Hoofs & Paws Massage Therapy LLC

06/10/2023

Happy Thursday!!

Here are some recent before and after pictures!

I have a couple of appointments available next week!

Message me if you have any questions or to schedule!
Services offered:
Equine Massage
Equine KT Taping
Equine Raindrop therapy

I am located in Bowling Green, Ohio. I do travel up to 35 miles with no travel fee.

01/10/2023

21/08/2023

Happy Monday!!

I hope everyone has a fantastic week and can enjoy some time in the barn but stay cool! It’s going to be a hot one!! 😎☀️🐴

Peanut thanking me after one of her massages ☺️ 🩷

Message me to schedule or if you have any questions!
Services offered:
Equine Massage Therapy
Equine Thermal Imaging
Equine Kinesiology Muscle Taping
Equine Raindrop Therapy (essential oils massage)

16/08/2023

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I posted on here!

I just wanted to remind everyone of the services I offer!! Please reach out if you have any questions or are unsure where to start!

Equine massage
This is a hands-on full-body massage that takes about an hour! I first evaluate the horse and do thermal imaging if appropriate. Then I began the massage. As I massage, I will assess your horse's body language to help gauge what your horse likes/ dislikes!

Raindrop therapy- new
This is a massage using essential oils! Not only does this benefit the horse done on, but also all the other horses/animals in the barn/ in close contact with the “main” horse.

Thermal imaging-
Thermal imaging is a way to evaluate a horse and pinpoint some “problem areas.”

How it works:
The thermal camera captures and creates the image based on the “heat” your horse/animal gives off. The dark red/ black could be interpreted as inflammation meaning that it could be a “problem area.”

Kinesiology taping- new
Kinesiology taping is applying a Cotten-like tape directly to the horses fur! Sometimes clipping might be needed but not often! The kinesiology tape addresses various soft tissue injuries, supports musculoskeletal structures, prevents injuries, and benefits the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.

I am taking new clients and would love to work with you and your horse! You can message me here or text/call me at (419) 356 -7774

I am located in Bowling Green, Ohio. I do travel up to 35 miles with no travel fee.

Thank you all for your support!
Jordan Noftz

28/06/2023

16/05/2023

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒇
I've had a lot of interest in hoof related topics recently. Before getting into the specifics of hoof care or hoof problems I thought it would be a good idea to first talk about the hoof anatomy. Let's start with the external surface of the hoof.

𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒕
The coronet name for the area where the skin and periople meet. The coronary band describes a deeper anatomical structure.

𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆
The periople is a soft surface that is similar to the human cuticle. It lies between the coronet and the hoof wall, being narrower towards the toe and wider towards the heel.

𝑻𝒐𝒆
Similar to humans, the toe is found at the very front of the foot. This part of the hoof contains the thickest horn.

𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓
The side of the hoof wall is known as the quarter, both medially and laterally.

𝑯𝒆𝒆𝒍
A horse has two heels, both medially and laterally. This region has the thinnest horn, as it must be able to flex as the horse moves. Each heel is able to flex independently from one another.

𝑯𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒃
The heel bulbs are found directly above the heels. Similar to the heels, this area absorbs concussion. Heel bulbs should appear large and symmetrical on both sides.

18/04/2023

Coronas before and after!

Look at all that tension in the first picture compared to the second!

Message or text me at (419) 356-7774 to get on the books! I would love to work on your horse!

08/03/2023

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
Welcome back for another week of Today we will be taking a look at the intercostal muscles.

𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
The intercostal muscles are long and narrow, lying between each rib. There are actually two sets of muscles, the external and internal intercostals. Both of these muscles have the important job of aiding the body with respiration (breathing). The external intercostals aid in drawing in breath (inspiration) while the internal intercostals aid in pushing out breath (expiration).

𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕
The intercostal muscles can easily become tight and painful. Horses may hold their breath, act "girthy" or the chiropractor may constantly be adjusting ribs that are out of alignment. All of these symptoms can often be linked to tight intercostals that would benefit from soft tissue bodywork.

09/02/2023

After one massage session!

The thermal images demonstrate the increased blood flow through his butt instead of being localized in one spot.

Also, look at how relaxed his butt is in the after picture!

February, I will be doing an onboarding price of $45 per massage or $125 for 3 massages.
✅ must use the 3 massages within 6 weeks
✅ must be used on the same horse
✅ will include thermal imaging (typically an add-on)
✅ within 40miles of Bowling Green, Ohio ($20 fuel charge if less than 2 horses)

Please message or text me at (419) 356-7774 to schedule!

04/02/2023

When massaging an equine, it is essential to watch its body language. As you can see in my first clip, Peanut is pawing, antsy, and tossing her head. When I saw this behavior, I knew that it was too much for her at that time. So what did I do? Lighten up my pressure and made it enjoyable for her. When I completed her right front leg, she wasn’t tied up, and she was resting her nose on my head shown in the second clip about 10 minutes later.

