Follow up exercise after sports massage
When the horse is sound, some follow up exercise immediately after sports massage is best practice.
In the school you need to keep the exercise big and easy, or you may take your horse a light hack out.
If you haven’t got time to ride the horse, then arrange a 15 minutes hand walk or jog within a few hours of the massage.
If needed, I can provide you with a follow up exercise sheet. You may find that the exercises suggested are some you would usually do when warming up your horse for a normal working session in the school. For horses which tend to move one-sided, I can provide a sample of exercises using poles on the ground.
Follow up exercise after myofascial release
After a myofascial release session, your horse may feel unusually relaxed and dozy, so it is best not to work it straight away. In fact it may be perferable to give it a 24 hours break, or at least, to do some very light work or go on a short, light hack. If you can give your horse a 24 hours break after the session, this will give the myofascial release more time to take effect on the soft tissues.