HorseBacks - Equine Sports Massage

Carole McClelland - Equine Sports Massage

Massage has been used successfully for many years for the treatment of soft tissue problems in human athletes; its success is documented back as far as medieval times. Horses are natural athletes and with all the expectation on them to perform to the best of their ability it is more important than ever to fine tune them to optimise performance.

However it is not just performance horses that sports massage will help, the ability to release muscle spasm and tension means that your horse will be more comfortable and will reduce pain whether in work or not.
This will be an advantage to any horse.

Symptoms which suggest muscle spasms are present and massage is necessary:

•  Stiffness of movement
•  A drop in performance
•  Heavier rein contact on one side
•  Unexplained changes in behaviour

•  Resistance when tacked up
•  Struggling to bend on one side
•  Favouring one canter lead or jumping to one side
•  Sometimes just the feeling that something is not quite right

If your horse has any of these symptoms then please contact me for more info with no obligation

Carole McClelland is a fully qualified and insured equine sports massage therapist covering...

About Me

I am a qualified Merishia Animal Therapist who also holds a BSc(hons) in Equine Science. I have studied massage of both horses and dogs and am fully insured an competent to treat your animals.

From a young age I worked on a busy competition yard and have owned horses for many years; I have a great deal of experience with young, nervous or naughty horses.

Prior to studying for the massage qualifications, I obtained a BSc in Equine Science from University of the West of England (Hartpury College). I am currently studying with the Mctimoney College with the aim of achieving an MSc in Animal Manipulation.

I am available to treat horses throughout Gloucestershire Herefordshire, Worcestershire and surrounding areas.

I also regularly hold clinics in Devon so please contact me to find out when I am next treating there.

About Massage Therapy

How does it work?
Massage works on the soft tissues of the body by applying different pressures and techniques. The only way to free muscle spasms is by deep tissue massage of the affected muscles.

This promotes:
Increased circulation which results in more oxygen and nutrients being delivered to the muscle cells and increased removal of waste products from tissue - This aids the body's natural repair process and improves efficiency improved nerve supply to muscles - which aids with stimulation or desensitisation of areas If a muscle spasm is left untreated then the surrounding muscle fibres will have to overcompensate.These will then fatigue and so the muscle spasm will grow. Eventually the added pressure on the tendons and ligaments caused by the muscle spasm can cause injury or breakdown or these structures.

Causes of muscle spasm:

•  Poorly fitting tack and rugs
•  Conformation and foot balance
•  Workload and exercise routine
•  Compensation from injuries

Benefits of massage:

•  Improving performance - lateral movements, showjumping etc
•  Increase muscle strength and nerve supply to allow the horse to perform
   more comfortably
•  Maintaining strength and flexibility and aiding with relaxation for a horse
   on box rest
•  Psychological benefits including calming nervous horses, improving communication
   between horse and handler, or to 'wake-up' lazy horses

Massage can easily be included in your pre-competition preparation.The horse does not necessarily need to have a
noticeable problem for massage to provide a great benefit both to their comfort and performance.

Treatment

Assessment
I will look to take a full history of the horse and details of their current routine, any competitions/ training and workload. I will then check for any current injuries and carry out a gait analysis which will look for any abnormalities in their movement which could suggest muscle spasms or soreness. I will then do a full muscular assessment using only my hands to feel for any differences in muscle tone or muscle spasms.

Massage Treatment
I will treat any problems I have found from my initial assessment using massage strokes and deep fibre friction. It is essential that there is a quiet safe place to work, a floor covering such as rubber matting or bedding is essential to prevent slipping.

Aftercare Advice
I will make suggestions which may benefit your horse and can show you stretches and exercises that you can carry out yourself. It is advisable that you allow the horse to have a day off following treatment. More than just an equine back specialist I will take into account the whole horse and try to look at reasons that problems may have occurred in the first place. I will then work with you to prevent recurrence and may suggest a follow up treatment would be beneficial in order to get the best result.

The initial treatment will last up to 2 hours and further treatments will last up to 1½hours.
The first treatment cost is £35 with further treatments costing £30 each.
This price includes travel within 30 miles of Cheltenham.
Additional travelling can be arranged for 40p per mile, alternatively contact me for group booking discounts.

Under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 it is essential that you obtain permission from your vet before the treatment.

Contact Us

Telephone: 07958 358350

E-Mail:

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