• What exactly is Equine Massage Therapy?
  
• Who/What is Equissage?
  
• How does massage work?
  
• In addition to the essential benefit that accrues from massage through increased circulation, what are the other major adjunctive benefits?
  
• How does massage work to ease systemic problems?
  
• Will massage impact as positively on other problems? What are some of these other conditions?
  
• What Instruments/Vehicles are included in the Equissage "First Aid" Kit?
  
• What is the cost of the Equissage "First Aid" Kit?

What exactly is Equine Massage Therapy?
Equine massage is the therapeutic application of hands-on stroking/kneading techniques for the purpose of increasing circulation, relaxing muscle spasms, relieving tension, enhancing muscle tone and increasing range of motion in horses.

Who/What is Equissage?
Equissage was found in 1989 for the purpose of offering massage therapy services to the equine athlete. Founded by two certified massage therapists, the company initially marketed its services at major East Coast racetracks. Prompted by their great success on Thoroughbred race horses, the staff at Equissage moved on to many of the top-rated show barns in the region. In early 1990 the company began gaining national media attention and was subsequently featured in Sports Illustrated, on ABC Television's National Health Show, an in numerous cable television documentaries. In 1990, Equissage produced a full-length instructional video on equine massage techniques. The video had world-wide distribution and, as a result, Equissage was invited to participate at Equitana in Essen, Germany. Since that time the company has given clinics and seminars nationwide, and has worked as official massage therapists at such notable shows as the Gold Cup in Devon, PA. In 1991, the company introduced the nation's very first certification training program in equine sports massage therapy. The program has been a huge success, with more than 8,000 therapists worldwide who have earned their certification through Equissage.

How does massage work?
Massage is essentially a muscle therapy; that is, the therapy addresses the problems caused by soft tissue which has been overused, overstretched, overloaded or struck. Any of these incidences or occurrences may result in tissue lesions which in turn can cause pain and restrict motion. The task of the massage therapist is to accurately locate these lesions and to break them up through a series of therapeutic motions. Once the lesion is reduced and broken up, the pain is eliminated and motion is restored to healthy extension.

In addition to the essential benefit that accrues from massage through increased circulation, what are the other major adjunctive benefits?

• Enhances muscle tone and increases range of motion.
• Assists in balancing the body by treating the body as a whole, rather than each individual part.
• Reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints, thereby alleviating pain.
• Promotes healing by increasing the flow of nutrients to the muscles, and carrying away excessive fluids and toxins.
• Creates a positive effect on the contractual and release process of the muscles. When tension is released, muscles relax.
• Stimulates circulation by "defrosting frozen muscles", thereby releasing ENDORPHINS-natural pain killers. Improved circulation also increases the excretion of toxins through the skin.
• Helps maintain the WHOLE body in better physical condition.

How does massage work to ease systemic problems?
Colic doesn't stop just because you've called the vet. And because of extenuating circumstances and perhaps other prior emergencies, maybe the vet can't even get to your place for 3 to 4 hours. By that time, though, irreversible damage may have been done and your horse may be lost! What do you do? Experience has been showing conclusively that appropriately applied massage techniques can gain you critical time by: Relaxing the muscle system, assisting in the elimination process, relieving a degree of pain, and STRENGTHENING STAMINA to enhance the immune systemŠuntil the vet does arrive. Time is what you are striving for, and massage is showing that it can provide those critically important "windows" of time.

Will massage impact as positively on other problems? What are some of these other conditions?
The answer is, unequivocally, YES to the ability of massage to impact a positive resolution in certain other conditions. Among them are: Tying-up, EPM, Foudner, Botulism, Allergies, Heaves, Ulcers, Arthritis, and Post-Surgical Recovery. With the exception of colic and tying-up, a full body massage is used to alleviate symptoms of these other conditions. If massage can alleviate the symptoms of many of these conditions, couldn't it be said that massage is sometimes a substitute for veterinary care? NO! With massage, we are talking about easing symptoms. We are not talking of curing or diagnosing. The relief of symptoms is just only that. Veterinary medicine diagnoses, gets to the underlying pathology of a condition and predicated on the latest developments in medical science, implements whatever CURE is possible.

What Instruments/Vehicles are included in the Equissage "First Aid" Kit?
Included in this first of a kind "First Aid" kit are the following:

• A VHS video/DVD (Sports Massage for the Equine Athlete) taking the student through a complete massage. This presentation runs for nearly an hour and half and thoroughly instructs the student in the strokes to be used and the sequence of those strokes in completing an entire massage.
• A book (The (How To) Manual of Sports Massage for the Equine Athlete) which includes over 100 photos and illustrations portraying in text format the complete massage videotaped in the above VHS/DVD.
• A wall chart depicting the specific strokes and sequence to be used in administering "First Aid" in the event of colic or tying-up.
• A VHS video/DVD showing the strokes and sequence incorporated in the above wall chart.