Healthy Horses Equine Massage
Canter Corner: Back Massage "How To"
Have you ever experienced a sore back from doing too much yard work in one weekend? Or, do you have chronic pain from a previous back muscle injury? If you answered “Yes” to either question, then chances are you have turned to massage therapy to help relieve your body from that stress and tension.
When you left the massage studio, did you feel relaxed and pain free? Were you able to reach higher and move your body more freely and comfortably?
Humans can seek medical help when they are suffering, but a horse is entirely dependent on their human for help.
I believe that horse owners truly want to take the best care of their equine partners, and Healthy HorsesEquine Sports Massage Therapy can help ensure that the healthy partnership continues to flourish. Try this back massage sequence on your horse to help him/her feel better right away!
STEP 1 "Percussion": Start out holding your hand out like a “karate chop”, then curve your fingers slightly. Starting at the withers, bounce or “per cuss” your hand up and down, along the entire back muscle using light pressure. Go back and forth at light pressure on the first pass, then the next pass at medium pressure and the third and final pass at heavy pressure. It is important that you focus on your horse and read his body language to know what light, medium and heavy should be. This pressure will be different for every horse.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT use ANY percussion over the horse’s kidney area so be sure to avoid the kidney area when making your passes. If you are unsure where the kidney is, see the photo where the hand is placed over the kidney area.
When you left the massage studio, did you feel relaxed and pain free? Were you able to reach higher and move your body more freely and comfortably?
Humans can seek medical help when they are suffering, but a horse is entirely dependent on their human for help.
I believe that horse owners truly want to take the best care of their equine partners, and Healthy HorsesEquine Sports Massage Therapy can help ensure that the healthy partnership continues to flourish. Try this back massage sequence on your horse to help him/her feel better right away!
STEP 1 "Percussion": Start out holding your hand out like a “karate chop”, then curve your fingers slightly. Starting at the withers, bounce or “per cuss” your hand up and down, along the entire back muscle using light pressure. Go back and forth at light pressure on the first pass, then the next pass at medium pressure and the third and final pass at heavy pressure. It is important that you focus on your horse and read his body language to know what light, medium and heavy should be. This pressure will be different for every horse.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT use ANY percussion over the horse’s kidney area so be sure to avoid the kidney area when making your passes. If you are unsure where the kidney is, see the photo where the hand is placed over the kidney area.
Step 2: Back Rub
Lay the palm of your hand flat on the horse’s back, starting at the withers. Quickly Rub your hand back and forth making 6 passes at medium pressure from the withers to the croup. It’s perfectly fine to go over the kidney area on this portion of the sequence.
Step 3: "Circles"
Starting at the withers, use your fingertips to make large circles back and forth on the horses back. Use the same path you used for the back rub and do this at light pressure on the first pass. On the second pass up and back, use medium pressure and medium sized circles. On the final pass, use heavy pressure and small circles up and back.
