Massage Guns for Horses
Recently, massage guns have become very popular for both humans and horses. However, there has also been an uproar from many equine bodyworkers, physical therapists, and other professionals in the field as videos of improper use have begun circulating.
The most notable videos have shown massage guns being used on the horses cervical vertebrae where the horses are showing obvious signs of discomfort and involuntary movement or twitching likely due to nerve disruption.
Signs of discomfort and concern could include moving away, enlarged eyes, flared nostrils and vigorous twitching (not the normal “fly” twitch).
While signs of an emotional “release” might be similar in some circumstances, it’s not hard to tell the difference if the horse is disturbed and fearful. In my opinion, a horse should not be showing signs of fear during a bodywork session.
They may become desensitized to the actual massage gun and begin standing more quietly during use, however, there should still be an attempt at communication between the bodyworker and the horse. Horses have the ability to tell us where tension lies and our tactile hands have the ability to detect irregularities in the tissues through palpation. Often I find that when working with horses, less is more. Blowing off the horses attempt to communicate with you won’t help the situation and will likely hinder their response to the massage.
Many professionals have made posts about massage guns and are urging owners and inexperienced users to seek further education in massage gun use, basic equine anatomy, and basic massage techniques.
Massage guns can serve a purpose but should not be used everywhere on the horses body.
The direction, angle and technique that a muscle is approached can impact the efficacy of the massage techniques. Different muscles respond to different techniques and the percussive forces that a gun used is not appropriate for most areas of the horses body.
In my personal opinion, massage guns should not be anywhere along the neck or barrel of the horse. Many, even well experienced horse people, do not understand the complex structural anatomy of the cervical spine and the nervous ‘system’ throughout it. Impacting or displacing a nerve in the cervical spine could lead to serious and chronic damage for the horse and impact their entire body and well-being.
While massage guns could possibly be helpful for using on much larger and deeper muscles such as the hind quarters, they still need to be used very carefully and sparingly.
Horses have many flat bony surfaces as well as protrusions. If you hear the massage gun getting louder, or clacking, chances are it is being used on a bony area and this is not beneficial. Reassessing tissues with the hands should be done often and if you’re not comfortable with someone using a massage gun on your horse, don’t let them.
