Vivienne Cruddace - Equine Massage Therapy

22/09/2025

In conversation recently, we were discussing my job and how lovely it must be for me to work with horses in this capacity

And it absolutely is the best. It is a true honour and privilege when owners trust me to help their horses, and ask me to come back on a regular basis to support them. There's lots of positive change, transformations, successes, friendship, laughter and cups of tea. But as with all things with animals, it also comes with a more difficult side. This job fills me heart, but it is also
...having to refuse to treat when a horse needs a vet, not a massage ...having to refer horses for further professional input, whether from their physiotherapist, farrier, saddler or vet (or all of the above)...early starts, late nights, and hours on the road...not having all the answers...holding client hands + hooves through difficult and sad times...frozen toes, a million layers, and never feeling 100% thawed out for 4 months of the year ...thinking and worrying about client horses a LOT ...constantly juggling work + life commitments, and sometimes not getting the balance right...being one person and having to do ALL the roles within the business ...suffering from imposter syndrome, and worrying if I am enough...your income being at the mercy of half tonne animals ...battling the fickleness of social media, or giving up and not posting very much at all (*cough* me of late)...injuries, and potential danger, even with the most well mannered horses ...hard work physically

But even with all that, I wouldn't change it. I chose this life, for all its ups and downs, and I'd choose it all over again. As we head in to autumn/winter, I'll be resharing my top 'help your equine professional out' tips to try and make the winter a little easier on us all.

07/09/2025

What exactly is Equine Massage?

With a wide and varying range of modalities available, I thought a Sunday night catch up on what massage actually is might be useful!

Equine Massage is an excellent hands on therapy, which can aid in keeping your horse in optimal health. Massage benefits the WHOLE horse (not just the muscles + soft tissues) and through a varied range of techniques, massage can....

• Increase your horses range of motion and flexibility
• Help your horse to move efficiently, and enhance stride length
• Improve circulation, muscle tone and your horses coat
• Reduces muscle tension and soreness
• Help to prevent injury by promoting correct muscle function
• Develop your horses proprioception (their awareness of their body's position and body/limb movements - an important thing to work on, regardless of what your horses job is!)
• Enhance your horses mental state through muscle relaxation and the release of endorphins - the 'feel good' hormone!
• Increase performance and keep your horse feeling their best

No matter whether your four legged friend is a happy hacker or competition horse, 11.2 or 18.2hh, just starting their career or happily retired, EVERY horse can feel the benefits of massage.

What Equine Massage is NOT -

❌ A substitute for getting veterinary advice
❌ A diagnostic treatment - equine massage therapists may identify a concern but they shouldn't diagnose - that's your vets job
❌ The only treatment your horse should receive - massage is the perfect compliment to Veterinary Physiotherapy and/or Chiropractic treatment, and I would encourage owners to build a 'team' (massage therapist, physio/chiro, vet, farrier, equine dentist, saddle fitter + coach) to keep their horse in tip top shape - because that means you can spend more time having fun together!

05/09/2025

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞?

While I'm massaging your horses, I love chatting to you and really getting to know the journey you are on with your horse. Confidence is a common theme, and it's been on my mind a lot over the last little while, because Ruby and I have been trying out things that we probably couldn't have done safely last summer. We've been cantering in open fields, happily working in stubble fields at all paces, hacking out to the woods on our own without a second thought, and doing more canter schooling.

So I'd been pondering if this is because my confidence has grown, or whether our comfort zone has just got bigger? I mentioned this to my coach (the wonderful Iona), who thought it was probably both, and that was because our partnership now is stronger. I'm still learning so much about Ruby, but I also know her pretty well and what she needs from me. I don't always get it right, and there are curveballs along the way, but that feeling of being a 'team' has meant I've been able to push the boundaries of our comfort zone and try the new things.

I'm sure there are people thinking 'omg, why doesn't she just get on with it?', because we aren't exactly fast on the progress front. But doing it slowly means that I'm able actually enjoy it when we do something fun + exciting, and I've got a toolkit to hand to help her out if she's finding something hard, or her brain gets a bit overwhelmed. I still get a fluttery tummy sometimes, so I'm not brave by any stretch of the imagination 😂 but I'm committed to feeling the flutter and doing it anyway 💪

I've watched lots of you grow with your horses from tentative first outings to achieving big things, so I just wanted to give you all a 👏 for pushing the boundaries of your comfort zones and doing it. Many of us are battling with our hormones at this middle stage of life, which definitely affects how big our brave pants are, so I thought you all deserved a pat on the back!

