Why massage for a horse?

If you’ve ever had a massage yourself, or simply rubbed a stiff neck or tired shoulders, then you know that massage can alleviate pain, reduce tension, and improve your disposition. You feel better. Other recognized benefits of massage are increased circulation, enhanced muscle tone, and increased range of motion. After a good massage, you not only feel better, you move better.

The same is true for your horse. Muscle is muscle, whether human or equine. Horses get stiff and sore after a workout in the same areas as their people- principally, the neck, shoulders, and back.

When muscles become tight and cannot release, the strain is transferred to surrounding muscle groups and tendons. The effect is cumulative. Anticipating pain, the horse compensates by using other muscle groups, eventually over-taxing them and causing more strain.  The problem can build over weeks, and lead to a situation where the horse is more prone to injury.

How can you tell if a massage would help?

Almost every horse can benefit from a massage, even if they don’t seem stiff or sore. If your horse has never had a massage, or it has been 8 weeks or more since the last time your horse had a massage, then a massage would help.

We ask a lot of our horses. We take them to strange places and expose them to crowds and excitement. We ask them to pull carriages, run fast, jump high, make tight turns and sudden stops. Even if we only go for easy trail rides, we ask them to take a hike carrying a pack (a saddle and rider) that is 15-20% of their body weight. They can have stiff and fatigued muscles, even if they don’t seem to act any different.

But sometimes, their behavior does change. Horses don’t speak our language. They can’t tell you if they are sore, or where it hurts. Instead, they convey the message by “acting out”. Bucking, kicking, tossing the head, refusals, resisting certain movements, and protesting the girth are among the ways your horse tells you something hurts.

Other signs of discomfort in your horse include:

Head and neck discomfort

Stiff or sensitive back (“cold back”)

Hip and shoulder lameness

Difficulty moving laterally

Difficulty backing

Shortened or choppy strides

Improper tracking

Hind limb interference

Stumbling

Forging

Are chiropractics better than massage?

Chiropractics and massage complement each other. The chiropractor works on the bones, the massage therapist works on the muscles. Since the muscles attach to the bones and are responsible for moving them, the two systems depend on each other.  Poor alignment of the bone can put stress the muscles, and tense muscles can put stress on the bone.

Massage will help a chiropractic adjustment set better, and last longer. It is a good idea to have a massage done within a day of the adjustment.

How does massage work?

Sports massage therapy is a deep tissue massage, and will relieve the stress points caused by muscle tension, returning balance to the horse’s body, and enhancing the graceful motion we all strive for. It can help the horse recover from an injury, but its greatest value is preventative maintenance: preventing injury and further damage brought about from muscular strain. Regular massage therapy will enhance muscle tone and range of motion, and maintain the whole body in better physical condition.

Massage works for all horses of all disciplines. Different disciplines will put stress on different muscle groups. Each massage is tailored to the horse being worked on. The therapist can locate and concentrate on the areas of greatest stress.

What are the benefits of massage?

• Enhances muscle flexibility and range of motion.
• Reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints, enhancing flexibility.
• Stimulates circulation, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, and aiding in removal of excess fluids and toxins.
• Releases muscle tension, allowing muscles to contract and release properly.
• Releases endorphins, alleviating pain.
• Helps to maintain the whole body in better physical condition.
• Reduces the chance of injury.

Some brief notes on massage

Massage is not a new therapeutic method, but has been used for thousands of years. With the proliferation of pharmaceuticals, its benefits were ignored for awhile. But miracle drugs are not always that miraculous, and often carry side effects that are worse than the condition they were meant to treat.

As our society moved back toward a focus on natural, holistic health care, massage again held a prominent place.

For the professional athlete, massage has never left their trainer’s toolbox, and has been used effectively to keep them performing at their best. Many people that suffer from the strains from repetitive motions, such as working at a computer all day, have also come to rely on massage to reduce the pain and loosen their stiff muscles.

In the last 30 years, people have come to realize that the benefits of massage they enjoy can also bring relief to their animals. Not just companion animals, but the one species called upon to work hardest for us- the horse. Whether it’s racing, jumping, driving, cutting, penning, or hauling a rider over hills and streams, horses work hard, or compete hard for their humans.

Massage has gained a following among horse owners that wish to keep the equine half of their equestrian team performing at their best.