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Royal Performance Equine Massage

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Canada
Cambridge, ON
Royal Performance Equine Massage

Certified Equine Massage Therapist, helping horses feel their best so they can perform their best. Serving Cambridge and surrounding areas.
(2)

Also offering kinesiology taping, red light therapy, swedish massage and myofascial release.

11/10/2024

Enjoy these videos of this sweet boy enjoying some good releases and
🍂 a message. Show season is over, so my horse doesn't need bodywork now....au contraire, and here's why...
🍁When the weather gets colder, muscle elasticity is reduced, making them more prone to injury
🍂Colder muscles are more susceptible to strains/sprains (this is why we often see injuries in the winter and why a PROPER warm-up is so important)
🍁Horses move less in winter, usually parked at the hay bale. This decreases circulation, which is vital to muscle health
🍂Changes in footing and blanket creating pressure points can also create tension and tight muscles
🍁Woring indoors in smaller areas and residual tension from a long show season can leave residual areas of soreness

So while it may seem practical that your horse can skip bodywork until spring, prevention and maintenance programs (6-8 weeks) will help your horse navigate winter soundly and not miss shows in the spring due to injury. It is much easier (and more cost effective) to continue with a bodywork program, than the have to rehab and start at square one as show season starts. Riding indoors on the same footing, doing the same exercises over and over can cause repetitive strain injuries and plateau muscle building and can cause tension. Bodywork can help with that!

11/01/2024

On this hallows eve, I am tired and truthfully finding it hard to know what to post, so enjoy some Halloween memes from other fellow bodyworkers.

10/27/2024

A great way to spend a beautiful fall day, massaging, and some taping for this sweet girl. The big releases happened after the massage was over, and I put some tape on and stepped away and gave her space to process. It was such a lovely moment.

This girl was very stoic and a bit shut down (due to her past) her first massage, but now after a few sessions she is such a sweet, receptive lovely girl who loves to check in and snuggle. Not all horses are fully engaged their first session, and that is 100% ok. I always let the horse guide me and tell me what they are okay with, I never push anything, and that's when these moments happen.

Horses can carry emotional trauma as physical tension, the same way our bodies can. Massage can help them let go of that tension and become more comfortable in their own skins. These moments are what touch my heart the most❤️The view from the mobile office was brilliant, so many vivid colours. Mother nature has NOT disappointed this fall. Even a lovely rainbow, I like to think it was Keenya saying "hi mum", boy do I miss him.

10/14/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. This year is a little bit different and has been a bit rough, if I'm honest, without my beloved boy Keenya, but there are still many things to be thankful for.

Continuing to have the magical gift of horses in my life is just one. I am incredibly thankful for all my clients, from original to new, who have allowed me to work with their beautiful horses to discover the many benefits of equine bodywork. It's now been almost three years since I began this journey, and your support and trust in me means more than you will ever know.

I will always be thankful to the grey beast who "told" me to find a way to help him, and that's what started the path to holistic healing for him. Now, I could never go back to ignoring any horses "whispers" for help. I'm thankful I saw the "light" and can continue to help horses feel better in their own bodies every day. Horses are such a gift.❤️

10/11/2024

Feel Good Friday! Hopefully, this trio is feeling good today after their massages last night and ready for their last show of the season. It made my day when one client said "Whatever you did last time, she moved so much better and was feeling great"! That makes me so happy! Riders feeling the difference when their partners are comfortable and moving well! Massage makes a difference in horses' lives. It sounds silly, but it really does!! Thank you again for having me out, I truly love what I do and love all my clients.

Don't hate me, but I'm loving the woolies....look at that lift action from the tape *chef's kiss*! Longer hair makes the tape stick better and lasts longer.

10/07/2024

Can't think of better way to spend my 3 year certification anniversary (certification-aversary?) than a beautiful fall day with some lovely horses❤️
The two chestnut ladies are some of my first clients, and I'm so grateful their mom keeps up with their maintenance massages. Their brother (the bay) joined the ranks as well and has been enjoying his massages and taping as well (peep the lift on that tape, love it!).

The little cutie patootie representing all the littles who benefit from bodywork as well. After all, they still have muscles, just like big horses, and all muscles can hold tension.

