Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy Appointments
Equine Massage Therapy Appointments
Massage Therapy can be beneficial in highlighting muscular dysfunction and may potentially offer short term benefits to the horse. Massage Therapy is not a replacement for regular physiotherapy.
Working under the Sune Du Toit & Associates umbrella, our Massage Therapist will undertake a basic gait analysis to ensure that your horses movement, muscular mapping and their conformation is taken into consideration.
Massage Therapy is an excellent complementary treatment for horses alongside their regular physiotherapy appointments and can be very beneficial to the horse post-competition to relax those tired muscles and promote a sense of well-being. As a support aid, alongside physiotherapy, massage therapy may be beneficial in highlighting any movement and muscular imbalances, which will be referred back to our Veterinary Physiotherapists.
Information is Key!
Forms! Just like Equine Physiotherapy, we like to have as much information as possible about your horse before we visit them. The type of information that we require covers the basic aspects of their daily lives such as, their turnout and stabling schedule, whether they prefer a certain direction, what exercises they struggle with and if there are any problems that you are encountering when riding or lunging them. As our Massage Therapist is working on the Sune Du Toit & Associates umbrella, please be assured that this information is kept confidential at all times and will not be shared with a 3rd party.
Assessments
During your appointment, your clinician will do the following assessments before treatment and make notes. These assessments usually last around 20 minutes.
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A basic dynamic assessment of the conformation & muscular mapping of the horse.
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5m turns in both directions.
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Rein back.
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Walk & Trot up on a firm surface.
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Occasionally additional assessments may be requested.
Treatments
Again, just like Physiotherapy, a variety of treatments will be undertaken to ensure maximum benefit to your horse. These treatments can include stroking and kneading the horses' muscles, gentle tapping, rubbing or pounding. Often these massages look like vigorous but horses always seem to enjoy and appreciate a massage. Equine Massage is a much lighter form of muscular release and can be beneficial in helping muscle function and repair before and after competitions. It is also a great complementary therapy for improving the circulation, helps with relaxation and gives a sense of well-being.
After Treatment
Sometimes our Massage Therapist may refer you on to our Physiotherapist if any abnormalities are found during the treatment. This is something that is quite common, so it is usually nothing to worry about. Following your appointment, you will be sent your horses notes with the findings that our massage therapist came across and you may also be given some exercises to do in the form of poles, stretches & baited stretches. Your clinician will have discussed any exercises during your appointment and offered a demonstration. Most importantly, if you have any questions, please do ask!