The original Olympic events were influenced by military skills needed in times of war such as riding skills.  Equestrian events further obtained their inspiration from the chariot races of the ancient Greek games.  Until 1952 only commissioned officers of the military could compete in Olympic dressage, a sport in which humans and animals are teammates. As with sailing, equestrian is the only other Olympic sport where men and women compete against each other.

The original Olympic events were influenced by military skillsneeded in times of war such as riding skills.  Equestrian events further obtained their inspiration from thechariot races of the ancient Greek games.  Until 1952 only commissioned officers of the military could competein Olympic dressage, a sport in which humans and animals are teammates. As withsailing, equestrian is the only other Olympic sport where men and women competeagainst each other.

Riders compete in three disciplines dressage, show jumping,and eventing  they are awarded individual and team medals.  In dressage the rider guides the horse througha series of movements that display strength, suppleness and obedience in which asa team they are working in harmony exhibiting both lightness and free-flowing movements. From the perspective of a sports massagetherapist the key is their ability to work as a team in which both the rider andthe horse are working in tandem, their movements mirroring one another in an optimalfashion.  This is the same for all theevents, their co-ordinated movements need to be interchangeable hence, when eitherthe horse or the rider develops any restrictions, injuries or dysfunction it cantranslate from one to the other and both can suffer the effects of the others problem. 

In jumping competitors complete a course of 15-20 obstacles withina specified time.  It requires bothspeed and co-ordination of movement and superb communication skills between thetwo of them.  

In eventing it combines dressage, show jumping, and cross-countryinto three days of gruelling tests.  On the first day the riders demonstrate their dressage skillsfollowed by the cross-country phase wherein they gallop 5,700m over varying terrainas well as jumping 45 obstacles. If this wasn t demanding enough they then finishtheir last day on show jumping. The preparation required for the cross country eventcan be likened to training for an Ironman Triathalon, it demands a great deal oftime and dedication to obtain this level of skill.  In order for both the rider and the horse to reach their goalswithout incurring injury or developing dysfunctional imbalances the training requiresa broader team approach, it will involve specialists in their fields such as a equinesports massage therapist.  One of theexperts in this field is Pennie Hooper.  I have the privilege of knowing her as a client and have askedher to share her wisdom about her role and how it is both similar and differentto ours.  

Pennie, when and how did you start working with horses? 

I was an athlete myself and I have been around horses all mylife.  I have an empathy with athletesand therefore can associate myself with both the horse and rider.  I started working with them as an Equinesports therapist after a fall stopped me from riding professionally.

To me, horses represent athletic prowess, they are one of themost magnificent athletes on the planet, just look at their lung capacity and itgoes off the radar, I feel very privileged to work with them.  

Where did you train?

At the Jack Meagher Institute in America.

How many yards and horses do you see per week? 

This week I have been seeing horses that are competing at theNational Dressage Championship at Stoneleigh.  I do five horses per day five days a week all usually in the sameyard.  I see a maximum of 25 in anyweek.  I do not do more than that becausethe horses weigh between 500 & 550 kilos and I weigh about 50 kilos.You have to use a lot of pressure to be ableto affect their performance hence, at the end of the day I am knackered.  10 years ago I would have had a sports massageevery 3 months and now I need one 3 times a month.

What are you looking for when observing a horse and its  rider?

I am looking for a shortness of gait, any unevenness that couldaffect the elasticity of the horses  movement. I like to chat with the rider and try to work out whatwould get the best out of the team.   I might call in othertherapists as needed such as an osteopath, or a saddle fitter, an equine dentist,or a remedial farrier, which is like asking for a podiatrist to assess and fit aspecial shoe or orthotic to the horses hoof.  A biting specialist is something else I request, you can alwaystell by the tension in the brachial muscle if they are fighting against the bitas this muscle becomes quite solid.  I also speak frequently with my nutritionist as I can tell justby looking at the horses  coat whetherit needs a liver detox or something of a similar nature.  

What kinds of conditions do you come across?

Each discipline will have its common problems For example Eventhorses do a lot of jumping, and will get tight in the lumbar sacral region whichwill obviously need releasing in order to improve their performance over a fence.Dressage horses, need to perform a lot of sideway movements, horses are not designedto move laterally for great amounts of time and therefore specific muscles get stressedand tight- once released they move much more freely.

What sort of techniques do you use?

I find for me personally (and massage is a very personal thing)after having been in the business for 20 years plus, my favorite techniques arecompression and cross fiber friction, this works best for me with horses.

What part of your body do you use most in applying your techniques? 

Right from the tips of my fingers to my core muscles.  I have to be careful to get my body behindthe movement to help support what I do.  My height can be a bit of an issue, and there are times I wouldwish for a hydraulic lift.  AlthoughI do have a box to stand on, most competition horses are 16/17 hands plus nowadaysas this is the current trend. i.e. their shoulders are higher than my head!, whichcan make it difficult for me to get the pressure behind what I do.  

Considering your size, which is on the tiny side, how do youmanage to work with such big animals and be able to get the physical force you needand remain injury free, or do you remain injury free?

