We recommend these Massage Products
Contents
1. A HE PRODUCT CARE AND SERVICE GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE HORSES ANHORSE JOURNAL We Recommend These Massage Products They re costly but they can give your horse a suppling massage ast month we described i how to give your horse a relaxing massage with curry combs and how to supple his muscles with movement something every one should do for their horse Now we ll tell you about three more expensive devices designed to give your horse a more rigorous massage For more than four months we used the Equilibrium Massage Pad the Equilib rium Massage Mitt and the Equisports Massager in our barn We worked on more than half a dozen horses ages 4 to 10 of various breeds ranging from 15 hands to 17 3 hands All were in regular training from a green 4 year old to four horses competing in eventing During our field trial we found the Equilibrium Massage Pad ef fective in relaxing and suppling the back and the Equisports Massager effective in suppling the back es pecially the lumber region neck shoulders and hindquarters FOUR VIBRATING MOTORS The Equilibrium Massage Pad and Mas sage Mitt are designed and manu factured in England and marketed in the USA by World Equestrian Brands The Pad was released in early 2008 and the Mitt was intro duced in 2011 The Massage Pad has four vibrat ing motors while the much smaller Massage Mitt has two vibrating motors Both products have a high density foam fill2. TISSUE MASSAGE The original Equisports Massager was manufacturered by Morfam a company that makes other massage devices About a decade ago Dick Huntzinger of Phoenix Ariz was at an Arabian horse show where he first saw the device Huntzinger had been searching for a deep mas sage unit for horses and liked what he saw so he and a fellow retired aerospace engineer revamped that original unit The device has been manufactured by Core Products International since 2007 The technology is orbital accom plished by an offset bearing hous ing that spins a vertical shaft set perpendicular to the massage pad 3 260 times per minute creating a high frequency resonance through the tissues and blood We were looking to develop something that wasn t an aggressive therapy espe cially for post operative use so we went to something that is orbital said Huntzinger who said the Mas sager is made entirely in the USA The Massage Devices In Our Trial Product Equilibrium Massage Pad WWW worldequestrianbrands com 888 637 8463 Equilibrium Massage Mitt www world equestrianbrands com 888 637 8463 Equisports Massager Core Products International www horsemassagers com 928 632 9654 www valleyvet com 800 419 9524 Description Looks like a thick dressage pad with a pocket to hold the battery and a pocket to hold the controller on the left side Four straps go around the chest and belly to hold it in place Dark
3. as only one speed but Hunt zinger said they have a brand new model with variable speeds At the one speed which is the high speed in the new model the motor is roughly as loud as most body clip pers and produces a strong oscilla tion So Huntzinger recommends taking a few minutes to gradually introduce the device to the horse and our experience confirmed that Using the device is pretty instinc tive and it s not any different from using a human massage device You move the device over the differ ent muscle groups generally in the direction of the hair growth We basically tell people that you don t have to push very hard into the horse said Huntzinger We ve found that generally after three or four minutes the horse will lean into it anyway They ll usually lower their heads and sometimes you ll see their lips quiver Huntzinger recommends divid ing the body into four quarters and spending four minutes on each Comments A professionally designed well made product Pad is lightweight even with the battery 2 x5 weighs less than 1 pound Makes a barely audible hum when running Comes with two cards of instructions one about operation one about usage that are clear and simple to follow Easy set up little to go wrong Horses seem to enjoy and react positively to the therapy A solidly built durable product It s easy to use and light to hold in your hand Using this product certain
4. ave an anchor and an inser tion which is where the action occurs If a muscle is tight it will pull on the anchor and cause stress So what do is go to all the anchors put pressure on them to break up the fibers said Wilson The horse then typically has a lot more range of motion Wilson emphasized that exercise is the final part of a massage treat ment Exercise further activates and lengthens the muscles The canter is the best exercise to lengthen all the muscle groups she said the work for you in 30 minutes But we also really liked the Equi sports Massager too We could feel it working deep on the tissues and we felt horses responded well to it It can be effective on the entire body not just the back But it s heavy and requires time to use it Since the Equilibrium Pad costs 150 more than the Equisports Mas sager you ll want to evaluate your horse s needs back or body needing massage and your own time vs your physical strength The Equilibrium Massage Mitt has a relaxing effect but we aren t convinced that you couldn t ac complish as much by basic massage techniques or through Jim Master son s book Beyond Horse Massage which we reviewed in October W Article by John Strassburger our Performance Editor Article from Horse Journal Online www horse journal com Copyright 2014