Rounding out the day is a sweet golden girl who is dealing with some body changes, so her mom wanted to help her feel more comfortable. I love that! All horses deserve to be comfortable in their own skin.

Thanks for having me out on a special day for me, and thank you for keeping me as part of your horse care team, I am so grateful to all my clients❤️

09/26/2024

Happy National Animal Therapists Day to all my fellow bodyworkers out there, making horses lives better and putting horse welfare first!

Another thank you to all the horse owners out there who have us out to work on your horses.

I love what I do, and I love seeing the relief on a horses face when they release tension and love the reports of how they moved better after. My dream is that one day, all horse owners will realize that any and all horses benefit from bodywork ❤️.

PC 1 &2: (she takes beautiful photos!! My motto is don't wait always get the professional photos done)

PC #3:

09/25/2024

Testimonial Tuesday!! Yesterday was Mustang Monday ❤️. My second visit with this sweet boy, and I observed something very interesting. When I first approached him, he came right up to me and wanted to touch me to say "hello." (Peep the soft eye and nostrils). Throughout his masaage, he would often look back at me to check in or indicate if I was in the right spot. A few times, he also stepped away and needed a moment to process without me in his space. And you know what, it was a really beautiful moment. This little fella was legitimately wild and rounded up by the BLM. So he had to spend his life using his instincts and looking out for himself. He is very in touch with his body, and it made me reflect on how many horses try to be stoic or are sometimes disassociated from their bodies as a coping mechanism. This little fella is very stoic (he is recovering from a rib out of place and he was never once sore), but at the same time, he is always aware of his body and what he needs. It was a really cool appointment.

After his first assessment/massage, his mom asked for some homework to start to build some muscle on him, and I love that!! She wants to start from the beginning and set him up for success so he is able and comfortable to eventually be a riding horse. In reflection, I think this little man is here to remind me (and everyone) that horses have no concept of time. We don't need to place parameters ("isn't your 3 year old under saddle yet") and expectations on horses. We need to give them the time and space to be comfortable in their bodies, grow and build proper muscle so that they can live long, comfortable lives. I never rush or push a horse during an appointment to accept anything they don't want. I often take a step back and take a deep breath, and oftentimes, the horse does the same. So take a step back, take a deep breath and let the horse guide the interaction. Thanks for the reminder, little man❤️

09/21/2024

Fun Fact Friday!! (This is one of my fav muscle groups and so fascinating!!). Did you know that horses have no collar bone and that their forelimb is attached by the Thoracic Sling (TS)! How amazing is that! The TS is a group of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia that connect the forelimbs to the chest - no bones to hold it in place! (Long post alert, but I think it's an interesting one, so it deserves a spotlight).

The TS is made up of the Trapezius, Serratus Ventralis, Subclavian Muscle, and pectorals. Sadly, this is the muscle group I most often see atrophy or poor muscle development in.

So what is the function of the Thoracic Sling? In the simplest explanation, it supports the horses weight between its front legs and is essential for your horses balance, stability, and movement. It helps propell your horse forward and lift the front end.

Signs of weakness in the TS: heavy on the forehand, leaning on the hands, difficulty bending/turning, pulling along with the front end, falling out through the shoulder.

What causes atrophy and poor muscling in the TS? Poor saddle fit, poor girth fit, and mostly (unfortunately) standing in a stall for prolonged periods as opposed to roaming freely. Improper training methods can also cause poor posture, which results in the horse starting to lean on their chest instead of standing upright in front.

How do we build better muscle in the TS?
🐎 Pole work at the walk (in hand is best) work up to raised poles (pole work is the best!!)
🐎 Backing up in hand (not in the saddle) focusing on proper backing techniques (alternate pairs, not shuffling backward 1 hoof at a time)
🐎 Horse pilates! Or DME's (dynamic mobilization exercises) like baited stretches and tummy tucks.

Is anyone interested in more posts that are educational and talk about different muscles?

09/19/2024

Thursday Truths! You may have heard this one before, but it bears repeating. Lately, I have seen/heard a lot of people commenting about their horses: "They are just being a jerk, brat, arse, b , cow" etc. Those comments really hurt my heart. It has been proven that horses don't act out of malice or are out to "get us, p**s us off", they don't have that capacity.

