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What to Expect From
Your First Equine
Sports Massage...
Your First Equine
Sports Massage...
When I arrive to do a sports massage, I like to see the horse move if at all illness
he may have had. I also want to know what type of riding you do with your
I ask about your horse’s general attitude and behavior, and any vices he may
have. When I watch the horse being ridden or lunged I look for the way the horse
travels and carries himself. Is he striding out in front and under behind equally?
Is the horse obviously favoring one leg? Does the horse move with a hollow back
or high head set, or does he carry his back and neck level? Does the horse
throw his head or carry it off to one side or the other? Does the horse's tail hang
loose and even behind, or is the tail swishing excessively or being held off to one
side? Does your horse travel straight, or is his front end and his back end out of
alignment?
These are just a few of the things I am looking at when I watch your horse move.
These things can indicate underlying muscle soreness and tension among other
problems.
I then will evaluate your horse’s soreness by palpating certain areas of your
horse's body with my hands. This gives me an overview of how sore or reactive
you horse is, and how accepting he is of me touching him. There is no set time
limit for my massage work, so if your hose is particularly reactive or unsure of
what I am doing, I will take as much time as necessary to let the horse become
comfortable with me and the massage.
I massage the horse’s entire body in a general sequence, paying particular
attention to areas where I find restrictions, adhesions, and spasms in the muscle
tissue. This allows me to address any areas where your horse may be sore,
even if it is not apparent in his movement. Horses are great at compensating,
and by massaging the entire horse, I do not miss areas that are not showing
soreness under saddle or when worked.
After the massage is complete, I will usually stretch your horse and discuss your
comfort level with stretching your horse yourself. If your horse is injured, or being
rehabilitated from an injury, I will not stretch him until he has been cleared by a
veterinarian. If you are comfortable stretching your horse, I will help you come up
with a stretching routine that you can continue with in between massage therapy.
When I am done, I will give you a form showing the areas of your horse that were
reactive or had spasms, and note how well those areas released. I will write
down any concerns we may have as well as things you can do for your horse in
between massage appointments.
Your horse’s wellbeing is my top priority. I always want to leave your horse
feeling better than when I arrived. I also want to leave you, the owner, trainer, or
rider, with some tools for keeping your horse comfortable, supple, and able to
reach their potential.
***Sports Massage Therapy is not a substitute for veterinary medicine***
he may have had. I also want to know what type of riding you do with your
I ask about your horse’s general attitude and behavior, and any vices he may
have. When I watch the horse being ridden or lunged I look for the way the horse
travels and carries himself. Is he striding out in front and under behind equally?
Is the horse obviously favoring one leg? Does the horse move with a hollow back
or high head set, or does he carry his back and neck level? Does the horse
throw his head or carry it off to one side or the other? Does the horse's tail hang
loose and even behind, or is the tail swishing excessively or being held off to one
side? Does your horse travel straight, or is his front end and his back end out of
alignment?
These are just a few of the things I am looking at when I watch your horse move.
These things can indicate underlying muscle soreness and tension among other
problems.
I then will evaluate your horse’s soreness by palpating certain areas of your
horse's body with my hands. This gives me an overview of how sore or reactive
you horse is, and how accepting he is of me touching him. There is no set time
limit for my massage work, so if your hose is particularly reactive or unsure of
what I am doing, I will take as much time as necessary to let the horse become
comfortable with me and the massage.
I massage the horse’s entire body in a general sequence, paying particular
attention to areas where I find restrictions, adhesions, and spasms in the muscle
tissue. This allows me to address any areas where your horse may be sore,
even if it is not apparent in his movement. Horses are great at compensating,
and by massaging the entire horse, I do not miss areas that are not showing
soreness under saddle or when worked.
After the massage is complete, I will usually stretch your horse and discuss your
comfort level with stretching your horse yourself. If your horse is injured, or being
rehabilitated from an injury, I will not stretch him until he has been cleared by a
veterinarian. If you are comfortable stretching your horse, I will help you come up
with a stretching routine that you can continue with in between massage therapy.
When I am done, I will give you a form showing the areas of your horse that were
reactive or had spasms, and note how well those areas released. I will write
down any concerns we may have as well as things you can do for your horse in
between massage appointments.
Your horse’s wellbeing is my top priority. I always want to leave your horse
feeling better than when I arrived. I also want to leave you, the owner, trainer, or
rider, with some tools for keeping your horse comfortable, supple, and able to
reach their potential.
***Sports Massage Therapy is not a substitute for veterinary medicine***