Massage
Therapeutic use of massage to increase blood circulation, relieve tension and enhances the range of motion in the performance of horses.
Massage therapy is done with acupressure and massaging the muscle in each muscle group.
Lots of horses can be ridden for many years without any muscle or skeletal problems.
Muscle disorders can be traced to a particular incident. It may be a result of fatigue, overstretching, where they may tear. Also cooling down to quick can be a cause especially after overheating.
Incorrect posture, badly fitting shoes and saddle, a fever or disease, a structural or systematic imbalance or even poor nourishment are causes of muscle complaints.
High performance horses mainly suffer more than others as they are often required to give maximum physical effort in the performance, which will stress their muscles considerably.
Because a muscle contracts in response to such a stress, there can be uneven force on the joints. This is thought to be a contributory factor to many of the back complaints experienced by these horses.
The massage therapist uses hands and body to manipulate soft tissue for the prevention and treatment of muscle injuries and to release stress points by acupressure. This is done after the initial chiropractic adjustment is completed. This maintains free motion and encourages optimum performance.
Massage techniques safely affect the body by regulating muscular, circulatory and nervous systems. Treatments may alleviate chronic injuries as well as help prevent new injuries. Stretching techniques are also incorporated with massage, to naturally relax and tune up the body muscles where most needed. Both give you a valuable feedback into your horses musculoskeletal condition.
Benefits of massage for your horses
- Increases horses flexibility and suppleness while decreasing the chance of muscle injury
- Reduce muscle stiffness by taking the lactic acid out of the muscle
- Increases muscle tone and range of motion with stretching
- Relaxes spasm or knots
- Increases the healing process by bringing blood to the area
- Helps to allow area of inflammation to heal by alleviating pain
- Can help in lengthening connective tissue and breaks down the formation of the scar tissue
- Minimizes muscle damage when the horse has been injured
Massage therapy for horses increases circulation, which reduces swelling, transports toxins to points of elimination, contributes to increase range of motion, and ultimately produces an overall state of relaxation for the horse.