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Equine
Sports Massage Therapy
Common Muscular Problems:
Refusing
or Resisting Leads
Head and Neck Discomfort
Shortened Strides
Hind Leg Scuffing
Hip and Shoulder Lameness
Improper Tracking
Girthing Problems
Stumbling
Tossing of Head
Poor Disposition
Difficulty with Lateral Moment
Loss of Performance Ability
More
than 60% of a horse’s body weight is skeletal muscle.
A muscle injury can take several months to become apparent. In that
length of time more serious injury could occur.
Prompt attention to minor injuries can prevent future problems and
enhance performance.
Muscles are bands of fiber which stretch and contract.
If a number of these fibers spasm due to overuse, the result can be an
inability of the muscle to stretch to full length.
When we work a muscle it is subject to knotting up.
This, in turn, can cause the entire muscle to tighten and spasm,
affecting the movement of the muscle. It
can be a searing pain, or just a mild discomfort.
As the spasm becomes more irritated from on going use, more fibers are
added to the spasm. The larger it
becomes the more discomfort is felt. This
can cause the horse to guard that area and use other muscle groups to
compensate. Spasms shorten the
length of the muscle and thus restrict movement.
We can put up with the pain, or seek medical assistance.
A horse is dependent on you, however, their owner.
They cannot verbally tell you that they hurt, so they relay the message
in other ways. Poor performance can
be a result of resistance. Temperament
can be affected. Disobedience can be
related to discomfort. When pain is
relieved, disposition will improve.
Benefits of Massage:
Relieving Muscle Spasm /
Increased Circulation
Increased Performance
Increased Endurance
Helps to Prevent Injury
Improves Stamina
Improves Flexibility
Relieves Stiffness
Enhances Muscle Tone
Removal of Toxins and Metabolic Waste
Massage
techniques can accomplish increased performance and endurance as well as helping
to prevent injury. It increases
circulation reducing muscle tension & stress, the primary cause of muscle
injury. Blood is a very important
ingredient in our makeup. We could
not live without it. It contains
nutrients that help heal the body and keep the body healthy when it is flowing
properly. Unfortunately, sometimes
things happen in our bodies to disrupt the blood flow.
A muscle tightens, scar tissue that has built up from a previous injury,
toxins and waste products that haven’t been flushed out of the body properly
can all inhibit blood from flowing. This
can cause stiffness, pain, and even numbness.
Massaging the muscles can relax them enough to allow the blood to
circulate better and do what it was designed to do.
Mental relaxation and prevention of muscle atrophy is also a benefit of
massage. It can lessen the risk of
injury from strain or fatigue or be used for rehabilitation.
Regular massage can help guard against future muscle injuries, relaxed
gait, free flowing movements, and all around wellness
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