It can take a few sessions for a massage therapist to build up a good rapport with your horse and get the best results. It can also take a few sessions for your massage therapist to understand what you the owner is expecting from a massage session. Depending on where each of you are coming from, you may both have your own preconceived ideas about what is expected out of the situation.
As owner/trainer it’s important for you to clearly communicate your expectations from the session. Do you want your horse to get a deep massage, a warm up massage, a recovery massage, or just a light touch-up? Are you planning to show your horse in a few days? If your horse is new to massage and you want do intense work in the next few days, it might be a better idea to start your horse’s massage program when you have a bit of a time buffer for their body to adjust to the changes massage may make in it – otherwise be very careful to ask your massage therapist to keep the session light and superficial.
Massage therapy can be customized to optimize your horse’s training, soundness, performance and overall well-being. Clear communication between parties will help that happen.
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