Equine Sports Massage

Equine sports massage is a therapeutic application of hands on techniques to manipulate soft tissue, for the purpose of increasing circulation and range of motion, as well as relieving muscle spasm and tension and enhancing muscle tone. Over use, over stretching or over loading muscles can cause tissue lesions which can restrict the motion and create pain. Massage can be used along with conventional and complimentary therapies and with proper training techniques enables the horse to perform at an optimum level. Equine Sports Massage can be used both for prevention (lessen injury risk caused by strain or fatigue) or rehabilitation.

Does Your Horse Need a Massage?

If your horse shows any of the following signs he/she may benefit from a session;

Dislikes being groomed
Prefers one rein
Show lateral stiffness
Reluctant to canter on one lead / changes lead
Hollow backed or high headed
Bucking, rearing
Cold backed when tacked up
Lack of poll flexion and bend
Head tilting
Have an uneven stride length
Holding the tail to one side
Unable to back up
Not tracking up or unwilling to move forwards
Refusing jumps

Typical Session

A sports massage session starts with a full evaluation of the horse to determine the horses confirmation and how the horse moves as well as taking note of any muscular asymmetry. During the session the horse is massaged and passive stretches are applied, areas of sensitivity are noted and Stress Point Therapy is applied. At the end of the session the owner or handler of the horse will be shown stretching techniques and recommended follow-up exercises.

Stephanie Sarsfield

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