Just like humans, horses enjoy a good massage now and then. However, not all horses like being
touched and the equine massage therapist must implement such therapy slowly. Most horses will
respond favorably by relaxing, licking their lips, yawning, etc. showing that they are relaxing to your
touch. However, some will take a few treatments to understand what you are doing and become
relaxed enough to allow the treatments to become more effective.
Massage can help your horse by:
- improve relaxation
- stimulate circulation thus improving nutrients to the muscle groups
- release trigger points and stress points to improve muscle function
- assist in injury recovery
- improve trust between owner and horse by such touch
- improve flexibility when partnered with stretching
- improve performance and overall health
Massage employs specific soft tissue manipulation to achieve certain goals in an individual horse.
The hand movements of massage use certain techniques that employ a specific amount of pressure,
strokes, rhythms and sequences to obtain these goals. The duration of a horse massage can range
from 20 minutes to an 1.5 hours. This will depend upon a few factors such as how the horse is
responding to the masssage, the number of issues to be addressed, or if it is a follow up or certain
routine. Some horses need to be introduced to massage gradually so they may not allow a full
session at the beginning, hence one should just introduce massage for a few mintues to the horse
as long as it allows it. Some horses just love it and will allow a full body massage in the first
session, however one should take care to not overwhelm the horse's system as massage can
release much tension and thus much inflammation. This may cause the horse to be muscle sore
more than usual as toxins are being released at a higher rate than its use to. Once a horse is
on a consistent schedule of massage often certain routines will reguire longer massage durations.
Other times a horse may just need a certain area of soreness worked on due to an individual
issue (example: a chronic knee injury causes shoulder and neck soreness), thus only taking 20 minutes
or even less, depending upon your massage experience.
Once one becomes accustom to massaging their horse it becomes much easier to recognize the
signs of your horses relaxation and/or discomfort. By becoming accustom to what you horse's body
muscle normally feels like you will become more knowledgable in recognizing early signs of
discomfort in your horse. As stretching also goes along with a good massage you will increase
your horses flexibility, increase its range of motion and have a happier healthier horse. This will
undoubtily assist in improving your horses performance and recovery time.
Some thinks to remember when doing a massage:
- evaluate your horses vital signs before you implement a massage
( never massage a horse with a temperature as massage will increase circulation and make it worse)
- work with any horse safely; make sure you have plenty of space to get away from the horse
if it should respond negatively
- make sure the horse knows where you are at all times to avoid spooking it
- work in a quiet area and time (a busy stable does not allow the horse to relax)
- have someone hold the horse for you if possible so your hands are free; if not place the
horse in cross ties (most sport horses are quiet comfortable there) or hold the lead rope your self
so that you always have control of the horse (not the best idea but would work if in a round pen, etc.)
- clean the horse before you start a massage
- start with light strokes and progress to deep massage gradually to allow the horse to get use to you
- watch and listen to the horse for feedback from your routine and adjust your touch accordingly
- keep records to establish a consistent massage routine, stretching and exercise schedule to
evaluate your effectiveness of the routines you have chosen
- talk to the horse quietly and softly as you work through your routine, try to not lose hand contact
as you move through each area to massage and different strokes/presssure
- wear loose clothing and avoid wearing anything on your hands that will restrict your movements
- make sure you do correct posture to avoid injurying yourself over the long term of doing massage
- don't talk to someone else while doing your massage as this can affect your treatment - you need
to concentrate on what you are doing and feel the feed back from the horse as well - as distractions
may limit your results
- make sure to wear proper boots in case the horse steps on you
Contraindications to massaging a horse:
- horse has a temperature over 102 degrees (F) or 39 degrees (C)
massage will only cause the fever to get worse - check with your veterinarian
- open wound or broken skin
avoid that area although you can work around the area to release tension and help relieve inflammation
this involves internal bleeding and only ice should be applied at this time
massage may be started at approximately 72 hrs after if the area looks better
you may need to massage around the area for a few days to avoid compensating issues
- tetanus or any nervous disorder
the stimulation would cause the horse much further discomfort - consult your veterinarian
- improper stretching - cause possible nerve irritation
the stimulation would cause more damage
- avoid massage during pregnancy, colitis, hernias or diarrhea - these are areas that
only a veterinarian should be addressing
- any area that may be worsened by inflammation (arthritis)
again you may massage areas around it to avoid compensating issues
- joint injuries (calcification) - avoid doing massage as again it may increase the inflammation
and thus cause more pain and damage
- tumors and cysts should be avoided as massage may spread them (cancerous or not)
again you may massage around these areas to relieve other soreness
- massage should NEVER be done if you suspect any infection or disease (skin problems,
fistulous origin, strangles, tetanus, pneumonia, viral diseases)
You should be taking vital signs (especially the horses temperature) before you start treatment every
time. Should you give a massage and not know that horse had a slight fever you will likely make the
condition worse and that could have been avoided by proper protocol.
Anyone can learn equine massage, it just takes time and a little patience to do it properly and
consistently. Practice makes perfect. One needs to understand, like any other therapy, miracles
cannot be accomplished in one session. It often takes approximately five sessions to get a horse
to relax enough to fully appreciate a good massage and ultimately respond favourable in performance
as well. One should make a proper procedure for themselves to follow each time they
massage a horse and thus the routine will become natural for them and they can avoid any negative
results from their massage. A record of the horses response to each session will ultimately let you
know if you are assisting the horse in its problems.
If in doubt, don't do it. It's that simple. Consult your veterinarian when ever your horses health is
in question.
All rights reserved. This information is not intended to replace proper veterinarian care and/or advice. All readers are recommended to obtain a licensed veterinarian consultation whenever their horse's health is in question. The information on this site is intended for educational purposes only. OERS, its author/publishers, disclaim any liability or responsibility for any loss or risk, directly or indirectly, whether financial, personal or otherwise, due to the use of the content listed. Reproduction of any material from this site is expressly forbidden without the written permission of OERS and its author. Copyright 2006-2011.