That has taken a lot of practice and for the first few yearsI got quite a lot of green stick fractures in my fingers and forearms.  I sought out a coach and ran through somebasic positioning techniques that were for me to use my body s optimum strength. I still get muscular injuries to myneck and back. That s when I come to see Susan.

How important is it for you to address the needs of the horseand the rider?

Hugely, if you were thinking of yourself as a weighted backpackon top of a horse, you are going to make a large difference in the way that youare positioned on their back.  

You can do a simple test.  Sit on the edge of a hard chair and then wiggle your seat boneto the left and you can instantly feel how much more pressure that would put onthe horses back.  It is as simple asthat.  What the horse does is to mirrorthis by rotating its hip towards its ribcage on the side that more weight is beingthrown at it.  This in turn makes thehorse develop an imbalance through its pelvis causing the erectae spinae group toshorten in order to accommodate the extra weight from the rider.  

How do you choose which client you are going to work on, thehorse versus the human?

It depends on where the problem is coming from.  Recently I have been treating one of theriders who is competing at Stoneleigh this weekend.   I observed that hishorses were all rotated to the right through their pelvises and when you see itin that many horses with the same rider you can pretty much assume it is somethingto do with the rider.  I chose to workwith him sorting out a right-sided tension in his body, although he felt he wasstraight, he wasn t, after two sports massages he noticed the difference.  When I returned to the yard this week allthe horses were dead straight.  In thiscase is was necessary to treat the rider but sometimes you need to work on boththe horse and the rider, it is more about finding the source of the problem andtreating that.   

Thank you Pennie for sharing with us what sports massage is inequestrian terms. Whether working on horse or rider, it is important to addressthe origin of any problem, work with other modalities to ensure a holistic approachas a team and encourage sports massage as a regular feature in both the horses andriders training regime.  It is aboutprevention as well as rehabilitation.  

Pennie offers mentoring days and weekend workshops, if you wouldlike further information go to www.penniehooper.com.  She also has a book titled  Sports Massage for Horses  which is available on Amazon.  

6 Frequently AskedQuestions

Q. How often can my horse have sports massage? (

A. I usually recommend a professional massage every 4/6 weeks,depending on the fitness of your horse. Homework treatment as instructed by me,can be applied daily in most cases for short bursts of 3/5 minutes.

Q. My horse has small round raised patches on his skin aftertreatment. What is this? (

A. These are caused by toxins releasing through the skin s surface.They usually go down after a few hours, however in some cases take up to 24 hoursto clear. They may look alarming but there is no cause to panic it is one of themeans by which the metabolic waste products are dispersed.

Q. Should my horse be exercised before he gets treated? (

A. No this is best done directly after a treatment. This is becauseit aids in the dispersal of metabolic waste products which are present in the bloodafter a treatment. Thus the sooner he is sweating, wanting to urinate and drinkthe sooner the toxins leave his bloodstream.

Q.  My horse hasgone lame after a treatment. What has happened? (

A. This happens, if there is an undetected joint issue. The skeletalmuscles will tighten and try to protect any pathology within the joint. Sometimes,by loosening off the muscles surrounding a joint this can occur. If this does happenfurther investigation is recommended from your veterinary surgeon.

Q. When is the best time for my horse to receive a treatment?(

A. Pre or post a competition. As before a competition it willincrease performance. After, it will accelerate recovery.

Q. My horse does not even like being groomed/appears ticklish.Will he/she be able to have a treatment? (

A. In most cases, it really helps the horse become rehabilitatedwith the grooming process and I have quite a few owners that have found this processa very rewarding one.

Terminology Corner

Azoturia Cramping of the large muscles of a horse, also referredto as  typing up .

Cannon The area between the knee on the front leg, or hock onthe rear leg, and the fetlock.

Conformation The physical structure of a horse, it is comparedto a standard of perfection or an ideal.

Frog  A wedge-shapedpad in the sole of the hoof.  It actsas a shock absorber when making contact with the ground and aides in the pumpingof blood.

Galls Sores and/or swelling.

Gravel An abscess of the hoof wall extending from the white lineto the coronet.

Lameness Unevenness in the horses stride during movement.

Quittor Infection of the lateral cartilage of the hoof.

Roaring A breathing disorder.

Sidebone Inflammation followed by an ossification of the lateralcartilages of the foot.

Splint boots Protective coverings worn around the cannons ofthe front legs to prevent injury.

Weaving Rhythmic swaying of the horses weight from one foot tothe other when confined.

Websites of Interest

http://www.uksport.gov.uk/sport/summer/equestrian

http://www.uksport.gov.uk/sport/summer/disability-equestrian

http://www.bhs.org.uk/

Susan Findlay is the Director of the NLSSM and the Communications Chairfor GCMT.  She keeps her hands in as a Sport & Remedial MassageTherapist in North London.  She is also the author of Sports Massage, apractical book for all massage professionals wanting to work more effectivelyas a sensitive and deep tissue therapist.   Susan can be contacted at www.nlssm.com or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .