Raw Touch Equestrian Therapy

30/06/2022

🤬🤦🏼‍♀️

"Forced birth in a country that doesn’t have mandatory maternity leave or universal healthcare…" Tweet by Tiffany D. Jackson

16/08/2020

It been a bit of a hairy few weeks for Daisy... when her behaviour changed quickly and quite dramatically we suspected she was definitely in pain of some sort. Her first massage proved this theory as she had acute tension radiating throughout her body, specifically the front end. It was later diagnosed by the farrier that she had severe foot soreness which made perfect sense. After her second massage and some well deserved rest Daisy seems to be getting back to her normal self which is great to see 🥰 and obviously texts like this just make it all the more worth it! For more information on Massage Therapy and how it can benefit your horse, please get in touch using the contact details on the page.

28/06/2020

I come to you only with the facts!
For more information on Massage Therapy and how it can benefit your horse, please get in touch using the contact details on the page.

08/04/2020

Quick half-past week anatomy lesson 🤓 Fascia is a sheet of connective tissue (mainly collagen) which looks like a thin spider web beneath the skin. Fascia ultimately wraps around organs, provides support, connects layers of muscle and surrounds all internal body tissue. It covers and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein along with every organ. Now, this is a v. important mechanism of the body and myofascial release is a safe and effective hands-on technique that gently uses sustained pressure on those fascial connective tissues to eliminate pain and restore range of motion. Using massage techniques we can break down adhesions in the fascia and re-align them, freeing up muscles and tendons to improve movement and well-being. It is also good to maintain a healthy fascial system with regular body work. For more information on Massage Therapy and how it can benefit your horse, please get in touch using the contact details on the page.

30/03/2020

So in the midst of all this current craziness, I was lucky enough to be able to massage these two gorgeous ponies (prior to official lockdown)... that’s right, these guys benefit from massage therapy too 😊
It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Star (chestnut) and Mally (grey), who are both part of pony club and ridden by two young girls. They have both lived a life of being ‘first ponies’ and i’m sure have seen some things in their time. Both had full body massages which lead to a lot of tension being released, tension that could have been building up for years as they are both slightly on the older side. There were a few sore spots that needed extra attention but by the end we had two very happy ponies.
To find out all the benefits of Massage Therapy and how it can help your horse or pony, please get in touch using the contact details on the page. And during these uncertain times, stay safe 🙏🏼
@ Raw Touch Equestrian Therapy

20/03/2020

Had to steal this, literally couldn’t help myself 😂👌🏼

09/03/2020

Happy Monday All... let’s start the week off with a fact. Did you know ^ ^ ^
These injuries will manifest in behaviour changes, decreased performance and/or lameness - the good news is that with continuous maintenance of the horses body through massage, we can spot these injuries before they become problematic, preventing more serious injury and enhancing performance.

04/03/2020

It’s half past week and time for a quick anatomy lesson; the picture above shows the Brachiocephalicus, the largest of the superficial neck muscles. This muscle is extremely important in the movement of the horses head, neck and shoulder which in turn also assists with the movement of the front limbs (legs). The brachiocephalicus originates from the bones at the poll and extend all the way down to insert into the humerus bone which is below the scapular (shoulder). There are two actions of this muscles... 1. When the head and neck are fixed in one position, the muscle extends the shoulder joint which allows the front limb to move forward. 2. When the limb is fixed in one position, the muscle extends the head and neck and works bi-laterally, allowing them to move together in a smooth motion. When problems are present with this muscle, movement will be restricted or ‘off’ when riding circles. Riding in straight lines will also be affected once the spasm has become worse as this will affect the extension of the shoulder. Massage therapy is a brilliant way to keep this muscle healthy and improve overall movement and performance. For more information on equine massage therapy and all the ways your horse could benefit, please feel free to get in touch using the contact details on this page.
@ Elstree

24/02/2020

I had to share this client review as I’m so grateful for kind words... it really has brightened up my Monday. Working with Ruby has been an absolute pleasure and stories like this are the reason I do what I do... to improve the lives of horses AND their owners is the ultimate goal. Thank you.

21/02/2020

Love getting texts like this from new clients. Daisy had her initial assessment and massage with me last weekend. Safe to say we are off to a good start... full post on her will be posted in the coming weeks. Watch this space.

20/02/2020

When you apply pressure and the muscle spasms light up.... With regular massage therapy these spasms can be kept to a minimum so they no longer cause the horse discomfort and affect wellbeing and/or performance.

19/02/2020

This beautiful mare is Ruby… one of the therapy horses at , an incredible charity set up to aid children and young adults in dealing with mental health struggles. I approached them at the end of last year offering my services to these wonderful horses who make such a difference in these young peoples lives. Lisa has owned Ruby most of her life and together they are quite the pair with an undeniable bond. Lisa informed me that Ruby had been suffering from foot soreness in the front and had previously taken a tumble so was coming back to work after resting for a few months. It was evident in her initial assessment that the base of her neck, shoulders and pectorals were tight due to being foot sore, it was as if she was trying to ‘lift’ herself off her hooves (which is very common). Even as the soreness wears off the tension can reside and the muscles remain sore for extended periods, affecting movement and performance. Our first massage I concentrated on this area and Ruby’s reaction said it all, she was quite a fidget until I reached her pecs (cranial superficial pectorals and deep caudal pectorals) where she relaxed into the massage. Her back muscles were in great shape, even from the get-go…limited spasm and little to no soreness which is great to see. Her hind end, however, was extremely tense. Ruby has always been a ‘pacer’ when being ridden which could explain this. Over the past month I have been working on slowly loosening her hind end, paying attention to the hamstring, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles which were very reactive to pressure. Since having regular massages Lisa has reported that Ruby feels the best she ever has under saddle and no longer paces which she has done her entire life. I’m so happy to have made a difference and prove that sports massage therapy is highly effective in the overall wellbeing of a horse.
@ Raw Touch Equestrian Therapy