Initial Assesment: $75
Recurring Session: $65
Pre-Show: $45
Clinic: Varies

Discounts are available for multiple horses.

Inquire about Show & Race Ready's Racetrack Trainer's package deal.

Show & Race Ready recognizes the importance of the team factor that stands behind any athlete. That's why Lacey works in conjunction with your horse's team - that's the owner, trainer, veterinarian, farrier, chiro/acupuncturists, and saddle fitter. If you don't have your horse's "team" cemented, Lacey can recommend those that she has had success working with and can make knowledgeable recommendations to help build the network behind your horse's success in the show ring or on the track. 

The success your horse is - also a success for Show & Race Ready.  

How will equine sports massage therapy help improve your horse's performance?

#1 Disposition

A horse that is not comfortable and doesn't change behavior must be a saint. Most horses experience adverse behavioral changes due to discomfort as a way to try to communicate to their human counterparts that something is already wrong or about to be. Is your normally floppy eared pony pinning his ears and hollowing his back? Is a racehorse being resistant to breaking from the gate (possibly because it's uncomfortable to rock back on its hindquarters)? Helping to alleviate the discomfort a horse is experiencing will improve their disposition, thus resulting in a horse more willing and ready to work and learn.

# 2 Rehabilitiation

If your horse is sidelined with an injury, an equine sports massage therapist can work with your veterinarian to help speed up the healing process. After an appropriate time for healing, proper massage techniques, stretching and exercises will help break up part of the scar tissue and help the remainder of the scar tissue lay in a better pattern. Sports massage can help your horse's recovery process by reducing the amount of scar tissue that adheres to healthy muscle, hopefully resulting in not only a quicker return back to work howeverrestore the muscle to better function than it would be without the benefits of massage therapy.

#3 Assesment

Massage therapy is hands on. With your hands, you're more sensitive and better able to feel tight muscles. Tension, temperature, and the muscle texture is much easier to feel by hand. A horse's response to touch can show problems areas. Touch is also a great tool to assess progress of a horse's training regime.

#4 Reduce Tactile Defense

There are some horses that are monsters to bridle, saddle and handle in any way. These defensive horses are often very dangerous in their avoidance of being handled. A horse who does not like to accept human touch will benefit greatly by deliberate touch program. The more soothing and comforting touch the horse finds it, the less defensive they will be to being handled. Their traininability and response to communication will help improe the results of your regime.

#5 Circulation

Massage therapy helps increase all the circulatory systems, especially the lymphatic and blood circulation. A horse actually looks as if they've been working out after a massage - with increased vein exposure, glossy coat, and less fluid build up. Increased circulation also helps improve the release of toxic build up and waste in the system. Nothing will out do the benefits of true exercise, however the increased circulation greatly benefits horses on rahab and on limited turn out or mobility. Increased circulation also helps aid in speeding up the recovery or healing process.

#6 ROM

A horse's range of motion plays the biggest factor in everything that he does. A horse that moves better is more efficient in his stride and how he uses his body, resulting in less wear and tear of joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles by proper use of the limbs and entire body. A horse's ROM can be greatly affected by tightness in the shoulders (either high or low), any where in the topline, the neck, and so many other places. If one area of the horse is tight and restrictive, the effects of this is like dominos and will appear in various other parts of the body. A sound and well conditioned racehorse with a longer and more efficient stride (aka increased ROM) can make the difference of lengths at the finish line.  

#7 Stamina

ROM will help a horse perform more efficiently and easily, this will help improve a horse's stamina and performance. When a horse is having difficulty and lack of ease in movement, the difficulty of movement works against increasing the horse's stamina. A horse will waste more excessive energy by working against himself (just as a hot, nervous horse will waste more energy through sweating and spooking instead of performing).

#8 Performance & Gaits

A horse's performance and gaits go hand in hand. With better ROM and stamina, a horse's performance and gaits will show more quality and reap many benefits to their competitive capabilities. An equine athlete needs all the benefits it can have to help to perform to its maximum with ease. 

As you can see, massage therapy will benefit your equine athlete and your training program in many ways. Not onyl can you help reduce injury, speed up recovery, but also can improve your's traininability and tractability. A comfortable horse is more willing and easier to work with, around, and for. So invest in your horse's competive edge.

PLEASE NOTE: Massage is used along with conventional and complementary health care as well as proper training techniques enabling the horse to perform at an optimum level. By itself, it does not attempt to cure anything.

                                                                                               
For appointments:

 Show & Race Ready
 Lacey K. Williams, CESMT
 (609) 420-9185
 massage4equines@yahoo.com