01/07/2025
Do you massage your horse yet?
Those of us who, at some point in our lives, have enjoyed a relaxing, revitalizing massage know what a difference it can make to our quality of life and wellbeing.
Massages are great for horses too – whether it’s a stressed-out competition horse, a trail-riding partner, or a beautiful paddock ornament. It takes just a little of your time, but you’ll be surprised how much you learn about your horse and how much it can improve their wellbeing, performance, and - last but not least - the bond between horse and rider.
Massage allows you to communicate with your horse through your fingertips. It helps you identify tight or tense muscles - often long before issues like lameness, cold backs, or behavioral problems arise.
Tension can be caused by excessive or incorrect training, poor saddle fit, ill-fitting bridles or bits, lack of exercise, nutritional deficiencies (such as missing vitamins, minerals, or trace elements), psychological stress, or muscular compensation for injuries - and much more.
In general, well-muscled areas like the shoulders, neck and croup tolerate more pressure than more sensitive regions like the back, legs, and abdomen. Most of the time, your horse will clearly show you where massage is most helpful - through yawning, chewing, lowering the head, and other signs - and how much pressure is appreciated.
⚠️ Be cautious: if your horse cannot tolerate even light pressure in a certain area, seek advice from a vet or qualified therapist.
To begin, take a look at your horse. Are any muscles unusually hard - clearly visible and easily distinguished from surrounding areas? Do they feel like tight metal strings? Think back to your last ride - did your horse struggle to bend or stay soft when asked to perform certain tasks?
Always start your massage at the wither/shoulder area, especially if your horse is new to massage. Let them get used to what you're doing - and discover that it feels good!
Massage is easier and more beneficial when using a high-quality liniment. While oils can help, they don’t pe*****te deeply into the muscle tissue and can actually cause problems (like burns) due to Australia’s strong UV exposure. If you don't plan to wash your horse thoroughly after every massage, oil may not be the best choice.
Some muscle-relaxing ointments and liniments create a cooling effect by evaporating alcohol. These products are usually inexpensive, but frequent use can irritate the skin - and they typically don’t reach deep into the muscle tissue. Heat-generating creams aren’t ideal for regular use either, as they can blister and scab the skin.
At SonoVet, both in Australia and Germany, we use BioCina Herbal Liniment for massages as well as for treating bruises, strains, sprains, swellings, and more. We love its purity and the deep-tissue effect of this all-natural product. Although it feels cool to the touch, it creates deep, penetrating heat - reaching up to 5 cm into the muscle tissue.
Some of our clients even use it daily under the saddle pad to help warm up the long back muscles before exercise. Because BioCina Herbal Liniment is pH-neutral, we’ve never received reports of skin irritation or blistering. Like all BioCina products, it complies with doping regulations and is free of camphor - a common ingredient in many liniments that is also a banned substance in competition.
www.sonovettherapy.com.au
