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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions
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Explore the world of equine bodywork with our FAQ page. Discover answers to common questions and gain valuable tips for your next bodywork session!

How do I know when my horse is in need of a bodywork session? Wondering how you know if your horse could benefit from bodywork? Here are some signs! Your horse is sore Your horse’s muscles are tight Your horse is struggling with lead changes or staying on the correct lead Your horse is having trouble jumping Your horse feels stiff or restricted Your horse won’t accept contact or resists collection Your horse’s posture is abnormal or they change their normal stance at rest Your horse has behavioral issues Your horse is girthy and/or sour when saddling Your horse is resistant to bend Your horse struggles with maintaining muscle tone and coat quality Your horse has an injury and the vet has cleared bodywork Your horse is compensation for an injury or poor conformation Your horse is an athlete and has a heavier work load Your horse expresses signs of irritation (pinned ears, tail swishing, stomping, head tossing, nipping, moving away from pressure, twitching, and pawing) while grooming, placing a saddle, touching parts of their body, etc. They aren’t coming under themselves and using themselves correctly Their stride is short/choppy/inconsistent They seem lazy/unwilling to go forward Your horse is tripping Your horse has been hollowing out their back Your horse has been tossing their head Your horse has been rearing and/or bucking Your horse has abnormal asymmetric muscle development Your horse has been breaking at gaits Your horse struggles with tight turns/circles Your horse drags their feet and so much more! That being said, it is always a good idea to contact your vet first to rule out any other medical concerns that equine bodywork can’t fix. Equine bodywork is not veterinary medicine and we can’t diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Please refer to your vet for such things.

When should my horse not have a PEMF session? Your horse should not receive a PEMF session if: They are pregnant They are actively bleeding They recently got joint injections They were recently vaccinated They are currently taking EPM medications They have a battery operated implanted device Their vitals are abnormal They are ill They’ve had a recent organ transplant (more so directed towards humans)

How often should I schedule PEMF or Massage sessions for my horse? Unfortunately there is no one clear answer to this question. Each horse has their own customized maintenance plan due to every horse having different problems, lifestyles, work loads, disciplines, sensitivity, age, etc. These are some of the factors I take into consideration when I come up with a maintenance plan for your horse. Some horses may benefit from weekly bodywork sessions, while others can get away with monthly session or even bi-monthly sessions. This will be determined after my initial session. We can then get a read on your horse’s baseline and how long the results last for your specific horse and go from there. This is why client feedback/communication is so important. You know your horse better than anyone as you are the one working with and/or riding them everyday.

Can my horse eat during their PEMF or Massage/bodywork session? Yes, your horse can eat during both types of sessions. However, it is preferred that they eat before hand so they the horse does not get fidgety or upset that they are getting hungry. As well as being able to better see their signs of release; if they are eating during a session, it is hard to detect those signs.

How Do I prepare for a PEMF or Massage/Bodywork session? Here’s how to prepare for your horse’s upcoming session: If you haven’t already scheduled your appointment, please try your best to schedule for a day/time that does not interfere with any other procedures, feeding/turnout time, riding time, or too close to a horse show. Auburn will send you initial intake forms to get a detailed history on your horse. Please complete and submit this to Auburn prior to your appointment. Auburn will review this in preparation for your session. If this is your first session, please plan to have someone present who knows this horse well and can provide information to Auburn. Please plan to have someone present to hold your horse if necessary. Please plan to have someone available to show your horse for Auburn at the beginning of the session and to hand walk your horse after the session. Please ensure there are no contraindications on the day of the session. If you have questions, please contact Auburn. If you plan to ride your horse the day of the session, please get them worked prior to your session. Please make sure that your horse is clean and dry for their session. Please do not feed treats or distract your horse during the session as they get the most out of it when they are focused on Auburn.

What should I keep in mind when scheduling a session? If your horse has contraindications, please get bodywork cleared by the vet prior to scheduling a session. Please refrain from scheduling a session during feeding, turnout, and riding time. If you plan to ride your horse the day of the session, please plan to ride prior to the session. Please do not schedule a session on the same day as other procedures or too close to other procedures getting done depending on what they are. Please schedule your session for a time that someone will be available to jog your horse, hold your horse if necessary, and hand walk your horse after the session. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Auburn at any time.

When should my horse NOT get a Massage/Bodywork session? Believe it or not there are circumstances when your horse should NOT get bodywork done. We call these reasons contraindications. Here’s a few examples: Abnormal vitals (Temperature, Respiration Rate, Pulse, Mucas Membranes) Any signs of illness Heat/Swelling Hives Lameness Certain Stages of Pregnancy Other Procedures Being Done (Chiropractic, Dentals, Injections, Vaccines, etc.) Tying Up Neurologic Excessive Loose Stool Extreme Behavior Changes Skin Conditions Cancer These contraindications need to be cleared by a veterinarian or resolve before I am able to work on your horse. Each scenario is different so please reach out to Brittany or your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns! Disclosure: Auburn is not a veterinarian and is unable to diagnose, treat, or give medical advice. Please refer to your veterinarian for such things.

