Equine Bodywork and Massage

PACIFIC EQUINE

Your horse deserves a massage

For the hard working performance horse as well as the pleasure, retired, or senior horse, equine bodywork and massage can be an extremely useful complementary practice when used as a performance aid, a regularly scheduled maintenance tool, recommended by a veterinarian to supplement a rehabilitation or reconditioning program, and, of course,

a well deserved, “feel good” session of rest and relaxation for your horse.

BENEFITS OF BODYWORK AND MASSAGE

reduce muscle tension, spasms and stiffness
increase flexibility and range of motion
identify biomechanical imbalances and instability
aid in muscle recovery after overwork or injury
encourage relaxation and mental rest for overall comfort and wellness

Techniques include manual massage, passive stretching, acupressure, somatic movement and others. I am constantly learning and adding new things to my "toolkit"!

*Equine massage and bodywork is NOT a replacement for proper veterinary care, and practitioners do not offer prognosis, diagnose, prescribe, inject or do any harm in any way! Contraindications to massage do exist, please always refer first to your veterinarian when considering bodywork and massage for your horse.

pa·cif·ic

/pəˈsifik/

adjective

peaceful in character or intent.

TREATMENT

SERVICES

"STANDARD" BODYWORK SESSION

S

An in-depth session tailored for your horse's needs, whether it's to address pain, performance issues, rehabilitation needs, or simply for relaxation and well-being. Various massage techniques, acupressure, fascial release, somatic movements, reiki and stretches may be used.

60+ min - 95$

"MINI" BODYWORK SESSION

M

Sometimes less is more! The "mini" incorporates all of the modalities used in the standard session and is great for pre or post work/events, targeting specific problem areas, and general body maintenance.

30-45 Min - 65$

ABOUT

Hi, I'm Sara...and I have a problem.

More than a few times over the years I have been good-naturedly accused of “loving on” the horses too much, which probably was true, and probably was in reference to the fact that I always have my hands on them. It feels a bit like a magnet drawing my hands to various areas of their bodies. I just can't help it. And so I decided that the best way to manage this "problem" was to become educated and put my hands to good use by becoming a Certified Practitioner in Equine Bodywork and Massage with the amazing School of Applied Integrative Therapy. And shortly afterwards I became additionally certified by the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM).

As I was ready to begin putting myself out there, I suddenly developed a severe frozen shoulder. I say "suddenly", but actually I had been ignoring pain for months. Yet suddenly I was unable to lift my dominant arm past my waist. It was very painful and a complete show-stopper. I wasn't able to do any physical activity, and it was incredibly disappointing and frustrating to be unable to work. So, as I couldn't do much else, I enrolled in another immersion course focusing specifically on equine biomechanics and anatomy, which included watching many fascinating recorded horse dissections narrated by top veterinarians. It was an even deeper dive into how muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments work together to produce movement in the horse, and how lameness, injury and pain must be viewed through the lens of the "whole horse" in order to find the root cause, as opposed to only focusing on specific areas of this remarkable, complex, interconnected system.

Having the frozen shoulder was actually a blessing in disguise. I experienced first hand how a seemingly small, harmless repetitive motion over time can cause a fairly big injury. I also experienced how other muscles will compensate for the injured muscles and cause pain in other seemingly unrelated areas of the body, as well as cause muscle imbalance and instability. After 8 months of pain and immobility, it took 4 months of rehab to bring my arm back to about 98% mobility, which is where it is today. All of that stemming from many, many repetitions of pitching water out of a trough with a small bucket, not using the correct body mechanics or posture, ignoring pain and 'pushing through", while just assuming it would get better. I learned so much from this experience that I can apply to equine bodywork, and horses all around. And with gaining an even deeper understanding how the horse's body works in complex unity, refining how to look for biomechanical imbalances, asking even more precise questions and continuing to learn about the "whole horse", I can better assess and target the areas that may benefit from bodywork techniques.

There is a deep call within me to provide this service to the horses and it brings me great joy. They have been my teachers, my friends, now my clients, and have forever changed my life for the better. I still have a problem...

but it's a good one :) I am truly dedicated to contributing what I can to the well being of your horse, and I would love to be a part of your horse-care team!