Equine massage is the practice of

massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s. Beginning in the early 1990s, it has been a growing field of equine therapy, used for both day-to-day riding and post-trauma rehabilitation. Proponents list a number of positive effects, including the improvement of movement and the reduction of pain and stress responses.

Practice

Hands-on therapies, including massage,

acupressure Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique often used in conjunction with acupuncture or reflexology. It is based on the concept of "life energy" (qi), which purportedly flows through "meridians" in the body. There is no scientific evidenc ...

, and joint mobilization, were some of the fastest growing equine therapy categories in the early 1990s. Equine massage uses the hands, fingers, and elbows of the therapist, and other tools, including

tennis ball A tennis ball is a small, hollow ball used in games of tennis and real tennis. Tennis balls are fluorescent yellow in Professional sports, professional competitions, but in Amateur sports, recreational play other colors are also used. Tennis bal ...

s and

vibrating Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...

tools. During the massage, the

soft tissue Soft tissue connective tissue, connects and surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, ligaments, Adipose tissue, fat, fibrous tissue, Lymphatic vessel, lymph and blood vessels, fasciae, and synovial membranes.� ...

is manipulated with the goal of loosening tight muscles, joints, tendons, scar tissue, and

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

; increasing blood flow and

lymphatic Lymph () is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, a system composed of lymph vessels (channels) and intervening lymph nodes whose function, like the venous system, is to return fluid from the tissues to be recirculated. At the origi ...

activity; and reducing stress. Equine massage is used in exercise warm-up and after injury or for surgery rehabilitation.

Scientific study

Massage in horses uses many techniques first used for human massage, and it is becoming more common in both competitive equestrian disciplines and

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

. Proponents say that equine massage improves movement and reduces pain and stress responses. Massage affects the

muscular system The muscular system is an organ (anatomy), organ system consisting of skeletal muscle, skeletal, smooth muscle, smooth, and cardiac muscle, cardiac muscle. It permits movement of the body, maintains posture, and circulates blood throughout the bo ...

at the

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

ular and fascial levels, as well as

physiologic Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out chemical and ...

systems. Preliminary research demonstrates possible benefits in exercise recovery, but additional rigorous research is needed to further examine these possibilities.

Regulation, training, and associations

In the United States, the legal requirements vary by state and are determined by each state's veterinary board. Presently, some states require veterinary supervision, while others do not. Many schools offer certification programs in the areas of animal and companion massage. The National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage offers certification for practitioners. The International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork is another association of animal massage and bodywork practitioners, including equine massage therapists.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Equine Massage Horse health Massage