Equine Massage Therapy and Acupressure

May 13, 2008

CLOUD 9

HORSE CARE AND EQUINE MASSAGE

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EQUINE MASSAGE THERAPY

Equine Chiropractic School ~ Barriere, BC ~ Helen J. Woods.

EVERY HORSE BENEFITS FROM MASSAGE. Massage therapy is a beneficial complement to chiropractic therapeutic adjustments for your horse.

Interested in an online degree? Dave Collins in Vernon, BC is in the process of developing an online degree course for equine massage therapy and saddle fitting.

I received an e-mail from Dave today (October 7, 2005). "I am just in the process of developing an equine massage therapy course that may be accessed online. If you are interested in being updated as this becomes available, just fill out the online application and indicate that you wish the application to be filed for online courses. I will update you as they become available." ....Dave Collins, British Columbia College of Equine Therapy, Vernon, BC.

For a list of massage schools worldwide visit the Google Directory.

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." ~ Freya Stark

Acupressure

"Acupoints are found in the depressions next to or between muscles, bones, tendons and around joints. They're not on the top of bones or in the belly of a muscle. Acupoints look and feel different. They feel harder or softer, warmer or cooler, and are more sensitive to touch

Finger pressure gently applied to specific areas of your horse's body will relieve muscular tension and also bring relief to other parts of the body which is known as "referred pain". For specific work on the horse's body a full "sweep" of the Meridian is suggested and used by most acupressure therapists. The exact location of equine meridians vary depending on the source. It is difficult to identify the "right" location. Learning to "feel" the energy along the meridians will help you develop your energy awareness. Begin by "tracing" the meridians on your horse. If you can, download a meridian chart from the Internet. Use the guide and trace each meridian several times on your horse's body until you feel the energy flow pattern.

Horse owners may introduce acupressure maintenance treatments into their warming up or cooling down routines. Recording your treatments is a valuable tool in assessing your horse's progress as it will also provide information to your veterinary or your alternative health practitioner.

Feldenkrais

Is an educational process to re-establish proper balance. Your horse will appreciate you doing these exercises as you become a better balanced rider. (Awesome exercises for the rider to keep the body balanced.)

Myofascial Release

A subtle technique used to release fascia and muscle throughout the horses' body. The therapist uses light to moderate traction and a twisting movement to achieve a reflex change. Fascia is the connective tissue (CT) spread throughout the horse's body (and ours) (from head to hoof) right down to the cellular level. The fascia system supports the body and is responsible for movement. When a trauma occurs, the fascia will contract. Poor conditioning of your horse can cause a trauma. How can I help my horse? - When you click on this hyperlink, scroll to the end of the page of horse holistics website.

Shiatsu Therapy

Shiatsu is similar to acupressure. As touch is a natural communication for horses you will realize Shiatsu influences all systems of the horse. The horse massage therapist practitioner applies pressure to specific areas of the horse's body located along the energy meridians. The treatment brings about a sense of relaxation for your equine athlete.

Sports Massage

This special type of massage will prepare your equine athlete to a top level performance. The sport massage dissipates the fatigue out of muscles and will help in the flexibility of muscles by stretching them with this form of massage therapy. Any massage will help in preventing injuries by keeping muscles "soft".

Swedish Massage

This technique covers a wide range of manipulations of the soft tissues of your horse's body.

Stroking - one of the most superficial and lightest techniques.
Shaking - directly shaking the belly of the muscle.
Racking - creating sufficient motion to move the body part and then allowing it to return to the original position.
Petrissage - a circular manipulation, light or deep, where pressure is applied on the up stroke and released on the return stroke.

If you are seeking specific information about how acupuncture may benefit your horse, try the search engines like Google and look for equine acupuncture, horse acupuncture or veterinary acupuncture.

Massage therapy for the horse owner ~ If you indulge yourself with a massage make sure you drink plenty of water AFTER the massage (helps to rid the body of toxins). If possible take an Epsom salts bath after a massage to prevent coming up sore the next day. The Epsom salts bath definitely plays a big role in loosening up contracted and fatigued muscles.

BACK PAIN can be one of the most insidious ailments that affect horses’ performance. It is one of the most difficult things to diagnose.

Identifying this problem may take the knowledge of the trainer, the vet, massage therapist, the saddler and the farrier.

Below is a list of "behaviors" a horse may exhibit due to back soreness.

Over sensitivity to grooming
Difficult to saddle and girth
Can’t stand still for mounting
Unwilling to go forward
Sinking down or squatting after mounting
Head tossing, tail swishing, bucking or rearing
Heavy in one rein- sometimes unwilling to turn one direction or going crooked
Saddle always tipping off to one side
Saddle sores or galls
Distinct difference in strength of diagonals at the posting trot
Tripping
Difficulty going downhill
Uneven shoe wear, excessive forging or pulling shoes
Can't hold a lead at the canter or cross cantering
Bucking after a jump
Trouble doing lateral work

Any symptoms that persists or get worse deserves a closer look. Take notes, and try not to change too many things at one time.

This is where a good massage therapist would come in handy.

Poor Saddle Fit is one of the many contributions to muscle imbalance and poor behaviour in your horse.

Below is how to examine for proper saddle fit.

Angle of the tree should be the same as the angle of shoulder.
Slide your hand under the whole length of the flap, from the top to the bottom, at the front just behind the shoulder. This should be done quite easily.
The gullet must be wide enough to give the spine space to move without pinching.
Sufficient clearance at the front of the saddle is cruicial, it must still be clear when the rider is aboard the horse.
The rider sits in the centre and the weight must be evenly distributed all along the saddle.
The back of the panel must not go beyond the 18th rib - the last rib.
You want the horse to carry the weight above his ribs, not the soft tissues behind them.
The panel should be even along the horse's back, so that it bears the rider's weight evenly.
Run your hand underneath the panels back to front to see if saddle is sitting evenly.

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Cloud 9 Horse Care

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