Guide to Horse Massage Therapy

Horse massage creates a more balanced, happier horse mentally, emotionally and physically. This therapy relieves tired muscles, breaks up muscle spasms, increases circulation, reduces muscle and joint inflammation, and allows the horse to relax. Therapists can use massage to either prevent or treat health issues.

  1. The Facts

    • Any horse can benefit from massage therapy, which can be used to improve health or simply to relax the horse before loading him into the trailer or visiting the vet or ferrier. Companies like Whole Horse Massage visit a horse at his stable and massage him. Horsemen can also read about and apply basic massage techniques on their own horses.

    Features

    • Massage techniques can be done by hand or with the aid of special mechanisms. Many products aid home horse massage therapy. A horse massage therapy back pad helps a horse warm up and cool down and provides relief to the skeletal, lymphatic, circulatory and muscular systems. A horse massage therapy hand unit applies pressure directly to nerve areas. Horse massage therapy leg and tendon boots treat laminitis, arthritis and sore shins.

    Effects

    • Horse massage therapy improves a horse's overall health. According to Equine Sports Massage Therapy, horse massage can extend the horse's lifespan, lengthen connective tissue, increase the horse's range of motion, promote faster injury healings, increase synovial fluid production in joints and increase the horse's endurance and performance. After massage therapy, a horse's performance, disposition, flexibility and range of movement should improve immediately.

    Considerations

    • Hands On Horse Care recommends that a horse be hand walked or lunged following a massage so that muscles stay loose, toxins released during the massage are worked out, and muscle soreness is prevented or lessened. A horse can be ridden immediately after a massage. Regularly ridden and show horses can benefit from massages every four to six weeks, and horses being treated for a specific problem can be massaged three times in a month. The frequency of horse massage therapy depends on how often a horse is ridden, his age, his health and the horseman's goals for the horse.

    Warning

    • A horse gives his master specific signs when he's tense and uncomfortable. These include head tossing, difficulty mastering lateral movements, inability to pick up correct lead, unexplained lameness and shortened stride. If a horse does not improve with therapy, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.