Basic Equine Therapeutic Practices

Basic Equine Therapeutic Practices

by

Claire Winters

As a way to improve a horse’s overall health, many have considered equine therapy which is a new technique designed to help your horse increase performance in races or other kinds of competition. An addition to traditional horse care programs, equine therapy has been shown to truly help the animal. While other treatment options might not be particularly helpful to your animal such as, performance enhancer’s, this type of equine therapy replaces other forms of remedies.

Some horse owners take as much care of their horses as they do their children. Some owners, cornered with this fact, have jokingly responded that their youngsters do not carry them around and they do not want their teenage children driving them around. In all seriousness, horse owners recognize that their horses provide a big service for them, and that they are a beautiful and noble living creature that deserves proper care and respect. This is why they are always cognizant of the latest developments in equine care and therapy.

One significant part of this treatment is equine massage. Although not performed in exactly the same ways as it is on a person, the therapy is similar, and the goals are nearly the same. Careful athletes understand the importance of warming up muscles before activity and taking care of muscles after exertion. The muscle is like the engine of a car in that you should give it the right gas and inputs for maximum performance and you want to maintain a good exhaust system to rid the engine of wastes. Oxygen and healthy flow of nutrients must be provided to the muscles to be able to reach its peak performance level. Before exertion even starts, massage will start the oxygenation process enabling the muscles to reach it’s full capacity. Spasms and cramps could result after exercise if wastes and toxins are allowed to build up which results in slower muscle recovery. The answer again is proper blood circulation. The primary objective of equine massage is to increase circulation.

Taking on a number of different forms, equine therapy can be achieved in several ways. One such form is where the horse will be partially submerged in water that is circulating which most of us recognize as hydrotherapy. This takes advantage of the actual massaging nature of water. Usually the water contains salts or other mineral stimulating elements. Large pools where a horse is able to move around or more of a bathtub are usually used for this form of hydrotherapy on horses. The effective use of cold is also another method of therapy. This is utilized in treatments for trauma. Since the cold will constrict the blood vessels of the skin, if there is a bleed it can be stopped sooner using this method. It also reduced swelling through a comparable process. Additionally, it can numb nerve endings, reducing the pain throughout the therapy. This can be used for immediate injury, or to take care of a reoccurring issue.

A third type of therapy is heat treatment. This can be applied through heat lamps, but might also be administered by ultrasound generators as well as lasers. The heat dilates the blood vessels, enhancing circulation, and thereby increasing the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the treated areas. Able to reduce pain, the heat sooths the nerve endings also. It is a more instantaneous treatment for sore muscles than the application of cold. These forms of therapy are done prior to a massage to prepare the muscles and free up the toxins. The effective use of heat relaxes the horse, helps regulate the cooling off process, and reduces blood pressure levels.

These forms of equine therapy are low-impact, successful methods of increasing horse performance. It is a worthy topic for exploration for any horse owner, and a good subject to speak with a veterinarian.

If you’re interested in a career working with horses, you may want to consider earning an

equine therapy certification

via the Equine Natural Movement School. For additional details on Equine Natural Movement School, go to their webpage at

equinenaturalmovement.com/

.

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Basic Equine Therapeutic Practices