EJA Equine Therapy

20/01/2025

❔When should your horse have a massage❔

All horses are different so some horses may have a massage every 2 months and be fine whereas others may need a treatment every week.

It isn’t always to do with their workload or fitness levels.

Here are some signs to look out for that may suggest your horse needs some release:

▫️They are grumpy or out of character.
▫️They may be hunched up or appear to be uncomfortable.
▫️Tripping over, in hand and ridden.
▫️They struggle to pick up the correct canter lead.
▫️Look out for tail swishing, twitching, ear pinning and head tossing when tacking up or grooming.
▫️They are uncomfortable around their back.

These are just a few signs to look out for suggesting that your horse would benefit from a massage. I may not be able to find the sole cause but working through the whole body will help release casual and compensatory issues.

15/01/2025

🐴 Muscle Types 🐴

Type 1 slow twitch fibres - these are generally postural muscles with high resistance to fatigue. Muscles such as the longissimus Dorsi are high in type 1 fibres.

Endurance riding and dressage predominantly require type 1 fibre.

Type 2 fast twitch fibres - these provide maximum strength and speed. Muscles such as the hamstrings are high in type 2 fibres.

Sprinting and show jumping predominantly require type 2 fibre.

All horses have both type 1 and 2 fibres but to different extents e.g Thoroughbreds have a greater number of type 2 than a Haflinger. The type of work the horse or pony is best suited to is decided by its conformation and muscle type.

12/01/2025

⭐️RELOCATION⭐️

Due to relocating I will be taking bookings from the 20th of January 2025.

I’ve got availability Monday, Thursday and Fridays from 10am covering Wiltshire and surrounding areas.

For further information please contact me via [email protected] or 07383978399

31/03/2022

❗️NEW CLIENTS❗️

I have availability for new clients, I cover Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. The massages I offer are:

🐴Full body massages

🐴Pre event massages

🐴Post event massages

🐴Rehabilitation massages

All include post massage stretches and aftercare + exercise recommendations and are all tailored to suit your horses needs.

Please 📞 or 📲 for an questions or to book

10/03/2022

28/02/2022

🙌🏼Post Treatment Advice 🙌🏼

Horse’s need access to lots of fresh clean water, if they are ‘poor drinkers’ sometimes apple juice or a cut up apple in water can help encourage good fluid intake.

If the stable has a water feeder it might be wise to add a bucket of water so the owner can see how much the horse has drunk.

Ideally the horse should be walked in hand for 10-15 minutes post massage.

If possible, the horse should be left out in turn out over night so they can move around freely.

Urine and defecation rate may be increased after massage temporarily and the urine may be more smelly than usual as the body is excreting waste products.

Horses may feel very relaxed and tired after treatment and may need some rest time to sleep and recuperate OR they can feel full of energy and want to have a good gallop round.

Some horses are reportedly ‘grumpy’ the next day - this may be due to the release of toxins back into the circulatory and lymphatics. This feeling of being ‘hung-over’ is very common in humans after having a sports massage and may be a similar occurrence in equines.

You cannot make a horse lame with massage, but some make look a bit stiff the next day - they normally walk this off quite quickly.

20/02/2022

20% off for all new clients who book in by the end of the month 🤩

Massages I offer:

🔸Full body massage
🔸Pre event massage
🔸Post event massage
🔸Rehabilitation massage

All massages are tailored to your horses specific needs.

Each massage will include a full medical history and post exercises if required.

To book in please don’t hesitate to 📲 or 📞

06/02/2022

🐴Back pain caused by saddles🐴

Uneven pressure under the saddle causes loss of blood supply to the muscles and consequently causes damage to the mechanical receptors underneath the skin. This causes paralysis due to compression of the motor nerves and, ultimately pain. Once the pain receptors in the back have been activated it is hard to turn them off (muscle memory). Balance and weight distribution of the saddle are of paramount importance.

Pressure can be caused by:

🔘 The arch of the saddle, or thick seams of leather under the arch, rubbing on top of the withers.

