by Jesse James

Created on: October 11, 2009

Do you have a love of horses? Do you want a career that will allow you to work with horses and help them at the same time? Equine massage therapy may be a suitable match for you. Just like their human counterparts, our equine friends can greatly benefit from a regular massage.

Benefits including relieved muscle tension, increased performance, improved circulation and much more, not to mention a happier partner in general. The work can be extremely rewarding as often there is quick feedback as the horse starts to perform his job more comfortably and with more ease. This career offers the potential to be full time or as part time as you prefer. It will require you to be able to stand for the duration of the massage, which usually lasts around an hour, as well as use your hands and body weight to apply pressure to the muscles. It is also useful, but not required, to have a general knowledge of horses and their behavior so you can read their body language for feedback as well as for your safety. However, a good course will provide you with the information of how to act around horses, and how to read their signs effectively.

It will be important to find a good certification course in order to be a massage therapist. Many are listed online or through local websites. It may be wise to talk to an Equine Sports Massage Therapist to find out where they were taught and their thoughts on the program. In researching a course, it is helpful to determine the credentials of in the instructor and program to ensure you are receiving the best education. Useful information to ask of potential programs may include how many veterinarians have attended, what the success rate is of graduates and their earnings, or what publications have included this program. After doing your homework and deciding on a course, make sure to sign up for a class that you can be sure to attend every day and be a focused as possible. The courses typically are no longer than a week or two, so there is a lot of information that is packed into this time period. Make sure you can put all of your energy into the course to get the most out of it. During the course you can expect to learn basic horse behavior and safety, all muscle groups and their functions, basic massage strokes and sequence techniques and how to handle issues that may arise.

After receiving your education, you will then have the ability to start your own business as a massage therapist, and will need to find the best ways to market yourself. It may be a slow start, but if you can find a good few clients to start, their positive feedback will help you attract more clients. Be patient with the process as your business grows. Above all, enjoy your valuable aid to horses of all shapes and sizes.

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