Shiatsu for Horses

The treatment can help

I have been treating horses for over 14 years; I know what works to achieve good results. The principle is simple - release the muscle problem and the body realigns itself, including the bone structure that was under pressure from the affected muscle (or muscles).

Through years of experience and study I now use a number of techniques to achieve positive results, so in many respects the treatment I use is my own particular style. Of course I use all my Shiatsu skills, working on meridians and acupressure points to correct an energy imbalance in the body, but I also use other methods to release tension, such as fascia work, trigger points and muscle releases or whatever is needed to get a positive result. One thing I will not do is pick up your horses legs and try to throw it across the yard. There are other less intrusive ways of realigning the skeletal frame.

We know the body makes use of electricity in its life functions and in a healthy body electric energy flows easily along constant pathways. In an area of the body that is injured or ill the flow of energy will be interrupted, the pattern will change and disease sets in. At this point the horse can get sluggish, irritable or will go lame for what appears to be no apparent reason. Shiatsu and bodywork can help to correct this pattern and put a horse back into a state of well-being.

It is important to emphasise that Shiatsu is to be viewed as complementary therapy to veterinary care and should in no way be seen as a substitute for medical practices. Shiatsu can be an effective healing technique for all types of horses.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have stated that they regard Shiatsu as a form of approved physical therapy that can be given to animals with a vet's permission.

Treating the majestic horse

• Soft tissue injuries, including muscle strains, sprains, spasms and aches in the back, shoulders, neck and hind-end.
• To improve athletic performance, especially after injury or infection.
• Helps to correct behavioural problems related to physical discomfort.
• Naturally reduces pain by stimulating the release of endorphins (the body's own built-in pain relievers).
• Speeds up recovery after injury by increasing blood flow to affected areas.
• Increases nutrient supply to muscles, helping to prevent build-up of harmful fatigue products, metabolic wastes and lactic acid.
• Increases range of motion.

Shiatsu

I am a qualified Shiatsu Practitioner but my greatest teachers have been the horses themselves. I have given over 11,000 treatments to horses, successfully treating their many different problems. I have owned, bred, ridden and driven many horses, purely for the exhilaration and enjoyment they bring, but also for the love they give you.

I have enjoyed working with some of the top people in the equine world, from vets to riders of many equine disciplines. I have treated horses in the racing industry, the horses of the City of London Police, International 3 day eventers, dressage horses, show jumpers, driven horses - in fact horses both large and small, the famous and not so famous, Shetlands to Suffolk Punches. The list goes on but one thing they have in common is that they are all wonderful creatures and often in great need of help.

I live in Suffolk but my work takes me into Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Essex, London and Surrey. However, if you can get a group together then I am happy to travel further a field.

or visit our dedicated Horse's Emotions website by clicking here