Complementary therapies for horses and ponies can be quite the minefield with there being a number of different types of therapists who do completely different things that target a specific area it can be hard to know who your horse needs to see to best treat them. Add into the mix the good old term “the back man”, that owners use which doesn't really refer to any of these therapists.
I’m going to discuss what equine sports massage is, why it is used, when it is used, when not to use. I am also going to give you a brief understanding of what other therapies there are and what they do so you can understand what makes them all different and hopefully a better understanding of who to use and when.

Different types of therapy
To start with I want to give almost a glossary of what complementary therapies and a description of what they do before I get more into what equine sports massage is specifically. No matter who you use, make sure they are registered with the relevant governing body for their qualification and hold insurance that covers them for what they do.
Physiotherapist - deals with a larger amount of techniques compared to a chiropractor. The techniques they use help target a number of different injuries, stiffness or soft tissue damage. Rehabilitating soft tissue can help the horse reduce their pain levels, increase movement and begin to move normally again.
Equine Sports Massage - is a hands on form of therapy for your horse that covers the whole body. It involves assessing and manipulating a range of layers of soft tissue structures below the skin by using a range of soft tissue techniques, stretches and joint mobilisation to loosen up the area being worked on.
Chiropractor - their main role is to work on the horse's skeleton by using controlled movements to correct and relieve pressure and restore range of movement to the spinal column. They tend to focus on the spine and the pelvis area.
Osteopath - is a manual therapy that works on the musculoskeletal system. It restores the maximum mobility and balance to the body and therefore restoring natural harmony, so that everything functions properly.
Acupuncture - is the insertion of fine needles through the skin in particular points to cause a therapeutic effect.

There are a few other complementary therapies that could also have been listed such as red light and laser therapy but I have missed this off as they are really something only the above qualified people and vets should be practising. If someone advertises themselves as being able to use a laser or read light therapy without holding a qualification from a reliable provider then you should dig deeper into their knowledge and qualifications before using them.
So let's get into what equine sports massage is and what it can do for your horse. As mentioned above equine sports massage is a hands on therapy that treats the whole of the horse's body by using a number of massage techniques to manipulate different layers of soft tissue to loosen tight areas. The aim of equine sports massage is to release areas of tightness and encourage relaxation. Sports massage is for all horses and ponies no matter their age or work load. It has so many benefits which all lead to improved performance and a more comfortable and happy horse.
Why Use Equine Sports Massage?
Benefits of Equine Sports massage
Increased range of movement (ROM)
Improved performance
Improved suppleness
Improved flexibility
Encourages relaxation aiding in relieving stress
Loosens tight muscles
Stretches connective tissue
Relieves muscle cramps and spasms and decreases fatigue
Loosens joints
Increases muscle strength
Calms the nervous system
Firms muscles and skin tone
Speeds up the healing process from an injury or illness
Improves lymphatic drainage which removes toxins from the body
Increases circulation
Studies show massage helps horses and ponies who suffer from Laminitis
Is a natural pain relief
Improves posture
Improves stamina
Can prevent injury
And there are many many more to list!

