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When should I have Equine Body Work
for my horse?
BODY WORK AS A BACK CHECK
Most horse owners are familiar with using a 'back person' who comes and checks over their horses once or twice a year.
Often the person would spend only a few minutes with the horse, not looking at the horse's movement or considering the whole
picture. They might then perform some brief 'adjustment' near the spine, leaving the owner with the impression that the horse
will be fine for the next year or so.
Horses are athletes (whether we compete or not) and as such require and deserve on-going attention to ensure they are
working at their full capacity. The way the body works is a complex web of bone, tissue, nerves, ligaments, just to name a
few- this is why it is so important to evaluate the entire horse, not just the area that appears to be hurting. Equine Body
Work both treats the whole horse as well as leaving the owner with follow-up care advice. A visit from an EBW is not just
a back check, it is a full equine MOT!
WHEN THE HORSE 'DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT'
Equine Body Work can be very beneficial in situations where the horse is not performing to his usual standards, has started
presenting undesireable behaviour (such as biting, bucking, napping, refusing jumps, difficulty with saddling) or simply does
not feel and ride like he used to. Owners often feel their horses are 'not quite right' without being able to pinpoint the
problem: the horse may lack forward impulsion and seem unusually quiet or the previously nice and polite horse may have turned
into a bucking, napping and bolting one. Changes in the horse's behaviour and character should indicate that something is
wrong. As an Equine Body Worker I assess the entire horse and his living environment and aim to treat the cause of the problem,
not just the symptoms.
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PREVENTATIVE OR MAINTENANCE CARE:
-Promotes general relaxation and can help to relieve anxiety
-Increases blood and lymph circulation
-Detects muscular and other traumas early, early detection leads to better and faster recovery
-Helps the muscular system work at its optimum, thus reducing the risk of injury
-Trains young or nervous horses to accept and enjoy being touched
POST INJURY OR OPERATIVE CARE
-Reduces recovery time from muscular and skeletal trauma
-Increases and maintains circulation
-Relieves boredom and anxiety in the box-rested horse
-Maintains range of motion and muscle condition, which is particularly important for the box-resting horse
COMPETITIVE CARE(including hunting and showing)
-Improves muscle tone and flexibility
-Warms and loosens connective tissues, therefore lessening the risk of muscular injury
-A well functioning muscle is less likely to spasm
-Relaxes and prevents muscle spasms
-Increases range of motion and optimises power capacity
-Increases circulation, thus lessening the risk of filled legs
-Helps maintain muscle flexibility
-Can prevent the formation of adhesions and fibrous bands in muscles, tendons and ligaments
All this equates to the horse working at his full capacity, be that at jumping, dressage, racing or showing.
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