Sport massage and myofascial release sessions
Veterinarian approval or referral
When you make your first appointment, I will ask you to obtain approval from your veterinarian for me to conduct sports massage and myofascial release on your horse, unless he or she referred your horse for massage.
In most cases your veterinarian will know your horse’s state of health and fitness and will not need to come out for a special visit in order to give their approval.
Horse preparation
The horse needs to be brushed of mud and heavy dust, hoof picked and dry before I can start the session. It would be preferable if you could ensure that your horse is ready for when I arrive at the yard. Please do not use hair polish on that day.
First session
The first session is the longest one and can last up to two hours as it includes a thorough preliminary assessment of the horse.
I will ask you to give me some background information on the horse’s training history and current schedule, past injuries, nutritional schedule, etc… I will also ask you to sign the veterinary approval section.
I will conduct an overall observation of the horse, standing and moving, to check its conformation and gait.
An observation of the horse being ridden will be useful as this will highlight any issue that didn't show in hand.
Once these observations and checks are completed, and if the horse doesn’t show signs of contra-indication to massage, I can proceed with the session.
Subsequent sessions
All subsequent sessions can last between one and one and a half hour, depending on the horse’s needs.
Timing of sessions
Sports massage:
Sports massage can be conducted just before or right after exercise, but not while the horse is eating.
Myofascial release:
It is preferable not to conduct myofascial release just before exercise as the horse often becomes too relaxed and dozy during the session to be able to work too soon afterwards. Only a short light hack or a short light session in the arena are advisable, unless the horse has become too dozy. For that same reason, myofascial release cannot be conducted less than 24 hours before a competition.
It cannot be conducted straight after exercise because the pre-session assessment also includes observation of the horse in a state of rest, in its normal environment as the way it stands and behave can highlight particular issues.The pre-session assessment also includes feeling differences in temperature around the horse's body, and this could not be done if the horse is still warm from excersing.