So we are all familiar with the above therapists and know that they can be really beneficial to our horse, but which one should you use and when? Confused? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and I get asked this question a lot by my clients so I thought it worth putting this short blog together to summarise each profession and hopefully help you decide which one best suits  your horse at any given time. Firstly it is important to point our that each of these disciplines are unique in their own way and are very powerful to assist you in keeping a happy and healthy horse so don’t assume any one is better than the other,m as that is simply not the case; they are all different and none are a replacement for veterinary diagnosis and care but can be very complementary to this. So, as always my peeps, grab that cuppa, find a quiet place and read on as I summarise each therapy, their benefits and why each one is important for horse management.

In addition to explaining the difference between each, I feel it vitally important to point out that in each field there are Charlatans too so I will also give you some top tips on how to make sure your therapist is genuine, fully qualified, and can offer you the professional service you are paying for. So let’s dive in…

Equine Massage Therapist

Sometimes referred to as Equine Sports Massage, but usually covers all elements of equine massage including rehabilitation and therapeutic. Furthermore, a good equine massage therapist will not simply roll up and carry out a bit of soft tissue massage – when visiting a horse for the first time a full assessment should take place including the following:

What is covered by Equine Massage Therapy?

History of the horse including medical: Before carrying out Massage Therapy the therapist will ask the owner for a history of the horse including any accidents, injuries and medical conditions past or present and where applicable request veterinary consent. The Massage Therapist may have been referred by a Vet to carry out complementary therapy to aid in rehabilitation after an injury and the therapist will work closely with the horse’s vet, farrier, chiropractor and physio where appropriate. Combined, these specialists are a very powerful team.

Static Assessment (Anatomy, confirmation): By assessing the horse’s anatomy the therapist is able to identify possible confirmation defects that could be causing muscular skeletal issues such as spasms, tendon strains, stiffness, reluctance to work in an outline etc. before even placing a hand on the horse.

Dynamic Assessment (Watching the horse in motion): This can be in hand, on the lunge, ridden or all three, depending on what the therapist observes and any particular issues reported by the owner. By watching the horse move in straight lines, large and small circles and under saddle the therapist can look for any gait abnormalities or limitations and possible causes for these (including rider position)  – again, before even putting a hand on the horse.

Tack Check: As tack can have a huge impact on a horse’s muscular skeletal system and wellbeing, a tack check is valuable for the massage therapist to ensure there are not elements of saddle, bridle or other tack that could be causing the horse discomfort and pain resulting in muscle soreness or imbalances with atrophy or hypertrophy.

Soft Tissue Massage (Superficial & deep muscle groups): The massage therapist will tailor a massage session according to the findings from the above assessments and will continue to evolve and develop the massage session accordingly, depending on how the horse responds and any particular trigger points.

Myofascial Release: Fascia is a sheath-like connective tissue that runs through your horse’s body working to protect tissues and bones as well as helping to keep them in the right place. More than this, fascia has nerves making it highly sensitive and therefore when stressed it can tighten up – when this happens it tightens around muscles limiting mobility and causing spasm, trigger points and pain so the massage therapist works to relieve this.

Stretching (Active & Passive): A series of stretch exercises may be incorporated into your horse’s massage therapy session and/or you may be given instructions on certain stretches to carry out on a regular basis yourself between visits. Stretching helps to improve mobility and maintain flexibility as your horse ages as well as improving core muscle strength. Stretching can help prevent injury by developing elasticity through the muscles, tendons and ligaments (although a balance of strength and flexibility is important as explained in my previous blog Active & Passive Stretch Exercises for horses).

Aftercare: Following the equine massage therapy your therapist will make some session notes to refer to next time they visit your horse and also to feedback to the owner the horse’s overall condition and point out any areas to work on. This may include in-hand or ridden exercises, weight management, tack adjustments and more.

What isn’t covered by Equine Massage Therapy?

• Joint manipulation

• Veterinary diagnosis

So, as you can see Equine Massage is a very comprehensive complimentary therapy and is far more involved than just a bit of soft tissue palpation! The benefits are huge and extensive affecting not only the muscles but the lymphatic, circulatory and nervous systems too; I won’t go into all the benefits here but you can learn more on my website. Also check out my other blog series’ that you may find interesting and informative.

To summarise, a good Equine Massage Therapist will give your horse a thorough “MOT” and is hugely beneficial in proactive and recovery management of your horse as massage therapy looks at the horse as a whole, not just single components. In addition, an Equine Massage Therapist will work closely with your other horse care professionals, for example they may recommend you request a visit from a Chiropractor if they identify joint problems, such as a misaligned pelvis that can’t be corrected by soft tissue release, or they might recommend you have a chat with your farrier if there appears to be excess strain on the lower limbs due to a foot imbalance or confirmation defect.

