Equine Massage

Promote relaxation, stress relief, muscle recovery.

Massage... it's not just for humans. And, well, they're carrying us on their backs.

It's likely no surprise that horses can become tired, worn out, and their muscles can become sore. After all, they've adapted over time to carry the weight of a rider on their backs, and most do so without ever "telling us 'no'." Equine massage can help prevent injury in your horse and aid in effective and fast recovery. It's one of the most effective ways to balance and maintain the musculoskeletal system.

As a delightful bonus, most horses enjoy equine massage and find it a relaxing experience. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Which one of us would deny the restorative power of massage to our own tired bodies?

Everyone needs some lovin'. I highly recommend having the BEMER PEMF Therapy session first, followed by equine massage, for the greatest benefits to your horse.

My Goals for Your Equine Massage Session

Enhance suppleness and relaxation. Release stress points in muscles to alleviate pain and promote recovery. Explore your horse's natural range of motion and flexibility to pinpoint and improve movement and riding performance through regular bodywork.

Increases flexibility, range of motion, muscle alignment & elasticity.
Reduces muscle fatigue, inflammation and tightness.
Improves trust and bonding (helps to tackle psychological issues)
Increases blood flow to replenish and repair muscle fibers.
Pinpoints problem areas in your horse's body (extremely helpful to your vet!)
Provides pain relief, encouraging the release of endorphins.
Increases physical performance and optimizes suppleness.
Speeds up the recovery process after an injury.
Improves post-recovery and regeneration after surgery.
Prevents numerous illnesses, physical & psychological.

Top 10 Benefits of Equine Massage

Constant perceptive observation and empathy. I will do whatever pressure the horse needs and likes, which means I need to be aware of subtle nuances in their behavior, facial expressions and body language.

Stretching. I will explore your horse's natural range of motion and flexibility to pinpoint stiffness, discomfort, inflexibility, tolerance of the movement. This helps me in knowing where to focus first. It also becomes a benchmark in establishing improvement in functional movement and riding performance through regular bodywork.

Myofascial Release. Pressure can vary from light to deep or slow to rapid. The goal is to affect the mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors and neuroreceptors. These receptors are found throughout the skin, fascia, muscle, joint capsules etc. If the horse is very sore, and can't handle much, then I will use other techniques.

Sports Massage. There are various points located in the musculotendinous junction of the origin of the muscle. The "origin" is the anchored section of the muscle that endures the most stress. The point is located and treated with direct pressure, friction, and compression techniques. It's a combination of deep tissue and fascia release; and the horse usually let's me know how much pressure to use.

Massage with Tools. During the massage, I typically use a Posture Prep Tool, and I'll show you how to use it. If I have an extra tool and you'd like to keep the tool, it's $20. The Posture Prep Tool helps to release the fascia that covers the muscles (like many fingertips that never tire).

Massage Techniques

Complete my contact form so I have all your details.
Send me confirmation pictures of your horse.
If your barn is more than 50 miles from Temple, PA, travel fees of $0.65/mile apply.
Clear a 60-minute (minimum) window for the entire bodywork session. If you choose to do BEMER PEMF therapy before the massage (highly recommended!) make sure to clear a 90-minute window.
Don't schedule the session too close to feeding times.
See my In-Person Service Payment Policy for all the details on how and when to pay.
I will send a reminder (via text) the day before our appointment.

Before your horse's bodywork session...

Ready to do this?

Equine Massage Session

~ 45-60 minutes

$85/session

Let's do this!

INCLUDES:

Use of the most ideal massage techniques for your horse.
A post-massage conversation around what I found during the massage, incredibly sore areas (with a light exploration of possible causes) and a review of ideal stretches for your horse.
Recommendation of follow-up bodywork sessions.

Very recent pictures of your horse are incredibly important for me to properly plan for bodywork with your horse. Your horse should be "squared up" to show their natural symmetry.

The first picture I need is from behind – a view over the back – as you can see here. The second picture should be the side profile, as seen.

Please make sure to share all important details, including confirmation pictures, when completing my contact form. Share anything you've noted so I understand your expectations of the bodywork and can plan accordingly.

Confirmation pictures help me plan