baseline so you know what you’re fighting against.

[3:55]

Dr. Jillian: So it can be one or the other — sometimes a horse’s pattern starts because you’re pulling on its mouth and that’s your imbalance, or sometimes it starts because you’re leaning further, or maybe they’re out of alignment. It goes hand in hand, honestly.

[4:11]

Jessica: It’s so interesting. And I mean, you’ve worked on my horses, and it’s fun as a rider to be able to hear, “Okay, this is what I’m seeing in the horse,” and think, “Okay, when I’m tracking left or tracking right, that makes a lot of sense now that you’ve put it into words I couldn’t verbalize beforehand.” So it’s really interesting to be able to see that side of things as well.

[4:31]

Jessica: And you’ve touched a little bit on your team and all of these different therapies that you offer — it’s not just chiropractic. Can you tell us a little bit more about this whole dynamic that you have at Farmhouse?

[4:46]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. In the office we have a human chiropractor, we have a personal trainer that does corrective exercise, so the human chiropractor and the personal trainer, as well as the horse chiropractor, you’re seeing — everybody works together to say, “Here, these are the asymmetries,” and kind of fix that. We have a ton of different modalities in the office because we are performance-based. We have shockwave for adhesions and old muscular stuff, we’ve got laser, we’ve got decompression therapy, we’ve got cupping, taping — we do pretty much everything. Dry needling — we do it all.

[5:22]

Dr. Jillian: We have IV therapy, we have a medical director, we are always looking to kind of get that next leg up. On the performance horse side, we have two massage therapists, I’m the animal chiropractor, we have laser, we do stretch therapy, we do some corrective exercise. We’re really trying to take it all and put it together, and if we don’t know what to do, we have a wonderful group of villagers that we refer out to.

[5:48]

Jessica: That’s so exciting — and to really see everything encompassed into one area where you can go and say, “All right, I’m having these concerns,” or, “What do you notice?” And every session you start off, you gather such good history about the horses, and I’m able to say, “Okay, here’s what I feel,” and you’re like, “All right, I have an idea of what’s going on, let’s go ahead and dive into it and see if it really matches.”

[6:11]

Jessica: Can you talk a little bit about how some of those therapies complement each other, and how they work together for somebody who’s maybe never heard of shockwave or laser therapy — how does that all work together?

[6:24]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. So, let’s be real — equestrians, we don’t have a lot of patience because we don’t take a lot of time off. So we have a lot of ways to — whatever you need — we can speed it up. Shockwave — we don’t do that for animals, but a lot of you have had your horses done — it’s just sound therapy. It’s really good for plantar fasciitis, it’s amazing for breaking up tissue that’s sat there for too long. Laser — everyone says I should be a laser salesperson, I love laser. We have a class 4 laser, it is medical grade, it helps decrease inflammation, decrease pain, and speed up healing. So when you’re competing and we’re trying to work through an issue, it can actually shorten the time — which is everything we want.

[7:12]

Dr. Jillian: So those are the main therapies we do on the horses, and then it really just depends what you need — and that’s why we have all of this accessible. We can say, “Does this work for you? Does this not work for you?” Great — and we have options to get you through things quicker.

[7:27]

Jessica: That’s awesome. That’s great to hear and to be able to see this multifaceted approach, because we all know it’s not one-answer-fits-all. Even within the body, and dealing with the different pathways within the body, we have to be able to approach it in different areas to be able to really treat the whole horse and rider. So walk me through — it’s my first visit, my first time coming in with my horse. What does that look like?

[7:51]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. We will get a history from you, from your veterinarian — anything we need to know. Quite often I will take a quick glance over the horse, and then my massage therapist will start. She’ll go through, identify any asymmetries, do some stretching, get the horse warmed up. Depending on the horse’s history, this is a really good time for them to just realize this is a really zen place — like, take them to dinner first. That’s not to say this is not completely customizable, because sometimes your head hurts and you need to get adjusted before you can relax. The beauty of having two professionals at every appointment is that we’re able to completely custom-tailor it for what your horse needs.

[8:29]

Dr. Jillian: After one of my massage therapists is done, she’ll recommend some stretches, and then I’ll go in and check the alignment. We do a little bit of intuitive energy work, so you’ll see that I incorporate a lot of different techniques — horsemanship, breathing through things — there’s so much that goes into our sessions. Honestly, it’s whatever the horse needs. And sometimes that horse needs to stand and relax to be able to receive the adjustment, or to realize that they had a good adjustment — as opposed to just “wham bam, let’s get it done.” So our appointments on average are about an hour to an hour and a half, sometimes longer than that.

