Equine body work -Yes/No

Keeping horses sound and happy is challenging. Even with all my best efforts I still struggle.  While there are many elements that need to be considered and monitored when managing any horse’s soundness and general wellbeing.   When we add the increased physical demands of the performance sports like dressage, jumping or cutting, the challenge increases dramatically.

One of the questions I get asked a lot is why do I use a body worker on my horses?

The short answer is that it makes a difference to their overall wellbeing, performance,and physical functionality.   I have always had the opinion that my horses are athletes, working at a high level.  Human athletes in all sports need and receive regular body work.  They use bodyworkers in a crisis when there is an acute injury, and on an ongoing basis to keep them at their best and give them that edge over their competitors.  If I want my horses to be the best version of themselves then I need to ensure their bodies are functioning at optimum level.

The next question that I get asked is what type of body worker do I use?  Well, I have used all sorts from ‘bonecrunchers’ to ‘let's just use my energy to heel the pain’ types. Some so highly qualified in formal training that the list of qualifications makes you feel inadequate and laypersons who have an innate understanding of the functionality of the horse, and many years’ experience honing theirskills.  Both styles I have had fabulous results with.  Over the years I have had many horses return to successful competition careers after vets have thrown their hands in the air when they could not pinpoint the problem let alone fix it.

What I have noticed of late is that there are so many different types of body workers available, if I didn’t have an existing relationship with a fabulous practitioner, I would be pretty confused as to where to start.  So here are some tips I have found to help me when I have had to find a new body worker for my horses over the years.

Referrals: Make sure you ask around and get feedback from people in the industry who are successful and have extensive experience.  Chances are they have pretty much tried all available and know those who can genuinely help your horse.

Cost: Most of the professional body working practitioners charge a similar rate.  So, if someone is very cheap, they may not have the same level of experience or might just be starting out.  This is fine as they may be brilliant, but you need to keep this in mind. Conversely, just because some charge 50% more than the average does not mean they are better.  It could just mean they are a better salesperson. So, you need to do your research and refer to point 1.

Qualifications: As I stated above, I have successfully used lay people who have an innate talent for the work.  However,this was many years ago.  I feel now with our knowledge and academic research focusing on the horse increasing, I want to see their formal qualifications.  This also allows you to do some of your own research on the various modalities that are available and what might work best for your horse.  

Human athlete application:  Increasingly as body work is becoming so much more sophisticated and grounded in science, I am always interested in whether the modality is used successfully on humans. I’m thinking if it works on a footballer then it has more chance of working on my horse.  Conversely, a while ago the horse body worker that I use was doing such a good job on my horses I sought out a similar practitioner who used a similar modality to work on me with great success.

Results: I have a very results focused approach to body work.  While I totally understand that somethings take time to see a full result, I need to see that there has been a positive change after a treatment however small that improvement might be.  To be able to assess this change you do need to have a very intimate relationship with your horse.   Then you will be able to see and or feel small changes.  If I do not believe there has been any noticeable improvement, then I will not repeat. This sounds harsh but from experience I have found that the talented practitioners can make a difference quickly. It is up to me to maintain the change with correct work and care. Maintaining soundness and wellbeing is a whole other story that could fill many articles but deserves at least the final point.

Maintenance: Body work is only one element in the equation for keeping horses happy and working at their optimum.  Saddles,bridles, bits, shoeing, rider balance, rider experience and ability, feed,teeth, general health, surfaces, work regime and the list goes on all contribute to a horse’s ability to be the best version of themselves.  If you get a body worker to assess and work on your horse and you do not address all the other aspects, you are probably wasting your money.  They are not miracle workers or though sometimes I think mine is.

For my horses I believe a body work schedule is important and I have them seen every 6 to 8 weeks to support them.  If there is a negative change in their ability or behaviour then I will definitely have them checked sooner.  The type of body worker to use is a topic that I think deserves further research and to this end the next article will focus on the various approaches used by practitioners, what they are designed to achieve, and how they may assist your horse.  Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Andrea

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