🔘The profile of the arch catching on the side of the withers when the horse lowers their head and bends their neck.

🔘Compression of the dorsal spinous processes by the saddle moving across the spine.

🔘Asymmetry of the weight bearing panels.

🔘Broken saddle tress.

🔘Twisted saddle trees.

🔘An exposed saddle tree, when the rider’s weight forces the panels apart.

🔘Girth straps attached to the points of the tree, if this interferes with the rotation of the shoulder blades.

🔘Areas,however small, of uneven flocking; either to much or to little.

🔘Stirrup bars that are angled inwards towards the horses back muscles.

🔘Girth buckles.

All ridden horses should have their tack checked every 6 months by a qualified, accredited and insured professional specialist.

(Photo used from google)

24/01/2022

MUSCLE IMBALANCE

Muscle imbalance is a significant cause of injury in horses. Imbalance develops when mobility, flexibility and suppleness are not maintained. This can be the result of over exercising, under exercising, overload or injury. The tonic muscles (responsible for postural control and stability/balance) shorten and the phasic muscles (responsible for movement) weaken. The shortened tonic muscles tend to be stronger than the weaker phasics and this leads to the development of defensive and protective movements and postures. The shortened muscles then become mechanically overloaded and more prone to strain injury.

Muscle groups prone to shortening:

🔸Pectorals and biceps in the forelimb.

🔸Adductors, iliopsoas and hamstring in the hind limb.

🔸Back extensors.

Muscle groups prone to weakening:

🔹Triceps in the fore limb.

🔹Gluteals and quadriceps femoris in the hind limb.

🔹Abdominal muscles.

Massage therapy is a great way to help muscles stay supple and strong. If your horses are not in full time work or are prone to losing/ weakened muscle quickly.

Don’t hesitate to 📞 or 📲 to book your horses in for a massage.

14/01/2022

HAY NET VS HAY ON THE FLOOR

In many stables horses are offered hay in nets hanging above the ground. This implies that the horse has to eat with their head higher than in its natural feed intake position.

Physiologically this leads to the horse using different muscles in their neck and back. The higher the head position can impair the ability to clear particles by mucociliary cleaning.

Which feeding position do horses prefer when they get to chose ❓

In a pilot study 10 horses aged 7-17 years were used, and they were previously used to eating from hay nets. For 2 weeks the horses were acclimatised to eating from the floor below the hay net. Then they were offered both evenly weighed out , morning and night. Then the horses were observed.

To eat from the floor was the horses first choice, all horses ate from the floor for the first 20 minutes. After a while most horses looked up and around then chose to eat from the net for a few minutes before returning to the ground.

Which do you give your horses ❓

(Photos used from google)

10/01/2022

Happy Monday 😃

I hope everyone had a great new year!

Please message to book an appointment or if you have any query’s, I have some availability 📲

23/12/2021

I just want to say a massive thank you to all my clients this year it has been lovely to meet you all 😊

I am starting to take bookings for the start of next year so please don’t hesitate to message to book in or for any questions you have 📲

I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy new year 🎉

18/12/2021

⚪️Recovery after Exercise⚪️

Regular exercise is an essential aspect of keeping your horse fit, but it’s easy to just focus on the exercise itself and without thinking too much about post-workout recovery. There are a number of ways that’s will help your horse to recover better and faster.

You should always cool down your horse properly after exercise, focus on walking them off properly on a loose rein to see how well they are moving after exercise, and to let them stretch and relax.

In most cases 10-15 minutes of walking should be enough to fully cool down your horse however after intense exercise or competitions in warm weather you may need to use water to speed the process along. Continue to apply water until it is the same temperature coming off as going on.

Hydrotherapy is a great way to promote healing and recovery. It also helps to reduce inflammation.

