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Sound Strides
Equine Massage And Stretching
Questions And Answers
§ How long does a session last?
Anywhere between one or two hours. I charge by the session not the time to avoid clock watching
§ Does my horse have to be clean before you can work on him?
No, just remove any mud and make sure he is dry. Try to avoid using coat polishes.
§ My horse is off. Can I have you look at him without veterinary approval?
No. Your vet needs to clear your horse for bodywork if your horse is off. He or she might be in the process of testing
your horse's response to a drug or treatment: outside influences could alter the findings. Other times it is important to
allow the tissues time to first heal before attempting massage or other modalities. It is always important that your veterinarian
rules out underlying pathologies and diseases.
§ How often should a horse be massaged?
That depends on the horse's level of work, his conformation, health, the extent of an injury, the footing, tack fit etc.
At top-level competition, it can start with 3 sessions a week. If a horse has a solid workload a massage every 2 weeks is
probably in line. The normal working horse should be done at least once a month as a maintenance program to monitor your
training's impact and to prevent issues.
§ How long do I have to wait until I can ride my horse after a session?
Actually, follow up exercise is an essential component. Healthy, sound horses can be ridden after a session. It is best
to keep it nice and easy. Large figures or trail rides are best immediately after. If you don't have time to ride, you need
to arrange a 15-minute hand walk or jog within a few hours after a session.
§ I'm showing my horse this weekend: the scheduled massage will be his first one, is that okay?
Once a horse is on a regular massage routine, this would be okay. However, if this is your horse's first session, he
needs to get used to his new way of moving and there is a chance he could be slightly sensitive afterwards. Horses adapt
movement for a number of reasons. His increased range of motion may also make you feel slightly out of sync the first time.
§ My horse seems sore after his first massage. Why is that?
Muscle fibers that were hyper contracted or sticking together for a long time are now receiving the proper blood flow
and returning to their normal condition. The increased blood flow also speeds up the elimination of toxins in the body: while
these work their way out of the body, your horse can be feeling a little off. Just make sure he has access to lots of fresh
water to speed up this flushing, and he will be back to normal within about 24 hours
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