What to Expect From a Massage Appointment
Horses should preferably be in and clean please, ready for Fay’s visit.
Initial Consultation
All clients must first have an initial consultation which takes up to 1 1/2 hours. The initial consultation may involve
discussing the horse’s history and any problems
conformation observation
foot and farriery observation
saddle fit observation
it may be necessary to see the horse being walked and trotted in hand or lunged
Following these observations, a full body massage will be performed, allowing the therapist to find any problem areas. Further treatments will be required dependent on the problem areas found.
Follow-up Treatments
Follow-up treatments, lasting around 1 hour, will cover the whole body but the routine will be tailor made to the individual horse, with more time spent on problem areas. As the horse becomes accustomed to the techniques used, the therapist can work deeper into the muscles.
After treatment, the owner will be provided with aftercare advice and may be given pole work exercises and stretches to perform between treatments.
Depending on the horse, its workload, and any problems being treated, it may only be necessary for your horse to have a few treatments a year to maintain the benefits of massage. Remedial treatments may be carried out once a week for up to 4 treatments, to relieve the problem.