[9:07]

Jessica: I love hearing that — and I’ve experienced that as well. You’ve worked on several of my horses, and some of them just needed that time to learn who you are and trust the process, and you’re always so open to giving them the time. Or, on the flip side, sometimes it was just too much for them at that time, and you’re a strong advocate for the horse, saying, “You know what, this is as much as we can accomplish today. We’ve gotten a lot done, I want to keep this positive, make sure they walk away feeling great” — which I really love to see.

[9:42]

Jessica: You mentioned a little bit about stretching. I want to dive in a little bit more about that and talk about the importance that you see in it — how often should riders be utilizing it, that kind of stuff.

[9:53]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. So we created a stretch program with our massage therapist, Shelley, because I saw this need — we were going out, doing great work, but we don’t want to see you every week. You don’t want to see us every week, right? Nobody wants to work on the same thing all the time. And we focus so much on strengthening as a society — nobody talks about the lengthening. But if you want true power in a muscle, you need flexibility and strength. I feel like that is a really huge part that’s missing in our industry, and we’re very passionate about giving you the tools. Once we give you the tools, it really is about getting to know your partner. I don’t need to stretch as much as my partner does — and it just depends. We all know people that can touch the floor versus people that need to stretch twice a day, every day.

[10:33]

Dr. Jillian: So we recommend stretching — in the beginning I’ll say, “Hey, stretch every day if you can.” You’ll start feeling it. It also makes you a really educated partner, so before you even get on you’ll know, “I know my horse is having a hard time with that right hind, so I’m going to spend a little more time warming that up. And I’m not going to get frustrated and angry when I can’t utilize that — because he just doesn’t have it.” Belly lifts — we tell people to do those all the time. You’re asking for roundedness here; that’s showing you their ability to do that under saddle in collection and be there for you. Stretching is the secret way to get us out of business — I tell people that all the time. You don’t want to see me? Stretch your horse. It’s incredibly, incredibly powerful.

[11:15]

Jessica: Yeah, and you touched on it — giving the riders that empowerment. For myself as a rider and horse owner, to have my hands on the horse every day and know, “Okay, this is what I’m looking for,” and being comfortable knowing, “This is what they were doing — it’s safe to do, I’m not going to hurt the horse.” And then being able to track those changes. Like you said, noticing those asymmetries — and when we do have you out again, being a very educated horse owner and having that empowerment to say, “Hey, I’ve noticed over the past few weeks we’ve gotten better here, but maybe we’re still having some limited range of motion in this limb or in this joint. What do you see, and how can we keep working forward to that?” And then feeling that under saddle as well. That’s really fun and something that our riders can do.

[12:01]

Jessica: Mad Barn does have a stretching article that you guys can go and look at — we have pictures in there so you can see some of the simple stretches that you can do. And I’m certain you guys have resources.

[12:12]

Dr. Jillian: We are working on getting everything online — that is not my strong suit, but we are working on that this summer and rolling it out. We’re working on seminars — we have a couple we’re putting together just to educate people on everything we do. We also have a fit lab for dogs and people — I do dogs as well — and we encourage people to do the same thing. We’re going to teach you how to stretch, how to exercise specifically. It’s not like a personal training, “let me build my biceps” — it’s, “I want to be even in the saddle; I want to be able to access my calf and sit correctly.” So yeah — we’re all about fixing the problem and sharing and educating as many people as possible.

[12:46]

Jessica: I love this, I love this. And I do want to talk a little bit more about your team — you’ve mentioned them a couple of times — and this really diverse background that you guys have. Can you talk a little bit more about how you found everybody and how they all fit into such a niche area?

[13:03]

Dr. Jillian: Absolutely. Like I said, I’ve wanted to be who I am since I was nine years old — I’m living my dream, thank you everybody. My partner — we met right as I was getting out of school, and she was coming and helping me build my business. Her name is Ashley — she’s our equine massage therapist and our personal trainer. She kept coming with me, and we noticed I would adjust things but I wasn’t fixing anything — we were just kind of, “Okay…” So then we thought, “Massage therapy — let’s look into this.” She got certified, started working, and the results just started falling into place.