When Not To Use Equine Sports Massage:
There are a few circumstances where massage should no be used, these include:
When mares are pregnant - the relaxation which massage encourages can cause the mare to go into too early labour
If your horse is severely lame - it is best to wait till the horse is sound then a better assessment can be done and your horse can get more from their session.
Where there is open wounds
If your horse has malignant cancer as massage can speed up the production of tumours
If your horse has a sign condition or is showing signs of a skin condition - by performing massage this could spread the condition to unaffected areas making the skin condition harder to treat.
Infection
When To Use Equine Sports Massage?
There are a number of signs that will indicate your horse is in need of s sports massage and you yourself will know when your horse is feeling off and when they need to be seen by their equine sports massage therapist.
Short striding
Lack of impulsion
Counter canter or picking up the wrong canter lead
Stiff on one side
Not wanting to bending or turning especially if it is one way
Girthy
Sore areas - you may notice this when grooming
Knocking fences
More difficult to ride than normal
Bucking, bolting or taking off, generally sharper than normal
Highly strung, anxious or stressed
Head shaking
Because you want to give them a treat!
I always say you know your horses and ponies best so while these signs may not present your horse or pony may be a bit off and not their general self which of course as their owner you will notice or get that gut feeling telling you something isn't quite right. Horses are very good at not showing pain and just getting on with life so trust your instinct. A massage could still benefit them.
Dr Sue Dyson has a very good piece of research that looks into pain, The Equine Pain Ethogram. It is worth a google and read if you have a minute to look into it. A quick overview of this research is 24 behaviours in a ridden horse which indicate pain. Sue goes on to say that if the horse or pony presents 8 or more of these signs then there is an issue somewhere as the horse is definitely displaying pain when ridden. I first heard about this in the Horses Inside Out webinar Gat A Head and did some research on it. Dr Chris Pearce who is a vet that specialises in equine dentistry talked about the Pain Ethogram and went on to say just because a symptom is displaying in an area, for example the head doesn't mean that that is where the root cause of the pain is. People often think head and think it is teeth related and then of course think equine dentists. But Chris discussed how it is good to get a massage therapist or physio out before the dentist as from Sue’s research very few causes were as a result of dental pain issues. The horse's body has many different chains of muscle which connect different parts of the body so an issue can result at the front head of the horse often the poll area but the issue actually originates in the hind end of the horse, often sacroiliac area and of course this works vice versa.

Another time equine massage should be used is before you are bringing your horse back into work or a few weeks into bringing them back into work. Why would you get your horses treated before they come back into work? Getting them accessed before starting work will give you an idea of if they are ready for work again or what level you should start them at. Your massage therapist will also be able to give you exercises/stretches to strengthen your horse or pony before starting work or taking the weight of riding. Their posture may have changed from the lack of muscle due to them not working and their core muscles not being as strong, a massage will help to improve their posture so they are working in a more correct manner. Another reason it is good to have them assessed is they may have slipped or fallen in the field or in their stable over the winter without you knowing which could have resulted in a minor injury that would not be noticeable, like a strained muscle. A massage therapist will be able to pick up on this by how the muscle feels and relieve any tension in the muscle making the horse more comfortable and move more freely. Your horse or pony could also have a sore back which if you add a saddle and the weight of a rider to, this could cause pain and then a reaction which results as unwanted behaviour when ridden and of course the pain will get worse if untreated. So in general a massage will make sure your horse is ready to start work by addressing any pain or tension in their body and making sure they are prepared to start work.
Everyone has their own opinion on this but generally speaking this is the more popular option and the one i would recommend. Get your equine sports massage therapist to access your horse before a saddle fitting appointment and get them out after you have had your equine dentist do work on their teeth. Let me explain this one so you can understand it and it makes sense why this way round is better. Having your horse treated before the saddle fitter ensures they are comfortable, balanced and aligned before the saddle fitter accesses the fit of their saddle, this will give our saddle fitter a more accurate picture and be able to fit the saddle more accurately. The reason for opting to have a massage treatment after the dentist has been is due to the tension that can build in the TMJ and areas around it from wearing the dental gag for a prolonged period of time. The TMJ is an area sports massage therapist works on and gets a lot of lovely releases from treating this area.


Of course the more regular you get an equine sports massage therapist to treat your horse the more they learn to relax and release all that tension during their treatment and therefore get more benefits from the treatment. This doesn’t mean you need to have your horse massaged every month, although it is beneficial especially to competition horses or ponies in hard work. Every couple of months or every 3 months works well for most horses that are amateur level/enjoy horses as a hobby and do the odd competition at the weekend - that's what I have found from going out and treating horses and ponies. I personally think prevention is better than cure but of course you have to consider what you can afford and financially is it realistic and sustainable. You will find how regular works best for you and your horse or pony as you continue to use a massage therapist, you will get to know if your horse or pony needs to see an equine sports massage therapist more regularly or less regularly.
I hope you leave this blog with a better understanding of equine sports massage and the other therapies available and that you have learnt something from this blog. Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your feedback on this blog. I will leave some contact details below and if you can comment on this blog please leave comment and a like ❤
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