EQUINE HOLISTIC WELLNESS

Benefits of Equine Manual Therapies

Improves circulation
Enhances muscle performance
Relaxes the nervous system
Improves muscle tone
Increases connective tissue pliability
Prevents adhesions
Assists in lymphatic uptake

Equine Myofascial Release

The fascial system is a system of soft connective tissue that encompasses all other anatomical structures. The fascia is a piezoelectric tissue, which means, mechanical energy can be converted to electrical potential energy and vice versa. The therapist applies gentle sustained pressure into the fascial system via compression, traction, or moving a body part which creates an electrical current. The current allows for rehydration of the ground substance located in the fascial system, and return of energetic flow.

Any horse can benefit from myofascial release therapy, especially those with a history of neglect, injury, or lameness. The following are scenario examples that can benefit from MFR interventions:

A history of chronic lameness
Decreased performance with no diagnosed problem
Pain sensitive areas/trigger points
Irritability
Unwillingness to work
Maintenance of the high-performance athlete
History of neglect
Heighten awareness/increased sensitivity to environmental stimuli
Gaiting/ranges of motion

Equine Craniosacral Therapy

The technique is a very gentle hands-on therapy that encourages the horse to release the restricted movement of the bones of the skull, spine, and pelvis. Through Equine Craniosacral work, issues that are very often seen as conformation issues have been shown to be postural issues. As a therapy, it offers an excellent and extremely effective alternative to more conventional therapies such as massage and physiotherapy, especially for nervous or anxious horses.