SolveYourProblem.com Article Series: Horse Care
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What
Are The Benefits of Massages for Horses?
Any animal athlete, such as dogs and horses,
can benefit from a massage. Today, massage therapy works just
as well as it did centuries ago when healing was an art. A
sports massage for an athletic equine is divided into three
main sessions: performance massage, pre-event massage and the
post-event massage.
The equine athlete can be a high level performance horse,
a contest horse, or just a backyard companion. Whatever type
of horse he is, they all have something in common, injuries
and soft tissue pain. The soft tissues can be tendons, ligaments
and muscles. Tendons attach muscle to bone. Ligament tissue
connects bone to bone. Muscles are soft tissues that move the
joints. When any of these soft tissues become dysfunctional
because of repetitive stress injuries, strains, sprains, bruises,
muscle cramps and other kinds of soreness, these equine athletes
will suffer from the symptoms just as athletic humans do. The
mechanism of injury can be just as similar to the horse’s body
as it is the human body in more ways than one. Many
horse owners are looking for well trained equine massage therapists
when
their horse suffers an injury. The purpose of the sports massage
is to relieve or alleviate the horse of pain so the he can
return to his optimum performance level.
Sports massage therapy is one of the most
natural ways to relieve or alleviate a horse of pain from an injury. People
instinctively rub their aching muscle when it hurts, horses
can’t do that. Using touch as a healing method has been developed
in many cultures dating back to 2000 BC in China. The Japanese,
Persians and Egyptians have made references to massage therapy
since around 500 BC. Throughout the centuries, many theories
of musculoskeletal pain management have come and gone; yet
massage therapy remained a constant method of relief for those
pains. There are many therapy styles that are applied in a
specific order to make an impact on the muscular, circulatory,
respiratory and nervous systems.
The physiological results of massage therapy are determined
by one of these factors:
- What
techniques will the therapist apply during the procedure?
- What
order the techniques will be administered in?
- How
much pressure will be used when applying these techniques?
The performance massage is a combination of the sports massage
and the Swedish massage blended together in a unique combination.
The main purpose for the performance massage is to make an
impact on specific systems in the horse’s body to reduce stress,
bring relaxation and bring about an enhancement in performance.
By applying the performance massage on a regular basis, weekly,
bi-weekly or monthly, this will help prevent repetitious injuries
and enhance the horse’s flexibility.
The pre-event
massage is to be applied on the day of a strenuous
exercise or competition and is used to enhance the horse’s
warm up routine. The pre-event massage is not a substitute
for the warm up, it is only a method used to enhance the warm
up. The goal of this massage is to fill the muscles with refreshing,
oxygenated blood and increase the circulation to provide the
tissues with suppleness and support the metabolic exchange.
By reducing the excess mental and muscle tension, this massage
will prepare the tissue for the athletic competition through
the kneading techniques of cross fiber frictions and deep compressions. The post-event
massage is aimed at reducing trauma that occurs
during the exercise or competition. By flushing out the toxins
that were released during the heavy muscle activity, the post-event
massage will help speed the horse’s recovery and help reduce
any risk of future injury.
Most often during heavy muscle activity, small tears and other
injuries occur to the soft tissues. The use of cross fiber
frictions will help release the scar tissue leading to a speedy
recovery time. Other techniques that can be used in the post-event
massage are deep compressions and Effleurage.
Many horse owners find the benefits of horse massage therapy
outstanding. All caretakers and professionals are encouraged
to investigate the benefits of horse massage therapy. Just
remember that massage therapy is in no way a substitute for
veterinary care. If there is ever a question about the health
of your horse, always consult a veterinarian. #
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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