[13:37]

Dr. Jillian: I was still seeing people at the time. Then our practice grew in Ocala, and I felt comfortable handing over the reins to human chiropractors in my office. So Dr. Morgan is there — she’s an incredibly accomplished equestrian, though she’ll never tell you that; the most humble person you’ll meet. She has the background to understand when you say something — it means so much to be able to talk to people who understand the biomechanics of what’s happening. She’s always striving to be the best and get the next certification. We have Shelley — another massage therapist and stretch therapist with Farmhouse Chiropractic. We have all my incredible nurses — we have a ton of them, they’re always there, amazing, I love them so much. B12 injections — if you’re feeling low, it’s a great thing to do for your body. And a lot of people don’t know about IV hydration — it’s a very quick way to get fluids and nutrients into your body by bypassing the gut. If you’re running low, or like me, I like to be preventative when I travel — when I’m going to a horse show, I get one before I go. I give my body the boost I know I’m probably not going to be putting back in during that time.

[14:40]

Dr. Jillian: And then my wonderful support staff — we have front desk receptionists — we’re just really blessed with the people around me right now.

[14:47]

Jessica: And it’s such a family — everybody works so well together, so that’s super fun. I do want to circle back to the horses. Do you have a success story that sticks out in your mind?

[14:58]

Dr. Jillian: Hard to pick one, right? There are so many. I say every day — I’m so blessed because I get to live my dream every single day and watch changes every single day. The people that show up for our practice — they care, they’re invested, they want the long-term success stories. One that comes to mind was actually a recent one. She was a patient of the office and then got into personal training as well — corrective. She said, “Oh man, I just wish there was something like this for my horse.” And I said, “Don’t you know?”

[15:33]

Dr. Jillian: She’d gotten frustrated because her horse was starting to get naughty. Then the labeling starts — “Oh, he’s being a jerk,” “He’s being naughty.” But is he? Or is he just trying to tell you something? That behavior turned into a little bit of lameness, but nobody could pinpoint it — not lame, but off. We went out there, and one session of having professionals work together, talking about things — she said, “I’ve never seen my horse stand still.” And he just relaxed, like, “Okay.” That’s so powerful. We were able to do really good work. She’s so happy, and we’re making so much progress with her and the horse. She’s learning, she’s stretching — she’s that ideal client, taking what we do and running with it. To me, that’s what it’s all about.

[16:22]

Jessica: That’s awesome. So for a horse owner that’s wanting to proactively manage their horse and is thinking about those musculoskeletal concerns — what’s your biggest tip of advice for them?

[16:33]

Dr. Jillian: My biggest tip is to always assume your horse wants to please you. If you go in thinking that, it’s going to be a great day. Anything you notice — they’re not trying to be difficult, they’re just trying to communicate with you. And trust your gut. I always talk to owners who say, “Oh, I just felt this way with this trainer — I should have said this.” You will always know your horse better than anyone else. And just reach out — it’s okay to start with a massage therapist, it’s okay to start with stretching. Start somewhere — don’t be intimidated. The bond you’ll get from it is unbelievable.

[17:08]

Jessica: I love that, I love that so much. And to wrap up here — I just want to know, what’s next for Farmhouse? You guys have grown so much, and I know your dreams are always dreaming, never stopping, never slowing down. What can we expect next from you?

[17:24]

Dr. Jillian: I think more growth — that’s definitely exciting to me. We’re looking to add some services; I’ve had a couple of interviews, so watch out for some stuff coming for summer circuit in the office. We’re trying to get online, get educational, get traveling. Probably hire another doctor to help offload some of what I’m doing so we can reach more people. To me, if you’re educated and you have the choice — that’s it. That’s what you have to do. And I feel like it’s our responsibility to share that with people.

[17:55]

Jessica: I love that. And so everybody listening — if you’re coming to Ocala, Florida, make sure you stop by the World Equestrian Center first — because that’s amazing, you have to. And then make sure you go and see Farmhouse Chiropractic. Where at WEC are you guys located?

[18:10]

Dr. Jillian: We are in Arena 2, and we’re the last set of double doors all the way to the right — you’ll see our nice big teal logo on the door.

[18:15]

Jessica: Perfect. Thank you so much for joining me today — it’s been really fun diving into this world and learning about what your business has done, how you’ve grown, and how you take care of the horse, the rider, and everything in between. Thank you to everybody that’s listening and joining in with us. Make sure you like and subscribe so you’ll be the first to hear the next segment of The People Behind the Horses.