dancing horses

dancing horses

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Ah, That's the Spot

There was something I didn't share about the Jacquie Brooks clinic: I won the main door prize! It was a free massage session for Carmen from SoulWay Equine. The owner, Mary, is certified in Equine Sports Massage Therapy.

I couldn't believe that I had won. And the timing was perfect. When you ride a horse that is frequently tense and will throw her haunches in you have to wonder if there's a part that is related to a musculoskeletal issue.  I was pleased with how quickly I was able to arrange an appointment.

Before Mary was due to arrive I brought the horses in and tried desperately to scrub off the muck that Carmen had managed to get on her neck/face. I have never seen equine massage before so I was curious about it.

Mary asked me about Carmen and if I had noticed anything. I said that I find that she gets tight and tense in her lower neck/withers and in her poll. I also mentioned that, when tense, she will throw her haunches in to the right but lately I had noticed that she was travelling straighter to the right (yay). However, travelling to the left and being straight was harder (it's never easy, is it?).

I like Mary's approach to Carmen- she was calm and quiet and constantly checking in to see how Carmen was responding.

Carmen was adorable- you knew right away if something felt good or not. Her face when through so many expressions.
what you doing back there?
Mary did indeed find tension in Carmen's poll as I suspected. Carmen loved the release of it.
oh yeah, right there
Overall Mary didn't find anything glaring or awful. A few muscle knots- a big on in her pecs and in her haunches. She said that these are normal in  training (just like people). Interesting enough there were more knots on her left side (where she was starting to struggle to be straight). Overall, Carmen's left side was tighter. 

When Mary would work a knot, Carmen's face would tighten, her eye would harden and her ears would pin. Mary would back off until she found the right amount of pressure and work at it gently until Carmen's eye started to soften. I know how Carmen felt- massage therapy treatment doesn't always feel great in the moment but it does help release. 



ahhhhh

Mary said the didn't see any soreness in Carmen's back. She asked how often I had the saddle fitter out and I explained that I monitor it pretty closely. Carmen is really good at telling me when she's not comfortable. 

Mary recommended that I not ride that day and let Carmen's muscle settle. It was easy to comply with that request because it was a cold, blustery, raw day.

I did, however, take Guinness for a walk. He's a big and incredibly strong dog. Most times he walks on the leash really well but when he's excited he can pull me off my feet and I am just not strong enough to hold him. A few weeks ago I bought him a halti leash:
I quite like it because there is only pressure on the nose if he pulls. Otherwise it is nice and loose. He's had it now for a few weeks and is doing well with it. He takes exception to it at the start and then forgets about it. It's also working for when he decides to bark at other dogs: a quick correction and he stops.

On this walk, however, he decided to try some civil disobedience (I think he goes on the internet when I'm not home):


I.just.can't.go.on. Leave me to die
If you look closely you can see his eye fixed on me to see if I'm getting the message. I stood there to see how long he would stay and he didn't move at all. Just played pathetically in the leaves. Finally I had enough and told him to get up and get on with it. That was the end of that. 

For reference this is a photo from his baby days when I first put him on a leash and he realized he couldn't go the way he wanted:
HALP! She's killing me
Dramatic dog and dramatic horse. I wonder if there's a common thread here????


34 comments:

  1. Now that is a cool door prize to win! I have had both massage and chiro over the years for the horses as needed and I do think it helps. I got a good laugh about Guinness' antics, though I am sure it was a pain at the time! :-D

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    1. I am glad that I won. Carmen seemed to really enjoy it! Guinness is a constant source of amusement. :)

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  2. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing horses get a massage or chiro. Cowboy and Leah had chiro on Thursday and they were both so relieved afterward, especially Cowboy. I had an ulnar nerve impingement a few years ago, and I chose massage as the first step. After a year of stretching and massage, it went away. Those massages were wonderful. I can only imagine how great a horse must feel.

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    1. I was feeling a bit jealous myself. I think I should book one for me soon.

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  3. What a nice door prize to win! It must be so nice to know she's generally feeling great too, I know I'm always worrying too about the saddle/my riding and B's back. The halti was a lifesaver for me with a big dog we inherited once. Guiness is hilarious, lol what a smart boy!

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    1. Guinness is adorable. I am glad that the appointment alleviated any worry.

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  4. Will you now book regular massages for Carmen?
    Those haltis are very effective; Guinness is such a clown! Haha

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    1. I will likely have her done again. When depends on how much riding I do in the next few months.

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  5. ooooh what an awesome door prize! congrats on winning - Carmen looks quite happy! now that charlie's coming back into work he's due for some similar attention, but my massage therapist (who is also a certified badass) managed to shoot an arrow through her hand while doing mounted archery. so. it might be a little while....

