There's that moment in a massage when the moan just slips out.
Oh, that tight muscle finally lets go, or you just really needed to be
touched, and out the energy goes... with a moan or a sigh. Lucy was
moaning. Her eyes were half closed and she blew air out her
nostrils... she was enjoying her massage so much. She really needed it.

Ian Hewins was using his entire body's weight to counter her pushing
against his massaging hands. Ian's frame is solid, from doing this work,
but it was not a small feat, considering she weights around twelve hundred
pounds. Hewins, a favored massage therapist among his human clients,
also massages horses. He was volunteering his time to give Left-eye Lucy an equine massage, because Lucy had been rescued. She had been abandoned in a space too small for her, was on her side and unable to get up. She had been starving, lying in her own waste. She was lucky to be alive.
As I got to know her, I had a strong sense she knew this. And as I watched her
respond to Ian's skilled hands, she was obviously enjoying being alive.

I had heard Hewins describe massaging horses many times. I had a sense of what to expect, the horse's innate way of letting Hewins know what they wanted, the power and strength of the animal when it started pushing into the massage... and against Hewins himself. What I hadn't counted on was the feelings that I had towards this horse. It was of the utmost importance that she feel comfortable at all times... she had been through so much. It was obvious immediately that she understood that he was there to help, and seemed quite pleased with the entire experience.

When Lucy's massage was over, we fed carrots to her and the other horses and I asked Hewins about his work.

How long have you been doing Equine massage?

"I began working with horses in 2002 while I was at the Boulder College
of Massage Therapy. I loved it from the very start. I did an animal
massage workshop and then three Equine internships. Shortly after I
graduated I began working on them professionally."

What do you think are the major benefits of Equine massage?

"Massage is a very flexible medium, if you'll excuse the pun, that
addresses the needs of each individual. It reduces stress and tension
while improving flexibility both physiologically and psychologically.
It improves circulation while helping toxins release and increasing
healing potential. In a

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