5. blue plastic cover with heavy duty straps and buckles Runs a 30 minute cycle on low medium or high setting Manufacturer states that the charge in the small light battery lasts eight hours Comes with slim dark blue plastic carrying storage case with battery charging cord Looks like an oven mitt without the thumb Hand slides inside the mitt which has controls built in on top and a pouch for battery 1 x 3 and weighs half a pound Offers three settings low medium high Manufacturer states battery lasts for 12 sessions of 30 minutes before it needs charging Comes in blue plastic carrying case similar to the Equilibrium Massage Pad with battery charging cord Clear simple instructions are printed on a card that fits in a clear plastic sleeve on the case Looks somewhat like an electric wood belt sander Two handles on top to hold with the motor with a black vinyl oscillating massaging head 4 2 x 9 1 2 in the middle One speed controlled by on off switch 25 foot cord for power Weighs 7 pounds Clear simple eight page User s Manual included with sleeve to hold it on black carrying case Also comes with poster sized fold out sheet of how to massage instructions Also available with leg adapter 30 and Hot amp Cold Pack 19 The Equisports Massager operates only with electric power it doesn t have a battery but it does have a 25 foot cord to facilitate moving around the horse The model we used h
6. ibrium Massage Pad especial ly useful because all you have to do is turn it on cross tie the horse and work around the barn while it does Know Equine Anatomy No matter what technique or product you choose to try to massage your horse remember that it helps to be familiar with equine anato my You don t have to know the names of the muscles but you should be familiar with where they attach and how they work Anyone can do massage think everybody should be educated enough to keep their own horses loose so that you don t get the Spasming and the stress at the anchor said Jo Ann Wilson a profes sional equine and human massage therapist from Camden Maine A horse owner who isn t intimately familiar with anatomy can loosen the belly of the muscle with lifting or pumping motion and compress the muscle belly so that it widens the fibers That allows more blood to flow and makes the muscle freer to move because it s not tight from the fibers lying too close together It doesn t take strength to massage a horse But it does take power It s deep but not that deep not as deep as you think 5 to 10 pounds of pressure that s about it Wilson said You can t change the way a horse moves by just stimulating their superficial nerve endings but you can probably change their level of relaxation Muscle stiffness or tension is usually caused by a small knotted piece on the tendon at the anchor All muscles h
7. ing that carries the massaging vibrations over the entire surface Each also has three settings low medium and high The manufac turer recommends 30 minute ses sions six days a week to achieve the best results The Massage Pad The Equilibrium Massage Pad has a 30 minute cycle at three different settings which our horses enjoyed runs an automatic 30 minute pro gram that you can stop at any time The Massage Mitt doesn t have an automatic program You can use either device as a warm up prior to work or to help cool down the horse after work The manufacturer recommends using the medium setting before work and medium or low after Robin Moore of World Equestrian Brands said that they developed the Mitt after customers asked for a less expensive product that they could use on more than just the horse s back She said that horse owners who use the Mitt generally prefer to use it in conjunction with the Massage Pad in one therapy ses sion They usually find 10 minutes to be the optimal time that they re able to use the Mitt before their arm becomes fatigued She said 10 minutes is enough time to give the horse a massage benefit The majority find that using the Mitt in a stroking action in the direction of the hair growth evokes a more relaxed response from the horses judged by visual signs such as a lowered head half closed eyes slower breathing rather than hold ing the massage mitt in one a