So, if you feel like your horse is acting out, you need to look at the "why" of their behavior. If a horse is displaying "bad behaviour," it is for 1 of 3 reasons pain, gaps in training, or fear. In my experience (with my own horse and client horses), it is almost ALWAYS due to pain. My own horse was labeled many of these names when he was simply trying to say, "Hey, mom, so I have this pain, and no one is listening." Imagine how that would feel. You keep telling your doctor you have pain in your elbow, but he says you are fine. Keep going. You would be frustrated, well, that's how horses feel, and then they resort to telling us louder when we don't listen.

So please don't ignore your horse when they are "being bad" (or if they have sudden changes in behaviour) and dismiss it as them just being a jerk. They are trying to say something, and you need to listen. I know sometimes we dont want to admit our horse may be in pain, because then it will make us feel guilty for not listening earlier. But that is ok, as we learn more about pain behaviours we need to be willing to see the light. Your horse will be very appreciative of you listening, and if they get relief from the pain, they will be much more willing to work with you❤️

09/17/2024

Post massage naps for this sweetie pie! This cutie is headed off to his last show, and it's a long trailer ride, so some support taping and decompression taping were on the menu. (I will say it again) Horses who are comfortable in their own bodies perform better because they feel better!

I always ask before I start how the horse has been and if there has been any out of character behavior or other things that have happened. This boy has had a few bumps along the way this summer, but because his owner knows him so well, he got the time off he needed and (from a muscle standpoint) he is raring to go! It's always important I have the whole picture. I learn along the way what is normal for each of my clients and what is odd. It's important for me to have the whole picture, no matter how nonconsequential a detail may seem.

Good luck, you two, I'm rooting for you!!

09/14/2024

Fun Fact Friday! Science is always evolving, and it was a long-held belief that lactic acid build-up caused muscle soreness after a workout. BUT, science has now proven that lactic acid only lingers around for 1-2 hours after exercise.

So what causes horses to be muscle sore 24-72 hours AFTER exercise or a show? Well, exercise can cause microtears (don't worry, that's normal), when that happens, the body responds to the damage by increasing inflammation in that area (increased lymph flow). This is called delayed onset muscle soreness.

If a horse doesn't move enough after work, this excess fluid/inflammation floods the area, causing pressure. That pressure causes pain and discomfort in the surrounding areas and fascia. Studies have shown that massage is the MOST effective way to avoid and treat this soreness up to 30%! Massage manually moves the excess fluid out of the muscles. It also lowers pain, soreness, and speeds in the healing process. Pretty interesting!!

Would there be any interest in holding some in barn "how to" nights where I could show owners how to help their horses with this issue on their own after a hard ride/lesson? Comment Yes!!

09/11/2024

Post and Pre show massage and taping for this handsome boy who has back to back shows. I love that his mom made sure to fit him in, in between shows to help him!! It's an awesome moment when owners start to feel the difference in how their horse goes and how they feel more comfortable and willing after massage, chiro, proper saddle fit etc. I know I say it ALL the time, but preventative and maintenance massage is one of the BEST ways to prevent injuries in our equine athletes.

Horses are athletes who have to carry a human on their back while being asked to be athletic at the same time. There isn't an athlete out there who doesn't do some form of bodywork, physio, chiro etc to keep themselves comfortable and performing their best and to recover as well. Don't horses deserve the same! I sure think so😉.

08/29/2024

"On Wednesdays, we wear pink!" Lol. These lovely ladies enjoyed their massages and were grateful for some taping after.

It's such a great feeling when a horse who was very nervous her first massage was relaxed enough to have a droopy lip and another nickers when she sees me. Such sweet, appreciative horses, and it just shows that not every horse enjoys their first massage, but boy, do they grow to appreciate them. It makes me so happy that their riders want to help them by having prevention and maintenance massages and that they see the benefits❤️. It's such a small thing we can do for our horses with huge benefits!!

08/27/2024

Happy National Dog Day to my merry band of behind the scenes weirdos.

