Equine Body Work Services

Equine Bodywork Services

Happy Hooves provides holistic therapies to improve the lives of our equine partners via the utilization of modalities that address the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, and tendons). My goal is to help horse’s achieve their optimal physical well-being by providing equine bodywork that allows the horse to release tension and improve range of motion. This can include sports massage, advanced soft tissue techniques, stretching, range of motion exercises, muscle activation, and focal point work.

Certifications from NCBTMB & NBCAAM Accredited Programs

Equine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapy (EMFT)
Equine Kinesiology Tape Practitioner (EKTP)

What to Expect During a Session

Unlike many other practices which offer "a la carte" services, my rate is a flat fee. Each session lasts between 60 to 90 minutes depending on my findings and what treatments are performed.

Each session begins with a full health check evaluation including:

Gait Analysis
Vitals
Stress Point Evaluation
Joint Evaluation

Once the evaluation is completed and the horse does not have contraindications that would prohibit continuing with a treatment, techniques such as soft tissue, joint mobilization, kinesiology, cupping, cryotherapy and Gua Sha are utilized to address muscular imbalances and enhance wellness. A follow-up plan for exercise and stretches, and any necessary referrals will be made to the owner.

Booking a session can be done online by clicking "Book Online" in the main menu, but if the times on the website do not work for your schedule, please contact me directly at 925-330-7704.

Holistic Therapies

Myo-Manipulative Functional Therapies

When muscles are tight, muscle fibers become stiff and rigid which limits movement. Due to excessive tone, the muscle remains in a shortened state causing imbalance in the body. Tight muscles can pull posture out of alignment and can constrict blood flow.

Myo-manipulative Functional Therapy literally means making changes in the muscles to achieve proper function. This is a form of sports massage that rather than just focusing on the massage techniques, it also addresses physical therapies and exercises and can further improve the horse's function and ability to perform at an optimal level.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology tape differs from conventional tape in that it stretches along the longitudinal axis, which allows it to provide support during exercise without restricting motion. This tape contains no medications and its effectiveness is dependent upon the application.

Kinesiology applications can be used to decrease pain, support specific muscles and joints, decrease inflammation, increase proprioception and increase energy flow through specific meridians.

Cupping and Gua Sha

Cold Laser and Red Light Therapies

Cold Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation and utilizes different wavelengths of low level light to stimulate the animal's tissues. It is called "cold" not because it is a form of cryotherapy but because unlike other medical lasers, this form does not give off heat.

Red Light Therapy uses low levels of red or near-infrared lights. Infrared light is a type of energy your eyes can’t see, but your body can feel as heat.

Benefits of cold laser and red light therapies include speeding heeling time (of ligament/tendon, muscle and bone injuries), pain reduction, decrease of scar tissue.

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on the skin for a few minutes to create suction. Benefits of cupping include reductions in pain and inflammation, improved blood circulation and relaxation.

Gua sha is a natural, alternative therapy that involves scraping the skin and fascia with a massage tool to improve circulation. During treatment, the skin and fascia is scraped using a smooth edge instrument, using short or long strokes to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissue, which increases blood flow.

Benefits of Bodywork

Equine massage can have a profound effect on the nervous system of the horse. Some of the benefits of equine massage therapy, to name just a few, are pain relief, stimulation of the motor nerves, improved attitude, reduction in recovery time and improved proprioception. Massage is also thought to help calm nervous horses or horses in unfamiliar surroundings and/or stressful conditions.

IMPROVED ATTITUDE AND ENHANCED PERFORMANCE

INCREASED RANGE OF MOTION

PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVED RECOVERY TIME

To have a stong, and supple athlete all of your horses muscles need to be functioning in balance. Bodywork alleviate sore, tight muscles, and restore neuromuscular balance.

When a horse performs a maneuver outside of its range of motion, it is likely to cause damage to the ligaments and the surrounding muscle tissue. Therefore, a horse who has a larger range of motion and increased flexibility is less likely to injure itself and can perform better. Improving your horses range of motion and efficiency in his stride will create less wear and tear on the joints, ligaments and tendons and lead to a longer performance life.

Bodywork helps the healing process along by increasing blood flow and encouraging scar tissue to be laid down in a more functional pattern, as well as reducing the amount of scar tissue which can help restore elasticity and functional range of motion.