Sports massage
Flexibility, balance, and supple muscles
Horses can also suffer from muscle soreness. This can be due to intensive training, a crazy outburst in the field, stress, an incorrect movement, acidification, nutrition, … Massage provides improved blood flow, therefore the muscles will quickly feel more supple and flexible.
For all horses
A sports massage is good for all horses. Especially for horses that suffer from tense muscles. This tension often manifests itself in a lopsided horse, a horse that prefers to bend to one side rather than the other, a horse that prefers a certain canter or just switches every time. Jumping horses often do this just before the jump. Horses that show asymmetry and therefore carry one leg slightly higher than the other. Some horses have so much tension in their back that it is difficult to sit on them or they protest by bucking or rearing.
A typical location where a lot of muscle tension builds up is around the shoulder blades. Often you see that 1 shoulder is just slightly higher than the other, or 1 side that has more muscle. This can have several causes:
- Stress (horses that lift big)
- Training (especially training on withers elevator, carrying the chest higher, side pass, …)
- Uneven feet
- …
Also common is tension and stiffness in the lower back and hindquarters. Often you notice that you “can’t get your under correctly”, that he lacks power and drive in the hind legs, that your horse consists of 2 parts, a front that goes well and a hind end that follows rather passively, you see that 1 hip is just a little higher than the other, or 1 side that has more muscle, horses that jump in a disunited canter, …
Prevent injuries!
Prevention is better than cure. A sports massage at regular intervals works preventively. After all, muscles that are too tight and/or too stiff increase the risk of injury. Don’t wait too long, don’t wait until your horse is limping. Horses unfortunately cannot talk, yet they can make a lot of things clear to us through their behavior. Horses showing unwanted behavior or running into something at training often tells you something. Maybe you can’t figure out what the problem is, contacting a specialist who can give advice or point you in the right direction might help.
Specific to sport horses
For sports horses, a weekly or monthly schedule is usually established and takes their competition schedule into account. If there are multi-day competitions, massage can also be done at the location of the competition. This is also possible for FEI events as I have been recognized by FEI as an “FEI permitted therapist”.
Before or after riding?
Horses can be massaged before or after riding. However, I make a distinction between sport and recreation. Sport horses that are massaged on a regular basis (at least one a month) can be massaged before “the big race” in consultation with rider and trainer. The muscles get more oxygen, have a longer endurance and they can do just that little bit more that may or may not lead to victory. Just that one extra short turn, the last sprint to the finish, just that little bit more symmetry and suppleness, … In all other situations I prefer to massage after riding so that your horse can relax afterwards in peace and quiet, preferably in the meadow. If you would like to ride or exercise your horse before the massage (this is not necessary) make sure your horse is completely cooled down, dismounted, on breath and dry.
When not?
If your horse is sick, then it can’t be massaged. Please pass this on as soon as possible. Think of glanders, severe cold, fever, … Does your horse have cancerous tumors, hears or liver problems, is she pregnant, recently had an operation or colic, … If so, consult with your veterinarian.