About Equine Massage

Just like the human athlete, our horses in training need support to maximise their performance. As a certified Equinology Equine Body Worker (EEBW II), I will fully assess your horses current strengths and weaknesses.

Over time I will endeavour to address these weaknesses with various massage techniques and stretches. It is essential that this service be included as part of your ‘equine team’, including your Vet, dentist and farrier.

The main benefits of equine massage

INCREASED RANGE OF MOTION, (from stretching, relieving muscle tension/ restrictions/ muscle spasms) a horse that moves better has a more efficient stride and therefore will have a longer performance life with less wear and tear on the joints, ligaments and tendons.

IMPROVE STAMINA, the efficiency described above will lead to improved endurance and athletic performance.

IMPROVE THE DISPOSITION, behavioural changes often reflect our horses discomfort. By making him more comfortable we can improve his behaviour.

RELAXATION, a horse that is relaxed can concentrate better on the tasks and ridden questions being asked of it.

IMPROVE CIRCULATION, massage stimulates blood flow and therefore also stimulates the elimination of waste products (stimulation of lymphatic drainage) in the system and repair, through increased nutrient flow to the muscle fibres. Thus can aid muscle recovery during intense training.

Check out this article on why massage my horse?

Myofascial Release (MFR)

There is fascia throughout our bodies, forming an informational and structural highway. Imagine a 3-D spiderweb that intertwines through every cell and structure. If part of the web is damaged or restricted it pulls on the rest of the web. Therefore when there is an injury or disruption to one area there can be far reaching affects elsewhere in the body.

This is a time intensive technique, as in order to really effect the fascia we must spend time ‘sinking’ through the outer layers. Scar releasing techniques are often integral to this work as these are major fascial restrictions.

MFR is an effective technique for difficult cases of soft tissue injury and musculoskeletal dysfunction. Wolf’s Law: “Form follows function”. For example, if you begin to walk flexed over at the waist, and do so for the next three days, your body will begin to re-align in line with the new function. Structures on the front of the body will shorten and structures on the back will lengthen. Then if you are instructed to stand erect once again, you will have difficulty due to your new ‘form’ which followed the new function.You will be more comfortable to assume the incorrect posture, thus the body will have to be re-educated back into the correct position. – Ruth Mitchell-Golladay PT, MT, NCTMB, EEBW.

Often it takes many sessions at an increased frequency in order to achieve the desired ‘re-education’ of the body, especially if it is a long standing issue.

Click here for further details on MFR.