Services

What We Do

 

BENEFITS OF BODYWORK:

Equine bodywork, including massage therapy, plays a vital role in enhancing the physical and mental well-being of horses. By addressing various systems such as muscular, circulatory, nervous, and lymphatic, bodywork promotes relaxation, reduces pain, and improves overall performance.

Benefits of Equine Bodywork:

Pain Relief: Massage therapy alleviates muscle tension and discomfort, aiding in the recovery from injuries and reducing chronic pain.

Improved Flexibility and Suppleness: Regular bodywork enhances muscle elasticity and joint mobility, contributing to better movement and performance.

Stress Reduction: Touch therapy stimulates the release of endorphins and enkephalins, hormones that help reduce stress and anxiety in horses.

Enhanced Circulation: Massage stimulates blood flow, promoting healing and overall health.

Holistic Approach to Equine Therapy:

A comprehensive approach to equine therapy considers the horse’s physical and mental health. By integrating various modalities, including massage, stretching, and other therapeutic techniques, therapists can address specific needs and promote overall well-being.

Book your next session to:

  • Improved your horse’s mobility and range of motion.
  • Enhanced relaxation and stress relief for the horse, facilitating a better overall experience.
  • Support in re-establishing balance, which can positively influence performance and behavior.
  • Learn about the benefits of bodywork to help your horse perform at their maximum potential while maintaining their physical health.

Tension in horses is often overlooked until it escalates, but catching it early can make all the difference. Subtle signs of muscle tightness can impact performance, behavior, and even saddle fit.

Watch for these signs your horse may be experiencing tension:
* Shortened stride or stiffness
* Increased sensitivity during grooming or tacking up
* Difficulty with lateral movements or bending
* Resistance in transitions or trouble engaging the hindquarters
* Uneven muscle development 

Regular massage therapy can effectively release tension, enhance circulation, and keep muscles supple, significantly reducing the risk of compensation patterns and injury. Don’t wait for issues to arise—prioritize your horse’s comfort and performance!

SERVICES

Comprehensive Evaluation: $100

Each Bodywork Session: $80 (Bodywork sessions vary between 45 minutes to one hour based on the horse’s needs that day)

Prices include all modalities used during a session. There are NO travel fees or additional up charges applied. The current rate reflects the time and education needed to provide this professional service as well as the equipment needed to perform these modalities.

Our modalities used include:

Animal Neuro-Myofascial Release

ANMR is an effective therapeutic approach for equine care that focuses on alleviating pain, reducing swelling, and enhancing range of motion through targeted massage and the use of a chiropractic trigger point tool. By applying sustained pressure and facilitating soft tissue release, this technique encourages neurological responses that help horses realign and reset their bodies.

The benefits of ANMR include:

Pain Relief: Targeting specific trigger points can significantly reduce discomfort and pain in horses.

Reduction of Swelling: Increased circulation from sustained pressure helps reduce inflammation in affected areas.

Improved Range of Motion: The technique promotes flexibility and mobility, essential for both performance and daily comfort.

Overall Wellness: Regular sessions can enhance the horse’s physical fitness and alignment, contributing to better health and performance.

Behavioral Improvements: As physical discomfort diminishes, horses may exhibit more relaxed and cooperative behaviors.

In practice, combining ANMR with other complementary therapies may enhance its effects, and routine assessments can monitor progress and adapt treatment plans as necessary.

Stability Pads

Stability pads for horses are a valuable tool for improving a horse’s proprioception, balance, and overall performance. By encouraging horses to stand and move on unstable surfaces, the following benefits can be observed:

1. **Balance Improvement**: The unstable surface of stability pads challenges a horse’s balancing mechanisms, helping to enhance their core stability and foot coordination.

2. **Proprioceptive Awareness**: Standing on these pads stimulates the sensory receptors in the horse’s feet, enhancing their awareness of body position and movement, which is crucial for coordination and balance.

3. **Muscle Development**: Regular use of stability pads can strengthen the muscles used for balance and movement, thus improving overall athleticism and reducing the risk of injury.

4. **Confidence Building**: Horses may gain more confidence in their movements as they learn to navigate different surfaces, which can transfer to their performance in various activities, such as riding or jumping.

5. **Re-education of Movement Patterns**: Stability pads provide a set of new movement opportunities, helping horses break free from habitual patterns and develop a more fluid and adaptable way of moving.

