The story behind how the Emmett Technique developed and is now applied for the care and treatment for animals.
In pain relief on the animal frontier the “Emmett Technique” is becoming more and more popular as a quick, unobtrusive way of treating suffering animals.
The technique’s creator Ross Emmett, said it evolved as a means to treat sick and distressed animals. Ross had always had a passion for animals, he worked caring for the sick and injured whilst employed at the Animal Research Institute in Brisbane, at the age of 17 years. While employed as an animal attendant for 5 years he began to notice certain traits when handling many of the sick animals, (horses, cattle, sheep and dogs) and developed a method of small moves to treat and to assist with their discomfort.
Ross has had a great interest in dogs and dog training all of his life and in his late twenties he pursued this passion into training dogs in the obedience field becoming a chief instructor and an Australian Dog Obedience Judge. It was in these positions he would notice dogs in difficulty with limps and incorrect gaits and he would apply the small moves he had developed when he was working at the Animal Research Center.
Handlers, who noticed the immediate improvement in their animals, started to ask for Ross’s assistance – in great North Queensland style ‘Hey mate, could you do for me, what you did for my dog?’ Ross soon discovered that the technique he was using to assist the animals worked as effectively on their handlers.
Ross continued to develop the technique over the proceeding 30 years after making the move into full-time bodywork and in 1980 began working as a Massage and Remedial Therapist. He operated a very busy clinic in Mt Isa where he saw 100 people a week and still took time to treat many of their pets. Working in Australia’s outback, were his clientele had limited access to therapy and limited time for treatment – they often travelled hundreds of kilometres to attend his clinic and were not able to receive follow-up treatment. This inspired Ross to find quick and lasting ways to remove pain and discomfort for both man and beast.
In 1983 he began sharing and teaching his knowledge of Therapies and has since taught and shared many other modalities. Through the support of other practitioners and in particular the encouragement of a friend who is a Townsville Doctor, he started teaching his own technique. Previously referred to as ‘Ross’s Stuff’, it was at this time Ross bowed to pressure to officially call the package the ‘Emmett Technique’ and this became the foundation of the therapy as we know it today.
The technique has proved particularly successful for horses and dogs. Many people today travel great distances to undertake ‘Emmett Technique’ training as a means of treating their animals and improving their pet’s quality of life.
Due to Ross’ commitments for teaching Practitioners courses worldwide, he has appointed two qualified Emmett therapist who share his passion for animals to put forward his principals on animal treatment. Living in Queensland, Australia, Kath Hasting and Steve Rochford teach the ‘Emmett Technique’ course specifically geared at relieving pain for animals.