How To Preform Equine Sports

Massage
By: Taylor Horne

Disclaimer this handbook is not meant for a substitute of professional training and will not certify an
individual!
 Table of contents
I. Introduction
A. Purpose
B. Overview
II. Pre-massage
III. Strokes
IV. Evaluation
a. Muscle overview
b. Pressure points
V. Massage sequence
VI. After massage
VII. Streches
VIII. Conclusion
INTRODUCTION

Many of the reasons to have your horse massaged are the following:
Overwork, trauma/injury, recovery from surgery, reduce inflammation, stimulates
circulation, enhances muscles. Your horse also may be giving you signs that they
need a massage such as troubles bending, short strided, girthy or cold backed when
saddling, lameness, difficulty picking up leads, or having a tendency for colic or
tying up. Horses of any sport, any breed, and any age will benefit from a massage.
Although depending on what sport your horse does, tell us massage therapist where
exactly your horse is likely to be in pain or tight. It is important you know the
benefits of massage. It helps release tension, remove knots, adhesions and correctly
position muscles and ligaments. Massage also helps reduce inflammation and
increase circulation. This handbook will train you to perform the equine sports
massage sequence and will help you work on your horses' muscles to help him
perform to the best of his or her abilities. In this handbook you will learn pre
massage, the evaluation, different strokes, the muscles, and the massage sequence.
Just like in humans muscle tissues can be overused, overworked and
overstretched. These deep muscle massages aid in the range of mobility of a horse.
It increases flexibility and reduces resistance. Shoulder, hip, hock and stifle
problems can be greatly relieved with the application of massage therapy. The job
of a massage therapist, and this handbook is to teach you to locate these lesions
and break them up thorough the different therapeutic massage techniques. This
eliminates the pain and tension the horse has built up and restores muscles back to
a healthy extension and motion.
 Pre massage
Massage is a preventive maintenance to help prevent any injuries from
happening while also relaxing the horse. Massage can also be used to help pain or
help heal from a previous injury or surgery. A few things to remember are the
benefits, when not to get a massage and safety measures to take.
A massage before an event will loosen muscles and prepare the muscles for
an event. An after-event massage releases muscle pain and stiffness. Returns the
muscles to a normal state much faster than without a massage. This also makes it
easier for the horse to cool down. The muscles are tight from the previous exercise
and sports massage helps relax and calm the muscles. The massage during any
time helps keep the physical condition of the horse better.
*Don’t massage when there is shock, fever or cancer. Do not massage over open
wounds or stitches or directly after surgery. *
Safety considerations
Never lock yourself in a stall with the horse, this can put you in a trapped
and dangerous position. Always have a resting hand on the horse. Don’t let the
horse get between you and the door, this also puts you in a trapped position. Don’t
wear loose clothing or bulky Jewelry this can be a distraction for the horse and
cause them to nip at it. Never stand on unbalanced ground or a step stool, this is
not only a hazard to you but the horse as well. Know that your horse client will
NOT stand still for the full hour it usually takes to massage.
 The Strokes
When doing the massage, you are trying to warm up the muscles, locate the problem, fix the
problem, and then close off the muscle.

Opening strokes:
Compression: This is used to begin warming up the muscle you're going to be working
on. Compressing the muscle against the bone allows the fibers of the muscle to spread apart.
Which also allows the blood supply to flow more easily to carry nutrients to the muscle. To
perform this, you lean all your body weight into the heel of your hand into the muscle then twist
clockwise bringing your elbow to your side
Percussion: While making a loose fist lightly bounce your fist up and down on the dense
muscles. Be sure to keep your elbow and wrist very relaxed. NEVER USE PERCUSSION
OVER THE KIDNEYS NOR DIRECTLY OVER ANY BONES.
Jostling: Cup both hands and place them on the crest of the mane and apply a rocking
motion. Pull the crest toward you then release.

Locating:
Palpation: This is used to feel for any sensitivity
Zig zag: This is an up and down motion using the tips of your middle three fingers trying
to locate a problem in the muscle
Crest: This is a light scooping motion in the shape of the crest of a moon.

