Why Massage?
Increase Performance
Get the edge on the competition with pre-event muscle preparation and mental relaxation. Increase your horse's stride length, flexibility and muscle tone.
Improve Recovery
Get your horse back on track. Relieve muscle tension and stiffness caused by exercise or injury, reduce pain and spasm, remove lactic acid build-up and prevent/reduce scar tissue.
Prevent Injury
Set your horse up to work the right way. Prepare muscles for work to ensure optimum function and posture, improve tissue elasticity to reduce likelihood of muscle tearing and encourage blood circulation for healthy body function.
Relieve Tension
Allow your horse to relax and refresh. Alleviate tension caused by excess pressures of tack placement and rider loading, improve posture and provide them with a well-deserved pampering!
Technique
My therapy involves a thorough analysis of the whole horse – from posture, conformation and movement through to exercise regime, behaviour and owner management choices – in order to select the most suitable therapeutic intervention for that individual horse.
A variety of techniques are brought together with the aim of increasing comfort, relaxation, range of motion and well-being. My approach is predominantly an amalgamation of sports massage, myofascial release, trigger/stress point therapy, joint mobilisation, active/passive stretching and core strengthening, along with suggestions for further rehabilitative exercises for owners as appropriate.
I carry minimal pieces of kit, preferring my hands as my main and most effective tool. However, the beneficial effects of heat is well-documented, and I do find that my heat-pad can be very helpful in certain circumstances to ease tense muscle prior to massage in a particular area. I also utilise my massage gun where appropriate for deep tissue loosening over large muscle groups only. Kinesiology taping is useful for longer term support, relaxation or strengthening of certain muscles or joints.
I aim to make sessions as relaxing and therefore as therapeutic as possible. Studies have shown that certain music types can have a calming effect on horses, and as such I have a selection of appropriate music choices available to play during sessions if desired!
Services
Remedial/Relaxation Massage
- Initial Palpation
- Range-of-Movement Analysis
- Full Body Massage
- Focused Remedial Work
- Variety of Techniques as Required
- Mobilisation/Stretch Routines
- Follow-up Exercises/Stretches Suggested
Video Assessment Only
- Horse Profiling
- Conformation/Posture Analysis
- In-Hand Motion Analysis
- Short Palpation
- Range-of-Movement Analysis
Competition Massage
- Tailored to Your Requirements
- Pre-Competition Massage
- Post-Competition Massage
- Travel Prep/Recovery
- Stimulating Sports Massage for Performance
- Relaxation for Anxious Competitors
- At Yard or Competition Venue
Rehab Exercise Follow-Up
- Bespoke Service based on a Rehab Plan
- Follow-Up Stretches
- Core Conditioning Exercises
- Groundwork Exercises including Pole Work
- Long-Lining/Lungeing
Add-On Services
Kinesiology Taping
Video Assessment
Tack Impact Assessment
Ridden Analysis
About
Equine Massage & Rehabilitation for Health & Performance (EMA) Practitioner
(Level 5 qualification – passed with distinction 2018)
I embarked on this qualification having experienced first-hand the power of massage, both physically and mentally, in a veteran horse struggling through a difficult winter. Feeling helpless, I took it upon myself to research some basic massage and stretching techniques with the aim of making this well-loved mare feel more comfortable. However, the potential I saw in this form of therapy extended well beyond my expectations. After just one hour of very rudimentary massage attempts, I was amazed to see a visible change in mood, posture, appetite and behaviour, and on top of this, the closeness and gratitude I felt from this usually unaffectionate mare was remarkable and very special. Over time, with regular massage interventions, this mare thrived through to a very happy summer and beyond…and I knew what career I was destined for!
I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work within this industry. For over 25 years, horses have been my passion, and I have always felt that any time spent with them is a true privilege. The more I have learned, the more driven I have felt to pass my knowledge on, and to help in some small way to ensure that our well-loved equine partners are receiving the attention and consideration that they wholly deserve. Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes and a trained pair of hands is all that is needed to enhance the horse-human relationship to a point where major goals can be achieved.
When not ‘working’, I enjoy being with my own beautiful Gelderlander cross mare, Jules, who I aim to hack and to lightly compete as an allrounder as she regains her fitness and condition after some time out. Luckily, she enjoys massage(!), and her love of carrots makes the daily neck stretches particularly successful…!