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What is Massage?
The assessment and treatment of soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, fascia, and blood vessels as well as addressing joints in the body. Used through manipulations to relieve pain, develop, maintain, and rehabilitate physical function.Why massage horses?
Due to the increased demand on the equine body, tissues need to be maintained through flexibility to prevent injury as well as excel the horse’s performance. Massage will enhance the horse’s performance by releasing restrictions that may limit the horse to full function. It will stretch soft tissue fibres to increase the horse’s flexibility for maximum stride length, extension and promote symmetry of the horse’s body. If we as horse owners demand 100% from our horses, we need to provide the services for the horse to do so.
Benefits of Massage:
-Improves blood supply to the body
-Improving and maintaining the range of motion of joints
-Increases nutrient supply to muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and reduces waste product accumulation
-Promotes proper fibre alignment in healing soft tissues
-Balancing muscle groups and promoting improved posture
-Addressing compensatory changes
-Releases restrictions and contractures
-Mechanically increases venous and lymphatic flow
-Improves renal, intestinal, skin, and lung functions
-Relieves pain
-Overall relaxation or stimulation and a sense of wellbeing
-Also can be used to rehabilitate the horse
Body Structures that are affected by massage:
-Muscular system (muscles and tendons)
-Skeletal system (joints, joint capsule, articular cartilage, synovial fluid, bone)
-Circulatory system (veins, arteries, capillaries, heart muscle)
-Lymphatic system (vessels and lymph nodes)
-Respiratory system (increases lung function and oxygen exchange)
-Eliminatory system (urinary and gastrointestinal)
-Respiratory system (increases lung function and oxygen exchange)
-Eliminatory system (urinary and gastrointestinal)
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