Diana Thompson has been named to the Equus Hall of Fame for years of teaching Sonoma County horse owners how to use equine acupressure, massage, and gentle, effective training methods with their horses. Diana was born in Tacoma, Washington. Her parents gave Diana and her siblings a pinto palomino filly named Trixie for Christmas when she was six years old. Diana enjoyed years of trail riding, competing in shows, and competitive trail rides. As a freshman in college, she earned a spot on the mounted drill team.
In 1980, while in her early 20ís, Diana opened a stable near Newport, Oregon. She started young horses under saddle, trained English and Western show horses and conditioned race prospects. When horses with deeply rooted emotional and physical problems showed up at her barn, Diana questioned conventional ways of training. She looked for ways to relieve fear and muscular tension in horses so they could relax, learn, and perform to the best of their ability. She studied alternative therapies and equine anatomy and earned her massage certification. She currently studies Traditional Chinese Medicine and ways to train horses using positive reinforcement such as clicker training and liberty work.
Diana first came to Santa Rosa to teach a clinic sponsored by endurance rider Barbara Reinke. She moved here in 1990. Diana founded The Whole Horse Journal in 1996. As editor-in chief, she guided the publication to eight national awards.
In 2003, Diana became an adjunct instructor in the Equine Science department at the Santa Rosa Junior College. She developed and still teaches the first accredited course in equine acupressure and massage in California. Diana and her husband Bob Murphy own a commercially permitted horse facility just north of Santa Rosa where they live with their two horses, a dog, and two cats. The facility has a barn, classroom and indoor riding arena where Diana teaches private lessons and group classes. She recently published her first book Acupressure Point Charts for Horses, An Illustrated Guide to 128 Point Locations and Uses.
