Horse Massage for Horse Owners: Improve Your Horse’s Health and Wellbeing
by Sue Palmer
August 2012
In this practical, educational, and easy-to-follow book, the author shares the knowledge and skills you need to massage your own horse. Learn about equine anatomy and the seven key muscles you will work on—and how to draw them in chalk on your own horse. Get to grips with the different massage techniques—effleurage (stroking), petrissage (compression and kneading), tapotement (cupping), and friction (cross-fiber friction)—and know how and when to apply them. Find out how to combine the moves to develop a complete massage routine that your horse will enjoy and find beneficial. The author’s wide variety of experience, combined with traditional qualifications, behavioral qualifications and physical therapy qualifications, allows her to offer a holistic approach to working with owners and their horses. She shows that massaging your horse regularly will mean that you can understand him better. Communication between you and your horse will improve as he realizes that you are listening to him as much as he tries to listen to you. Through this and the well-documented physical benefits of massage, his health and wellbeing will be enhanced and his performance will improve. And, best of all, massage is something that will be enjoyed by both you and your horse.
