Equine Massage by Steve Haber

MASSAGE THERAPY is an age old healing art. Jack Meagher, author of the book and video "Beating Muscle Injuries", is probably the best known catalyst behind the developement of Equine Sports Massage. My training and experience is based up Jack Meagher's approach.

Equine Massage is used frequently to heal damaged muscle fiber and alleviate muscle soreness. This applies to Horses, Trainers, and Riders. Muscle pain & stiffness may occur as a result of injury, overuse, over stretching, or cooling down rapidly

Horses are over 60 % skeletal muscle, which is the system responsible for movement.. Yet its the muscles that are often overlooked when it comes to preventative maintenance and injury rehabilitation.

Remember, if a muscle is not working for you, its working against you.

What Are Some Common Signs of Muscular Problems? Since muscle does not show up on x-ray it is difficult to detect a muscle related injury.

Unlike us, horses can't verbalize their pain so they rely upon their human counterpart to detect it. Therefore, we must learn to recognize behaviors that could be associated with muscle pain. Some common behavior patterns are:

Refusing or resisting leads	Head tossing Shortened	choppy strides
Hind leg scuffing	Stumbling Hip and shoulder lameness	Improper tracking
Cold back Bucking	Cribbing	Loss of performance ability
Irritable or bad disposition	Tying up Asymmetrical muscling	Resistance to training

All horses can benefit from massage. These symptoms can be alleviated and often avoided by Massage Therapy as part of a sound conditioning and health maintenance plan

Short frequent massages (30-60 minutes) are far more productive than long and infrequent sessions.
Pre-Event:To loosen, warm and ready muscles for an event
Post Event: To relieve muscle pain and stiffness
Maintenance: To keep muscles 'tuned-up' decreasing the likeliness of a muscle related injury
Rehabilitation:For horses recovering from an injury; Horses that are injured 'protect' the injured area by compensating, which increases the load on surrounding muscles which often creates a new problem,

Massage would help speed up the recovery time & help prevent a compensatory lameness.

Massage is highly recommended for horses on 'stall rest'
often the act of confinement for long periods itself causes muscle stiffness and atrophy.

Benefits commonly associated with massage:

Enhanced muscle tone & range of motion
Reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints, thereby alleviating pain
Promotes the healing process by increasing the flow of nutrients to the muscles,
Aiding in carrying away, excessive fluids and toxins
Creates a positive effect on the contractual and release process of the muscles...
Stimulates circulation by releasing endorphins - the body's natural pain killers
Helps maintain the whole body in better physical condition

Massage is NOT a substitute for proper veterinary care
If your horse is currently under the care of a veterinarian,
you should first consult your vet before seeking service.

Equine Massage 931-680-0423

MASSAGE THERAPY is an age old healing art. Jack Meagher, author of the book and video "Beating Muscle Injuries", is probably the best known catalyst behind the developement of Equine Sports Massage. My training and experience is based up Jack Meagher's approach.

Equine Massage is used frequently to heal damaged muscle fiber and alleviate muscle soreness. This applies to Horses, Trainers, and Riders. Muscle pain & stiffness may occur as a result of injury, overuse, over stretching, or cooling down rapidly

(931)-680-0423