Equine Massage

About Massage

Massage, as a therapeutic treatment, has been around since at least 3000 B.C., where evidence is found in the form of Chinese literature. In the present day the application of massage on animals is becoming more and more relevant to maintaining a healthy balance of the body. The benefits of complementary therapies are now embraced by many Vets, Trainers and Owners alike, who have witnessed, themselves, the powers of Equine Sports Massage Therapy, both as a rehabilitative and maintenance therapy.

Equine Sports Massage is a holistic treatment, meaning that the whole body is treated each and every session, instead of just the symptomatic regions. A Sports Massage is applied with just the hands, using a variety of techniques and working from region to region of the horse. These different strokes are applied in order to open up the muscle fibres and get nutrient rich, oxygenated blood flowing to the muscles. Once the muscle region has been prepared in this manner, 'stress points' in the muscle can be checked for any signs of pain, knots or adhesions. Should any problematic areas of muscle be found, direct pressure will be applied so as to bring a rush of blood to the affected area to break down the adhesion. Should the adhesion require further work, cross-fibre friction will also be applied. Once any work has been applied to a muscle region, we apply further strokes before moving on, to the next region. Throughout the massage the stimulation of the muscles triggers the release of a natural painkiller and 'feel-good' hormone, known as endorphine.

Throughout the treatment a number of passive stretches will be applied to the horse. It is important to note that these stretches are applied very specifically and only when the muscles involved have been properly warmed up by the preceding massage. It is for this reason that the massage is applied region to region with stretches interspersed throughout the treatment.