Healing Equine Therapies

06/10/2025

Massage.... so much more than just releasing muscle tension. Have you scheduled your horse a massage?

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01/09/2025

The other reason your horse needs a massage besides the time you spend under saddle.... and probably some chiro too!!

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20/08/2025

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🐴The 72-Hour Effect: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

When your horse gets a massage, you’ll notice immediate changes: softer muscles, improved flexibility, and often a calmer demeanor. But the benefits don’t stop when the therapist leaves. In fact, a single session can keep working for up to 72 hours afterward.

Here’s how:

1. Circulation & Lymphatic Support

Massage boosts blood flow and lymphatic drainage. This helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your horse’s muscles while removing metabolic waste. These improved circulatory effects continue for days, supporting tissue repair and recovery.

2. Nervous System Balance

Horses often live in a state of heightened alertness. Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and allowing muscles to let go of tension. The nervous system “reset” doesn’t vanish instantly — your horse continues to enjoy the calming effects for 2–3 days.

3. Fascia & Range of Motion

Myofascial release hydrates and loosens connective tissues. Once restrictions are eased, tissues remain more mobile for several days, allowing your horse to move with greater fluidity and less restriction.

4. Biochemical Benefits

Massage stimulates the release of endorphins and nitric oxide, chemicals that reduce pain sensitivity and enhance circulation. These chemical shifts linger in the tissues, extending the therapeutic effects beyond the session.

5. Neuromuscular Integration

Perhaps most importantly, your horse’s body “learns” new movement patterns once restrictions are gone. Over the following days, your horse will explore freer strides, better weight distribution, and improved posture — reinforcing the gains from the massage.

Bottom line: One massage session sets off a cascade of healing responses that can last for 72 hours. That’s why sessions spaced every 2–4 weeks are so effective. Your horse continues to improve long after the hands-on work ends, making massage not just a momentary fix, but a lasting investment in health and performance.

https://koperequine.com/massage-therapy-positively-affects-atp-production-and-ion-balance/

02/08/2025

Equine massage therapy has a long history and continues to be one of the most effective ways of caring for the body! Thank you Koper Equine for putting together this info!

Why is massage therapy, such an ancient practice, still so popular and widely used today?

Because it continues to be one of the MOST EFFECTIVE ways to care for the body.

Equine Massage Therapy has a very long history of use:

Evidence shows that massage was used in ancient China, Rome and Egypt as a therapeutic practice for both working and war horses.
In ancient India, specific points on the bodies of humans and horses, known as Marma points, were carefully charted and integrated into therapeutic practices. These points inspired modern techniques like acupressure and also share similarities with trigger point therapy.

Around 350 BC Xenophon, who is often referred to as “the father of horsemanship” wrote a book in known as “The Art of Horsemanship”. In it, he emphasized the importance of caring for horses and discussed various aspects of horse management, including grooming, feeding, exercise, and massage, which he believed helped to prevent injuries, relieve muscle tension, and maintain the horse’s physical condition.

Swedish massage, considered the foundation of modern massage, was introduced to the United States in 1877. It wasn’t until the World Wars that it gained widespread acceptance as an effective and valuable medical treatment.
In the United States, equine sports massage was first introduced to horses by a massage therapist named Jack Meagher, who developed what he called “Sportsmassage” for the NFL athletes. He was later asked to help the United States Equestrian Team prepare for and compete at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. There, he played a pivotal role in helping the U.S. eventing team win individual gold and silver medals as well as team gold — their first medal wins in 44 years. This is the only time in U.S. Eventing history where the U.S. earned both team gold and individual gold at an Olympic Games.

Massage techniques continue to improve as we learn more about the equine body how to best care for our horses.

Fun Fact: It’s said that Julius Caesar traveled with a personal masseuse, who not only worked on him but also on his war dogs.

Koper Equine is recommended by and referred to by top vets.

Helping horses of all disciplines improve performance and stay sounder and happier longer.

https://koperequine.com/massage-is-the-study-of-anatomy-in-braille/

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16/07/2025

This. Have you scheduled your horse a massage?

07/07/2025

Things you may not know about massage.

Info put together by Koper Equine

https://koperequine.com/heres-a-list-of-things-you-may-not-yet-know-about-massage/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLYkFVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjT_B3Ixjxm5gQ2J138ui3kAyzSSh3uM81DfLcZir1KuCUg1kpMQ5wZqTuB1_aem_xZTsaURloWZ4zvliKF4I4Q

Up to 50 percent of your horse’s body weight is made up of muscle alone. Muscles power all movement, and protect the skeleton by distributing force and absorbing shock. Muscles dictate how th…

04/06/2025

I am up in Arlington on June 18th and have space to fit two more horses in anywhere between Stanwood and Monroe at approx 12:00 - 1:00 (depending on location).
PM if you would like to schedule your horse.

30/05/2025

Am I short... is she tall..... or maybe its a bit of both...

18/05/2025

Study shows KT can improve arthritic hocks in about 4 weeks!
Koper Equine does a nice job highlighting info.
I recommend you follow her page, she is always putting out great info!