Discover how to give your horse a massage
Many horse owners understand the value of bodywork for their animals. Horses, like human athletes, will often develop soreness after riding and training. Horses, like humans, may benefit immensely from massage treatment to reduce lactic acid buildup in the muscles, speed up recovery time, enhance range of motion, and reduce pain and suffering. Soft tissue work can also be beneficial to mares and stallions used for breeding. But what exactly is equine massage, and how can you learn it?
What exactly is horse massage?
Horse massage is the practice of rubbing and kneading the muscles of the horse’s body to relieve stress and/or discomfort. Equine massage employs adapted human massage methods on horses to improve their performance and reduce discomfort caused by training, an ill-fitting saddle, an imbalanced rider, or injury.
The Advantages of Massage Therapy:
- Boost blood flow to hasten healing.
- Reduce muscular spasms.
- Increase joint flexibility by increasing the range of motion.
- Assist the horse in preparing for and recovering from activity.
- Improve mental health.
- Reduce the development of scar tissue.
- Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, should be released.
- Reduce the possibility of harm.
Symptoms that a horse needs a massage:
- Ear pinning, biting, or kicking when saddled or riding.
- Reluctance to progress during exercising.
- Bending to one or both sides is difficult.
- Picking up the right lead during the canter.
- Leg weakness, toe dragging.
- Head throwing during exercise.
- Unusual bucking and/or rearing while exercising.
- The horse seemed to be more “spooky” than usual.
- The horse is in an unusually foul attitude.
- Hesitancy to be apprehended.
If your horse is exhibiting any of the aforementioned symptoms, horse massage therapy may be beneficial. It is critical to have sufficient training before administering massage treatment to your horse or hiring a professional equine massage therapist. Massage treatment can sometimes make a problem worse, thus all contraindications must be ruled out before massage therapy is administered. Also, keep in mind that massage therapy is not a replacement for veterinary care, and you should always check your veterinarian before attempting a new therapy with your horse!
How to Get Started with Equine Massage:
Holistic Animal Studies is an online course for horse owners to learn how to do various massage techniques on their horses, such as Swedish massage, myofascial release, Gua Sha massage, and other strokes. Students can begin the course at any time and work at their own speed. The online program guides you through the process of massaging your horse, guaranteeing that you can aid your equine partner safely and efficiently via bodywork. Students can also get help from the instructor and teaching assistants, as well as other students and practitioners, who can answer any questions they have and guide them along the way.