8. ly can provide a relaxing effect for horse and rider and the horses we used it on seemed to like the sensation but we re not convinced of its therapeutic or sport massage efficacy A useful product We found that it creates a therapeutic effect on the horse relaxing and suppling the muscles to which it s applied Manufacturer recommends 20 minute sessions which will be as good a workout for some users as it is for the horse The motor and vibrating heads make what we consider a loud hum similar to body clippers and it is rhythmic and soothing and we would describe the vibration as a rather strong sensation Article from Horse Journal Online www horse journal com Copyright 2014 The Equilibrium Massage Mitt gave our horses an enjoyable massage but its effect pales when compared to the pricier units quarter He said research by vet erinarians at Colorado State Uni versity and Gary Kaufman DVM Scottsdale Ariz as part of the design process showed that little more effect is achieved after four minutes because the tissues can t absorb any more oxygen after about that time He explained that the research ers drew blood on the test horses before and after using the Massager The tests showed increased oxy gen level and a lower percentage of toxins and lactic acid after use The researchers also tested urine and manure and found that the Mas sager increased the rate of excretion for toxins post
9. rea of the body added Moore The manufacturer submitted the Equilibrium Pad to testing by Myer scough College in England The re searchers there used the arch and dip test a standard test of flexibil ity in horses backs introduced in 2006 The test involves the use of a pressure stimulus to generate a reflex in the horse s back Pres sure applied to a specific region results in the horse dipping away from the pressure A more flexible back allows the horse to exhibit a greater ability to dip away from the pressure source Similarly the arch test involves the application of pressure to the horses midline to stimulate an upward arch reflex in the horses back away from the pressure The researchers used 10 horses who were competing at the pre liminary level or above in event ing Five were the control group who received no treatment at all during the six week test The control group showed an average dip improvement from 032 cen timeters to 035 centimeters while the group treated with the Equilib rium Pad six days a week showed an average improvement from 035 centimeters to 052 centimeters For the arch test the control group horses showed decreased flexibility from 05 centimeters to 042 centimeters while the treated group horses showed improved flexibility from 042 centimeters to 064 centimeters The Myerscough study also showed that the horses treated with the Eq
10. uilibrium Pad showed an increase in stride length during the testing from an average of 2 15 meters to 2 27 meters The control group increased only from 2 24 me ters to 2 25 meters The test horses also demonstrated a lower heart rate while wearing the Equilib rium Pad during similar 30 minute periods indicating they were likely more relaxed USE AT HOME OR AWAY The Myerscough study and our field trial each indicate that the Equilib rium Massage Pad is an effective massage tool a product that has a Article from Horse Journal Online www horse journal com Copyright 2014 The Equisports Massage might feel heavy but we felt it had a good therapeutic effect beneficial effect on the sensitive tissues of the horse s back It s also compact and lightweight so it s easy to use or to take on the road Plus the battery charge should last for eight hours 16 sessions meaning it s easy to charge it at home before leaving for a competi tion and then be confident of its du ration even if you use it on several horses We took it to two competi tions and used it on three or four horses during four days The drawback to the Equilibrium Massage Pad is its price of 495 a y THE PRODUCT CARE AND SERVICE GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE HORSES HORSE JOURNAL The Mitt is far less expensive and far more flexible tool but we re not convinced it has an effect beyond relaxing the horse A 4 w DEEP
11. work This machine is so deep pen etrating that four minutes on one side is almost the same as doing it on the other side Less is better than more you can t get more blood said Huntzinger If you stand on the other side and touch the horse you can feel the massage going through him Researchers and veterinarians found that using the Equisports Massager reduced the time needed for post surgical recovery and that s one reason why Huntzinger developed a leg adaptor This de vice is a piece of hard foam that can be applied anywhere from hoof to knee or hock NO BATTERY The Equisports Massager is a high quality product and our usage suggested that it did make horses suppler and more com fortable We found it particularly 3 sQ THE PRODUCT CARE AND SERVICE GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE HORSES AHORSE JOURNAL effective on our horses in heavy training and competition probably because of the device s deep pen etrating oscillation However we wish the unit were lighter as many users will find it difficult to hold at or above shoul der height especially for 16 min utes Huntzinger said that in order to keep the weight at the current 7 5 pounds they couldn t install a batt tery Consequently the Equisports Massaer requires electricy which not all horse barns and competi tion sites have You can run it off a generator auto battery or portable power pack though BOTTOM LINE We found the Equil
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search