Sports Massage
Sports massage is a non-diagnostic, non-invasive, gentle, hands on soft tissue discipline that addresses the horse's body as a whole.
All horses can benefit from an equine sports massage. This can range from a treasured family pony, to a top competition horse. their muscles work hard for you and they can all benefit.
Used during training and pre and post competition massage keeps muscles healthy, builds up those that may have wasted, maintains strength and suppleness and prevents atrophy even during a period of box rest or restricted work. After exertion massage minimises stiffness and speeds repair to tissue damaged as an inevitable result of physical stress and fatigue. Passive stretches help to keep or restore joints and muscles to full working capacity.
Equine Sports Massage has the effect of:
- Inducing relaxation of muscles and horse
- Increasing and improving circulation
- Releasing hypertonic, spasming and traumatised muscles
- Enhancing muscle tone
- Enabling recovery from injury and atrophy
- Alleviating pain
- Prevent and relieve adhesions
- Increase range of movement
- Assisting detoxification and lymphatic drainage
More than 60% of the horses body weight is muscle. Small muscle injuries can take up to 90 days to become apparent (by a change in attitude, decreased performance and lameness) by which time they may have caused more serious injury. Prompt attention to these 'minor' muscle injuries not only enhances a horse's performance but also may prevent future problems. Muscle tightening is transmitted from one muscle group to another, so for example, shoulder tension may be transmitted to the muscles of the forearm, resulting in extra stress being placed on the tendons. Muscle may also enlarge with tension.
A sports massage consultation also includes laser therapy, stretching and rehabilitation exercises , to enhance the benefits even further.