QUESTION: How often are Massage Sessions Needed?
ANSWER: That depends on a number of factors such as:

• Your horse’s workload or competition schedule
• Your horse’s health
• The extent of any injuries and overall rehabilitation process
• Your expectations of improvement and performance

I recommend that pleasure horses be massaged every eight to ten weeks, horses performing moderate work once every month and competition horses every week. I am happy to share my knowledge with anyone passionate about their horse’s health, and will provide a guideline of touches and exercises to help with progress between sessions.

QUESTION: How soon will I notice an improvement?
ANSWER: Depending on the situation, there can be immediate noticeable improvement or it may take a few sessions to address the problem. Since soft tissue concerns, which are not caused by traumatic injury, have usually taken a while to accumulate they may take a few sessions to improve.

QUESTION: Can I ride my horse after a Massage?
ANSWER: Provided the horse is sound and healthy, it is actually very beneficial to ride lightly after massage; this helps to keep the muscle fibers in the correct alignment and promote proper muscle memory. Exercise should be kept light and easy: a relaxed session with large circles, and easy hack or hand walking is best.

QUESTION: Are there any situations in which I should not have my horse massaged?
ANSWER: Massage should not be performed if the horse has:

• Problems with abnormal swelling or is dehydrated
• An elevated pulse, respiration or temperature
• An injury less than 7 days old
• Lack of appetite, is lethargic or has an incomplete veterinary diagnosis
• The first 28 days after being bred
• Skin lesions caused by viral or bacterial infection

QUESTION: Can you massage my foal?
ANSWER: Yes, foals learn to relax and enjoy human touch through gentle massage.

QUESTION: What training do you have and what is your approach to massage?
ANSWER: I obtained my certification in Equine Sports Massage Therapy through Jodi Pendry, RMT CEMT of Hillsburgh, Ontario. I also combine the muscular manipulation of traditional massage with the cellular level touches developed through Linda Tellington Jones.

While not yet formally trained or certified in The Tellington Method® I have found through self-study that the integration of these Touches in my body work practice - by focusing on creating a mind-body integration of the nervous system - positively influences the behaviour and character of the horse during treatment, and well beyond.