About Equine Sports Massage Therapies
and Benefits

Maintenance

This is a general massage suitable for all horses, including horses on box rest. The treatment covers the whole body and works on any problem areas discovered. The treatment can help maintain wellbeing and function, and also reduces the risk of injury and improves performance. Maintenance massage can be performed at any time, to maintain the results of remedial massage, as an MOT check over the musculo-skeletal system, or to keep your horse's muscles supple.

Ideally used up to 4 times per year to maintain the benefits. Benefits include:

• Assists on body balance as treats the body as a whole
• Relaxes the horse's mind and body, improves coat and skin condition
• Enhances muscle tone, removes latic acid from muscles which causes fatigue
• Promotes drainage of lymph and its waste products, from the muscle
• Boosts the blood circulation, mobilises joints and keeps them supple
• Reduses muscle tension, releases muscle spasms and stress points
• Increases the horse's range of movement and suppleness
• Improves co-ordination and balance, improves jumping ability
• Reduces crookedness and helps develop muscles more evenly

Remedial

This is a massage suitable for particular musculo-skeletal problems, loss of performance or injury in the horse e.g. crookedness, back pain, stiffness, specific conditions, after a fall. The treatment covers the whole body but time is spent focusing on problem areas.

Ideally used once a week for up to 4 weeks. During this time, the expertise of farriers, saddlers, chiropractors etc, may be sought as appropriate. Please note, that massage is not a substitute for veterinary attention.

Benefits are as above but particularly include:

• Reduces healing time and aids recovery, removes lactic acid from the muscles
• Mobilises joints, reduces and relaxes muscle tension
• Releases spasms which can be the sole cause of other problems
• Increases the horse's range of movement and suppleness
• Reduces crookedness and helps develop muscles more evenly
• Prevents muscles shortening which occurs after muscle injury
• Aids removal of scar tissue from the muscle
• Prevents muscle wastage after injury

Post-event Massage

This massage is ideal after a competition or a hard days work. The treatment relaxes the horse's mind and body after an event, and covers the whole body focusing on discipline stress points and can find areas of trauma.

Ideally used between 2 and 4 hours after the event, and takes 30 minutes. Benefits include:

• Checking for areas of trauma
• Encourages removal of lactic acid and carbon dioxide, major causes of fatigue
• Boosts blood circulation and promotes lymphatic drainage
• Reduces built-up tension in the muscles
• Releases muscle spasms and stress points, developed during the event
• Prevents stiffness, reduces recovery time