We all like a good massage from time to time, and as it
turns out, so does our latest resident – Pie, a young male horse that recently
joined the college from World Horse Welfare. But what are the benefits of
massaging a horse, and how did it all come about? Equine Sports Therapy student
Catriona Wilshere has the answers...
On the 25th February new arrival Pie received a soft tissue massage from 3rd year Equine Sports Therapy students. Many of the Equine Sports Therapy students are currently studying for their Equinology Equine Bodyworker certificate, and the Writtle College horses are subsequently treated to frequent massages.
Before the soft tissue massage was performed a static and
dynamic assessment of Pie was undertaken in order to asses Pie’s conformation,
as well as to allow any areas of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy and regions of
muscle tension to be noted. Pie was extremely well-behaved throughout the
assessment, allowing all aspects of the assessment (which included picking all
his hooves to check his balance, examining the symmetry of the pelvic
tuberosities and checking his rounding reflex) to be performed with ease.
During the static assessment some areas of tension were located within his neck
and gluteal muscles and slight wear was noted on the medial aspect of his right
fore, suggesting he lands more heavily on this side of his hoof when moving.
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| Image courtesy of Laura Sullivan |
Following the static assessment Pie was assessed dynamically.
Again, it was evident from both the walk
and the trot that Pie possessed some areas of muscle tension within his body. Due
to the muscle tension observed during both the static and dynamic assessment,
it was decided that a soft tissue massage would prove to be both a beneficial
and enjoyable experience for Pie.
Following the dynamic assessment Pie was returned to his stall in order for the massage to be performed. Although at first he was distracted by trying to steal his fellow horse’s hay from underneath the stall walls, Pie quickly relaxed into the massage, showing a particular liking for the firm slow strokes of the glide, as well as thoroughly enjoying the work performed on his rhomboids, deltoids and ascending pectorals. Despite his young age, Pie proved to be a delight to work on, willingly performing all stretches and quick to demonstrate a preference for a particular stretch or movement, or to relax when an area of tension was released.
All too soon for Pie, the massage was complete. The areas where
tension had been found previously were rechecked and the muscle tension was
found to have significantly reduced, with Pie showing almost no tactile
response in previously sensitive areas. Some follow up exercises were suggested
and owing to his excellent behaviour and clear enjoyment of the process, no
doubt Pie will become a firm favourite amongst therapy students looking to
practise their massage skills.
Written by Catriona Wilshere, 3rd year BSc (Hons) Equine Sports Therapy student.
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