I have learnt a wide range of skills, techniques and methods to use while assisting your equine friend to release pain through their body. I also have a thorough understanding of equine anatomy, physiology, behaviour and nutrition, that will help benefit all equines that I work with.
Each equine is evaluated pretreatment to assess their health, wellbeing, and behaviour on the ground or under saddle if required, and will include a gait analysis, gear fit check, and assessment of the musculoskeletal structure, confirmation and health of the hoof, to ensure issues are identified and focused on during treatment.
I provide an effective sports massage treatment to the whole body of the horse and incorporate passive stretching exercises to provide a thorough and in-depth treatment. Sports massage therapy assist's in releasing contracted muscle's, tendon's and ligament's, removing adhesions and trigger points in the body, reducing pain and improving form and function, or athletic ability, in the body.
Passive stretching improves general balance, proprioception, flexibility and suppleness.
After treatment I will recommend strengthening exercises and advice on nutrition, hoof health etc., to try and eliminate the reoccurrence of the relating issues found.
I aim to achieve the best results for each horse's individual needs.
I am now based in Hastings and am available throughout the Hawkes Bay Region weekly Monday to Wednesdays.
I travel every four to six weeks throughout the Ruapehu, Manawatu/Palmerston North, Tararua (Pongaroa) and Wairarapa regions.
For any enquiries or bookings, please email me or reach out to me on my Facebook page.
My name is Katie Swansbury, I’m a Level 4, U.K qualified, equine sports massage therapist accredited through OCN London through the Institute of Complimentary Animal Therapies (ICAT).
My second qualification is through the Australian College of Animal Tactile Therapy (ACATT), who are a premium approved training provider through the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT).
They also have membership through the International Association of Animal Massage and Body work (IAAMB/ACWT).
I am a full-time mum to my son, Hudson, who has been a massive part of my journey and career.
I began my business while I was pregnant with him, and somehow managed to complete my second certificate of studying while he was a toddler!
I am so grateful to be working in a career I feel whole-heartedly passionate about, while having the ability to be a present mum with flexibility around my son's schedule and needs.
I began riding ponies at a young age, and my love, passion and knowledge for them and the sport is something I have loved from the start. I have many fond memories of my childhood farm hacking with my sisters and mum, going camping with my local pony club and competing at the local gymkhana and sports days.
I have represented Waimarino Pony Club for eventing at Bruce Forbes, Cambridge Show jumping Championships, and for zone games. I had many wins and placings in my teenage years on my pony Sam for Show Jumping and RTR- he is my heart horse, and still with us after 19 years!
I've worked as a yard hand for a professional New Zealand event rider and sport horse breeder, and worked overseas at a riding school in England for four months.
I enjoy the challenges, hard work and perseverance that comes with the sport.
It wasn't until my early 20's that I became curious to see how the musculoskeletal structure and biomechanics of the horse could be affected by external pressures we as riders put on them. As my knowledge and experience expanded, I began to feel passionate about enabling equines to feel and perform at their absolute best, which I achieve through sports massage therapy.
It brings me so much joy to see the union and companionship of horse and rider together once the issues have been treated and the horse is happier in mind, body and soul :)
I have named my business after my heritage, as I have grown up and spent majority of my life in the Ruapehu region, which I am proud to call home and be a part of.
I am looking forward to meeting and working with you and your equines through my profession and hope I can help you bring your dreams to reality by helping your horse.
Services
Ruapehu Equine Sports Therapy - Initial Consultation
The Initial Consultation is a process which allows me to find information about your horse or pony. I will ask questions such as their current workload, history, and any past or present displaying problems/injuries. There will be a thorough gait and conformation analysis, and observations will be noted regarding muscular structure and skeletal alignments of the horse.
I will also request to check the fit of your saddle and possibly ask you to lunge your horse or pony.
Following this consultation, I will perform a whole-body equine sports massage, consisting of soft tissue manipulation, myofascial release, and deep tissue work, which is achieved by a range of different strokes and techniques, including trigger point release. This will help locate problematic areas and work through releasing the contracted muscle fibers.
Passive stretching will be incorporated at the end of the massage treatment to further assist posture and increase flexibility and suppleness throughout the horse’s body. At the end of the treatment, I will offer some advice and exercises you can include in your ridden or groundwork to assist the horse in relations to my findings throughout the consultation.
All recordings taken are for my own personal database and will be treated with confidentiality.
An initial consultation and massage therapy treatment is usually completed in one and a half hours.
Ruapehu Equine Sports Therapy - Follow up Treatment
A Follow-Up Treatment will be advised and organized at the end of the initial consultation and will most likely be required depending on the issues or problems found.
This consists of the same whole body massage treatment using the same strokes and techniques, along with some adaptions or adjustments that suit your horse or pony's individual needs. I aim to work with your horse not against it. Passive stretching will be incorporated at the end of each treatment, and advice and active stretching exercises will be recommended again to ensure the horse or pony benefits from each treatment.
