YOUR HORSE'S CARE KEEPING HIM COMFY | MASSAGE
AS ANYONE WHO has enjoyed a massage knows, having sympathetic hands working over your tight and aching limbs can bring instant relief and relaxation. There is no reason to think the same isn't true for horses. For most of the 20th century, the only tools available to try and keep a horse fit and healthy were training, a few dietary tweaks and a dusting of good fortune. However, for today's equines — from top event horses to weekend wanderers who surface from their fields twice a week for a two-hour hack — there are many more therapeutic options available to help build strength and stave off niggling aches and pains. Equine massage therapy is one of these.
Massage is a hands-on technique during which the practitioner exerts varying degrees of external pressure to influence the structures below. It has both a psychological and physiological effect.
“The aim is to improve circulation and to ‘get into’ the areas of the body where there may be a restriction,” says equine massage therapist Rebecca Waterfield. “Boosting the circulatory system helps to drain the lymphatic system and flush out any toxins, while softening tight muscles helps them to work more effectively and
