Betsy Ritchie grew up riding horses at New Canaan Mounted Troop in Connecticut, learning early on the importance of hands-on horse care.  Her love and passion for horses brought her to Bennett College, where she earned an A.A. degree in horsemanship.  While at Bennett, she discovered marine biology, which took her out of the horse world for a number of years.  With subsequent undergraduate and graduate degrees in marine biology (University of California, Santa Barbara) and environmental engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Betsy worked for public aquariums and later in the corporate world performing hazardous waste investigations.

While working as an engineer and project manager and striving for balance in her life, she discovered the world of holistic health, becoming an advanced level energy worker.  She gradually developed a practice doing energy work and crystal healing on people.  Coming full circle, she started applying the energy work techniques on horses and became interested in horse massage.  In 2001, Betsy became a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist (E.S.M.T.; from Equissage) and opened her own business, Equine Alchemy, LLC.  Betsy’s soulful connection to the horses and the joy of facilitating healing and relaxation through therapeutic massage are the continued inspiration and passion for her business. 

Since starting Equine Alchemy, LLC, Betsy has massaged over 200 different horses (performing thousands of therapeutic massages to date), most on a regular massage schedule.  She works with both show and pleasure horses, traveling to barns throughout Fairfield County, Connecticut, and Westchester County, New York.  She also provides equine massage support for area horse shows, including Old Salem Farm, Ox Ridge Hunt Club, and Fairfield County Hunt Club. 

PRESS

• January 5, 2007, Newtown Bee, “People and Horses on the Equestrian Scene in Newtown: Betsy Ritchie, Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist”
• July 1, 2005, Newtown Bee, “Massage: The Perfect Antidote to a Day of Horsing Around”
• August 27, 2004, Newtown Bee, “How About a Massage for Your Horse?”
• June 9, 2002, The Advocate, “Equine Healing”
• Summer 2002, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Newsletter, “The Rub on Horses”
• September 6, 2001, New Canaan Advertiser, “Hay, That Feels Good”