Body Work & Sports Massage
Equine Athletes and all ridden horses are exposed to some level of physical and mental stressors during training in all disciplines and levels of work.
Regardless of whether our horses are pleasure horses or training at the upper levels of their sport all will develop patterns of tension and compensations based on their individual bodies and demands. Body Work and Massage can help support your horses health and performance.
Massage Therapy
A specific type of bodywork focused on manipulating soft tissues to ease tension and promote relaxation.
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Focus on Soft Tissues:
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Primarily deals with muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
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Aims to relieve immediate tension, boost circulation, and encourage relaxation.
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Common methods include Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and sports massage.
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Sports Massage
Sports massage differs from other massage therapies that primarily focus on relaxation, stress relief, or general pain management, sports massage is specifically designed to support movement, performance, and recovery. It targets the muscle groups most engaged in your horses discipline, helping to address tightness, soreness, or imbalances that might arise from repetitive movements.
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Maintenance & Recovery
Sports Massage consists of two stages:
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Maintenance
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Recovery
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Your horses needs will determine what techniques are used.
Some techniques used in a Sports Massage are:
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Effleurage
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Stretching
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Deep Tissue
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Vibration
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Percussion
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Petrissage
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Trigger Point
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Friction
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Body Work
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​​​​​A broad term for various techniques aimed at improving overall body structure, posture, and function.
Body work looks at the entire body to find the root causes of pain or tension and ​uses a wide range of methods such as deep tissue massage, myofascial release, stretching, and may include other techniques and modalities.
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Other modalities that may also be included in your horses Body Work Session are:
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Myofascial Release
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Acupressure
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PEMF
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Red Light
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Gua Sha
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Soft Tissue Mobilization
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Sure Foot Balance Pads
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Soft tissue mobilizations
Staying in Tip-Top Shape
The goal of Sports Massage and Body Work are similar, to administer techniques that keep your horse in the best possible shape and improve their function and wellbeing.
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Benefits Include:
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Reduced stress
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Pain relief
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Increase range of motion
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Amplify neurological signals
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Improve strength
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Improve blood flow
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Aid with recovery
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Loosen scar tissue
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Injury prevention
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Identify issues
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Improve balance and symmetry
When to have a session:
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Before and after training or events in a preventative manner:​
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Pre strenuous work: ​Stretching and deep tissue massage should not be administered less than 24 hours before heavy work. Light massage to increase circulation and warm up muscles can be administered up to 30 min before.
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Post strenuous work: lighter lymphatic massage can be helpful as early as 30 minutes post competition with deeper massage being best 24-48 hours after.
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As regular physical maintenance
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When injuries occur
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During recovery
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As a part of a rehabilitation program
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