We miss what they are trying to tell us because we don’t pick up on the little signals.

My goal as I continue to grow as an equine massage therapist is to understand their body language better.

February, I will be doing an onboarding price of $125 for 3 massages.
✅ must use the 3 massages within 6 weeks
✅ must be used on the same horse
✅ will include thermal imaging (typically an add-on)
✅ within 40miles of Bowling Green, Ohio ($20 fuel charge if less than 2 horses)

Please message or text me at (419) 356-7774 to schedule!

03/02/2023

Interesting read about blankets and sheets!

❄️ Mini Blanket Weight Experiment ❄️

I am so sorry I have been MIA lately, life has gotten rather busy! But I am back with what I think was a little fun science experiment (but I may be biased). The timing worked all too well as I guess it celebrates the one year anniversary of my original blanketing post, but this time we added a few more variables!

Intro: So after the last experiment, many of you responded with, "Well we assumed a blanket would make a horse warmer, but what about a sheet?" The reasoning behind this relates to my previous post on piloerection: if a sheet prevents the horse from fully utilizing piloerection but doesn't offer additional insulation, would the horse be colder? So we wanted to see what we could find out by comparing all blanket weights!

Materials and Methods: To test this, I had to find a really cold day (apparently the first week in February is a rough one for us up here in Wisconsin) and I had some fabulous students who volunteered to help (shout out to Kate Malmanger, Cylar Johnson, and Leah Johnson!). So we met out at the barn at 9 am and we took re**al temps of the four horses and then applied the designated blanket weight. The outside temperature was -10°F (-23°C) with feels like closer to -22°F (-30°C; It was cold, I don't know why I still live here).

We went back out at 2 pm when temperatures rose to a balmy 0°F (-18°C) and re**al temperatures were taken again. We then removed the horses' blankets one by one and immediately took thermography pictures to look at surface temperature.

Results: While the results between the no blanket control and the blanketed horses (with insulation/fill) replicates what we saw last year, I was most interested in the horse with a sheet (no insulation). It does show that her surface temperature was indeed colder than all other horses (including the non-blanketed control). Re**al temperatures were comparable for all horses.

Discussion: Would I blanket a horse in a sheet in these conditions? Definitely not. It wouldn’t even cross my mind. Does that mean you should never use a sheet? Nope! Sheets may be a more effective management choice with milder temperatures when rain or wind is observed. Overall, I think these results demonstrate the importance behind choosing the appropriate blanket weight if you decide to blanket your horse. I would like to replicate this study on a windy day when it is a tad warmer (I don't know how effective the thermography camera would be for a wet coat but it could be worth a shot as a well).

Until then, enjoy this mini project! And if you have any suggestions for what I should test next, let me know below 👇

Your friendly, neighborhood equine scientist,
Dr. DeBoer

01/02/2023

What can equine sports massage do during training Pre / Post competition?
🐴 Maintain healthy muscles
🐴 Maintain strength and suppleness
🐴 Enhances tissue repair and circulation
🐴 Minimizes stiffness

Are you getting excited for warm weather and riding horses contact me today to schedule a massage to help start your year out right!

February, I will be doing an onboarding price of $125 for 3 massages.
✅ must use the 3 massages within 6 weeks
✅ must be used on the same horse
✅ will include thermal imaging (typically an add-on)
✅ within 40miles of Bowling Green, Ohio ($20 fuel charge if less than 2 horses)

Please message or text me at (419) 356-7774 to schedule!

31/01/2023

Reno enjoying his massage❤️

February, I will be doing an onboarding price of $125 for 3 massages.
✅ must use the 3 massages within 6 weeks
✅ must be used on the same horse
✅ will include thermal imaging (typically an add-on)
✅ within 40miles of Bowling Green, Ohio ($20 fuel charge if less than 2 horses)

Message or text (419) 356-7774 to schedule your horse an appointment!

31/01/2023

Hi! My name is Jordan Noftz! I recently became an equine massage therapist! I have 19 years of equine experience. I enjoy trail riding and enjoying nature with such a fantastic animal. I have always been passionate about ensuring the horses I work with always feel their best. I would love to help your horse feel their best.

Benefits of massage
✔️Reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints as well as the muscles surrounding the joints
✔️Assisits in balancing the body by treating the body as a whole
✔️Promotes relaxation
✔️ Release endorphins

February, I will be doing an onboarding price of $125 for 3 massages.
✅ must use the 3 massages within 6 weeks
✅ must be used on the same horse
✅ will include thermal imaging (typically an add-on)
✅ within 40miles of Bowling Green, Ohio ($20 fuel charge if less than 2 horses)

Please message or text me at (419) 356-7774 to schedule!

23/01/2023

23/01/2023