Massage is a Way to Relieve Your Horse's Soreness

How do you feel and behave when you get out of bed in the morning with tight or painful back muscles? Chances are you move stiffly or tentatively and your range of motion is restricted. Until you get relief, you don't have your usual enthusiasm for normal tasks.

If you’re an equestrian, then chances are you’ve noticed the same behaviour in your horse time and again. The best way to remedy this is easy--massage!

In a recently published article entitled, “Massage Seen as a Way to Relieve Stress in Horses,” author and expert, Susan Thanepohn, writes:

“Animals have the same body makeup as we do. They are quadrupeds with four feet on the ground instead of two. We are all mammals. We all get aches, pains and have stressors in our lives,” adding that by allowing the time to relax, rewind and restore you can create balance, promote healing and help support the immune system for both yourself and your animal companions.

“In competitive horse arenas you see it frequently. Show horses are like great athletes who use massage therapy—it is the same thing. Massage can alleviate tension and stress, improve performance, range of motion and length of stride," she writes.

She said that owners who have horses in dressage or racing should consider massage. It is also beneficial for any horse.