Resting Horses After Equine Massage

Video Transcript

"The last thing that you want to keep in mind after you've given your horse a massage is that it's really important for them to be allowed to rest quietly when they're done. In the same way that if you ever had a massage you probably don't want to go right back to work afterward. If you massage your horse, it's probably not a good time to hop on them and go for a ride. So when I talk about massaging your horse before a competition, I'm not talking about immediately before a competition, I'm talking about perhaps earlier in the day or a couple of hours before. Give them a chance to relax. If they have pasture mates that they're a little bit at odds with, don't put them back out in the pasture right away. Give them a chance to relax and get used to the new way that their bodies are feeling. And after you've taken them for a walk, it's a good time to just put them in their stall for a little while so that they can relax and get used to themselves again. So once you're done with the massage you are not quite done. Make sure that they have a chance to get fully stretched out and get back into themselves."