04/12/2026
Releasing muscle tension isn’t just physical, it’s also chemical.
Massage assists the release of those feel good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, as well as oxytocin and endorphins. Nerve cells in the skin feel the pressure from massage, and send signals to the brain to release these chemicals.
These chemicals help with mood stabilization, pain relief, increasing feelings of joy and happiness, and desire for social bonding with others.
With working and performance horses, this change in chemicals is especially important as it also brings a decrease in cortisol, a stress hormone. Stress can refer to anything for the horse such as showing, learning a new skill under saddle, changing a routine, travel, or introducing a new horse into the barn.
I’m Erin Barbato, a nationally board certified equine massage practitioner. I hold certifications in equine massage, trigger point massage, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, red light therapy and kinesiology taping. I work in New England and travel to Wellington throughout the season.
