THE HORSESS L
B
y now, one would think that every training method and every health and wellness product imaginable has been discovered for both equestrian and equine. Baby-boomer equestrians might remember that forty years
ago, Jack Meagher was a pioneer in equine sports massage. His popular 1985 book, Beating Muscle Injuries for Horses, still graces the bookshelves of many equestrians today. Yet, according to Jim Masterson, we have more to learn from our equine athletes about their musculature and its tension, soreness and strain. And thankfully, for the horses’ benefit, as they spoke, Jim was listening.
Jim’s Discoveries Fifteen years ago, Jim Masterson of Fairfield, Iowa never intended to become a massage therapist for either horse or human. In fact, he knew absolutely nothing about the subject. He was a show groom and horse hauler for a hunter/ jumper barn in the Midwest. Then one fateful day, Jim observed two massage therapists together work on a horse in a gentle manner. “I was fascinated by the subtle responses in the horse’s
POKE ISTENING
RELEASING TENSION WITH THE MASTERSON METHOD Over time, Jim learned how to stay under the horse’s
threshold of bracing and resistance by softening and releasing at just the right moment. “Horses indicate a release of tension with large release responses, such as repeated yawning, snorting and sneezing, and rolling back the second eyelid,” he explains. Other, smaller release responses include blinking and chewing. As Jim developed his methodology, he was fortunate
to work with competitive show jumpers where the riders, trainers, veterinarians and other therapists were able to give him feedback. “With this information,” he continues, “I was able to determine what specific areas of the horse consistently accumulated tension in work, which when released, showed improvement in performance.” Eventually his breakthrough techniques were packaged into what he’s trademarked “The Masterson Method.”
Jim Masterson works on unlocking the poll-atlas junction of the horse.
eyes, lips and breathing as they slowly ran their hands lightly over his body. By the time they were done, the horse was very relaxed,” Jim recounts. Intrigued by what he saw that day, he was fortunate to spend a few hours with the women learning the basics of their massage techniques. Later, at his barn at home, he began working on the horses himself, relying 100% on each horse’s subtle responses with their eyes and mouth to guide him. “I had virtually no other training in massage, so I had no choice but to rely on the reactions from each horse, no matter how slight, as I experimented with different levels of touch. I discovered that I could get a response from the horse with almost no contact at all.”
36 July/August 2012
Is it Difficult? Since his techniques are different from traditional massage, Jim
jokingly refers to The Masterson Method as “lazy man’s massage,” since it’s not physically taxing on the practitioner’s hands and fingers. (A certain amount of strength to pick up and hold the legs of the horse is expected for that part of the therapy.) Patience, time, and constant observance of the horse are critical to mastering his techniques. In addition, a quiet environment is ideal but not mandatory. The classic “less is more” theory applies in many ways throughout the program. Options for learning The Masterson Method include the newly published instructional DVD and a glossy 200-page book entitled Beyond Horse Massage, which contains many helpful photos and diagrams. (For about the cost of a riding lesson, you can purchase both on
By Liz Cornell
Jim
was
Photo by Rhett Savoie
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