***BEWARE OF CHARLETONS***

As with any industry, there are good genuine professionals but also some bad “Cowboys” too, but how can you know you are getting one of the good ones? Here are a few tips to follow when selecting an Equine Massage Therapist to treat your horse:

1.       Check they are qualified

2.       Ask for their insurance details

3.       Verify this via accreditations such as:

• IRVAP (the Institute of Veterinary & Animal Physiotherapists) - LINK HERE

• ACAT (The Association of Complimentary Animal Therapies) - LINK HERE

The above two governing bodies check the qualifications and insurance of all member and they also demand CPD hours (continuing professional development) are logged and uploaded each year ensuring all members are kept up-to-date in their specialist field.

***CARRY OUT ADDITIONAL CHECKS IF YOU SEE THESE GOVERNING BODIES***

IAAMB (The International Association of Animal Massage & Bodywork): This is an American based organisation that works to a different code of conduct to the UK and ask for minimal hours of training. They also do not ask for any logged CPD hours for ongoing knowledge development – it is a fairly easy accreditation to obtain.

NAREMT (The National Association of Registered Equine Massage Therapists): Although qualifications and insurance are checked, no CPD hours are requested or logged to ensure practitioners are keeping their knowledge up to date in their chosen field.

Equine Chiropractor

What does an Equine Chiropractor do? Whereas a massage therapist works with soft tissue, a chiropractor focuses on joints, in particular those of the spine and their effect on the nervous system. A chiropractor will use manual manipulations to bring skeletal structures of the neck, back and pelvis back into alignment. This spinal manipulation is believed to restore function to the spine and other joints allowing nerve impulses to run freely, therefore aiding range of motion resulting in a higher performing, happier healthier horse.

As with equine massage, the initial consultation with the chiropractor should begin with a thorough examination of the horse, looking at its history, care and movement.

Following this initial assessment the equine chiropractor will use manual force on the plane of joints to bring the structures back into alignment. Booking an equine massage session a day or two before can be hugely beneficial as it will help relieve any spasms and muscle tightness facilitating joint manipulations making them easier and more effective. This is another example of how Equine Massage and Chiropractic care can complement each other very well;  often, joint misalignment is as a result of tight muscles, atrophy or hypertrophy so regular massage sessions between chiropractic care will achieve the best results and help prevent the joint problem recurring.

As with any complementary therapy, there are times when chiropractic treatment should not be carried out such as if the horse is lame or has a very specific centre of pain and therefore Veterinary guidance should be initially sought. Only a Vet can diagnose but if you are using a qualified chiropractor they will have had the correct training to ensure they seek Veterinary guidance when needed.

HOW DO YOU FIND A QUALIFIED, INSURED PROFESSIONAL?

The term “Chiropractor” can only be used by members of the General Chiropractic Council. The McTimoney College of Chiropractic teaches a particular method that is recognised by this Council, but there are other methods used by chiropractors throughout the UK. So, to find qualified a practitioner for your horse you can visit either of the following website:

BVCA (The British Veterinary Chiropractic Association) - LINK HERE

The McTimoney Animal Association - LINK HERE

Equine Veterinary Physiotherapist

As the name would suggest, an Equine Veterinary Physiotherapist works closely with your vet and is often referred by a Vet to a horse, particularly after injury or post op to help with its rehabilitation. A physio will do very much the same type of work as the previous two therapists i.e. hands on manipulation, trigger point release, stretches but will sometimes incorporate some other treatments such as laser treatment, magnotherapy, ultrasound and electrotherapy depending on the reason for the referral to the horse and its injury/recovery plan.

A good Physiotherapist will work closely with your team of care professional including Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Farriers, Equine dentists etc. to ensure your horse is getting the optimum treatment it needs.

HOW DO YOU FIND A QUALIFIED, INSURED PROFESSIONAL?

Again, you want to ensure you are choosing a qualified, insured and knowledgeable equine physiotherapist to work on your horse and you can check this via the following website:

ACPAT The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy - LINK HERE

SUMMARY

So, to summarise, all the above are Complementary Therapies that can be hugely beneficial to your horse when used alone but even more powerful when combined and used for specific situations. None of them are replacements for Veterinary care and diagnosis and all professionals should work alongside your Vet and other health professionals to offer the best care possible.

It can be confusing to know which therapist is best suited to your horse’s requirement and each one is different so the best way, in my opinion, to sum things up is as follows:

EQUINE MASSAGE: PERFECT FOR PROACTIVE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF INJURY & IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH, WELLBEING & PERFOMANCE.

CHIROPRACTOR: PERFECT FOR SKELETAL CORRECTION AFTER INJURY OR ACCIDENT (From a slip in the field to a major incident) TO REALIGN SPINAL STRUCTURES & THE NERVOUS SYSTEM – ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EQUINE MASSAGE.

VETERINARY PHYSIOTHERAPY: PERFECT FOR REHABILITATION AFTER INJURY OR OPERATION – OFTEN REFERRED BY YOUR VET POST SURGERY OR TREATMENT.

I really hope this has been helpful to aid you in making the best decision as to the right complementary therapist to seek for your horse and how to find the real ones from the cowboys!

If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please remember to share it with a friend and feel free to get in touch if you think your horse would benefit from my services.

And of course, before you go, don’t forget to “Like” and “follow” my facebook page to keep up to date with my latest news, offers and blog topics.

Thanks for reading and sharing and I look forward to catching up with you again soon!