What is Equine Sports Massage Therapy ?

Equine Sports Massage Therapy is the application of professional sports massage techniques to the horse. It requires a thorough understanding of the horse’s anatomy and the interaction of bones, joints and muscles.

More than 60% of the horse’s bodyweight is muscle. Small muscle injuries can take up to 90 days to become apparent and by this time your horse may be suffering from a variety of motion problems that can result in training set-backs.

Prompt attention to minor muscle stiffness and fatigue with massage not only aids recovery and enhances a horse's performance, it can also prevent further problems that may develop when the horse’s body tries to compensate for the injured part, placing extra stresses on other areas such as tendons.

A massage session also includes passive and active stretches as appropriate for the individual horse, to maintain and improve the range of movement.

Massage should not be confined to the competition horse. It is also beneficial for retired horses, horses with schooling problems (often an indicator of pain or discomfort) and those recovering from injury.