About Kat

Kat Page Dortenzo is a lifelong horsewoman and an IAAMB accredited equine sports massage therapist offering whole horse wellness and performance through bodywork and biomechanically correct training. Kat started riding at the tender age of 5 and she knew from the get-go that she wanted to do something with horses when she finally grew up. Growing up just outside of Metamora, Michigan, Kat was fortunate enough to have access to quality instruction from a young age and she spent her childhood swinging a leg over anything she could. Kat’s beloved yellow horse, Ollie, came into her life when she was 12 years old and the rest was history after that. Ollie carried Kat in the hunter and jumper rings, after a pack of hounds in the hunt field, and down countless miles of trails. Starting out as a weekend barn worker throughout high school and eventually working her way up through the ranks, Kat’s journey carried her to the Gainesville/Ocala area and then on to Tryon, North Carolina, where weekend barn chores morphed into professional grooming and barn management up through the FEI level. Never one to say no to an opportunity working with horses or to learn something new, she has experience working with all types of horses with her true passion being working with young horses, especially OTTBS, and novice riders, regardless of discipline. In 2015, Ollie had an injury that left him on stall rest for the summer and Kat found herself rehabbing a very bored, very sore horse leading to the completion her first equine massage course. After seeing the improvement in both Ollie’s physical and mental well-being with the incorporation of massage into his rehab process, Kat began utilizing it on her client’s horses. 

After a head injury in 2016 and the loss of Ollie in 2017, Kat found herself taking a step back from horses professionally and she enrolled in paramedic school. A move to Utah in 2019 lead Kat back to horses professionally, discovering her love of teaching beginner and intermediate riders of all ages. Working as an assistant trainer under a rated hunter/jumper judge and trainer, Kat lead a successful riding school program where she focused on cultivating future horse owners through correct horsemanship and training. When the world screeched to halt in 2020 along with public riding lessons, Kat returned to school to finish her undergraduate education at Weber State Universty in exercise science, environmental science, and sustainability. Kat also began working as an assistant trainer under a local dressage and ICP event trainer where along with riding and teaching, she also began incorporating regular bodywork into their training program, increasing performance and trainability of the entire barn. In early 2022, Kat decided it was time to step back out on her own again and Yellow Horse Performance was born. The name honors Kat’s mighty little yellow heart horse who is the backbone of her entire career. She attributes her success in the equine industry to her long partnership with Ollie and she hopes that with Yellow Horse Performance, Ollie’s legacy will live on and continue to bring all things positive to her life.

Now based outside of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, and with over 7 years of bodyworking experience and 400+ hours of bodyworking education, Kat combines her vast experience with horses with her formal educational background in exercise science and biology to provide a unique approach and perspective for both horse owners and professionals looking to keep their equine partner happy, comfortable, and performing their best. Her clients range everywhere from recreational trail horses to FEI competition horses. She enjoys working with all levels of horse and rider and truly believes that every horse has the potential to be great. A firm believer in continuing education, Kat makes a point to further her education constantly whether it’s in the form of lessons, clinics, or taking another certification class to benefit her business and clients. Currently working on her personal trainer certification, Kat is looking forward to offering her services to her human clients starting in 2023. When she’s not in the barn, you can more than likely find Kat working on her other business, Yellow Horse Creative, traveling with her husband Mike, or running around in the woods with their two hound dogs: Bilbo and Walker. The two recently bought property and are beginning to develop it into the facility Kat has spent her life dreaming about.