Equine massage therapy is another valuable tool when it comes to recovery. A post workout massage can help to reduce swelling, relieve stiffness and pain, and improve your horses’ circulation for a better recovery. Massage is non-invasive and maybe the perfect therapy for your horse after a particularly intense lesson, competition or event. 🙌🏼

Feeding the right supplements will also support your horse by providing them with the right nutrients they need for post exercise recovery.🐴

Our horse’s work hard for us and by supporting their recovery, you can help to relieve muscle pain and have them ready for their next Outing or exercise session sooner ☺️

30/11/2021

I have some availability every Friday in the coming weeks covering Whitstable and south East Kent.

The massages I offer are:
🐴Routine/maintenance

🐴Rehabilitation massage

🐴Pre-event massage

🐴Post-event massage

All massages are great to help to relieve some built up tension or tightness.

Massages range from 30mins - 1hr and are catered to your horse and how they are reacting to the massage. I cover the entire body and give extra attention to specific areas when needed.

Feel free to message for information and to book an appointment 😊

19/11/2021

The Arthritic Horse

The pain and stiffness associated with arthritis affect horses in the same way that they affect humans. Fortunately, the percentage in animals is not as high as humans.

Regular massage combined with gentle stretching exercises, some hydrotherapy modalities and exercise make a comprehensive holistic home-care program to keep your arthritic horse healthy, happy and as pain free as possible on a daily basis.

Exercise your horse regularly to keep their musculoskeletal system fit and to maintain flexibility and range of motion. It is recommended to do several small exercise sessions throughout the day so your horse enjoys it. Avoid longer sessions where the horse may get stiff and ache all over afterwards. It would cause them to develop a lot of muscular tension as they will automatically compensate in order to avoid the painful joint sensation.

Some of the early signs of arthritis shown by your horse will include:

🔸 General stiffness in the morning trying to get up and walk out of their stall.

🔸General stiffness in the evening, especially when trying to lay down.

🔸A decrease in their overall activity level, difficulty going up and down hills or when loading in and out of a trailer.

🔸Not wanting to be touched or handled as much, including being a bit grouchy or aggressive when being touched over the arthritic areas.

More pronounced symptoms may include:

🔸Marked stiffness or lameness when walking, trotting or cantering.

🔸Some degree of pain, heat and possibly swelling around the affected joint(s).

🔸Painful signs on their face when putting weight on an affected leg or when touched there.

Keep in mid that these symptoms can also be due to another problem known as Lyme disease. When In doubt, always consult your vet for diagnosis.

15/11/2021

We all know how long winter is ! It seems to drag on and on, the relentless cold, wind, rain and snow all in one day sometimes. With this comes icy yards and boggy muddy fields which often means horses have to stay stabled for long periods of time. Dark nights meaning less riding time and fresher horses, sometimes it feels like it’ll never end !

Here are a few tips for keeping your horse happy, healthy and feeling super supple during the rest of winter:

1️⃣ WARMING UP - With cold weather comes stiffer horses and joints, especially in the horse’s with arthritis, make sure before starting riding to warm up your horse so they don’t strain the muscles and other soft tissue which can, in some cases, lead to repetitive strain injuries.

2️⃣ POLE WORK - Pole work is very beneficial for horse’s soft tissue, and can provide relaxation in some horse’s. Walk, trot and canter poles as well as raised poles encourage the horses to stretch down, as well as engaging the horse’s back, hindquarters and hind legs.

3️⃣ STRETCHING - Leg stretching is one of the simpler things you can do to keep your horse’s muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints supple and healthy. Stretching enhances the sensory nerve endings in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints, that give the Brain information about movement and body position. A regular stretching routine is advantageous to preventing injury and increasing the elasticity, and suppleness. Neck stretching (Carrot stretching) are not only great for strengthening muscles in the neck, but also the muscles along the back. These stretches are extremely beneficial for horses with back related problems or tight backs as they help to strengthen the back and engage the core. Providing support to the vertebrae.

4️⃣ BANDAGES AND STABLE BOOTS - The use of bandaging and stable boots in the winter is a great idea, especially if your horse has arthritis, but they are also great for just keeping your horse’s legs warm and helping to increase circulation.