EB Equine, LLC

I loved my time at Dressage at Devon, working with all the horses from 8 month olds in the breed show, 5 year old FEI ponies, companions, all the way to PSG and GP athletes. Seeing the passion every rider, owner, worker, and volunteer had gave the air an amazing electric energy.

Little Buster is only 8 months old. As this was his first massage I needed to keep things positive, easy, and most importantly- very go with the flow. There’s no formula for working with baby horses, except to introduce them to the strokes and begin to gain trust.

As Buster felt the effects from the massage strokes he looked for reassurance that he was ok. It helped him to stay relaxed and release when I could reassure him and then begin massaging again.

Body language is so important in massage.

Some of these signs are also signs of releases in horses- you need to put their body language in perspective of what you are doing and the individual horse you’re working on. Don’t forget how important the environment is and the effect that may have on your session.

Massage is more than hands to horse. It’s trust. It’s communication.

How she feels about the massage is everything.
Does she feel safe?
Does she trust me to listen to her?
Is she able to fully relax and let go?

The goals for human massage and equine massage are the same:
Does the massage practitioner listen to client feedback and body?
Has the massage practitioner created an environment where you feel safe?

Equine massage is more than hands to horse. It’s trust. It’s communication.

The neurological system is so complex. Sometimes, horses just need a few minutes to catch up to what changes massage is making within their body.
➡️releasing fascia
➡️releasing muscle tissue
➡️moving from stress to rest and digest
➡️endorphin release
➡️encouraging fluid exchange within cells and tissue
➡️relieving or reducing pain
➡️among many other biological functions

All this information and change is processed through the neurological system and sometimes our equines just need a moment to catch up to how they feel in that moment. Horses are so in tune that giving them the space to breathe and relax for a few moments without any hands on continues to promote those positive feelings. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with an hour long massage, they are ready to enjoy again.

Movement in massage can assist with processing feelings- physical and mental. This sweet girl needed to shift positions but then made sure to come right back so I could keep working on her glutes.