Benefits of Massage Therapy for Animals and its' Importance
Massage for animals including horses will create long-term benefits by maintaining muscles and their associated structures so they can perform to their optimum potential.
"It is also a very powerful tool in injury prevention."
Equine Massage Therapy has given those horses of all disciplines, young and old, racing, dressage, show-jumping, breeze up, eventing, polo, endurance and showing starting out in life, actively competing or retired the OPPORTUNITY to maintain at their very best.
Step back, look at your horse, their posture will tell a lot about how their body is functioning and moving, pick up a front or hind leg, the hind leg does it feel like you've just lifted a bag of wet sand, heavy in your hand, poor mobility, uncomfortable for the horse to balance on three legs, bunny hopping away from you, showing clear signs of discomfort. Picking up the front leg, are there signs of reluctance, have they planted the foot to the ground, are you fighting against you their absolute strength and body weight, pushing and shoving them from side to side to off balance them in order to snap at the opportunity to pick the leg up, all that just to pick out their feet, put studs in or just have the farrier put shoes on.
These are some of the tell-tale signs your horse is vocalising to you, so don't ignore.
I have been an Equine Massage Therapist for over 12 years, I have learned throughout those years to listen to what the horse is telling me through my evaluations in range of motion, soft tissue textures lacks suppleness, hypertensive muscles, overall appearance, lacklustre coat, dull vacant eye, poor health.
Maintaining optimum range of motion is imperative otherwise other parts of the body will compensate for when there is a strain. Your horse can carry on for days, weeks, months or even years, slowly and constantly wearing down. The equine body is designed to increase support to those areas that are stressed, however the months and years of increased support can take its toll leaving little in the way of resources and therefore ultimately leading to ruptures of soft tissue, scar tissue, thickening of tendons and ligaments which can cause permanent dysfunction of the affected area and surrounding structures.
Therapeutic Massage plays an important role in post-trauma rehabilitation, to have your horse back to work sooner reducing the risks of weakness re-injury. Massage increases blood flow and oxygen to the area that has been weakened through stain and injury, speeding the healing of muscle damage. EMT works on the whole body of the horse, so they can work and function in a balanced way without compensating.
Massage therapy should never be carried out in an area with heat, swelling or pathological skin conditions. It is always advisable to have a veterinary consultation regarding any injury; however, it is not feasible for any vet to spend an hour or two massaging your horse. A skilled EMT can help determine the root cause of muscular problems and offer valuable information to your veterinarian.
"It is important to find the right balance for your horse's needs."
Massage Therapy
The following symptoms can be signs that your horse is suffering from restricting muscular stiffness, painful muscle spasms, soft tissue adhesions or soreness:
- limited range of motion, not fully engaging limbs, not stepping under, not extending
- unwilling to change gaits
- horse hollows the back
- horse throws head up during gait changes
- the horse looks 'disconnected' (hind and front not moving in unison)
- Bucking, not relaxing or rounding etc.
BENEFITS
- Increases blood flow to muscles
- Releases tension in soft tissues around joints and vertebrae
- Breaks up soft tissue adhesions and muscle spasms
- Encourages muscle development
- Relax connective tissues
- Improve muscular flexibility
RESULTS
- Improved range of free motion
- Improved performance and gait quality
- Prevention of injuries to muscles and ligaments
- Maintenance of good muscle tone and wellness
- Relaxation of the horse and contribution to mental soundness
- Accelerated recovery from soft tissue injury
A horse or pony that is massaged on a regular basis is less likely to develop painful muscle spasms, restrictions in soft tissue and affected joints and resulting performance limitations
