In the dusty yards of a local feedlot, on a horse twice her size, Mikaela Hurst effortlessly moves cattle under the unrelenting Australian summer sun.

But beneath the wide-brimmed hat and even wider smile lies a specialised skill set that is rare.

At just 23, Mikaela has returned to her hometown of Hay from the rugged peaks of the Canadian Rockies, carrying a qualification that makes her one of the few practitioners of a highly intensive form of equine therapy in the country.

After finishing school, Mikayla worked on Top End stations in Queensland and the Northern Territory, as well as South Australia.

She worked with the Flying Vet in Wilcannia, before packing her bags and heading overseas to Canada in 2024.

What followed was a two-year trek through some of the most demanding and respected horse cultures in the world.

Her time in Canada was split between two worlds: the wilderness and the elite performance arena.

“I did two seasons guiding tourists through the Rockies,” Mikaela explained.

“We’d take groups out on week-long pack trips, camping out the back of the mountains with the horses.

“It’s the most beautiful part of the world, but it’s tough work.”

From the mountains, she moved into working for a top-tier cutting horse trainer.

In the world of performance horses Mikaela served as a loper, and some of the high-octane animals she trained featured on the hit television show Yellowstone.

“We were basically slaves to the horses,” she laughed.

“These are high-end athletes. Our cheapest horse was $70,000 (USD).

“They are bred for excellence, and many of the ones I worked with are in Texas right now for the world finals.

“I got to ride horses I’d never be able to afford in a lifetime.”

It was during this time that Mikaela witnessed the power of equine chiropractic and muscle release.

She saw a sour stud horse – a dangerous, ill-tempered animal that “nearly killed” her every time she rode him – transformed overnight by a therapist.

“He didn’t bite, he didn’t kick… he ended up being my favourite horse.

“It turned out he was just in immense pain that he couldn’t tell us about.”

Driven to understand the why behind horse behaviour, Mikaela earned a scholarship to study under the world-renowned Helen J. Woods.

The course was gruelling; of the 15 who started, only four made it to the final exams.

Mikaela was one of only three who passed, after cramming three years’ worth of learning in just 9 months.

Helen J. Woods is a hugely respected pioneer in equine health and therapy, with 40 years of experience breeding horses and over 30 years of teaching her Equine Therapy course.

Her students practise across the world in Canada, the United States, Europe and now Australia.

As she steps into retirement, Helen J. Woods has invited Mikaela back to Canada to follow in her footsteps, and run training courses for future students.

High praise indeed, from the world’s leading equine therapy expert.

Mikaela describes her practice as a three-step process: locating misalignments in the vertebrae or skeletal structure, treating the surrounding muscles that have become tight or sore from overcompensating for the skeletal issue, and working through 26 specific stress points, where tendons and ligaments meet.

“Everything is connected,” she said.

“If a horse has a sore pelvis, it might be because their feet are wrong and they’re overcompensating.

“I’ve even seen cases where a misaligned vertebra affects weight gain. You put it back in place, and suddenly they can hold condition again.”

Despite her world-class training, Mikaela is a realist.

She currently works full-time – on horseback, of course – to pay back the significant investment in her education and to find some financial stability.

Her newly launched therapy business is growing steadily through word-of-mouth – the only ‘social media’ she truly trusts.

“Horse people are a tight-knit community,” she said.

“I’m a bit useless at the promotional stuff, taking photos and videos, but when someone respects a result, they tell their friends.”

Whether she is adjusting a $100,000 racehorse or a local pony, Mikaela’s approach remains the same: a quiet, intuitive observation of the animal’s eye and body language. Just listening to her speak about her work is enough to hear the passion for equine health shine through.

“They tell you everything if you’re watching,” she said.

“When they yawn, stretch, or lick their lips after a treatment, that’s them telling you, ‘Oh, that feels better.'”

“That’s the most rewarding part.”

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 21 January 2026.