The horse is an athlete like none other and we
strive to be a team with our horse. Bodywork
and chiropractic care can be very beneficial for both members of your endurance
team; horse and rider need to be moving at their best to achieve top
performance. However, there are easy
bodywork techniques that can be done daily at home to improve performance as
well.
Who hasn't felt the muscle ache from over-used,
tight muscles after resuming a workout schedule? Well our horses can feel this tightness too
but they can’t help themselves through it like we can. Many times the rider many not even realize
the horse has back tightness, or a joint problem, until it has become advanced. A simple way to prevent problems is to perform
massage and stretching techniques on your own horse, in addition to getting
regular chiropractic care. Maintenance
chiropractic care can help prevent many problems, and can bring out the very
best performance in both horse and rider.
Another reason to do simple massage techniques on
your own horse is to learn what normal feels like. If they become uncomfortable with a massage
move that they had previously loved, this may indicate the beginnings of a
problem. A bodywork session can also be
a nice way to reward your horse for a job well done. Some words of caution before we begin. Never tie your horse while doing bodywork, he
may panic if you hit a sore muscle and pull back. You want these sessions to be calming and
safe so chose a quite location and watch reactions closely. Always use light pressure, if you are in
doubt watch your horse! Finally never
work on an acutely injured area, and always keep an eye out for hot and swollen
areas.
I will post easy moves that you can do at home later this week, so stay tuned!