Treat:
Direct pressure: By applying direct pressure you are directly treating the problem area. Using the
tips of your fingers apply down lightly for 10 seconds, release to no pressure then down again for
15 seconds with medium pressure, then out to no pressure and finally back down again with
heavy pressure for 20 seconds. Compress the muscle then use one of your locating strokes to
assure that the direct pressure treats it. If the horse reacts when you go back over it repeat direct
pressure.
Cross fiber friction: Using the tips of your fingers move back and forth sideways across the
muscle fibers for 10 seconds. This motion forces muscles that are tightened together to separate
and return to their normal function not tightened

Close off:
Compression
Percussion
 Muscle overview
This is a breakdown of the large muscles the massage focuses on and the function of them.

o Rectus Capitus Lateralus: flexes and inclines the head side to side.
o Splenius: flexes the neck.
o Multifidus: flexes the neck, rotates head to opposite sides.
o Brachiocephalicus: Flexes the neck and moves shoulder forward.
o Trapezius and rhomboids: elevates shoulder, draws scapula upward, forward
and back.
o Supraspinatus: extends the shoulder joint.
o Infraspinatus: rotates the arm outward.
o Deltoid: extends shoulder joint.
o Tricep: flex's shoulder joint.
o Bicep and anterior pectoral: extends forelimb.
o Serratus thoracis: when leg is planted draws trunk to proper level.
o Posterior pectoral: draws foreleg backwards.
o Extensor capri radialis: bends and flexes foreleg.
o Latissimus Dorsi: lateral flexion.
o Longissimus dorsi: extends back, lateral flexion.
o Intercostal: supports the ribcage and aids in respiration.
o Oblique: draws hind legs under.
o Rectus abdominis: supports the back.
o Gluteus: forward impulsion, hind end action.
o Semimembranosus: extends hock.
o Semitendinosus: extends hip and hock.
o Bicep femoris: extends hind limb, hip, hock, and flexes stifle.
o Tensor fasciae latae: extends stifle and flex hip.
o Facia latae: extends stifle and flex hip
o Long digital extensor: bends and flexes hind leg.
 Pressure points on the horse

Figure 1.

The pressure points shown in figure 1 are usually where the horse needs to be
treated with direct pressure. There will be some of these points that don’t need
treated and others that need to be treated two or three times.
 Evaluation
During the evaluation keep note of any points that the horse reacts to and keep note of
any concerns the owner has about the horse. During the evaluation only use medium
pressure. The point of the evaluation is to locate the points of concern not to treat them
yet.
1. Introduce: meet the horse, show them who you are before going to work. Ask your client
about any concerns or injuries on the horse, and if they are sensitive anywhere.
2. Start at the ears if you have a non-head shy horse, stand Infront of the horse and grasp
both ears lightly. With your thumbs rub in a circular motion.
3. Using palpation take your fingers and starting from the poll go down the neck over the
shoulder blade, down the back and end at the tail.
4. Using palpation, palpate over the cervical spine (from the shoulder to the poll)
5. Find the crease in between the deltoid and tricep muscle, then palpate from the bottom of
the crease up. Rember to stop before you get to the bone.
6. The mid-section through the rib cage starting from the spine palpate downward twice.
7. Standing beside the horse facing the tail head. Place your palm on the point of the hip and
zig zag behind the point of hip.
8. Zig zag from the top of the gluteus medialis down the semitendinosus.
9. Face towards the head of the horse standing directly beside of the hind leg and using the
crest motion go from the bottom of the hamstring cresting upward
 MASSAGE SEQUENCE
1. Starting at the rectus capitus lateralis, hold the halter with one hand and lay your other
hand on the poll and ask the horse to lower its head. Attempt this 3 times before moving
on shown in figure 2.

.
Figure 2
2. Keep one hand still on the poll and cup the other under the chin and raise. This stretches
the throat latch. Shown in figure 3.

Figure 3.
3. At the poll on the side, you are working on take the tip of your middle three fingers and
moving them in a circular motion for 10 seconds.
4. Moving onto the Sternocephalicus, make your hand form the letter “C” and cup it onto
the sternocephalicus muscle. Start from the top and drag downward at a light pressure,
then go back to the top and do it again at a moderate pressure, and then at a heavy
pressure.
5. Then move your thumb in front of the Atlas vertebra and apply a medium pressure. If the
horse reacts then treat it with direct pressure at this point.
 6. Starting at the beginning of the longissimus dorsi use your thumb and palpate the topline
from the poll to tail. This will be done three times, at each pressure, Light, Medium and
heavy. On the heavy pass through treat the points that the horse reacts or is sensitive to.
To treat the longissimus dorsi use direct pressure and then close it off with cross fiber
friction.
7. Beginning at the horse's wither place both hands on it forming a diamond in your hands.
Lay your thumbs just above the cervical spine and jostle up the crest. At a light and
medium pressure. At the heavy pressure remove one hand hold the halter and run your
other thumb up the crest treating any points in which the horse reacts to. Demonstrated in
figure 4.

