Hi Ronda
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I am a qualified Massage Therapist and Beauty Therapist too, but have not worked in the industry for about 10 years now. I have always wanted to learn Equine Massage, because I have seen some wonderful results come from it. But the school that teaches it here in Australia is too far away from home and they don't offer it via correspondence. Bit of a bummer :-/
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I know how to groom with a brush to drain the lymthatic system (not sure if I spelt that right - but hopefully you will know what I mean) but would love to learn how to massage my horses one day :-)
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Hi Ronda - thanks for sharing this. A very good friend of mine is an Equinine Massage Thereapist and she showed me how to massage my horses some years back. It is such hard work so I don't do it as much as I should. I am sure My Star really appreciated it.

Hi Ronda,

So good to hear this and share this with us.
I am, among other things, a beautytherapist and pedicure.
I started with Renske a few weeks ago as well to massage her. I don't know anything about massaging a horse, but it is coming from my feelings/intuition (you understand this, Ronda!!).I have to know more about the mussles and bones of a horse, but I started with her head.
She loves the strokes and I massage her eyes as well. When she sees me coming with my hands she closes her eyes and let me massage it. She realy likes it. When I brush her I always start with a rubber brush to get rid of the loose hairs, I rotate with the brush to stimulate her skin and then with the hard brush get these hairs away and then I take the soft brush and I massage her with this. With my right hand the soft brush brushing/massage her and with my left hand I stroke/massage her. She loves it.
Exactly what you say about My Star, Renske is also very relaxed afterwords, sometimes I think she is snorring..ha..
She can stand there with her eyes closed, head down and being very relaxed. When I am finished, I sit (very quite, don't say anything)down in a chair next to her and give her her moment to let the relaxation come into her. It is also good for me to take a little bit time to relax afterwords.

Did you ever think of using relaxed music with the massage?
My Star got a lovely stable with carpet hihi...etc, maybe you can give her some music while you are massageing her.
Maybe it helps you to, to relaxe your mussles when you are "working" with My Star. Thai Chi music??
When I massaged my clients in my beautysalon it was also for an hour and it was sometimes tiring me out, but with an other kind of music what was relaxing me as well, it went better.
As you say win-win, also this was a win-win situation.

Could it be possible that you are feeling so much that when you are massaging My Star you will absorbe this and get tired of this or is it more your body what is tired? Maybe this is the beginning and it will be better in the future.
What I see and feel with Renske is that one day she is more tence than the other day and she reacts differently.
I don't say that My Star is giving you bad energy!!!! because I know better now, from your beautifull stories. She is your friend.

What I always did when I finished my massage with clients I flapper with my hands (I don't know how to translate this), but that I get rid of the energy what is not good for me/what I didn't want to have on that moment.
I hope you understand what I mean Ronda?

By the way, did you get your rabbit(s) for My Star?
I am wondering how My Star is reacting on this.

Hope hearing from you more about My Star's massage treatments.

Have a very nice day, May.

Hi May,
I cannot believe how much we have in common.
My husband is picking up a rabbit on Wesnseday night from Grace. It is brown and white. We'll see !!!
The reason I am so tired after I give a massage wheather human or equine is, it takes a lot out of me both physically and emotionally.
Most who need massage are tense and need to relax. I do not just massage I also do Shiaso, which is working on pressure points on the body that cause a healing process and releives pain.
For me, I have studied horse anatomy and they too have tension, maybe more so than a human and on a larger base.
When I am finished, I wash my hands with ice cold water and rest for 15 minuets before the next client and never do more than 4 a day. I can afford that because I charge so much. It's a full body treatment.
This is the way I was taught at the Academy, one would get burn out otherwise.
With horses it's amazing to see the difference in them and their personallity.
I use only my hands with MY STAR and I do it outside in the large pasture with the sun beating on us so she is really warm and if she is uncomfortable and needs to move away the freedom to do so is there. She always comes back.
Thi Chi music, that's funny, May. When one is practising Thi Chi one wants complete silience to concentrate on ones moves. It takes a lot of energy and the movements are fast, using implements, swords, long poles, etc. So no music for me at that time, I do this outside, regardless of the weather.
So there you go, May.
I'm happy you are massaging Renske, he will benifit from it.
I understand the flapping of your hands, lets all the tension out of your body! Try standing on your toes and bending at your knees, moving up and down at the same time.
Have a great day,
Ronda

