What is Equine Bodywork and How Does It Work?
“When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, and when you look at him and feel a shiver down your spine, you know you are loved,”
horse trainer John Lyons once said.
A horse’s unconditional love may heal a damaged spirit for many of us. This is why we go out of our way to ensure that our horse is treated with the same sensitivity and care with which they treat us.
We ensure that they are properly fed, housed, and trained. Being a horse owner is not a cheap way to live, but it is extremely fulfilling. When our horses are harmed, we suffer more than just financial losses.
This is why it is critical that we do all possible to prevent injuries and ensure that our horses’ physical health does not deteriorate unnecessarily. Equine bodywork is introduced.
What exactly is Equine Bodywork?
Bodywork is an overarching concept for a variety of holistic treatments such as body massage, acupressure, and others.
All bodies, even those of animals, are not created equal. A skilled equine bodywork professional, like a good human client, tailors the therapy to the horse’s individual needs. To ensure that therapy is effective, the actual source of a horse’s suffering must be determined.
There are seven different types of horse bodywork therapies:
Therapeutic
Various modalities are used in deep tissue massage to assist reduce tension and promote a healthy balance.
Acupressure
The stimulation of stress points using fingers, elbows, palms, or tools.
Myofascial
Myofascial release and myofascial relief both use strokes and kneading motions to treat pain.
Craniosacral
Craniosacral therapy is a mild hands-on approach that relieves pain and improves function and health by releasing tension.
Cupping
A method for treating inflammation, improving blood flow, and relaxing that employs the suction caused by specific cups on the skin.
Scraping
A therapy that involves scraping the skin with a tool in order to increase circulation.
T.E.N.S. UNIT:
A device that employs electrical impulses to relieve pain temporarily or permanently.
What Is the Importance of Equine Bodywork?
Bodywork could be performed for three different reasons:
Enhanced performance:
Bodywork sessions can help improve your horse’s stride, functional mobility, and strength.
Rehabilitation:
If a horse has been injured, it should be treated as quickly as possible. A lag might aggravate the damage and lengthen the healing process. Your equine health care team should include a massage practitioner. Your bodywork specialist, in collaboration with your veterinarian and equine physical therapist, delivers massages to assist expedite recovery and strengthening the muscles, flexibility, and agility.
Prevention:
Injury prevention is arguably the most significant purpose of bodywork. Early indicators of difficulty, like tightness and muscular spasms, might be detected by a bodywork practitioner. By addressing these concerns early on, the agony and expense of injury treatment and rehabilitation may be averted.
