Massage may seem like a modern luxury, but for today’s athletes — equines included — it can be an indispensable health tool. Ellie Hughes investigates the benefits, techniques involved and how owners can help to soothe away their horses’ simple niggles
AS ANYONE WHO has enjoyed a massage knows, having sympathetic hands working over your tight and aching limbs can bring instant relief and relaxation. There is no reason to think the same isn’t true for horses. For most of the 20th century, the only tools available to try and keep a horse fit and healthy were training, a few dietary tweaks and a dusting of good fortune. However, for today’s equines — from top event horses to weekend wanderers who surface from their fields twice a week for a two-hour hack — there are many more therapeutic options available to help build strength and stave off niggling aches and pains. Equine massage therapy is one of these.
Massage is a hands-on technique during which the practitioner exerts varying degrees of external pressure to influence he structures below. It has both a psychological and physiological effect.
“The aim is to improve circulation and to jet into’ the areas of the body where there nay be a restriction,” says equine massage therapist Rebecca Waterfield. “Boosting he circulatory system helps to drain the emphatic system and flush out any toxins, while softening tight muscles helps them o work more effectively and reduces the risk of strains and, ultimately, of injuries.”
Massage should be suitable for almost very horse — from those who hack to top level competition horses.
“There is a bit of a misconception that only upper level competition horses need regular treatment,” continues Rebecca. Regardless of your horse’s job, he is an athlete who will need some maintenance. two-hour hack once or twice a week will till be a lot for a leisure horse’s body to ope with and so we are responsible for eeping him comfy.”
And while some horses will let their ider know immediately if something is miss, others are more stoic.
“Horses are masters of compensation,” points out Rebecca. “If they feel something a bit tight or restricted they will alter their way of going to accommodate it. It can be ver so subtle — so much so that the rider may not even feel it — and this is where massage therapy comes in. A therapist can pick up tiny changes and catch a niggle efore it becomes a problem.”
WHEN MASSAGE IS A TOP TOOL
■ To alleviate the effects of hard ground — regardless of whether you have a Pony Club pony or an eventer going around Badminton, jarring is common and rather inevitable for any rider out cantering and jumping on grass all summer.
Rebecca Waterfield says: “Horse
