What is Equine Sports Massage and How can it help your Horse?

The horse has been used by man for decades as a working animal, originally used to farm the land and also for transportation purposes.

Nowadays horses are kept for pleasure and in many cases used for competition whether it be Racing, Dressage, Show jumping, Cross Country, Hunting or a combination of these.

It is important to remember that horses were never designed with the intention of carrying people so it is no wonder that they will often have stresses and strains caused simply by workload.

It would be easy if horses could talk and tell us when they are feeling under the weather but instead we have to try and read their body language to decide if something isn’t quite right.

An example of these signs are:

• Refusing to go forwards or simply lacking impulsion,
• Refusal to jump when normally the horse would happily take on a fence,
• Leaning on one rein more than the other,
• Unusually bad tempered,
• Lethargic,
• Unusual Characteristics such as bucking or tail swishing.

Some horses aren’t quite so vocal and it may just be something in their demeanor that you notice is different. If your dressage marks start to slip or your horse is knocking poles more so than normal then again these could be indications of stress or pain.

By re-evaluating the horses training program and in more severe cases seeking veterinary advice these issues can often be ironed out.

Incorporating Massage into your horses training program is one way of helping to alleviate pain and stress to muscles.

A sports massage will target tendons, ligaments, deep and superficial muscles using massage techniques and stretching exercises.

Techniques such as effleurage, compression, cupping, hacking and basic myofacia release are what I will use to treat a horse. I will also focus on acupressure and trigger points to help release tension that maybe causing a muscle to contract or spasm.

Massage works by stimulating blood flow and releasing tension. If a horse suffers from muscle spasms then massage will relax the area and stop the muscle from contracting.

It also helps the removal of toxins from our horse’s bodies through the lymphatic system.

This in turn promotes a sense of well-being to our horses and if used as part of their training program can help maximize their potential.

Massage and Injuries

For the injured horse massage also has its benefits. A muscle/tendon/ligament that has been strained or torn takes a long time to heal itself as many of us know only two well.

If this muscle has a poor blood supply then it will take longer to repair itself so this is where massage can be of benefit.  

Most injured horses have to be put on box rest so as not damage the muscle/tendon/ligament any further but this also means the horse is unable to move and stimulate blood flow.

As I mentioned earlier massage increases the blood flow and in doing so will help the soft tissues mend quicker.

When an injured muscle repairs itself scar tissue forms as and where necessary so the horse is often left with a thickening in the injured area. Massage will help direct this scar tissue while it is repairing the injury and in doing so keep the tissue build up to a minimum so it is far less noticeable.

Contraindications to Massage

There are some cases where massage is not advisable and these include:

1.      If a horse has a high temperature or is dehydrated,

2.      If a horse is not eating properly or doesn’t seem him/herself,

3.      If a horse is lame and not yet had veterinary attention,

4.      If a horse is on a high dosage of medication,

5.      If a horse has an injury less than 7 days old,

6.      If a horse has an open wound then that area will be avoided until healed.

Your veterinarian must give his/her approval for massage to be carried on your horse. You will be asked to sign a form to this effect before an assessment can be carried out.

Massage is not a substitute for veterinary care.