Having been a therapist for, and teacher of, horses and humans for many years, I intermittently run into some strange and dangerous ideas in the therapy world that are definitely harmful for your horse.

It is up to the horse owner to make sure that they are happy with the treatment session and to stop it if they are unsure about the methods being used.

Massage and other 'treatments' should be a therapeutic experience and not a test of endurance!

It remains important to ensure that your therapist is qualified. There is a huge range of different therapies available for your horse and hopefully all therapists are credible, have qualifications, uphold CPD and have insurance, etc. However, whether they are appropriately qualified or not it is still up to the owner to ensure that the horse is being appropriately treated.

If you are unhappy with what you see do not allow someone to 'explain away' the need for doing such and such. It can be a brave move to tell the so called 'expert' to stop what they are doing. Make sure that the therapist you use is trained and qualified and listed, but even then, still use your own discretion. You know your horse the best; if he is showing signs of discomfort or unease then he is dependant on your discernment.

Exercise extreme caution with this idea. If your horse requires physical restraint in order to receive massage, or any other treatment which is not specifically a veterinary medical procedure, then your alarm bells should be going off. If the treatment results in ears being pinned, the horse kicking out, or signs of physical and emotional stress then stop the treatment session. 

This idea of 'no pain, no gain' has become a popular human idea, often used to motivate humans to embark on unpleasant or testing activities, but which should be exercised with real caution, both with humans and especially in respect to the horse. If its not kind then you may want to severely question it!

Stretching

Stretching should be carried out with care. So regularly, people will stretch the horse's limbs with little regard for the actual mechanics. Instead of pulling the horse into a full stretch, take the limb towards the full length and then wait for the moment that the horse 'gives' or relaxes and allows, THEN stretch. If you are stretching a reluctant muscle group, you at best will be battling muscles that are opposing the stretch and at worst, will be causing damage of muscles and tendons that are trying to resist the stretch.

Stretching The Neck

A common method of stretching the neck is to ask the horse to touch or reach towards the hip, stifle, girth, etc with his nose. It is possible to over-stretch and damage tissue. One way that this can occur is if the horse is being 'lured' by a treat. Most horses are, by nature, heavily food oriented and there is a real possibility for the horse to use momentum to reach the treat.

It is better to train the horse using clicker training ideas; to follow a finger to the desired location, and then mark that with a sound or click, and THEN treat. The horse is more likely to think and feel what he is doing rather than be making a bid for the food.

Stretching The Legs

Leg Stretching should also be done with caution both in so far as not holding the limb too high, above the normal parameters of movement range and also in making sure that the horse is allowed to find and maintain balance. Take care that the horse does not lose balance when a limb is in full stretch, as when he falls onto that limb he is at risk of over-stretching soft tissue.

Qualifications

Make sure that your therapist is qualified by a suitable body. There are some very good massage schools with high reputations to uphold. I have often been surprised at the lack of inquiry of owners. I have been asked about my own background less than half a dozen times. Don't just take it as read. Ask your therapist; a genuinely educated therapist will be delighted that you are questioning this and will not take offence. After all, they HAVE put the time and the miles in to their own education and training!

Vet Referrals

It is a legal requirement that the vet give permisson for massage or any other therapy, which may be deemed medical or therapeutic. Registered therapists will work within this remit.