When integrating stability pads into a training regimen, it’s advisable to start slowly and monitor the horse’s response, gradually increasing the complexity of the exercises to ensure safety and efficacy. If you’re considering using stability pads, consulting with an equine professional can help tailor the approach to your horse’s specific needs.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on technique that evaluates and enhances the functioning of the craniosacral system which includes the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. By using light pressure applied to the skull, face, spine, or pelvis, CST practitioners can help alleviate tension and blockages within this system improving overall body function. This approach may provide relief for conditions like migraines, neck pain, or stress.

Kinesiology Taping

Kinesiology taping is a therapeutic technique that involves applying a thin, elastic cotton tape to the skin to support muscles and joints, alleviate pain, and reduce inflammation. Developed in the 1970s by Japanese-American chiropractor Kenzo Kase, the tape is designed to mimic the skin’s elasticity, allowing for full range of motion while providing support.

Benefits of Kinesiology Taping:

Pain Relief: By lifting the skin, kinesiology tape may reduce pressure on pain receptors, potentially alleviating discomfort.

Reduced Swelling and Inflammation: The tape’s elasticity can promote lymphatic drainage, helping to decrease swelling and inflammation.

Improved Circulation: By lifting the skin, kinesiology tape may enhance blood flow to the affected area, supporting the healing process.

Support for Muscles and Joints: Kinesiology tape provides support to muscles and joints without restricting movement, aiding in injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Kinesiology tape is often used to treat various musculoskeletal conditions, including:

Sports Injuries: Such as sprains, strains, and tendonitis.

Post-Surgical Recovery: Assisting with swelling reduction and support during rehabilitation.

Chronic Conditions: Like lower back pain, osteoarhtieits, or neck pain.

Kinesiology taping is a widely used technique aimed at supporting muscle and joint function, reducing pain, and promoting healing. However, its effectiveness can vary, and it’s important to use it as part of a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to individual needs of your horse.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

TENS is a is a non-invasive, safe, nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain, both acute and chronic.

TENS appears to be particularly beneficial as an adjunct for chronic pain management, and its role in acute pain relief is still being evaluated. While controversy exists as to its effectiveness in the treatment of chronic pain, a number of systematic reviews or meta-analyses have confirmed its effectiveness for postoperative pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. In palliative care and pain treatment, TENS units are used in an attempt to temporarily alleviate neuropathic pain (pain due to nerve-damage).

Safety: It has minimal side effects when applied correctly, allowing horses to adjust the treatment as needed.

Mechanism: Conventional TENS activates large diameter non-noxious afferents to decrease nociceptor activity, providing quick and effective pain relief.

REF: Johnson M. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Mechanisms, Clinical Application and Evidence. Rev Pain. 2007 Aug;1(1):7-11. doi: 10.1177/204946370700100103. PMID: 26526976; PMCID: PMC4589923.

Core Stability Exercises

Core stability is an important aspect to consider in order to ensure appropriate biomechanical function of the horse. Just like humans, horses rely on their core muscles to maintain balance, stability, and efficient movement patterns. The core muscles in horses—particularly those along the dorsal and ventral chain—play a crucial role in controlling posture and movement, allowing for better functionality and less strain on the spine and limbs.

When the core is properly engaged, the horse can perform more effectively, and the reduction in the contraction of the long back musculature helps with better back function. This is key because excessive tension in the back can restrict movement, particularly in terms of flexion and extension, potentially leading to discomfort or injury. By having a stable core, the horse can achieve more natural and efficient movement patterns, allowing for better engagement of the hind limbs, which is essential for activities like collection, transitions, and overall performance.

Core engagement, particularly through muscles like the rectus abdominis, also facilitates proper posture and alignment, contributing to improved biomechanics in activities like jumping, dressage, and even basic locomotion. As the abdominal muscles engage, they support the spine and pelvis, enhancing the coordination of the hindlimb and forelimb movements. The connection between the abdominal muscles and the coxofemoral joint is also crucial in maintaining proper hindlimb function. When the core is stable, the horse can better move through the hindquarters, allowing for increased protraction (the forward movement of the legs) and an improved range of motion.