Hi Gen,
Ther are some great books on Equine Massage. With your background you will do fine.
Go on the internet and order one for yourself. You can do it !!!
Being in race horse country here it's easier but expensive for the courses, they do allow you to put your RMT classes towards it but my health says no to that.
I just studied the horse anatomy and went from there.
Hope this encourages you,
Ronda

Hi Ronda
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Thanks for that, I hadn't thought of that before. What a great idea - thank you again. Its funny sometimes how you can't see the wood for the trees...
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I hope your health improves, and yes, this has definately encouraged me :-)
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Hi all
I am very interested in everyones comments and experiences with equine massage. While I don't knowingly massage my horse I certainly rub on his face and nose. If I gently massage his nose and lips he starts to relax and close his eyes.
One of my riding partners had a gelding that came up lame after a show and after three months of complete rest the horse was still lame. Our vet recommended a equine chiropractor. After his adjustment the gelding was put in his stall. He immediately laid down and slept for 24 hours straight. Horses do snore and come times very loudly.

Because of genetic problems we cannot show the horse any more and only very limited riding by very light weight riders. The horse has not been in pain and is a happy animal. but we are sad because he is a magnificent horse, with such heart. He never complained or refused to do what was asked of him even though he was in sever pain. His last show he won the championship for a performance gelding and never gave any indication he was hurting. When he was walked back to his stall he limped the whole way The horse never quit!
Question for Ronda and May, do you get as much out of massaging your horse as the horse does? I find a real peacfulness with my horse. Don't know if it energy transfer or what.

Cheers

Hi Ronda and Dennis,

Yes Ronda, it is amazing how many things we have in common, but also that I felt... can't help it....

Haha.... I didn't know that Thi Chi was so fast.... Is it the same as Thai Chi, Ronda? What I know from Thai Chi that your movements are very slow and controled and not with swords and long poles etc.... I will dig in to that because I found out through internet that Thai Chi is very good for people with ADD, like me.
Well I am sure you know other relaxing music you can maybe use.
I am going to try to give Renske a massage with music, when I am coming back from my holiday. We are going to the Dolomites in the north of Italy and hopefully I can horseride or being with/around horses there as well.

Dennis.... what I feel when I am around!!! horses is already amazing. They give me a lot of positive energy and yes it is peacefull as well. With Renske 16 yo it is different then Luuk 2 yo.
Renske knows more and has her live-experiences, I can feel that. She is always alert on new people and I can see now how she is reacting on them. Luuk is totaly different, he is playfull and everything I am doing, like brushing, showering, train him to stand still, train him to put the blancket on, everything is FUN, FUN, FUN.... Luuk let me smile and sometime loudout laugh. He is funny.
With Renske it is a different energy than Luuk's. Renske feels my energy and also my mood... Luuk is probably to young for that....when he sees me he probably thinks; HA... there she comes, NOW we are going to have fun.
So I massage Renske and what I feel is tense in her. Sometimes it is less then an other day. She is starting to rely on me and when I massage her I can feel that her tense is getting less. I brush with my right hand (the hand who will give energy) and stroke her with my left hand )the hand what is taking the bad energy away). First I have to give her the feeling that I am working for her.... give her attention etc.... When she is going to relax she is giving back to me her stressless feelings. Even I am getting sleepy when I am finishing the massage and that's why I am sitting down and enjoy the moment as well. Renske is still standing there, outside, no nothing is happening with her, just relaxed. If I start to take her to the paddock I do this very quite without talking and in a slow walk. And when Renske is at her paddock she is alright and will eat her grass and walks away from me.
So at the end we have the win-win situation.
Because of my work as a beautician I did massages from the face and shoulders and body for 20 years. I had my own business in that. I can't tell you how many massages I have given, but I think much more then thousant. When I had a client coming to my salon and she/he stood in front of my door I could immediatly feel her mood. I always started to ask how it was going with her or him and I could see in the eyes of the client and could feel the energy around that person, if it was true. I handled always from that perspective and tried to create a situation, so that the client felt after the beautytreatment much better. The only thing I did was giving attention and trust and working with my feelings. I took away bad energy and gave positive back.
Sometimes I could feel a headache coming and that was the headache my client had. After the massage my client didn't have the headdache, it was gone, also mine.
That's what I am doing with Renske as well, give her attention and trust. It doesn't worn me out, because she gives me back. I also give her the chance to tell me what to do. What she wants, what kind of attention she wants. I will answer to that. I am still building up with her and making progress.
When I fell from Renske 11 weeks ago I was on cruches and even than I went to see her and walked with her from the stable to the ring. Then I tried what I could do to brush her and she was very quite and carefull with me. After a while I could walk without cruches around her and I had to keep my balance to hang/lean on her. NO problem at all!!! She looked at me and she was oké. So she gave at that moment so much back and you will not belief it, but I was for weeks in a lot of pain with painkillers, when I was with Renske the pain was gone !!!
Nobody believed me in the beginning, but they could see how I reacted on Renske when I was with her.
So hopefully I aswered you question Dennis, hope this answer is not to long, but it is very difficult to explain some things in words, because it is a feeling. Everything is energy!!! I can feel it and give it and I can see it as well. If I am concentrated (quite difficult for an ADDer) I can see an energyfield around people. That can be big or small it depence on there mood. If they are relaxed there energyfield is very small, when they are in a bad mood, in tears, don't feel well, they have a big energyfield.
I believe horses have this as well, I didn't start with that, but in the nearest future I will try to see the energyfield round Renske and Luuk.
I am sure if you feel the peacefull energy from your horse,Dennis, your horse will feel that and will give you more. The more relaxed you are the better you can absorbe this beautifull way of feeling.
I already said in an other topic... horses are so sensitive, we don't relise how much they can give.
And if you are open minded to this, you will experience this and take the benefit out of it.

