ESM for Personal Enrichment or Career Path
History of Human and Animal Massage
Equine Sports Massage (ESM)
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT OR CAREER path?
In 1993, I introduced the first extended Equine Sports Massage (ESM) Training to the equine industry and human massage world.
Some people immediately saw the benefits of the work and embraced my new idea. Other people were skeptical and resisted any type of change to the way horses have "always been trained".
As of 2008, Equine Sports Massage Therapy has a broad base of acceptance in the equine world.
Now, there are many schools teaching equine massage and some teaching equine sports massage. Please note that there is a difference between Equine Massage and Equine Sports Massage. Some schools have good curriculums, while others clearly do not.
There are many competent people performing Equine Sports Massage Therapy on their own horses and providing the service to others.
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people claiming to be Equine Sports Massage Therapists, but they are not providing a quality service. They are doing a feel-good rub-a-dub on the horse and calling it therapy. This is one reason why some people say "I tried that Equine Massage and it does not work".
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Learning Equine Sports Massage techniques gives horse owners and equine professionals new tools for communication, evaluation, problem solving and prevention.
There are some simple techniques that everyone can learn and perform. These techniques will benefit the horse and strengthen the human-equine bond.
There are also many advanced techniques which require in-depth study and practice under direct instructor supervision.
Professional Equine Sports Massage Therapy is a highly specialized field of work.
The successful professional practitioner must have a combination of skills:
Horsemanship Experience
Equine Massage Hand Skills
Knowledge of Equine Anatomy
Knowledge of the Contraindications for Equine Massage
Knowledge and Respect for Scope of Practice and Ethics
Interpersonal Skills and Maturity
Intention and Concentration
Knowledge of Saddlery and Harness
Horsemanship Experience
At a minimum, one must be competent in horse handling and be able to work safely around horses. This is a skill which can only be obtained by working with a variety of horses over an extended period of time. Good Horsemanship is a craft and will always be an apprentice-based system.
Individuals who have experience working with high performance equine athletes are ideal candidates for professional therapists. These individuals are ideal because they have first hand knowledge and understanding of the environment and parameters that surround the high performance horse.
There is a HUGE difference in the amount of experience and skills required to evaluate and perform equine sports massage therapy on a thoroughbred race horse versus the skills required to perform equine massage on a trail horse.
Equine Massage Hand Skills
Equine Sports Massage is a tactile craft.
Like any craft, it must be properly practiced in order to be finessed. This requires the student to practice on their own and practice with direct instructor supervision.
One challenge for new therapists is to develop the advanced palpation skills which enable a good therapist to find the trigger points, spasms and problem areas in a muscle.
Another challenge for new therapists is to develop the "right touch". For any given muscular problem, what is the right technique to use and what degree of pressure should be used?
I believe that most people can learn these skills and put them into practice. I believe that these skills are best taught by someone trained in both human and equine massage.
Equine Anatomy
A professional therapist must have a solid understanding of the equine muscular, skeletal and nervous systems.
The therapist must have committed to memory major muscles in all of the regional areas of the horse. For each muscle, the therapist must know the muscle origin, insertion and action. Furthermore, for each muscle, the therapist must know the opposing muscle.
The ability of the therapist to provide a correct evaluation and effective problem resolution hinges upon their knowledge of equine anatomy.
Contraindications for Massage
Scope of Practice & Ethics
Any responsible equine massage training program will teach students the contraindications for massage and clearly define the therapist's scope of practice and ethics.
Equine Sports Massage Therapists are not primary health care providers. Equine Sports Therapy is not a replacement for veterinarian intervention and treatment.
Equine Sports Massage Therapists do not diagnosis nor do they prescribe.
Equine Sports Massage Therapists are part of the training program and well care team.
If there are any doubts concerning the health of the animal, refer to a veterinarian.
Interpersonal Skills and Maturity
Intention and Concentration
Over the years I have trained people of all ages and from many different backgrounds.
The ages of my students range from 18 up to 60+. You are never too young, nor too old to learn about equine sports massage therapy.
The students who perform the best work are the ones who can quiet their minds and concentrate on the massage session.
Equine Sports Massage Therapy is not a conventional career path. The best candidates to be Professional Equine Sports Massage Therapist are those with life experience in the working world. Over the years, these individuals have developed strong interpersonal skills and the maturity needed to manage their own business and to pace to all of the different personalities that they will encounter in the equine industry.
Many young people enroll in my program because they want a career with horses. I welcome these students into my class and I give them the following advice:
Learn Equine Sports Massage Therapy and start using it on your own horses.
As your skill as a therapist increases, offer your services on a part-time basis.
Go to college or vocational school. Learn the skills for a conventional career. Develop your interpersonal skills and allow yourself time to mature.
Realize that it is very difficult to earn a living solely in the equine industry. The greatest amount of money that is made in the equine industry is made from buying and selling horses.
The information presented in my Equine Sports Massage Foundation Training program is a great asset to anyone showing, training, and/or buying and selling horses.
Horse Owners, these comments are specifically for you...
You will never get ahead of an ill-fitting, improperly placed saddle.
Someone can massage your horse on a regular basis, but unless you change your tack, your horse will show some improvement, but will always have muscular problems, performance problems and most likely behavioral problems.
Likewise, you can continue to pay for endless acupuncture and chiropractic sessions. Again, with the same outcome. The horse will feel better for a little while, but if you do not change the root cause of the problem (bad saddlery), you will always have the problem.
Horses that are ridden in ill-fitting equipment alter their way of going in order to minimize the pain from the equipment.
In addition to local muscular pain, over the long term, this compromised biomechanical action can lead to:
Obscure hind limb lameness
Hind limb suspensory ligament damage
Joint problems in the sacroiliac, stifles and hocks
Concussive problems in the front feet
Front leg lameness (tendons and ligaments)
Tripping and stumbling
Saddlery and Harness
My work as an Equine Performance Consultant requires in-depth knowledge of Saddlery and Harness.
One of the greatest benefits of my services is my ability to analyze any saddle or harness construction design.
In my analysis, I identify the positive and negative aspects of the equipment's construction and correlate how the equipment will affect the horse.
The cross-check on this analysis is my ability to palpate the horse's back muscles and identify locations where the tack has placed too much pressure. In cases like this, I also usually find other areas of muscular problems which are a result of the horse compensating his natural gait in order to avoid the pressure of the tack.
An individual does not need to be an expert in Saddlery in order to provide Professional Equine Sports Massage Therapy services. However, the individual should have a basic understanding of both the short term and long term affects of ill-fitting equipment on the horse's biomechanics and muscular tissue.
A responsible therapist will recognize the signs of ill-fitting equipment and bring it to the attention of the horse owner / and trainer.
I am called in to consult on many cases where the horse has been receiving regular massage (and chiropractic and acupuncture) and gets somewhat better, but continues to have persistent muscular issues and performance problems. In most of these cases, the culprit is an ill-fitting, improperly placed saddle.
A saddle is a system.
It is a balance of form and function.
The top of the saddle belongs to the rider.
The bottom of the saddle belongs to the horse.
The saddle must work for both rider & horse.
A well made, well fitting saddle is a work of art.
Closing Remarks
Educated Minds and Hands make the difference between a "feel good rub" and a Professional Equine Sports Massage Therapy Session.
The effectiveness of the Equine Sports Massage Therapy Session is dependent upon:
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Correct Evaluation
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Use of Proper Techniques
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The Skill Level and Experience of the Practitioner