Follow with effleurage, 3 to 5 times, increasing your pressure from 3-5 pounds up to 10-12 pounds. Continue with wringing massage movements across the entire back (10 pounds pressure), again from withers to rump and back to withers, to boost circulation and loosen the back muscles. Follow with effleurages massage movements. Next, use some light hacking moves (8 to 10 pounds of pressure) along the entire back to reach deeper in the muscle structures.
Complete your session with some finger frictions along the course of the longissimus dorsi and the iliocostalis dorsi muscles to further loosen and relax the muscle fibers. Intersperse with lots of effleurages and finish your treatment with the Wringing-Effleurage-Stroking approach over the entire back.
STRETCHING THE BACK Get your horse to round and stretch his back muscle by stimulating the gluteal muscles. A carrot stretch to bring the nose of the horse down in between his forelegs is very good to release his back tension. Regular stretching before and
after exercise will maintain your horse’s back flexibility.
HYDROTHERAPY To maximize your session, consider the “Ice-cup massage technique.” You’ll want to have on hand a 4- to 8-ounce paper or foam cup that was previously filled with water and frozen. When you’re ready for your session, peel the rim of the cup away, and holding the cup by the bottom, massage using a circular motion with light pressure for about 5 minutes on each side of back. The coolness produced by the ice-cup massage application will soothe the nerve endings irritated in the back muscles and contribute to flushing the circulation within the back muscle structures.
A daily application of massage, stretching and cool hydrotherapy will speed your horse’s recovery. A weekly application of the same care program will be an effective preventive measure.
Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt, LMT, CEO Animal Awareness, has practiced as a Licensed Massage Terapist since 1983. His Massage Awareness Method® blends ancient traditional techniques and the latest developments in modern massage therapy. On his website
www.animalawareness.com, he offers a free library of articles on relevant topics about young, mature and aging animal care.
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www.techmixglobal.com Holistic Horse™ • February/March 2012 • Vol.19, Issue 77
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