Equine athletes, much like human athletes, will suffer from time to
time from muscular and skeletal aches, pains, and injuries.  Massage
provides a method to assist in relieving these aches and pains, offers
a way of making the horse comfortable, enhances performance, and
potentially prolongs the horse’s “useful” life.

Structural massage is one of the many types of equine massage that
can assist the performance horse in achieving greater results.  
Structural massage balances the muscles in such a way that the
joints can work to the maximum of their design.  It is a highly
specialized area of massage that aims to rebalance the entire muscle
structure of the body.

A typical structural massage session begins with analyzing the
conformation and movement of the horse in order to identify areas
where stiffness, hypersensitivity, and resistance might inhibit good
performance.  Outside influences such as saddle fit, dental issues,
and shoeing will provide further insight.  Additional exploration with
light pressure will isolate specific places where the horse is sore or
tight.  Horses that cannot yield to light, exploratory pressure will also
be resistant to moving and yielding correctly to riding aids.  They will
not be able to freely submit to the rider’s lightest aids or body signals
and remain balanced and energetic.

Performing such massage requires systematically going through the
entire muscle structure, balancing the different muscle groups and
pairs and balancing the different areas of the body (the head, neck,
torso, and haunches) in relationship to each other.  The structural
massage therapist can pinpoint the areas where the rider will meet
resistance in the horse’s body.  The therapist can then release the
tension and resistance.

After the horse has achieved the highest degree of correct anatomical
balance possible through structural massage, the therapist may begin
with groundwork which leads a horse into understanding what is
being asked of its body and into greater awareness of its body parts
and how to integrate and coordinate them for better, more comfortable
movement.  This phase uses appropriate exercises to correct specific
muscle dysfunctions after the massage has loosened and prepared
the muscles.  The goal of these exercises is to re-pattern the horse’s
movements and show the horse more correct ways of using its body
under saddle.  As a session progresses the horse will begin to give
up old holding patterns and body tensions that have inhibited
relaxation and good movement, and the body will begin to correct
imbalances on its own.

After the horse’s body has been structurally rebalanced, it is frequently
advisable to continue with maintenance massages.  This holds true
especially for competing and performance horses.  Maintenance
massages can assist with correcting and preventing injuries that
might develop slowly and not be readily apparent to the rider.  
Massage performed on a regular schedule can detect and resolve
muscle imbalances before they become problems.  Many top
competitors schedule their performance horses to receive monthly
massages.