Maria Lacasse has a been training professionally since 2012. Her training philosophies have a background in natural horsemanship and dressage principles. Her main focus is maintaining a balance of communication and correct biomechanics between horse and rider to build a life long partnership of success. 

Starting her horsemanship journey in her teenage years Maria struggled with confidence issues and anxieties so worked to ease her reservations by working to get as much experience as possible. Maria has gained experience from multiple areas within the equine industry including being a working student for a natural horsemanship traienr, working as a veterinary technician for an equine hospital, grooming for an FEI dressage judge, grooming baby racehorses at the beautiful Scatter Creek training center, and apprenticing with a classical dressage trainer. 

She always strives to continue her education in all areas. Maria attended Kyrewood Equestrian Center in New Zealand gaining a NZQA certification in Sport Horse Stable Practices in 2008. She pursued regular riding instruction from FEI dressage trainer, breeder and international judge Kari McClain, as well as classical dressage instruction from Shannon Olson of Select Saddlery and Promise farms.

On top of training and teaching Maria also enjoys competing in the dressage ring to gain experience, gain feed back, and also for personal development to gain confidence in the realm of being "seen". She has competed in various shows often being in the ribbons and made a habit of attending to shows to overcome her performance anxiety. In 2017 she competed Miss Abstract in various TIP recognized shows was awarded a Reserve National Champion Award for the Western Region in dressage from the Thoroughbred Incentive Program. In 2018 she competed in the Retired Racehorse Project with her warhorse and half sister to Miss Abstract, Imnocupcake who traveled over 4,800 miles round trip from Washington to Kentucky, and came home to receive the Chinook Pass award. 

Maria has graduated from the Equine Natural Movement School for equine structural integration. Where she learned how to help the equine body unwind and balance to increase performance over a series of treatments. She also been blessed with the opportunity to learn the Lazaris Nerve Release technique from Celeste Leilani Lazaris.

After learning how to help horses and going through her own self healing in the process she decided to expand her practice into humans.

She graduated from the Florida school of Massage and is now a Licensed Massage Therapist (Lic # MM99187). She has a successful practice in Gainesville, Florida at Florida Acupuncture and Counseling Inc. working primarily on United States Military Veterans. Maria also has a thriving practice working on Equestrians and locals at her own licensed establishment MM 47404 located at the Midnight Rose Equestrian LLC in Citra, FL. 

Her on.