“My horse is old, would he really benefit from an equine sports massage?”

This is a commonly asked question.  There is a misconception that Equine Sports massage is only beneficial to horses and ponies in regular work or that are competing in an equine sport.

As the horse gets older, it is inevitable they will begin to suffer from loss of muscle tone and a degree of poor circulation.

The circulatory system not only delivers life giving nutrients to bodily tissues, it also removes degenerative waste materials and toxins from those same tissues. Equine bodywork and sports massage is proven to greatly improve circulation, stimulate muscle tissue and improve mobility which in itself can slow down the progression of arthritis.

At Equisio, we use a range of different massage strokes combined with passive stretch exercises which can gain a multitude of benefits to your horse.

These strokes can help to increase the blood flow to the underlying soft tissues of the big muscle groups of the hindquarters, neck and back, including joints.

A technique that uses a combination of compression, cross-fibre friction and effluerage is very beneficial in horses with muscle wasting as the compression acts like a pump, pulling blood into the wasted tissue.  It is then followed by cross-fibre  friction and effluerage to clear waste build up from those tissues.  Older horses with the stereotypical sway back can really benefit from this treatment

By adding some basic stretches to your horses routine can really help in keeping them flexible, supple combined with maintaining good joint health.  During your session with Emma, she will demonstrate and teach you some basic stretches that you can utilise at home with your horse or pony.

If you would like to discuss your retired horse or pony, please contact Emma Truswell via the contact page on our website.

 

 

Rupert aged 34 benefits from regular treatments with Emma at Equisio Ltd