MARCH/APRIL 2012 THE RIDER /77 The Benefits of Equine Massage Therapy
By Sabrina Taylor, S.J. Taylor Equine Massage
Are you struggling with a horse that lacks stamina? Is your horse lethargic and not working at his/her maximum perfor- mance level? Has your horse recently sustained an injury that has not yet fully recovered? We at S.J. Tay- lor Equine Massage under- stand that at times, it can be a frustrating exercise to determine the answers to these questions and discov-
another crucial area where Equine Massage can be beneficial.
There are numerous reasons to have your horse massaged, helping him/her recover from an injury, issues with decreased per- formance levels due to muscle soreness brought on by over stretching and rapid cool down, poor sad- dle fit as noted above, or perhaps merely simple relaxation. In fact, your horse does not need to have an existing problem to ben- efit from Mas- sage Therapy.
Mas-
sage is the manipulation of soft tissue in order to achieve relaxation or stimulation, while working on various trig- ger points in the body. Simply put, massage is an effective tool when utilized by humans and equally benefi- cial when applied to hors- es. Some of the benefits to Equine Mas-
er the source of your horse’s ailment. Why not consider a more natural
sage treatment include increased and improved performance due to the
improvement of jumping and turning etc., helping your horse reach its maxi- mum performance poten- tial.
Additionally, studies have shown that massaging a horse before competition can result in as much as 20% increase in the ani- mal’s efficiency!
Since 2006, S.J. Tay- lor Equine Massage has been providing a variety of treatments, including Therapeutic Massage,
Relaxational Massage, Pre- event Massage, Post-event Massage, Stretching, Hydrotherapy/Cryo-Thera- py.
Owner Sabrina J Tay- lor is a fully insured and qualified Certified Equine Massage Therapist and Registered Reiki Master/Teacher. Sabrina J Taylor is a passionate advocate promoting the care and well being of our equine companions. Sabri- na J Taylor brings over 6
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approach to solving these problems via equine Mas- sage Therapy? S.J. Taylor Equine Massage can help you with many of the prob- lems and symptoms your horse may be experiencing and help you forge a stronger bond with your horse in the process.
A common complaint heard by many of our clients is back pain, a majority of which can be attributed to an ill-fitting saddle. If you are noticing increased resentment of your horse towards sad- dling or girthing, uneven muscle development, dete- rioration in your horse’s performance, changes in hair colour (white hair) and /or soft swelling upon removal of the saddle, poor alignment of the saddle is the likely culprit. Proper saddle fit is fundamentally important to the welfare, comfort and performance of the horse. Regular re- flocking of the saddle can provide several benefits. Improper/poor saddle fit is
release of endorphins, and increased relaxation and reduction in stress, all of which lead to a much more content and relaxed animal. Massage has been proven to be a useful tool to help with relaxation. A stressed horse is not a relaxed horse. As seasoned riders know, a stressed horse will not perform to its greatest ability. Through Equine Massage, the anxiety level of the stressed horse is decreased and he/she enjoys greater overall freedom of move- ment. This is evident in the resulting confidence displayed by the horse after a Massage Therapy treat- ment.
Massage can increase blood flow circulation, which then expedites the elimination of wastes and toxic buildup from sore and fatigued muscles.
Massage is also an integral way to increase the overall mobility and range of motion of the horse, which can assist in the
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