Symmetry Equine Bodywork

If you step on a dog’s tail, which end does it bark out of?

This is a humorous illustration that pain does not always originate at the point where it is being manifested.  Remember, horses travel in a diagonal and often compensate as humans do — which is why equine bodywork at regular intervals (depending on the level at which your horse competes) helps to maintain balance in the body, and elasticity and suppleness in the muscles (which are important components of impulsion).

Massage is the manipulation of the soft tissue of the body through stroking, rubbing, kneading or tapping in order to increase circulation, improve muscle tone and increase range of motion, among other benefits.

Sports Massage Therapy is a specialty within the discipline of massage that focuses on the muscles pertinent to particular activities.  It focuses on the cause of the injury and prevention of future injuries.  The techniques used in Swedish massage are very similar to those used during a sports massage, however, the main difference is that sports massage tends to focus on a particular muscle group and involves greater pressure to work deeper into the tissues, which in turn produces greater effects.  

60% of your horse’s body weight is muscle. Muscle tightening can move from one muscle group to another, so prompt attention to muscle strain and spasm can prevent more serious injury, and produce a happier, more relaxed and supple horse.

If your horse displays:

• stiffness
• shortening of stride
• head tossing
• difficulty with lateral bending
• difficulty with lead changes
• irritability while being groomed
• uneven tracking – forging
• discomfort in the girth area
• resistance or refusal

he or she may greatly benefit from sports massage therapy.

Among the benefits of bodywork are:

• enhances muscle tone and increases range of motion
• aids in creating balance and harmony within the body
• reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints
• promotes healing by increasing the flow of nutrients to the muscle, carrying away fluids and toxins
• releases endorphins — nature’s pain killers

The full-body massage sequence includes opening, locating and closing strokes, in addition to stress point therapy, and assists in creating balance in the body.  I am certified through Equissage® in Equine Sports Massage Therapy.  Equissage® is an accredited program with the American Veterinary Medical Association and an Approved Provider with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage Bodyworkers.  For more information, click on the link Equissage.

While I appreciate the value of hand-held devices and electromagnetic therapies,  I use my hands, energy, knowledge, experience and love.  Putting my hands on the horse or dog allows me to locate and treat muscle spasms, identify new growths at an early stage, and feel for excesses and deficiencies in qi.