Agility Equine Massage Practice

05/17/2023

Taken from Koper Equine. These are not my words but I strongly agree.

I often see people posting about their horse having muscle knots and being muscle sore, talking about having the chiropractor out, Pemf and red light, kt tape, vet’s been out and still the horse is not better, why?

My question is; why are you doing everything you can think of to help your horse feel better EXCEPT the one thing that actually addresses those sore, tight muscles directly?!

Other therapies are NOT stand-ins or substitutes for massage - they do different things for the horse.

Massage is the only one of these therapies that physically manipulates the muscles, fascia and skin to ease tight, sore muscles lengthen and supple myofascia, free painful nerves, improve circulation, increase range of motion and bring balance and biotensegrity back to the body to improve performance and soundness.

An equine massage therapist uses their hands to feel and carefully manipulate the soft tissues to work out tension, knots, kinks and adhesions. Massage manually opens myofascial tissue, softening, stretching, balancing tension, improving range of motion and freedom of movement of muscle, fascia, joints and skin.

Massage speeds muscle healing. The micro tears and trigger points caused by exercise and building muscles heal faster, stronger and with a healthier range of motion when your horse receives regular massage sessions.

Tight, tense and fatigued muscles increase the risk of tendon injuries. Tendons are an extension of the muscle and anchor the muscle to the bone. If the muscle is impaired, the tendon will also be, which greatly raises the risk of injury. Massage can improve the health and function of the muscles and tendons to help ward off injuries.

Massage techniques with different frequencies, amplitudes and intensities can improve athleticism by stimulating the mechanoreceptors and improving the horse’s proprioception (awareness of position) and kinesthesia (movement in the body), helpful when improving the horse’s overall athleticism. This will also help stimulate healing if the horse has suffered a neurological insult.

Massage physically stimulates weak and inactive muscles to help bring them back into action.

Pain and tension interfere with the body’s ability to recover from illness or injury and will extend recovery time. Many veterinarians have begun to incorporate massage therapy into their recovery protocols as an effective, natural way to aid in pain regulation and recovery for both acute and chronic issues. Equine Massage therapists are trained to work on soft tissues to alleviate pain and improve the body’s ability to heal itself.

Massage physically pumps and presses circulation into congested areas, opening them to better nourishment, oxygenation and hydration all of which optimize healing and healthy tissue development and performance.

Massage increases the production of mitochondria, responsible for powering the production of ATP in cellular metabolism. More mitochondria lead to more ATP, which means increased energy to heal. Massage also increases levels of white blood cells which attack viruses and bacteria.

Massage increases the production of cytokines, chemical messengers that work for the immune system to regulate things like fever, pain and inflammation.

Massage releases endorphins which act as a natural analgesic helping to relieve headaches, myofascial pain, muscle soreness, TMJ, and other discomforts and a lasting sense of well-being.

A full-body massage can improve digestion by increasing the release of enzymes essential for healthy digestion and stimulating the motion of the intestine, and its contents, to move along.

Regular massage can retrain the body to move more readily into the parasympathetic state, the state in which the body is able to relax, digest and repair. This can be especially helpful for high strung, spooky or recovering horses.

Massage is one of, if not the, most effective muscle and myofascial therapies available and it can be customized to meet each horse’s physical needs. Leaving it out of your regular care and exercise routine leaves a huge hole and a missed opportunity.

Koper Equine, LLC
Equine Massage and Bodywork
Happy, healthy horses.

03/11/2023

Great idea for building rider strength in this short read below.
More importantly protect your horses back by being fit enough to ride. Often owners will suggest saddle fit or an underlying lameness as the cause of a sore back. Not wanting to take responsibility for the fact that it could be that they need to improve their own ride.
In the event a rider is learning to sit properly a thin line pad goes a long way to protecting the horses back from a poorly used seat.

03/03/2023

Meet Jasper! He makes #100! As of 3/2/23 I have successfully massaged 100 different horses in my practice!

That's more than 100 lessons learned. Each horse teaches you somthing new, and if you listen closely to them enough you learn more than just one thing!

Thank you to all the equine owners, trainers, and other professionals that have supported my business these past 4 years. Looking forward to many more years of this work.

02/25/2023

#99 done! Thank you Nikki for allowing me to work with you and Sandman.

Only 1 more new client will make it 100 different horses massaged by me in my practice!