Will my horse be fixed after one PEMF or Massage/bodywork session? PEMF can do some amazing things, however, it is not a one and done deal. Results can be subtle and it might take a few sessions to see bigger results. While one bodywork session may improve your horse’s comfort and/or performance, it is unlikely that one session will ever fix a horse permanently no matter who the bodyworker is. Something caused your horse’s muscles to get sore/tight (for example: conformation, rider error, compensation, old age, work load, injury, etc.), their muscles will unfortunately go back to their previous condition if the root cause is not fixed. If the root cause is still present, your horse may need to be on a regular maintenance plan to keep them feeling their best. This looks different for each horse as each horse has different areas of concerns, lifestyles, reactions to bodywork, etc. Bodywork is typically utilized as a portion of your horse’s regular maintenance plan to keep these concerns at bay.

What should I do after an appointment? For best results, hand walk your horse for a minimum of 10 minutes within 2 hours after your session. Plan to give your horse the rest of the day off from ridden work and plan to have a lighter ride the following day. Ensure that your horse has plenty of water available to them to rehydrate. Bodywork can be an intense experience and they may be more thirsty than normal after a session. Turnout is encouraged after a bodywork session. Be mindful that your horse may need some time to adjust to their new way of moving after a deeper session. Review your session report and follow the recommended stretches/exercises to maintain your horse between sessions. Don’t forget to update Auburn on how your horse is feeling following a session and feel free to leave a review!

Why all Equine Body Workers, Massage Therapists, PEMF Practitioners, etc. Are not created equal

 

Understanding the Distinction: Equine Bodyworker Regulations VS. Human Massage Therapist Regulations

Equine Bodywork is currently not as regulated as it should be. Unlike Licensed Human Massage Therapy, there is no state board that regulates who is allowed to become an Equine Bodyworker. While Human Massage Therapists are commonly required to obtain a license, complete a specific number of training hours from an accredited massage therapy school, pass a licensing exam, and keep up with continued education requirements. The regulations for Equine Massage Therapists are limited to state laws that vary from state to state. There isn’t a State Board monitoring the quality of education that Equine Bodyworkers must go through before calling themselves certified practitioners. Currently, there is no license requirement for Equine Bodyworkers, and in many states, they only need to be certified, without specification of where the certification comes from.

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Types of Programs to Watch out for

Many certification programs have taken advantage of this more relaxed system. It seems that their top priorities are to make it quick and easy for students to get certified through their courses. They often do the bare minimum to prepare their students, then hand out a certificate at the end, allowing underqualified "professionals" to work on other people’s horses. Their main focus seems to be on increasing enrollment and profit, rather than ensuring high-quality education.

 

Online Courses

For example, if you're considering hiring a bodyworker who received their certification solely through an online program, run far and fast. Equine Bodywork is not something you can thoroughly and confidently learn how to do while watching a computer screen. You can learn the basics or utilize it for continued education, but you need to be able to understand what pressure feels like, know when to use less or more pressure, how to read a horse in the moment, what "normal" tissue should feel like, what abnormal tissue feels like, be able to find bony landmarks on the horse, be able to identify contraindications when present, have experience handling all kinds of horses, know when it's time to refer a horse to the vet or another professional, etc. How are you going to learn the feel of equine bodywork online, especially to the extent of doing it for your profession?

 

Short & Sweet Programs

It's important to consider the value and quality of certification programs that can be completed within just a day or two. It seems unrealistic for individuals to gain professional certification in such a brief period and then immediately start working with a 1,500-pound living animal. There is a need to evaluate how these programs cover all the necessary topics within such a short timeframe.

For example…

  • Body mechanics

  • Conformation

  • Contraindications

  • Anatomy

  • Physiology

  • Safety

  • Body Mechanics

  • Massage Strokes

  • Different Modalities

  • How to Structure a Session

  • Session Reports

  • Gait Analysis

  • Lameness

  • Basic Saddle Fit

  • General Management

  • Liability/Waivers/Insurance

  • Marketing

  • Business/Finance

  • Client Management

  • Etc.

 

There is no way students are coming out of a 2 day course covering all of that. What’s the quality of service they are going to provide if they haven’t had all of the necessary training?

 

Massage Routines 

Perhaps they received certification through a program that only teaches a standard massage routine for every horse, regardless of their individual needs. As a result, their sessions lack personalization, and they may not be able to analyze the horse's requirements accurately. Choosing such a bodyworker may not yield the results you are seeking.

 

The Bare Minimum: No Horse Experience Required

There are programs that accept students with no prior horse experience. They consider this a benefit of their course. If you are someone who understands horses, you know how awkward and uncomfortable non-horse people can be around them. Imagine unintentionally hiring someone with no knowledge of horses to work with your horse. That sounds quite risky.

 

The Moral of the Story

Becoming a quality Certified Equine Bodyworker requires a lot of information and hands-on learning. This cannot be crammed into an online or 2-day course. Equine bodywork involves more than just a routine taught to help every horse. It requires a well-rounded understanding of equine wellness and the ability to adapt to create a customized maintenance plan for each horse. Additionally, it's essential to be able to educate owners, managers, trainers, and others on the reasons behind the suggested practices.

The moral of the story is to be cautious about who you hire to work on your horses. Do your research on potential practitioners and ask them quality questions before adding them to your horse's wellness team. There are many qualified Bodyworkers out there, but it's important to sift through the broad spectrum of "Certified" professionals to find them.

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