How do you feel about confidence + comfort zones?

28/08/2025

23rd-31st August is and if you know me at all, you'll know I have a super soft squishy spot for thoroughbreds (and I definitely don't need an excuse to share photos of Ruby 😂)

I love working with your exracers, and they generally respond well to massage. Many of them will face physical challenges + changes as they transition from racehorse to riding horse, and massage can help support these changes, alongside the essentials such as good farriery + balanced nutrition. Massage can also support them emotionally as they adjust to their new career + way of life.

Thoroughbreds often get a bad rep, but with the right care, training and a whole lot of patience, humour, determination and (a̶ c̶l̶o̶s̶e̶ r̶e̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ v̶e̶t̶) love, exracers can be the best partners in crime ❤️ I'd love to see your exracers in the comments!

📸 Ruby after winning a race under Paul Hanagan, Ruby as a foal, and Ruby enjoying her first proper stubble field season 🤎)

21/08/2025

* 𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕓𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 *

I'm not going to mention the 'A' word yet - it's still summer as far as I am concerned, but I am on board with stubble field season! When used sensibly with an awareness of the ground conditions, they can be a fun way of building fitness + adding variety to your riding routine. Plus the photo ops are always 👌😍

I've been lucky enough this week to see deer + buzzards up close on our stubble field adventures, on board two very special mares ❤️ (and the spooking at our 'friends' was minimal 😂)

Have you had any stubble field fun yet? Pop your pictures in the comments!

17/08/2025

After hearing of local incidents involving horses + drivers, a very scary account of horse vs bus elsewhere in Scotland, and a horse being killed + 3 young riders hospitalised down south this week alone, I felt sad, and concerned. This week isn't the exception to the rule - 58 horses were killed, and 80 riders were injured on the roads in 2024, with over 3000 incidents reported to the British Horse Society. A further awful and terrifying statistic is that 3 riders were killed on the roads in 2023.

Unfortunately, any and all 'horses on the roads' posts seem to receive the same comments, so in anticipation of these, here goes....

🐴 Horse riders would love to not have to go on the roads, but sometimes it is unavoidable to access safer off road riding, or it is the only option to keep horses exercised because no other facilities are available.

🐴 Very few equestrians are rich landowners - 99% rent a stable and field space from a livery yard, and sacrifice holidays, nights out and mental health to tend to the needs of their overgrown hamsters with a death wish, who literally 💩 out the money put in to them

🐴 Horses are flight animals and even the most well trained + safe animals can be unpredictable, and move incredibly fast. They should always be considered as a potential hazard

🐴 Most of us who ride, also drive, so yes, we pay road tax too

Horse riders aren't asking for much. We just want to be able to ride safely on the roads without the fear of not knowing if we will get home in one piece. Even if you don't care about causing injury/death to a horse and/or their rider, half a tonne of horse wearing metal shoes landing on your bonnet is definitely going to stop you from arriving at your destination at your desired speed, and write off your car in the process. Those 5 seconds you might save from speeding past won't matter when you have to spend hours with the police explaining why you thought your time was more important than someones life.

The solution is so simple. As per the highway code, horses should be passed at a speed of 10mph or less, with a gap of at least 2m between your vehicle and the horse. Where possible, coming to a stop is even better, but only if its safe to do so. Familiarise yourself with arm signals so you know that we aren't practicing a tiktok dance when you see us wildly flapping. And even when it's a wide road, the same rules apply. But that's it. Slow down. Gives us space. Be patient. No squished horses, no squished riders, no squished cars - wins all round 👍

A few moments of your time and a little consideration can literally be the difference between life and death, and that goes for all non-motorised road users. We really don't want to be there, but thank those who allow us to be on the roads in a safer way.

And if this is shared, it would be great if it could be read knowing that its intention is purely to bring a little awareness to the correct way to pass horses, so everyone can be safer - its not to berate anyone. When you pass a rider, thats someones parent, child, sibling, spouse or friend just trying to enjoy their pet, not spoil your day 👍

10/08/2025

If you've been a client for a while, then you will have undoubtedly been treated to an episode of 'Rubys hacking adventures' during our sessions (I've probably got enough content to make it a one woman stand up show at the Fringe 😂) It's taken a lot of patience, perseverance + pinkies tucked under the neck strap to get her feeling more confident hacking alone, but hacking has so many benefits which is why I've kept going through many 'the road is lava' moments 😂

Can you add to this list?

