In summer as in winter, it is essential to take care of our little horse to provide him with more comfort in his daily life as well as at work. Élodie, equine masseuse and founder of the brand Alodis Care gives us all her little tips for massaging a part of our horse's body that is very used: the neck ✨
The neck is divided into several parts, all of which are important. Like us, horses can feel tension due to stress, a wrong movement, fatigue, or even soreness. Some also tend to be naturally "stiff". Massage will therefore help to warm up the muscle before exertion, relieve it from pain, or help it recover after intense effort ❤️
Initially, you can equip yourself with a massage oil, like the Work Recovery here, intended for reducing cramps or muscle fatigue, but which also helps to soothe potential contractures. This oil provides a real benefit to muscles and joints. It is 100% natural and the product is non-doping, making it perfectly usable in competition ✅
You can use it on the neck, back, croup, but also on the cervicals. The important thing is to target the areas that are very mobilized by the horse on a daily basis or that are naturally sensitive 🥰
If you want to opt for a complete pack that can serve you for many types of massage, Élodie has also thought of you! This little trio consists of an oil intended for the comfort of the digestive system, the Fresh oil which improves blood circulation by acting as a true drain, as well as the Work Recup, which we just presented to you ✨
The steps of a perfectly successful massage ✅
To begin, shake well the bottle of the chosen massage oil and then apply a small amount in the palm of your hand and rub the product to gently warm it up. You can then start the massage by moving from the neck down to the shoulder. The goal is to gently warm the muscle by making large circular movements, always in the direction of the hair and the blood and lymphatic systems 🙈
Once the muscle is warmed up, you can begin to go deeper by making smaller circles targeted on certain areas, focusing on the contractures without pressing too hard. This will allow the product to penetrate well into the muscle. The nuchal crest is the area where the mane is implanted. You can relax it by gently rubbing it 🥰
Don't forget the brachiocephalic muscle, which is heavily used and very important with its connection to the shoulder. It has sensations equivalent to the trapezius in humans, which are very sensitive muscles. We can therefore make it vibrate between our thumb and the rest of our hand to gently release it. Once we have worked well into the neck muscle and have properly relaxed the brachiocephalic muscle, we can focus on the shoulder by following the bone with our hands from top to bottom 🔥
The last and ultimate step: close the muscle. This is a crucial step that must not be forgotten at the end of a massage. For this, we can make large circles again, always respecting the direction of the blood system. To make the massage optimal, count between 10 to 15 minutes 🤩
The important thing is to feel any potential contractures and to be an actor in the well-being of our horse by understanding it more. The massage will therefore allow us to improve our performance or adapt our sessions from one day to the next based on the physical condition we may have felt. To finish, you can apply a clay poultice that will help to continue the benefits in the long term and provide even more relaxation 🌿
We can't wait to receive your little massage session videos with your cuties! 😍
