What is Equine Sports Massage Therapy.....?

Equine Sports Massage Therapy (ESMT) utilizes various clinical assessments followed by specific massage techniques, mobilisation and stretching. These techniques are non-invasive and, when correctly administered, will relieve muscle-related problems before they have chance to result in injury.

As a fully qualified Human & Equine Sports Massage Therapist I am equipped with the skills to assess, treat & rehabilitate injuires & imbalances in both the human & equine form. Using a variety of specific clinical assessments, I can locate the area of injury or discomfort & offer the correct advice on the treatment and/or rehabilitation. This may well require permission from your doctor (human) or veterinary surgeon (equine) before a treatment can be administered.

All horses can benefit from Equine Sports Massage whether they are a top competition horse or a retired companion. Any activity has the potential to cause muscle soreness and stiffness. Using equine sports massage therapy as part of your horse’s maintenance regime will help prevent injury and increase performance.

In equine sports massage, we are concerened with the muscular system of the horse. This provides the power & means for the horse to move it's skeletal structure. Problems arise, when muscle tension & soreness aids the breakdown of fluid movement & therefore restricts the horse's natural way of going.

Using various techniques such as effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, tigger points, stress points, myofascial & neuro-muscular release, an equine sports massage therapist can help relieve & release the areas of tension & concern with relative ease. Adding joint mobilisation & stretching into the treatment will also be extremely benefical for the horse. Working on all soft tissue including muscle, fascia, tendon & tendonous attachments, equine sports massage can produce marked results. When used as part or a regular maintenance regime the response can be siginicant.

Horses are like people & not every horse will respond in the same way. They are all individual & must be treated that way. No two equine sports massage treaments are the same. A good therapist will address the horse in front of them on that particular day & offer the required treatment as necessary.

The horses body is complex & every system is directly related to another. Whether is be circulartory, respiritory, digestive, muscular or skeletal, when a problem ocurrs every part of his body can be effected!

So..., if your horse is refusing to do something he normally does with ease, don’t punish him, but ask yourself, is he in pain???