Muscle Movement
& Your Equine
Did you know that on average your horse’s bodyweight is 6.5% Oxygen?
That’s an awful lot when you consider that in some equines that can easily be 40kg, the equivalent of a 12-year-old human being. As equine sports massage therapists, we rely a lot on the benefits of oxygen and its ingenious movement around your equine.
When we massage your horse, we ask oxygen to help benefit in the following ways:
- Lower heart-rate and
breathing-rate - Lower blood pressure
- Increase relaxation
- Decrease stress hormones
- Increase circulation
- Increase lymph drainage
- Help absorb new and
useful nutrients - Increase cellular health and
tissue function
Every movement your horse makes involves muscle tissue. From skeletal movement, contraction of the heart and breathing, to movement of food through the gut, bowel movements and urination, they all require muscle activity. Horses even use muscles just to simply stand still.
It’s so important to make stretching part of your horse’s daily routine.
So, it’s no wonder then, that your equines muscles can fatigue, tire and strain, regardless of any form of work or injury. And that is why it’s so important to make stretching part of your horse’s daily routine and for sports massage sessions to be part of your horse’s wellness programme.
Prices start from as little as £30, with helpful and concise advice and guidance always available.
Is Your
Horse Behaving?
Naughty behaviour is one of the biggest signs that your horse is trying to communicate to you that he is uncomfortable.
Bucking, rearing, bolting, flinching, dropping, lethargy, biting, pawing, high anxiety, spooking and changes in your horses behavioural patterns can all be possible signs of sore, tight, overworked, damaged, fatigued, strained or tired muscles.
Naughty behaviour is the biggest sign.
To put it shortly, those vices, they might be your horse’s muscles crying for some attention. We can aid your horse’s musculoskeletal health by kick-starting their regeneration process of repair, increasing circulation and drainage, and assisting the development of new muscle tissue formation.
Remember – prevention is better than cure, we can help before your horse is showing symptoms too and can treat areas of tightness and sensitivity before they become sore.
Vets fees can often be astronomical, we may not be vets, but we have a wealth of experience and expertise to offer and discuss with you.
Contact us for an informal consultation today!
Did You Know That Your Horse Has Four Muscle Layers?!
01.Cutaneous muscle layer (the section just under the skin that make your horse appear and feel smooth)
02.Superficial muscle layer (below the cutaneous, the biggest muscle layer. Contains the trapezius muscles, deltoidius muscles, outer-most abdominal muscles, gluteus superficialis, biceps femoris and lots of other muscles that you will struggle to pronounce!)
03.Middle muscle layer (the next layer down, contains the rhomboidius muscles, triceps muscles and cranial bicep muscles, as well as large muscles like the gluteus medius, vastus lateralis and the serratus ventralis thorocis and more.
04.Deep muscle layer (you guessed it, it’s the furthest down deepest section. (Little hint – as therapists we can barely reach these ones!) Contains some of the spookier sounding smaller muscles such as the intertransversarii, Iliacus, Longus Colli and the spinal multifidus.
Reactions We Look For.
These are the reactions we look for from your horse during a massage session to show release of tension and the replacement of negative hormones with positive ones and increasing circulation and musculoskeletal repair:
- Yawning
- Stretching
- Licking
- Glassy eyes
- Leaning in
- Nuzzling
- Slow long exhales
- Sighing
- Blowing
- Head tilting
- Scratching
- Gentle biting
They are similar release reactions that you will find in groundwork training, pasture friendships, as your horse winds down into sleep, chiropractor work, reiki and acupuncture, to name a few.
These reactions signify content, understanding, relaxed and reconditioned horses and ponies.