02/18/2023

Thank you Louie and Heather for giving the opportunity to work with you!

Louie makes it in at #98! Only 2 more to go to make it 100 different horses massaged by me in my practice.

02/15/2023

Thank you Krishna Longanecker for the opportunity to work with Oliver and Sam! They are such lovely animals and are super lucky to be able to call you mom!

Annnd that makes #97 and #98! Just 2 more horses to go and I'll have massaged 100 different horses in my practice 😁

02/10/2023

#96! Thank you Karter for getting me 1 horse closer to 100 different horses massaged in my practice! And to Alyssa and Elianna for giving me the opportunity to work with him! Such a cutie 🥰

02/09/2023

Remember this?

In 1982 at the Radnor Hunt Three-Day Event in Radnor, Pa., James C. Wofford and Castlewellan were the open intermediate winners. Patti Mack Photo

CLICK: https://conta.cc/3Yjhh9w

02/08/2023

I am almost at 100! I have successfully massaged 95 different horses in my practice! I would love to make it 100! So I am waiving the initial assessment fee for the next 5 new clients who book an appointment with me.

Pic below of my daughter and our first ❤️horse for attention.

02/05/2023

RIP Jim Wofford. I was lucky enough to watch a full week clinic with him and my daughter was lucky enough to ride in it. He was the best clinician around!
Below is a pic of his back as he stood in a line to help my daughter's lease horse from rushing down the lines! It has always been one of my favorite pics from the week. He was full of witty saying and inspiring comments. To see him teach was an awesome experience.

02/05/2023

“Certainly we need great movers and powerful jumpers, but above all we need a partner, not a slave. We need horses that are supremely courageous, fiercely independent and phenomenally agile. Find such a horse and treasure him. Teach him that you will trust him with your life. Give him the education he will need, and then sit quietly while he does the job that you very skillfully and patiently taught him. He won't let you down. We owe all this and more to our horses.“

RIP James Cunningham Wofford (November 3, 1944 – February 2, 2023)

Photo courtesy of Culver Academies: Jim Wofford as a 14-year-old Lance Corporal at the 1959 Round Barn Horse Show.

01/31/2023

100%

So much damage is done to horses on the way to “achieving” some outcome or other.
Often it’s not intentional, but is simply “that’s the way we’ve always done it” because it “works”

The two misunderstood things that spring immediately to mind are teaching a horse to tie up, and teaching a horse to load on a float. If done well, the horse doesn’t need to be hard tied, it will stand. Also, done well, the horse doesn’t need to be chased, it will load.

Yes, of course horses will also stand if hard tied, because they’ve found via struggle that they have no choice. And they will often load if chased, again because they’ve found via struggle that they have no choice.

But people keep doing it, because it “works” for them. It doesn’t work for the horse, though.

These are my first 2 rules
1: Don’t frighten the horse
2: Don’t frighten the horse

A week of patience will return itself in years of trust.

01/30/2023

❤️ this

The health of your horse’s back is vital to his performance. Achieving healthy back movement requires a holistic solution that takes into account every aspect of your horse’s experience. If you want your horse to go rounder or get on the bit easier then you will want to read this article.

01/29/2023

Looking forward to seeing how high we rise! Starting over from the beginning this week. Thank you for all the words of encouragement!

01/20/2023

On average horses drink 7-10 gallons of water a day and this remains as important in cold weather as it is in the summer because reduced water intake can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as the dreaded impaction colic.

Studies demonstrate that horses will drink more if provided access to heated water and that most water consumption happens within three hours of feeding. How can you use this information to your advantage? Refill buckets at feed time with warm water to maximize your horse’s water intake—especially in the winter when water is more likely to be freezing or close to freezing.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about preventing colic in your horse, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!
•
Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

01/20/2023

Braxton spent the better part of last week at Tufts undergoing diagnostics for his back and hindquarter because he started stopping and balking undersaddle. As I drove home tears filled my eyes and I began a little pity party for myself (I definitely pulled over once or twice). Not going to lie, I feel everyone deserves their own pity party once and a while. But today that pity party is over, as a bodyworker and equine professional my goal is always to help horses be the best they can be comfortably, without forgetting that their best may not be as much as we need. It’s hard to notice sometimes what the limits are but if we listen closely enough to our animals they will tell us. So onward I go, I have not found out what Braxtons limits are yet, but I am going to do my best to work through a good rehab and strength program that will help him be the best he can be.