A Follow-Up treatment usually lasts up to 1 hour and may be required weekly while addressing issues. When making adaptions to the musculoskeletal system, you achieve best results from consistency in treatments, and sometimes rest and recovery is required to help your equine recover.
Equine Sports Therapy Treatments Include:
Full Body Sports Massage
This is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, achieved using a range of various massage techniques and strokes. Massage stimulates the venous and lymphatic circulation and assists with muscle tone and elasticity, aiding in the release of tight muscles or stiff joints. This will stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, giving your equine a calming and relaxed effect, releasing endorphins and increasing healing.
Hyoid Release and facial massage
The hyoid release is an important part to equine well-being, releasing tension and restrictions in the hyoid apparatus, which is an attachment point for the tongue, trachea and surrounding neck muscles. Releasing the hyoid can improve breathing, head carriage- including head shaking and accepting contact and improvement in stride length, movement and transitions.
Facial massage uses gentle strokes, focusing on the horse's pole area and ear attachment points, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and masseter (cheek) muscles.
This will relieve tension in the head, face and jaw, improve circulation and promotes deep relaxation.
Neuromuscular Release (trigger point) & Soft Tissue Release.
Trigger points are areas in a muscle or connective tissue that indicates areas of pain or soreness, they usually display with muscle spasms when pressure is applied. By applying direct pressure on a trigger point, it can rewire the neuromuscular system by interrupting the cycle of pain and muscle contraction, improving circulation to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the muscle and remove toxins and waste, assisting in pain reduction and muscle relaxation.
STR uses a combination of pressure and stretching to relieve pain, adhesions and spasms in the muscle, improving circulation and encourage lengthening of muscles.
Both techniques aim to improve range of motion and allows the muscular system to return to its normal resting state, functioning more effectively, and most importantly, correctly.
Passive Stretching
Passive stretching exercises benefit all horses and are incorporated into my routine to give optimal treatment to the horse. Stretching encourages flexibility and suppleness of muscles, tendons and ligaments, and can improve joint form and function.
Stretching helps improve athletic ability, range of motion, posture, balance, proprioception and strength.
Some benefits from an equine sports massage include:
Improves blood circulation, which cause's an increase of fresh oxygen & nutrients to the muscle tissues and skin, encouraging cells to regenerate faster, and increases sebum, which improves skin suppleness and resistance to infections.
Helps to remove scar tissue after an injury by breaking down tight fibroblast/collagen structures which creates scarring.
Increase's the equine's range of motion and performance through suppleness and flexibility,
Provides suppleness & mobilization to joints by increasing synovial fluid production. Easing pain in stiff, swollen and sore joints.
Naturally detoxifies by increasing the removal of waste products, toxins, bacteria, viruses & carbon dioxide from the body.
Releases endorphins which act as a pain relief, improving comfort levels.
Creates a calming and relaxing effect for the equine.
Testimonials
During the initial treatment, my horse, Daya, who is in the process of being broken in, seemed very uncertain about what was going on. Katie had a quiet but confident and gentle way with her, which encouraged Daya to allow Katie to continue treating her throughout the duration of the massage treatments.
Throughout the treatments Katie has provided, I have noticed a significant improvement in Daya’s balance, rhythm, transitions, and overall relaxation in her posture when working her in-hand, and her balance while having her feet trimmed has improved immensely.
Katie is very professional and punctual, communicating well during the sessions, and providing post- treatment care. She also has an excellent manner with a young horse.
I look forward to Katie continuing work with Daya, and my other horses.
A very big thank you to Katie, for massaging my 20year old standardbred Jake. I am unsure of his injury history, but he has always had stiffness throughout his hindquarters and never been a greatly agile horse. Since Katie’s massage treatments Jake is more relaxed and shows more flexibility and suppleness throughout his body.
I have found Katie very professional towards myself, and kind, gentle and confident with Jake, capable to work easily alongside him with his little frustrated mannerisms when they appear. What has been the most astounding and miraculous outcome, is Jake and his paddock mate now groom each other! In the seven years I have owned them both, they have NEVER done this before. The relaxation and softening in Jake’s demeanour is nothing short of miraculous.
We look forward to Jake’s continued treatments.”
Katie came to give my Icelandic horse, Pip, some massage therapy treatments. She was very professional and punctual, which I feel is important when dealing with customers who are busy with work etc. Her communication is excellent, and I felt comfortable to ask questions.
Katie had a kind and gentle manner when working with Pip, and I could see she had built a report with her very quickly, considering Pip is a horse who can be wary of strangers. It was lovely to see her enjoying her contact with Katie.
Pip has become a more affectionate and relaxed horse since her massage treatments, and I would happily have Katie come back again.”
Before & After
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