I don’t know but I’m going to find out!
During my last lesson with Kristin, she pointed out that Vinni was really stiff to one side and might could benefit from seeing a Chiropractor. Being the good horse mommy I am, I thought why not. If we humans have a problem we go see a doctor, so why shouldn’t he. If seeing a Chiro could help him then I’m all for it. So I contacted the guy she uses but unfortunately his trip charge was going to be about as much as having 2 horses done so I decided to look for other options.
Well as luck would have it, a girl in my town is a licensed Equine Massage Therapist. After talking to her I started researching if this could really help my horses and this is what I learned.
Here are common signs of muscular problems in horses:
- Short choppy strides that are terribly uncomfortable to ride
- Saddle slipping to one side – although this could be from a loose girth or poorly fitted saddle so be careful using this as a sign.
- Decline in Horses performance
- Hind leg scuffing
- Biting/Kicking – this too can just be bad habits the horse picked up that need to be corrected. So pay close attention to why your horses acts out.
- Head tossing
- Hollow back while riding
- Throwing head during gait changes
and more..
Both Vinni and Gracie have a tendency to throw their heads and hollow out but I’m not positive that’s caused from an issue or just being defiant. I’m going to find out though. I’m excited to see if a massage does help my horses. If it does then it’s definitely worth the money to have her come once a month or so. I want them to be happy and willing to work because when they are riding is much more fun. 🙂 She’s coming Sunday so I’ll be sure to follow up afterwards and let you know how it goes and if I see a big difference.
Can’t deny I’m a horse person when I’ll pay to give my horses a massage but won’t spend the money to get myself one. #horselover
The NC Cowgirl(@HorseWhizpererA)November 9, 2012
So tell me, have you ever had an Equine Massage Therapist work on your horse? Did it help him/her?
3 Comments
Equine Massage - Yeah or Neh?
November 19, 2012 at 9:57 am[…] « Will a Massage Really help my Horse? […]
Raquel
November 20, 2012 at 10:11 pmOur horses see a chiropractor on the regular for our horses & absolutely believe in the benefits. While I’ve never had a massage done, some of the same massage methods our applied when our guy does the horses. A massage will definitely be beneficial. Another option for you that we really believe in is magnetic therapy, we have the sheets, & use a lot of Back on Track products. They help increase circulation & relieve soreness & pain to a degree.
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Equine Massage - Yeah or Neh?
April 10, 2013 at 2:32 pm[…] my last post about having an Equine Massage Therapist out to work on Gracie and Vinni? Well it’s now been a week since she was out and a little bit more has […]