Cheers, May

Hi Y'all,
May, about Thi Chi (chinese spelling) there are many different levels and many different performances.
At the lower levels one does it slowly and methodically, for relaxation, usually done by a group in the community.
At the highest level, competition, one uses the movements differently to perform and really get a work out.
When doing the foot work your knees are almost touching the floor, really works the gluts and legs and also stimulates the cardio system.
It's similar when one does pilete's, when you begin you use only your body as a leverage and later you graduate to using machines which give real resistance.
When preforming, Thi Chi, with implements, you are moving at a great speed. At this point you are considered a master and that takes many years to accomplish.
There are days I do the lower levels, when my energy is low, for relaxation but when I need energy I do the faster movements. It really helps me with my coordination.
I also do stretches to keep me limber and flexable, I alternate days.
For me trying to keep fit in my old age, ha ha, is important I need to be fit to ride in the style I did before the car accident. It has been slow but progressing and that's all that matters.
STAR benefits from it and feels confident that I can handle anything she throws at me.
Dennis I'm sorry about the show horse but it is fantastic about his spirit, you cannot keep a good horse or man down !!!
Snoring, I bet that horse does not snore as loud as my husband, through two closed doors and I'm down stairs, like having an industrial vaccum next to your ear but I love him just the same.
Have a nice day everyone,
Ronda

Hi Ronda,

Thank you for your explaination. After my holliday I will find out where I can get more information here in my area about Thi Chi and see what I can do with it.
I tried the stand on your toes and knees bending etc, but that's not easy. But with a little practice I will improve.

How is the rabbit and My Star? Big friends already?
Good luck with the massages and you will hear from me soon.

Have a nice weekend, May

Hi again Ronda,

I wasn't trying to stand on YOUR toes, because THAT would be very, very difficult..haha... I ment MY toes offcourse.

Cheers.

Hi May,
We named the male rabbit Elmar Fud, cartoon character.
My husband is still building the cage for him.
We have a huge storm coming and had to get all the outside ready.
We will be finishing it today and then try to get it up as soon as possible.
When I was talking about toes and bent knees I meant bouncing up and down, sorry.
It's shakes the excees energy out and wiggle your fingers too, OK.
Have a great holiday,
Ronda

Hi Ronda,

Thank you I will give it an other try.... bouncing up and down....
I am in Italy now and it is so beautifull overhere...We have perfect wether, round about 36 degrees. Blue sky and all around us the Dolemites.
Maybe I am going for a horsetrack into the mountains.
We don't have mountains in Holland.
Hope My Star likes his new friend Elmar Fud.....

Speak to you soon and hearing from you about Elmar Fud and My Star.
Arriverderci, May