🐴 Hacking develops your horses proprioception (their awareness of where/how their body is moving), which in turn helps reduce injury. Hacking over lots of different types of terrain further develops this, and helps increase their strength as they activate muscles to aid their balance.

🐴 It mixes up their workload to help prevent boredom and keeps both of you fresh minded. And you can use your hacking time to work on things like simple lateral work and moving forward off the leg, without the pressure of being 'in the school'

🐴 Finding a good hill and using it in your hacks - going up AND down - is a great workout for your horse and really promotes muscle development, especially in their engine zone, the hindquarters 🍑🍑

🐴 It exposes your horse to new sights, sounds + smells, and working through them together can increase confidence in you both. If you're a bit nervous about hacking, going out with a friend (either mounted or on foot beside you) can give you a little boost.

🐴 And for you, hacking is a good time to breathe, clear your head, get an endorphin boost if you have a cheeky wee canter blast through the woods, and just enjoy your horse ❤

SAFETY - If you're out on the roads, make sure you're kitted out in appropriate hi-viz and that someone knows where you're going/when you will be back. A id tag on your horses saddle/bridle means if you part company, they are identifiable to you! Installing the what.three.words app to your phone also means you can be easily found by emergency services should you ever require them!

Hands up if you're a happy hacker!

28/07/2025

𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒....

small business, reviews REALLY do make a difference. Nearly 70% of consumers are influenced by online reviews, so taking a moment to write one, whether it be on FB, Google (I can send you the link) or by popping me a private note to be shared anonymously, it all definitely has a tangible impact ❤️ Plus it always gives me a good dose of the warm fuzzies, which is sometimes much needed (especially during the summer holidays when the kids don't always have the most positive performance reviews on my parenting 😂😂).

And if you can't commit pen to paper/fingers to keyboard, then word of mouth, whether you share with a friend, a fellow livery, your vet or other equine professional, is so valuable to a small business 🦄

If you would like a chat about how I can help your horse, pop me a message to discuss!

26/07/2025

Ginny was winning at life this week when she got all dolled up for a photo session with her mum Lauren, AND had her regular massage session right after ❤️❤️ I could squeeze one or two more photo sessions in during August, but now is the time to book for those gorgeous September/October autumnal backdrops! Message me for more information - my mini package for equine sessions isn't too much more than a set of shoes! 😜

25/07/2025

Sometimes it looks like I'm doing nothing, sometimes it looks like I'm doing a lot, but massage is always powerful + effective ❤️ I'm not a huge before and after fan when it comes to say static pictures of a horses posture, but I thought this video showed a great visual difference as well as the palpable changes I could feel under my hands! Massage is incredibly useful as a standalone treatment, but also is a great compliment to your horses physio/chiro routine. Has your horse had a massage recently? If you are local to Aberdeen and would like to chat about how I can help your horse, get in touch!

13/07/2025

𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕘𝕖....

One of my fabulous clients overheard me telling someone I did 'just massage' and very quickly corrected me that what I did was more than *just* a massage.

And she's right

It's never *just* massage. Massage is an incredibly powerful therapy with a whole host of benefits, for your horses body + mind

Within a massage session, I'm incorporating myofascial work, trigger point therapy + bodywork techniques to help your horse feel soft, supple + comfortable, and able to perform to their best. My sessions are intuitive + responsive to your horses behaviour, and the changes I feel in their body as the session progresses.

I'm also observing your horse and getting to know their body + personality, which allows me to quickly notice changes on subsequent visits

I'm there for you - you have me for the full hour or more to discuss your horse, and I never get bored hearing about them! I have quite a few clients say that their horses sessions are as therapeutic for them as they are for their horse 😂

Massage is an effective therapy used on its own, or when used alongside physio + chiro, and I'm always happy to chat through how it can help your horse specifically

If you've been thinking about massage for your horse, then pop me a message with any questions you may have!

10/07/2025

Aren't we lucky to have this on our doorstep? Incredible work from the team last weekend, and that's just the start of even bigger and better things 👏

‘I want her dream to stay at the forefront’: team behind new equestrian centre carries on late founder’s vision. Read more via link below