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A trip to graze on plush grass outside the pasture was enough to make 14-year-old Atticus' day earlier this month.
But owner Judy Watson wanted to give something that would make her primary ride, a warm-blooded Oldenburg, feel even better.
Equine massage therapist Jill Deming awaited Atticus in Watson's barn at White Buffalo Farm. At 5-foot-3, Deming needed a 2-foot stepstool to begin work on the large 17-hand horse. Deming spent 1 hours massaging the length of Atticus' body. Rubbing continuous circles, holding points of pressure, and fanning her fingers over tight muscles groups, Atticus soon showed the signs of relaxation.
"I love it when they do that. You never get tired of those expressions," Deming said as Atticus' mouth began trembling and his eyelids dropped.
He yawned and passed gas--other good signs his body was relaxing and making Deming's work more effective as she massaged deeper into softened muscles.
Deming's massage and other related bodywork disciplines can help improve the condition of a horse especially when it's injured or arthritic or work-weary.
The areas on Atticus' body where she gave significant attention were the neck and rear end. They are common parts of a riding horse in need of attention, Deming said.
"It's very normal because of the work he does and the way he's ridden," she said.
Watson, busy stacking hay in the rafters of the barn during Atticus' session, came down for a visit and Deming discussed Atticus' needs with her. Complimenting his superior demeanor, Deming gave Watson some much-appreciated information.
"I found out a lot about Atticus. I even found his itchy spot," she said pointing to an area on his chest near the top of his front legs.
Watson watched as Deming gave the least specialized touch of her session--a basic scratch. Atticus flopped his head joyfully from side to side.
"I don't even have to give you fruit now," Watson said of the new finding.
Watson chose Deming to give Atticus a massage because she'd trusted the benefits of her work on other horses of hers.
Deming first worked on Watson's 6-year-old Reese. He had a problem common to equines known as being "tied up." When a horse is tied up, it is usually lying in a curled-up position because its muscles have experienced extreme exertion.
Deming used massage to help loosen the tight muscles, and after several sessions, Reese could be comfortably ridden again.
Watson has another horse, Phoenix, who recently had a massage by Deming. Watson said she could notice an improvement in its ride.
"I rode him yesterday, and it was wonderful," Watson said.
The improvement in a horse's ride is a natural byproduct of regular massage work.
"A horse is an athlete just like a human athlete," Deming said. "We have enough going on with our own bodies, but a horse is so much larger and there is much more room for stuff going on. Since we're asking so much of our horses when we ride them, it's important we keep their bodies healthy like we do ours."
Deming encourages owners to learn from her work with their horses and will offer suggestions on ways to massage their animals.
She said massage and the other bodywork she does on horses, such as CranioSacral and acupressure, resemble what horses do in the wild when they groom each other.
"Owners can step in and help with something that evolution has taken away," Deming said. "It kind of falls on us to fill the gap. Bodywork is really important for the horse. It creates a bond."
Maintenance massages stimulate horses' bodies to produce endorphins, which are natural painkillers. They also help horses remove lactic acid, which builds up over time with rigorous training. Too much lactic acid can result in painful trigger points, or sore spots, on a horse.
Most owners choose the summer months to give their horses massages, but Deming suggests considering the winter as much or more. The more time a horse spends in the stall, the more likely it needs a maintenance massage to help encourage blood flow to its tissues.
Massage can help increase a horse's healing time as well by reducing swelling.
"The first few days are so incredibly critical," Deming said. "You don't want their muscles to seize up. I work very tenderly at first with injured animals."
Deming stressed the importance of having a veterinarian give an animal a full checkup after injury. Her work is a supplement to the healing process for an ailing horse.
Deming suggests owners provide maintenance massages for their horses once every six to eight weeks. If a horse has a specific problem, she said on average, she will work with a horse once a week for four to six weeks.