Training and strengthening the horse’s core muscles are typically incorporated into exercises that focus on collection, balance, and flexibility. It’s also a key focus in rehabilitation after injury, as proper core stability can help prevent further strain or misalignment of the spine and pelvis.

Stretching

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Horse-Apeutics uses stretching techniques based on Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) to enhance flexibility, muscle strength, and coordination by integrating sensory information through movements across different planes in space. This technique stimulates the neuromuscular and proprioceptive systems, leading to improved motor responses.

Key Components of PNF based Stretching:

This technique involves alternating between muscle contractions and relaxations to facilitate muscle elongation utilizing various sensory stimuli, including tactile, visual, and verbal cues, to facilitate muscle activation and coordination.

Benefits of Stretching:

Increased Range of Motion (ROM),

Enhanced Muscle Strength and Power contributing to improved athletic performance.

Improved Neuromuscular Coordination by integrating sensory information to enhance neuromuscular control, leading to better movement patterns and reduced risk of injury.

Case Study

  • History

Teddy is a 13 year old gelding paint horse who was rescued last year by his owner, after living with a cowboy all his life. There are reports of some abuse and /or neglect. Teddy has been in training as a hunter and has competed in some shows early this year successfully. Medical history is unclear, but some problems with his hoofs have been apparent. Teddy currently does not take any medications.

  • Current Problem/Complaint

Owner and rider report Teddy is very head shy, engages in chewing and mouthing behavior often bitting other horses and people, and difficulties while riding especially during left turns. They also state that Teddy has had difficulties building a top line and has developed more difficulties with his hoofs after changing ferries. Teddy is currently not using shoes. A new Ferrier over trimmed his hoofs causing cracked unbalanced hoofs and discomfort.

  • Observation/Evaluation –

The evaluation started with walking and trotting observations followed by palpation and range of motion testing. During walking there are apparent difficulties with his right side, front and hint legs, often dragging the hind leg. Teddy keeps his head very high during trotting, and transitions between strides are not fluid. Often during walking and trotting his right leg does not fully flex forward and his neck is not flexing left making left turns difficult and wide. While backing up the right leg extends back but the left leg is placed right underneath his hips.

Teddy’s diagonals seems good during gate and when walking and cantering his head can relax and look better conformed.

Teddy’s vitals are always within normal limits. During palpation teddy is very tender in the poll, neck and shoulders, shy in the face and very uncomfortable when the crest (splenius and rhomboideus muscles) is touched, especially squeezed. Tender splenius and rhomboid muscles may cause Teddy to be sensitive to touch, reluctance to bend or extend his neck, and / or resistance to turning to one side. There are several causes for sore crest muscles such as rider imbalance, uneven rein tension, high feed bags, discipline based training such as in dressage horses, or compensatory movements due to lameness or other muscular problems. Compensatory movements of the neck or “head nod” during movement makes the crest muscle will need to work harder than it is designed for to stabilize the head and neck during movement, and therefore more likely to suffer from a strain injury.

Teddy’s TMJ is tender to touch but the is no clicking present when chewing, and his rotational movements are typical. Maseters reacted normal, but the temportalis were reactive causing his to raise its head or flinch when touched, and other behaviors such as head tossing, head tilting, difficulty turning, stopping, or picking up a lead.

Most days when palpating Teddy, there were nodules and tightness on his neck (brachiocephalicus ) by C3 to C5, down toward his shoulders (supraspinatus), anteriorly toward the neck (omohyoid), and back toward his withers (thoracic trapezius and rhomboid).

The brachiocephalicus muscle’s job is to bring the leg forward when the head and neck are straight, as well as flex, or bend the neck to the same side of the contraction. After thorough palpations, compensatory tightness in the horse’s left gluteal muscles was found. Since the equine dynamics of motion occur on a diagonal pattern, it is common to find the opposite hind leg tight in relation to limited motion in a front leg. The horse will always tighten the opposite hind leg to balance and adjust to the compromised motion in the opposite front end.

Teddy’s abdominal muscles collapse, which interferes with his ability to support his spine at the lumbar section. At the same time his longissimus dorsi is weak therefore his top line is not developing as the owner wants. When moving toward his hind end, it was noticed that his pelvis position is not neutral but anteriorly tilted pushing his weight distribution to the back instead of the front legs. This contributes to his abdominal region being weak and his spine kept in hyperlordosis, with his legs stretched out and not under his hips. The weight distribution on the hind end will make it difficult for Teddy to freely move his hinds even though his ROM seems WNL when tested.

Asymmetry of the tuber sacrales was present the first time Teddy was evaluated. However, he kept putting more weight on his right leg and resting his left leg (even when tried to position manually).  This is important to keep in mind because if this continues it may mean that the muscle development over the glutes on top of the hindquarters may be uneven. These horses can find it hard to stand square, so monitoring is necessary.

  • Treatment –

After walking Teddy for about 10 minutes, massage started with full effleurage to the right side to warm up the tissues, relax his and get his used to my style of touch.

I then started with compressions along the entire right side of the neck (spleniuos, rhomboid and brachiocepalicus) which lie mainly along the entire neck from the poll to the withers, to the point of the shoulder. Since the muscles were so tight and Teddy looked so uncomfortable, I initially used soft and slow compressions to separate the muscle fibers and bring more blood to the area in order to soften the muscle. I then used kneading, wringing and skin rolling along the crest and down toward where the brachiocepalicus meets the point of the shoulder to oxygenate and break up muscle tightness. I needed to use soft and slow movements as this area was extremely tight and uncomfortable. As Teddy got more comfortable I increased the pressure at the base of the neck softening and widening the fibers. After a couple of minutes, this lower part of the muscle softened and Teddy seemed relieved licking and relaxing his eyes. Once  the brachiocepalicus, spleniuos and rhomboid were relaxed I moved to the trapezius and supraspinatus with the same techniques. I attempted to massage the omohoyd but Teddy’s reaction was severe and attempted to bite me. Since this was our first session I decided to not address that point on this session and move to the temporalis only with effleurage to get his used to some tactile input in his poll and face. I went back to the neck to finish with some effleurage to moved towards the  rest of his body.

I moved on to massage Teddy’s entire body particularly his compensatory tightness on the opposite left hind. When I massaged his thoracic and lumbar spinal area, as well as his abdominal region, Teddy really enjoyed it and showed it by chewing, licking and often closing his eyes and dropping his head. I moved to the hind end and the right glutes ending at the compensatory muscles of the gluteals and hamstrings of the left hind. Again, I started with effleurage using an open hand and rhythmical slow movements, I followed with compressions on the entire hind end, especially the point of the buttock which promoted a neutral pelvic tilt and better spinal alignment. This was followed by wringing and skin rolling which he really reacted well to. Teddy moved closer to me and moved his tail out of the way for this part of the massage. Session finished with effleurage to the rest of his body and Teddy looked happy and relaxed.

  • Releases and Results –

Teddy reacted well especially during the massage on his mid body and hind end. He showed release by licking, chewing, dropping his head and sometimes closing his eyes.

He was sensitive on his face, neck and shoulders, especially on the right side of his body. However, during petrissage, I felt how the muscles warmed up and soften under my hand and his skin (fascia) was more mobile over his muscles. Upon effleurage and stretching at the end of the session, Teddy had more mobility on his shoulders and pelvic region and was able to tolerate more touch on his neck and toward his face. Teddy’s gate was more fluid and there was less head “bobbin” when walking. Teddy’s owner and rider were happy and saw improvements in Teddy’s conformation and behavior with the massage. They were happy to continue with sessions in the future. I recommended for them to continue with stretching especially of the right shoulder and sent them techniques for gluteal release and pelvic alignment for building a top line. Also recommended pole work exercises to maintain balance, develop rhythm and energy, tone muscles, encourage symmetrical movements, maintain flexibility, and improve proprioception and hoof/brain coordination.

  • Future Treatment Plan –

Recommendation for future treatments included weekly massage for six weeks including techniques such as myofascial release, kinesiotaping and craniosacral therapy addressing the neck and shoulders (especially the right side), mid body strength and alignment, and hind end alignment and left side compensatory muscle tightness. Once Teddy is balanced and there are no pressure points or areas of muscle stress or compensations, we will follow by biweekly sessions for 8 weeks. Then, a maintenance program of once a month or sessions as needed at the owner / rider discretion will be implemented.

I also recommended to follow up with their farrier to look at the angle of his hoofs and if no major changes are seen in the next month, a chiropractic and vet referral will be suggested.

It has been a pleasure to work with Teddy and get to know him and see his progress.