Leading the Pack...
After spending 27 years as the Director of the former N.C.T.M. Leslie welcomes this exciting chapter of taking the new Animal Naturopathic Medicine Ēducātum further to the global forefront in 2023. In essence, Leslie has spent majority of her working life involved in educating from the ground up, the true philosophy of naturopathic medicine, delivering course content in both Canine & Equine courses. Since the popularity of online presentations, Leslie has delivered thousands of webinars and online presentations in equine and canine health studies, and always with the ‘whole’ perspective of the Naturopathic Wholistic (Holos) Health Model in mind; so that the animal is not just surviving but is enabled to thrive as their species is intended, with optimum health, wellbeing and longevity to be considered in all aspects of the animals’ domesticated life with humans.
Leslie’s very first years as a horse-riding instructor initiated a keen functional interest in the human and equine kinetic chain. Pure thirst to know more, is what led her into Equine Naturopathic Medicine, Equine Osteopathic Medicine, Kinesiology, and later Canine Naturopathic Medicine. Specialising further in all aspects of myofacilitation and neuromuscular-skeletal dysfunction.
Leslie also has two professional qualifications as an Equine Saddle Fitter. Leslie’s driving force over many years looking at muscular compensation patterns, saddle fit damage and kinetic disruptions is now, as it always has been, is to give horses the best comfort and functionality under saddle.
Leslie has a natural affinity with both horses and dogs, and although dogs do not wear a saddle nor carry a human, the dog world presents with many other genetic, physical, musculo-skeletal, mental, and emotional dysfunctions that do not go unnoticed in her teachings with the Canine courses. There is no doubt Leslie brings very grounded, factual knowledge and critical thinking perspectives to all the courses. Her passion in helping humans, to help animals, is as strong now, as it was in her humble beginnings.
Ashlie joined the lecturing team in 2016 and has since become a co-director as of 2023, bringing a fresh approach to development of new courses with this management changeover. Becoming an Environmental Animal Biologist and Agricultural Scientist, Ashlie then furthered her studies to become an Animal Naturopath, Animal Necropsy Pathologist, as well as a published researcher in native flora and fauna studies.
Ashlie brings to the College the true knowledge of assessing each species as a whole, from an ecological and biological specific standpoint through highlighting the evolutionary origins of the species. Understanding the Anatomy and Physiology of the intended species is of the utmost importance, when considering what the species needs to not just survive, but to thrive as a whole. Helping the public to understand aspects of animal domestication and the influence this has had on species both physically, mentally, and on a microbiology level, enables a deeper understanding of the factors that need to be addressed when caring for specific species.
Ashlie’s passion for the origins of botanical life and the role they have played in the development of modern medicine as we know today, shines through in her biology work.
Describing her approach to animal whole-health as:
‘Ecological Healing’; from our shared evolutionary and ecological heritage, complex interactions between humans, animals and plants have produced an inherently integrated biological matrix of life’.
Through further study and research of nutrition and herbal medicine, Ashlie is keen to see this pathway grow not just for domesticated animals, but to include native flora and fauna through her work with indigenous land management communities’.
Megan Cooper
Equine Lecturer
Dr. Ian Billinghurst
Guest Speaker
Dr. Bruce Syme
Guest Speaker