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    1. That is probably the best excuse I have ever heard.

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  6. Haltis are the best! I got one for a G Retriever who would pull his owner's daughter off her feet. The first time we put it on, he ran to the end of the leash and then flipped over like a horse. He didn't pull again and the 10 year old could walk him out. What I love is it teaches a dog not to pull because if they want to investigate something (with their nose), it pulls their nose away from what they want if they lunge, so they learn if they want to see something they have to be gentle. Like, the dog trains itself: ) I am also a fan of the e-collars that can deliver a vibration warning and not just shocks. They startle dogs and make them uncomfortable, but aren't painful. (Also you can set the shock level if you need it.) And soon you don't even have to charge the thing, you just put it on and the animal behaves. I own the Sport Dog brand. You might be wondering why, since I have no dog.....(not for the horse!)

    (Sorry for so much singular they/their in this comment. Ugh.)

    Hey, show us a before pic of Carmen with mud. We can have a dirty grey horse contest. But let the real contest begin when she greys out completely *lol*

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    1. Obviously you are saving it for a dog! I too love the self-training aspect of the halti. As for the 'dirty grey' contest, I really don't want to win!

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    2. I hate to say it but as long as I have a horse to dote on, I don't want a dog. I had that once-in-a-lifetime dog, my GSD with hip dysplasia, mandatory puppies from her breeder (!!!) and her ruthless devotion to me, making her dangerous. I now understand what it is to be a god in a dog's eyes. But no one was ever safe around me, no matter how flattered I was.

      If she was sleeping at my feet and I got up to go to the bathroom, she'd get up and follow me there. If anyone made any quick move toward me, they were in danger. To this day when I see a GSD, I get down on my knees.

      The collar is for the donkey, cuz she has a 2-kilometer bray when she's hungry in the morning, and will wake everyone in those 2 km up. Some neighbors have said they're OK with it, others complain. So, she gets a vibration.

      I wanted to clarify, if you feel a cell phone buzzing in your pocket hurts you, you wouldn't buy this e-collar for a dog. But if it just alerts you, distracts you, I feel it's a good training tool. If someone is desperate, I'd hope they'd try this tool.

      Can't wait to see Terah again in heaven someday, I've had all these years to miss her.

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  7. Congrats on winning the massage. Carmen's eyelashes are gorgeous! She's a Spanish man eater. I can picture her in a Flamenco dress whirling around the dance floor flirting with all the boys.

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  8. Poor, poor, pitiful Guinness. He probably needs some massage therapy too:)

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    1. Guinness says he's grateful that someone is seeing his side, FINALLY.

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  9. All my horses love their massages when they get them and their chiropractic adjustments. I'm sure Carmen loved how she felt afterwards and will look forward to her next massage! Nice prize.

    Guinness is hysterical and very dramatic! I love that dog.

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    1. Guinness is hysterical. Carmen seemed to be quite happy after.

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  10. If I try to make Bess do something she does not want to, like say she jumped in the back of my pickup and does not want to leave, she instantaneously flops down like a sack of potatoes and refuses to move. I just leave her be and ignore this passive-aggressive behavior. Next thing I know, she is right behind me! That Guinness is a joker!

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    1. Maybe it's a big dog thing. I would have left him but we were on the trail for a walk and the wind was biting.

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  11. I think I enjoy having bodywork done on my horses more than myself -- I always love watching their reactions! Nothing like those soft, droopy eyes when they really get into it! What an awesome prize for you to win for Carmen!

    And Guinness' antics have me in stitches haha. What a goofy boy!

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    1. I am thinking that my animals might be spoiled. :)

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  12. LOL - sensitive animals for the win ;)

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  13. That's a fantastic door prize! And I love those types of leads too...disengage the hindquarters lol. Kenai also likes to flop down like it's the end of the world tho 😂

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  14. Love the ahhh picture of Carmen. She really relaxed into the massage.

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    1. She did get into it. I might be creating a princess.

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  15. I'm pretty sure I've seen my kids do that same exact thing!

    Hot Rod has had a massage and he loved it! I hear they work great in conjunction with chiropractor adjustments.

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  16. I use the Gentle Leader for my Shepherd and it makes a world of difference. She is 11 and has also done the "Leave me to die in this cold world!" She also constantly swipes at her nose and rubs on the ground to try to get it off. Such dramatics!
    Congrats on the massage!! I did one on Mia and wasn't impressed, I should really try again.

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  17. hahaha love this! Civil disobedience. He is either on the internets or one of his friends told him to do it lol. I want to have mine seen by both a chiro and massage therapist.

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