Fanny is a French national who decided to make South Africa her home. After working as a lecturer and a language practitioner for 12 years, she discovered kinesiology and was impressed by its health benefits. She found in this gentle, powerful modality a golden opportunity to work with animals, which she had wanted to do since she was a child. Fanny qualified in both Equine and Canine Kinesiology through the Specialised Kinesiology College of South Africa. She is a keen horse rider and the proud mum of two furkids, Bulle (Bubble in French), a rescue canis africanis-collie cross, and Monsieur (Mister in French), a Scottish Terrier. Yes, a horse would be nice too, but that may have to wait until she gets the farm and the animal sanctuary she dreams of. She is committed to helping horses, dogs and cats ̶ and even other animals, where possible ̶ , as well as their owners on the path to recovery, well-being and happiness and to enhancing the pet-owner relationship.
Fanny is actively involved in a variety of sports and also enjoys working with people suffering from physical issues like sports-related injuries.
How Kinesiology works with animals
Just as kinesiology can help you, as a human being, to perform and feel at your best, so can it benefit your animal companion, who may also, at some point, feel the effects of stress due to a variety of factors. Kinesiology works in very much the same way in animals as it does in humans, gently restoring the body’s self-healing ability and identifying as well as correcting potential stressors in the animal’s environment, with the owner’s input. It has proved to be particularly efficient with dogs and horses. Kinesiology can help resolve nutritional stress, allergies, negative emotional components, pain, the integration of muscle groups, mental and physical coordination and post-surgery recovery, to name but a few. Animal-specific corrections and information are used during a balance, but human corrections may also be relevant.
Fanny is able to assist people and animals from all walks of life towards healing. Her quiet, determined manner is refreshing as she gets to the heart of the problem in a thorough and caring way. Fanny will look beyond the symptoms and manage to locate the cause of the problem through muscle testing.
Kinesiology does not treat named diseases, but rather looks for and corrects the underlying issues that have led to the ailment.
View our feature highlight on Fanny here
What to expect from a Kinesiology session
First of all, the kinesiologist takes a detailed history of the problem. He/she then carries out the muscle-testing part of the session on a surrogate, i.e. a person who “stands in” for the animal. This person is often the owner, as it is recommended that a strong bond exists between the animal and the surrogate. The relevant corrections are done on the animal’s body. As the surrogate, you may feel extremely attuned to the animal’s emotions or reactions. As a result, a Kinesiology session can be a beautiful way to enhance the pet-owner relationship.
Is Kinesiology safe for pets?
Kinesiology is a gentle, safe and non-invasive technique. Animals tend to appear extremely relaxed during a session, and many fall asleep a few minutes after the session has started. In cases where pain is the issue, the kinesiologist will be very attentive to not cause your pet any discomfort when performing a correction involving physical contact, like the stimulation of neuro-lymphatic points. The detailed history taken at the beginning of the session will allow the kinesiologist to know which parts of the animal’s body should be touched with care.
Testimonial from Katie Armstrong about her thoroughbred “Pan”
First two kinesiology sessions:
These balances were focused on an injury sustained on the left hindquarter, which resulted in the two hind legs becoming uneven (the top of the left rump is higher than that of the right rump).
“The first session with Fanny was awesome! Pan wanted lots of muscle balancing – we did 14 muscle balances and then individual muscles as well. The overall picture was that he was struggling to fit in with the herd, and was still affected by an injury from 3 years ago when another horse bit him incredibly badly on his rump, causing muscle spasm all over his body as he tried to walk. After the session I gave him 3 days off, and then had our first ride – WOW! He was springy and forward and felt amazing. Great result!
Our second session was a more varied session, with a 14 muscle balance, but then more information about Pan – he was bored and wanted more stimulation, longer outrides, and a bit more fun in his work. He is an intelligent horse and as the owner I need to be careful that he doesn’t start using his intelligence against me. His movement after the second session was not quite as vastly improved as after the first (which lasted for about 3 weeks), but he was definitely more forward and loose.
Overall we are loving the sessions with Fanny! She is wonderful, and Pan is enjoying the sessions. He stands calmly or moves around in his stable but not in the frantic way that he paces when he is not enjoying a session. I am enjoying the information that is coming up, confirming some things for me, and bringing other things to light.”
Pan’s third kinesiology session:
For this session, we decided to work on the fact that Pan is restless during outrides and wants to gallop all the time, which forces Katie to rein him in constantly. As a result, their rides haven’t been very enjoyable and Katie is concerned that she may not understand what Pan is asking of her, and vice-versa.
Katie’s feedback: “Pan and I had such a great ride to the beach on Sunday. He got to stretch out and have a safe gallop, but he also did some really nice slow relaxed trotting, which is great! He was definitely more relaxed overall.”