Equine Massage
Horse Massage Therapy
Equine massage is horse massage therapy. This form of animal massage has become popular with horse owners recently. The use of this massage helps increase race horses performances about 20 percent.
Horse massage can be traced back thousands of years. The ancient Greeks used to massage warriors and their horses before going to battle.
Animal massage has the same affect on animals as massage has on humans. Massage helps increase circulation in muscles encouraging the movement of wastes out of the muscles and the movement of oxygen rich blood into the muscles. It promotes relaxation in horses. It soothes the tension that race horses feel in their muscles and helps speed the healing of injured muscles. It helps increase flexiblity and ranges of motion allowing the horse to move more freely.
Massage therapists use various parts of their hands to massage the muscles of the horses. Horses are large strong animals with dense mucles. Therapists trained in equine massage are specially trained to work the thick muscles of a horse efficiently. They know the anatomy of horses in detail and are trained in the behavior of horses.
The massage strokes used in this type of massage are similar to the strokes used in Swedish massage therapy. It also includes strokes that don't originate with Swedish massage but are used in a variety of other types of massage. Those strokes include the following:
- effleurage
- petrissage
- tapotement
- friction
- myofascial release
- compression
- wringing
- skin rolling
- picking up
When done by the handler, horse massage increases the bond between the horse and handler. It is good for calming upset animals and soothing a nervous horse.
Massage can be a good way not only to keep your horse healthy but to keep it performing at its peak for as long as possible.
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