Figure 4
8. Once you reach the top of the poll after jostling at that heavy pressure then compress
coming all the way back down to the wither. Be sure to do this 3 times, one at each
pressure.
9. At the back side of the tricep, where the intercostals and latissimus dorsi and tricep all
meet, take your elbow at a medium pressure, and run it up to the latissimus dorsi being
sure not to cross the shoulder blade bone at the top. Come back down at a light pressure.
Back up at a heavy pressure be sure to treat it with direct pressure where the horse reacts
and come back down at a light pressure.
10. Take your hands as if you're going to begin typing on a keyboard and place them on the
wither pull towards you and release. Do this a total of three times, being each time at a
different pressure.
11. Using percussion with an open hand instead of a loose fist, apply this motion between the
top of your trapezius and spine. Do not percuss over the spine be sure to stay in between
on the trapezius. Do this a total of 3 times one at each pressure.
12. Still on the same muscle, the trapezius use zigzag in a vertical motion with heavy
pressure. If the horse reacts, treat using direct pressure and cross fiber friction. shown in
figure 5.
Figure 5
13. Moving onto the deltoid muscle compress starting from the top and going down at a light
pressure, down and light at a medium pressure and down and up at a heavy pressure.
14. Along the tricep back hand compress from the top down at each pressure.
15. Between the deltoid and tricep palpate from the bottom going upward at each pressure
and treat with direct pressure at each point in which the horse reacts to.
16. Crossing over the biceps and anterior pectorals, heavy percuss across them. In the bicep
and pectoral close to you slide your hands in the groove and use the crest scooping
motion applying moderate pressure to the pecs.
17. At the top of the serratus thoracis apply compression going down and back up at a light
pressure, down and back up at a medium pressure and down and back up at a heavy
pressure. Shown in figure 6.

(Figure 6: Compression going down)

18. Using the tips of your fingers palpate down, with heavy pressure, the same muscle you
just compressed. Treat with direct pressure at each point in which the horse reacts.
19. The groove called the caudal pectoral muscle is the next muscle to be worked on. Starting
from behind the tricep back hand compress all the way down to the caudal pectoral and
back up to the tricep. Do this a total of three times, one pass down and up at each
pressure.
20. Then turn your hand so your fingers are pointing down and lay your palm in the groove
of the horses' armpit and compress, light, medium, heavy. In the same groove palpate
horizontally using your thumb three times.
21. Going across the abdomen of the horse, use the crest scooping motion at a medium and
heavy pressure. ALWAYS be watching the back legs when messing with sensitive areas.
22. Working down the front leg hold the foreleg with both hands. Then apply medium
compression with both hands, as if you're separating the muscles from each other. Using
your thumb slide down through the muscles.
23. Still holding onto the leg with both hands drag them down the leg to the hoof feeling for
any swelling or heat to notify the owner about. Some heat is expected due to the
circulation increase from the massage. Demonstrated in Figure 7.

(figure 7)
24. Moving onto the second half of the horse. Rest one hand on the thigh and take the other
and place it behind the wither and palpate down to the tail. (You will notice a difference
effect than when you first did this in the evaluation; this is because the muscles are much
more relaxed.)
25. Apply percussion over the longissimus dorsi with one hand still resting on the thigh.
Make three passes of percussion, one at each pressure. DO NOT PRECUSS OVER THE
KIDNEY!!
26. Next using heavy pressure make four passes over the longissimus dorsi pressing down
using the palm of your hand. Almost as if you're rubbing their back.
27. Over the same muscle from the wither to the hip use light pressure drawing large circles,
then medium pressure and medium circles then finally small circles and heavy pressure.
28. Behind the shoulder again start zig zagging all the way to the point of hip, treat any
points the horse is still reactive too with direct pressure.
29. Down through the rib cage take the tips of your middle three fingers and palpate down
the intercostals and treat the points in which the horse reacts.
30. Rest at the point of hip zig zag behind the point of hip. Then probe into the hip with your
thumb treating this point with direct pressure.
31. Apply percussion behind the point of hip and over the entire gluteus. Zig zag from the hip
to the tail head and approximately 2 inches under that make another line. Repeat this
making 5 lines. Treat with direct pressure at the points where the horse reacts.
32. At the tail head apply direct pressure to treat the tail head.
33. Apply one hand on the thigh and the other on the bottom of the semimembranosus. Using
light, medium then heavy percussion over that muscle.
34. From the bottom to the top use the crest motion at a heavy pressure. If you get a reaction
at any point during the crest treat using direct pressure. Then close off with heavy
percussion.
35. Back hand compress down the bicep femoris, and back up. Do this 3 times, one at light,
one at medium and one at heavy pressure.
36. One had one the thigh and the other backhand compressing down the fascia latae at a
heavy pressure.
37. Palpate down the groove in front of the bicep femoris with your thumb. At a light,
medium then heavy pressure. Treat any points the horse flinches at.
38. At a heavy pressure back hand compress down the stifle joint, hold both hands around the
leg and heavy compress down.
39. With both hands drag down the leg and feel for any swelling or heat.
40. Repeat these steps on the other side of the horse.
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