FAQs

Do You Have a Question For Me?

Why would my horse need a massage? Aren't massages for humans?

Equine Massage Therapy is a vital part in the well being, both physically and mentally, of an equine athlete. The goal of a good massage therapist is to provide comprehensive techniques to help the horse to relax and release tension in individual muscle groups. A good massage should leave a horse happy and content, with an almost sleepy expression on its face.

Massage is considered to be an alternative and non invasive form of treatment for multiple equine ailments. Some of these problems include: muscle soreness, muscle spasm, muscle tightness, distrust, mental tension, and travel/show anxiety. Massage can greatly help in the recovery of pulled and torn muscles and tendons, as it increases blood flow to the area being treated and allows for a gentle healing touch to help the area relax.

What is your training methodology?

Training techniques vary from person to person based on several factors. Who taught them, what was taught, how it was taught, and a persons ethics or values. I have done a lot of study on training techniques and have developed my own method, with aspects from several trainers that I have worked with and read about. I use a combination of understanding and natural communication, to help the horse to understand what I am asking, and use reinforcement when needed.

When training a horse, I believe in the idea of personal space from the start. Personal space is essential to gaining the respect of a young or green horse. Once the horse understands the boundaries between your space and his space, it is easier to do the rest of the ground work.

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Another strong belief of mine when it comes to training is that just like humans, horses all learn at different paces and in slightly different ways. I never guarantee a certain outcome within a set time frame. Some horses can be started under saddle solidly in 30 days and some take 60 or 90 days. If you wish to know more about my views on 30 day training regimens you can check out my post about it in the "Riding and Training Blog" section of this site. With each individual horse I work at the individual pace of that horse. This ensures that there are no holes in the training.

Do you have an age limit for students? How about physical limits?

I have had the opportunity to teach several different types of riders as well as watching and learning from my own riding instructor, Karen, and doing an internship with an experienced instructor at school. I will teach western or english riding to my students. I have taught a variety of students with a variety of ages, sizes, shapes, and goals. The youngest I will to teach is 6 years old, except under rare/special circumstances, and there is no upper age limit.

If you are interested in riding lessons for either you or your child here is a small list of what is expected from any student in my program:

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• Rider should be able to concentrate on learning for at least 30 min. This is the reason for the bottom age limit. Young children are often easily distracted and can quickly become disinterested. I do my best to keep all lessons interesting and moving forward.

• Rider should be physically capable of riding. I want everyone to have a chance to fulfill their dreams. Very few will actually fall under the category of not being able to be on the horse.  If you are someone with a special condition such as arthritis, asthma, muscular weakness, obesity or something that could make you question the safety of being on a horse PLEASE ASK!!! All riders with ambition and determination should have a chance to try something new. The largest concerns are those who would not be able to sit on their own on a horse either stationary or walking for at least 30 min.

• If you are new to riding you WILL get sore! If you keep at it however, the soreness will eventually fade as your muscles and joints become accustomed to the movement.

• You need to have a goal or motivation to ride. This can be as simple as conquering a fear of touching a horse, or as complicated as wanting to work at a collected canter.

• You are expected to follow all the safety guide lines before mounting including wearing a helmet, wearing safe boots or sturdy shoes and long pants, and preferable wearing a light pair of gloves.

• I hope that you will consider riding as a regular exercise option and all the benefits it can offer!

Do you travel?

Yes for massage clients. I request that any owners who live more than a 30 min drive pay a trip fee. Trip fees are per visit not per item: for example, to go an hour to a barn to massage horses, I will charge a trip fee of $X, which doesn't change based on number of massages I do, so its more economical to get a group together for a barn with a longer travel time as they can split the travel fee amongst them. For training and lessons due to tight scheduling right now I require all training and lesson to take place at my barn.