Here are just a few of the horses and dogs I have had the joy to work with.
Pele---what a charmer! At Pele's first massage session, his back had spasmed so badly that he had a visible knot on his back, and he could not sit down comfortably. After beginning regular massage sessions, Pele returned to riding the firetruck as the official Dalmation mascot and enjoyed his massages so much that he groaned with pleasure!
Chester is a Saddlebred cross gelding competing in Novice eventing. Due to his heavy training and showing schedule, Chester definitely feels muscle stress and strain. Massage has helped relax his hardworking muscles so he is ready for the next event.
Chloe is a rescued Greyhound from the racetrack. When her veterinarian could not find a cause for her constant pain, he reccomended massage and referred Chloe's owner to me. When I first met Chloe, her pain seemed to be everywhere, but after an evaluation, we found the discomfort to be generally in her shoulders and back and was aggravated by her high anxiety level. After several sessions, Chloe and her owner were better able to manage her pain.
Ollie, the gentlman. Ollie's owner bought him at an auction where he was about to be sold to a meat packing plant, and found out later that he was trained and had showed in sidesaddle dressage. She brought him home, determined to make his last years comfortable. At 39 or so years old, Ollie's muscle mass was deteriorating, he had a definite sway to his back that was causing discomfort, and at times had so much trouble getting to his feet that a front loader was used to haul him to his feet. For Ollie, massage was purely for pleasure, easing his tired old muscles for a time, and he always showed me that he enjoyed it!
Taylor is a Cocker Spaniel who tore a ligament in her knee. Weeks after successful surgery to repair it, she still was refusing to use the leg at all, hobbling about 3-legged with her injured leg tucked tightly against her belly. If something wasn't done, Taylor would lose the use of that leg. Her owner called me, and after several weekly massage sessions, she began putting weight on it and walking normally. In Taylor's case, massage therapy not only relaxed, stretched, and restored muscle strength, but also helped her to understand that her leg could be touched and used without pain. I think she had gotten so accustomed to the discomfort that she forgot what it was like to live without pain!
Bob is a Thoroughbred who I worked with both with massage and post-injury rehabilitation riding. After suffering a suspensory ligament injury, he had been on stall rest and limited pasture turnout for over a year, and his owner could no longer devote the time needed to get him back into working condition. I began a slow, careful exercise and massage program with Bob, and he quickly regained his muscle tone and stamina. We even placed third in a Maiden level horse trial!
"Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is."----Gary Zukav,
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