He doesn't confess to having any super human powers and he said he was only putting into practice what he had learned from studying Qigong. "The first thing I tell people is that I can't make horses win," he said firmly. "I don't profess to fix anything and everything, but the work I've done seems to have helped some horses I've worked on ...

I feel what I do has its place along with what the trainers are trying to do - and that's to get their horses to perform to their full potential. They won't do that if they aren't feeling good."
And since news got out about his work, Bonner has gone from having just one regular client six months ago to several. As a result he has been changing his motor vehicle's engine oil a lot more frequently than he did previously.

"I've clocked up 14,000kms since December getting around the country. "I'm making regular visits up north and have several clients up in the Waikato." While most trainers are pleased with the result of his labours, there are many that remain cynical. "I called on one trainer who got me to work on a horse and when I contacted him later to see what he thought he said he hadn't bothered checking. "He told me to come back when I had some credibility." He said other trainers have put him to the test. "One gave me a colt which I found out later had proved very difficult to handle. He had obviously decided to test me out. "I had no trouble at all and the trainer was dumbfounded." 
Much of Bonner's work has been on horses with existing problems. However, he said if he had a choice he would like to develop his work more in the preventative area. "If I had a base of about 20 horses to work with on a regular basis that would keep me busy and I could get a regular income from doing what I'm doing." Making the horse feel good by balancing any aches and pains that were there was his aim, he said. Watching him at work, the thing most noticeable is how relaxed his patients become when receiving treatment. This is normal, Bonner said. "I've had one horse at Matamata physically dribbling when I was working on him," recalled Bonner. He has found the top racehorses have abilities not only on the track but are tougher and have higher pain thresholds. "The better they are, the better they appear to hide pain. That's what I've found anyway." 

So how was Bonner introduced to Qigong? It was a partnership prompted by his own pain brought about by the serious injuries he received in a motor vehicle accident 10 years ago. Bonner was working as a scaffolding supervisor at Motunui at the time of the accident. During his lengthy recuperation, he was prescribed the traditional drugs for pain relief. He experienced mixed reactions to them until deciding eight years down the track to try acupuncture as an alternative. A friend recommended he visit New Plymouth based acupuncturist Peter Marra. "I've had a pretty hard row to hoe," was how Bonner summed up the last decade. The accident has left Bonner with one leg shorter than the other resulting in him having a noticeable limp. 

"When I went to see Peter I was hoping to learn how to manage the pain better. "Peter put me on to Qigong. Because of my chronic condition he encouraged me to learn more about it. It could help me, he said." I'd been doing it quite happily for a year or so and found it beneficial." 

About May last year, Bonner decided to get some formal qualifications in Qigong. He qualified as a Shuichuan Qigong practitioner. It does not take a person with special powers to learn the technique, according to Bonner. However, the degree of healing ability differs from person to person, he said. Bonner may be a relative newcomer to the racing industry, but already he has been the target of the most asked question of those involved in the business. Have you got a winner for me? "Lot's of people ask me. They say you must be in the know to get some good tips," he said. Bonner has a set reply to those who ask. "When you're like me and know all the things that can go wrong with a horse, I tell them they're better off backing a good jockey." 

Bonner had never attended a race meeting until going to Te Aroha to see Star Dancer race last December. His interest has grown and now he says he enjoys a day out at the races, nothing more than watching horses he has worked on win! 

Reprinted by kind permission of Taranaki Daily News.