ESM for Personal Enrichment or Career

Equine Sports Massage (ESM)

Personal Enrichment or Career Path?

In 1993 I introduced the first extended Equine Sports Massage (ESM) Training Program 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".

By 2008, Equine Sports Massage Therapy reached a broad base of acceptance in the equine world.

Now there are many schools teaching Equine Massage and some teaching Equine Sports Massage. Some schools have good curriculums and experienced instructors, while others clearly miss the mark.

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 accurate evaluations nor are they providing quality services. 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".

Equine Sports Massage is a craft, much like riding. In order to be mastered, it has to be properly practiced with correct supervision.

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 and evaluation skills which require in-depth study and practice under direct instructor supervision.