Massage therapy can be very helpful when it comes to maintaining performance and health. Racetrack grooms for example discovered some time ago that a form of slapping (with towels wrapped around the hand and applied with a soft wrist) helped maintain a certain amount of conditioning for racehorses that were laid up due to injury. The technique stimulated the muscle tissue, therefore reducing the amount of time needed to recondition the horse after lay-up. It also supported the healing process more effectively by reducing stress and increasing circulation.

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE THERAPY

Depending on client’s needs, massage therapy focuses on:

• Rehabilitation after injury or surgery
• Restoring optimal/normal range of motion by reducing adhesions and releasing tight muscles
• Performance enhancement by shortening recovery time between performances
• Restoring balance/symmetry
• Nervous system stimulation
• Stimulating muscle tone
• Pain relief
• Increased elimination of metabolic waste
• Relaxation and general overall wellbeing

How massage helps

Massage therapy accelerates the healing process of fascial & myofascial tissue disorders and restores normal/optimal muscle function. It also ensures optimal and repeatable performances that can give performances a competitive edge.

In addition, massage therapy supports chiropractic treatments by allowing the tissues and muscles to respond better to the adjustments and making them last longer.

Most people think of relaxation when they think of massage therapy (human or animal). Although this is a component of most massage techniques, it is not the main one, unless a massage is given to primarily achieve relaxation. For example, massage can correct gait abnormalities if they are caused by muscular dysfunction (usually caused by overly tight muscles that overpower the antagonist muscles) or scar restrictions, like gelding scars (restrictions are usually present if the gelding scar is cool or cold to the touch, indicating a lack of circulation due to scar tissue.)

Uneven wear patterns in hooves—being high on the lateral side, but flaring on the medial side—can also be a sign of musculo-skeletal imbalances. This is often directly related to tight pectoral muscles between the front legs and the adductors in the hind legs. Muscle release therapy helps to improve the postural habits, thereby improving the wear patterns on the hooves and makes them more balanced overall. Horses adductor and pectoral muscles commonly overpower the antagonist muscles on the lateral side.

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