Emily Blaker, PT, DPT, MFDc

A Bit About Me

My passion for working with horses began in my early teens. Unable to afford formal lessons, I spent my weekends and after-school hours as a working student under Kate Little at Los Gatos Farms. There, I had the opportunity to work with a horse with lymphedema, sparking my interest in equine rehabilitation and inspiring me to pursue a B.S. in Animal Science with a pre-veterinary emphasis at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. While there, I also earned a minor in Equine Science and joined the dressage team, further developing my horsemanship and performance skills.​

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During my studies, I gained hands-on experience evaluating and starting young horses from the ground up and worked within breeding programs for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. Seeking more opportunities with European sport horses, I spent my summers as a working student at Millennium Farm in Portola Valley, expanding my experience in high-level sport horse care and management.​

I went on to earn my Doctor of Physical Therapy from the UCSF/SFSU program, focusing on orthopedic rehabilitation for athletes. Missing horses during this time, I purchased Lisette, a young Oldenburg warmblood mare. With her, I trained under dressage trainers Kat Trueblood and Josh Albrecht, further refining my riding skills and deepening my understanding of equine performance.​

In my professional career, I have worked as a sports and orthopedic physical therapist at Golden State Sports and Orthopedics, Active Physical Therapy, and Enloe Outpatient Rehabilitation. Wanting to merge my expertise in human performance with my lifelong passion for horses, I began pursuing my certification in Equine Body Work and founded Ferris Equine in 2025.

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Ferris Equine Performance Services provides hands-on analysis and performance work for both horse and rider. I perform comprehensive movement analysis and bodywork for horses using a blend of massage, myofascial decompression (cupping), and therapeutic taping to enhance comfort and performance. For riders, I assess strength, mobility, and symmetry to identify factors that may affect balance and effectiveness in the saddle, offering tailored manual therapy, stretching, and exercise programs to elevate both horse and rider as a team.

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With Ferris Equine, I combine my knowledge of equine and human anatomy, biomechanics, and exercise physiology to offer a hands on, science-based approach to enhancing equestrian performance. Together, these services provide a comprehensive, evidence driven strategy to optimize comfort, strength, and effectiveness for both horse and rider.