When Should You Use A Massage Gun On A Horse?

Massage guns provide deep tissue massage, which will help break down this scar tissue, thereby alleviating pain and relieving restriction. You can use equine massage guns not only for sports injuries but also for post-surgery scar tissues.

Should I use a massage gun on my horse?

There are some great benefits of using massage guns on a horse. Here are the key ones: Increased performance, muscle recovery, and injury prevention. Percussive therapy helps with lengthening and strengthening muscles to improve the horse’s performance.

Should you massage a horse before or after exercise?

Why should I massage my horse? Massaging pre-exercise stimulates circulation to prepare the horse for athletic activity. It doesn’t replace a correctly timed warm-up and stretch protocol, but assists in delivering more blood, oxygen and nutrients to muscle fibers and is valuable prior to saddling up.

When should you not massage a horse?

Don’t massage your horse if your horse has…
an acute injury (fracture, open wound, tendon injury etc.) acute mental trauma (your horse will associate massage with pain/fear/discomfort etc.) had a vaccine or other injection less than four days ago – or even longer, ask your vet!

When should massage guns be used?

You can use a massage gun whenever you want to relieve muscle tension, but it’s most commonly used before and after workouts. “For warmups, using a massage gun can reduce soreness or stiffness from workouts from the day or days prior and activate muscles before a session,” Abarca says.

How often should I massage my horse?

How often should my horse receive bodywork? The frequency of a bodywork program depends on many factors, including the horse’s age, riding discipline, workload and overall health. Generally, horses benefit most from bodywork every 4-8 weeks.

Can you use Theragun on horse?

That’s right — horses can Theragun, too. And with such large muscles, they need a device with 16mm of amplitude to make…

How do you massage a horse with a massage gun?

Just let it float. Glide the Equine Therapy Systems massage gun along the muscle. Move slowly—about an inch a second or slower. If you hit a knot or an area of tension, let the massage gun rest on that spot—without adding additional pressure—for a few moments before moving on.

Can a horse be ridden after a massage?

However your horse may be tender in some target areas after their treatment, in which case they may require a 24hr or even 48hr rest before ridden exercise however turnout, in-hand walking and/or light unrestrained groundwork will benefit your horse following treatment.

What does it mean when a horse yawns during a massage?

The parasympathetic nervous system handles rest and relaxation. A yawning horse may indicate that they’re moving from the flight response to the rest response. A horse may yawn in response to a moment of stress or anticipation of stress.

Where do horses like to be rubbed the most?

4- Many horses like to be rubbed on the neck, shoulder, hip, or on the chest. Some horses enjoy having their heads and ears rubbed. Horses often groom each other on the whither, so this would be a good place to try too.

How do you release tension in a horse?

By going slowly and softly, you by-pass the horse’s fight or flight response and work directly with the nervous system to release accumulated tension. The by-product is a deepening of communication with your horse that allows him to “lead” and for you to “listen”.

When should you nerve a horse?

According to farrier Scott Simpson, if a horse has shown chronic heel lameness for a year or more, with constant toe-pointing and unsoundness, the humane alternative is to consider nerving the horse.

Where should you avoid using a massage gun?

You can cause damage with a massage gun. To prevent injury or damage, avoid the front of the neck, spine, carotid artery, kidneys, knees, elbows, and ankles. You also should refrain from using a massage gun on injured areas, bruises, wounds, or painful areas.

Where are you not supposed to use a massage gun?

You may be pressing too hard or for too long. Also, be careful never to use the device directly on bones, nerves, or joints, as these devices are meant only for the muscles.

What happens if you use a massage gun everyday?

You can use a massage gun every day, safely. However, then benefits can diminish if used too frequently. So, the best thing you can do is to rotate days. For example, you may use a foam roller one day, contrast baths on the second day, and your massage gun on the third day, and repeat.

Where do horses like to be massaged?

How to pet a horse

• Massage – Once you have approached a horse in the safe zone, start making long strokes along the neck and shoulder.
• Areas to massage – neck, shoulder, chest, hip, barrel When rubbing under the barrel, be sure to pay attention to the back legs to avoid getting kicked.

Do horses need to be turned out every day?

Research has shown that horses require at least 8 to 10 hours of turnout per day, on good quality pasture, to achieve the minimum dry matter intake of 1% of their body weight. The recommended dry matter intake for an average horse is 1.25% to 2% of their body weight daily.

Can you do damage with a massage gun?

Massage guns produce a pounding effect that can damage muscle fibers’ connective tissue and myosin and actin proteins. This can diminish the body’s strength and increase the tension in your muscles.

Should an athlete use a massage gun before or after a run?

For Muscle Recovery
“If you’re trying to decrease muscle soreness after exercise, it’s best to use your massage gun immediately after your workout to help reduce lactic acid and toxin buildup in your muscles,” Kozak says.

Does massage gun promote healing?

One of the most important benefits of massage guns is the ability to promote recovery after injury or intense activity by improving blood flow to the area. Precisely targeting small and large muscles with deep percussive pressure provides other recovery-related benefits, including: Decreasing muscle pain and tension.