This is typically my equine business account, but these nerds deserve some recognition since they are always happy to see me and cuddle after a long day of massages.

Love my rescue pups so much❤️

08/19/2024

While I mostly am massaging horses for shows, sometimes I actually get to show!! Sola was such a good girl!!

What strikes me the most is her expression! Just happy to be doing our tests. Sadly, at shows, I see a LOT of horses displaying pain behaviors like pinned ears, swishing tails, pain eye, the list goes on. But this girl was happy the entire test, just having a good time, and I love it.

With comments like "willing partner" and "accurate and obedient" it just proves what I already know, is that comfortable horses are happy horses and happy horses are willing to do what we ask of them. Making your partner comfortable to do the job we ask of them is the LEAST we can do for them!! In my opinion, anyway (hint: she had a massage the night before! Lol).

08/09/2024

Cool, new tool alert! (Pun intended). My lovely husband bought me a thermal imaging camera for an early birthday present. Why would this be helpful for massage you may ask? Well it can:
🔎Provide a baseline for me to refer to
🔎Can show cool areas with less circulation
🔎Show warmer areas indication potential injury
🔎Can show abcesses and can pinpoint sources of pain to narrow down where lameness may be coming from

The first image is the horses legs just coming in out of the field. The second image is after I put my secret post-work leg brace on. See how much cooler the legs are after I put that on! Very cool indeed!! I have always rubbed my horses legs down after every ride and with all the literature recently about heat causing possible tendon damage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! (That's also why bodywork is so important also 😉)

08/08/2024

POV: When your clients feel the same way about you, that you feel about them❤️. This is one of the best testimonials I can get, straight from the horses mouth🤭

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Videos

Pretty boring video, right? EXACTLY! This is what tacking up SHOULD look like. Notice the soft eye, no flinching, ear pinning, or snarking. This pretty lady is never girthy, so if she suddenly became girthy, I would be looking for pain. Contrary to all the things you have heard (or said yourself 👋 guilty) it is absolutely not "normal", "they've always been like that", "this is just what they do", "they are sensitive", all the things we tell ourselves to justify our horses being uncomfortable during tacking up. I was 100 percent guilty of this before I discovered bodywork. From the day my horse was backed, he was always girthy. He was a very sensitive horse, so I always chalked it up to that. I was always gentle, used fuzzy girths, etc. It wasn't until I discovered he had ulcers and pectoral and intercostal pain that I realized all along, he was trying to tell me he was in pain. I felt HORRIBLE and like the worst horse owner ever. But, you don't know what you don't know until you DO know. And now I KNOW! Enter bodywork, and he became so much better! Girthiness can look like: 😡 head tossing 😡 ear pinning 😡 tail swishing and moving away/around in the cross ties 😡Biting Causes of girthiness can be: 🤕 pain from the girth or ill fitting saddle 🤕 underlying health issues: like ulcers (9 times out of 10 it's this or saddle fit), hindgut discomfort or kissing spine 🤕 pain in the pectorals, obliques, latissimus dorsi or intercostal muscles So please listen to what your horse is trying to tell you. It doesn't make you a bad horse mom if you just didn't know. This is where we can start listening and treating pain in our horses. They just want to be heard, like most of us lol. Bodywork can help identify what areas have pain/tension and help to alleviate that pain. #cemt #equinemassage #equinebodyworker #girthinessisnotnormal

This beautiful moment of release was brought to you by the superhero Kinesiology Tape! Still think ktape doesn't do anything? Just ask Miss V here. This sweet girl was tight behind and traveling a bit short, so after a massage, I added some tape. This was her reaction when I stepped away to give her space, love it! Kinesiology tape has so many uses! Discover the benefits! Fun Fact: taping is included in my massage prices, bonus!!

POV: When the massage therapists kid finally gets a massage....the faces are epic!! Sorry Keenya, mom's been busy helping other horses.❤️‍🩹❤️ Side note: he has fully embraced wooly mammoth status lol!

Merry Christmas from the RP Equine Therapy family to yours. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season with lots of love, laughs, time spent with loved ones, and of course, horse hugs! Thank you to all of my clients this year who allowed me to be part of their horse's well being and care team. I am forever grateful❤️.