The Horsewoman
Treating and training you and your horse
Equine Treatments
Equine Bowen Therapy and Niagara Equissage Pulse CVT Massage
Equine Bowen Therapy
Equine Bowen Therapy is a treatment that helps to release and realign the horses muscular structure enabling the whole of the horses body to rebalance and perform to their optimum level.
The Bowen Technique is a gentle non invasive therapy that is applied to areas of the body, using thumb and finger pressure, moving over underlying tissue to stimulate the nervous system, release the muscles of the body and rebalance the internal systems. During the treatment the therapist may pause for a time to allow the horse to rest and the horses body to absorb all the treatment they have received so far. A treatment usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 hr, however more time should be allowed for the first ever treatment to allow time for a detailed assessment of the horse or pony.
Charlotte has developed her skills as a therapist, working intuitively with every horse. Her treatments are based around a traditional equine bowen treatment with the addition of holding points, massage and stretching exercises where appropriate. This way of working allows Charlotte to adapt the treatment to the horse in front of her in order to release muscular tightness, realign their muscular structure, relive them of any pain or discomfort, mediate healing, improve their range of movement and flexibility to enhance their overall wellbeing and performance.
If your horse is showing the following signs or symptoms then your horse may benefit from treatment.
- Lameness or Unlevelness
- Stiffness and a restricted range of movement.
- Onesidedness - better on one rein than the other
- Bucking / Rearing / Napping
- Muscular discomfort and pain
- Sore back or sensitive "cold" backed
- Recent uncharacteristic change in temperament and behaviour
- Difficulty with transitions and balance within the gait
- Stressy or anxious behaviour
- recovering from surgery, trauma or serious injury
- Kissing spine rehabilitation
- Tendon injury rehabilitation
- Muscle atrophy or uneven muscle development
An initial course of 3 consecutive weekly treatments is usually recommended for most horses and ponies who are not on a regular treatment programme in order to successfully tackle and alleviate any problems they may have, achieving long lasting results.
If your horse is dealing with a specific problem then it is highly likely your horse will need a treatment plan consisting of the 3 initial weekly treatments followed by additional treatments once a month until your horse only requires maintenance treatments.
Regular maintenance treatment is the most effective and beneficial way to maintain your horses optimum health and wellbeing to tackle any issues before they become a problem and prevent injury. Each horse and pony is different and that will reflect in how often they need treatment. A sports horse competing frequently at a high level ie Eventing at Advance and above, may have a treatment once a month, where as a leisure horse or pony who is lightly hacked out once or twice a week may only need a treatment once every 6 months or so as an MOT type treatment.
After the treatment Charlotte will advise you on any necessary aftercare for your horse and will discuss any stretch exercises or trainning exercises you can do with your horse.
Price of Treatment - £50 per treatment per horse.
Equissage Pulse Massage Treatments
Niagara Equissage uses Cycloid Vibrational Therapy to provide both deep and gentle massage. CVT uses unique elliptical movement that create a cycloid vibration as the multidirectional energy waves move up, down, left and right whist rotating on a constant basis.
Charlotte has a Niagara Equissage Pulse Body Pad and Hand held unit and Leg Boot and is able to offer a full body treatment using some or all of the equipment depending on your horses needs. The Pulse Pad is placed on the horses back where the saddle would sit and is fastened around the chest and under the horses
belly where a girth would sit. It has 3 different programme settings as well as an intensity gage so the vibration sensation can be introduced gradually to the horse or pony. It is also very quiet when on and is run using its own battery power so there are no wires to worry about. The massage vibration ripples out through the whole of the horses body to release and relax the horses muscular system and increase blood flow to areas of the horses body that need repair. The hand held unit allows charlotte to target a specific area or muscle group that requires more attention, and the leg boot is perfect for any horse or pony recovering from a tendon or ligament injury or strain as well as horses whose legs get puffy or fill due to long periods of time in the stable.
A full Equissage massage treatment consists of using the Equissage Pulse Pad on a couple cycles using either the same programme at different intensities or a combination of programmes depending on the horses needs. If the horse has any specific areas that require additional attention such as the hamstrings or base of neck, then the hand held unit will be use to work on these areas while the pulse pad is on. If the horse requires the use of the leg boot then that will be placed on the horses leg and used at the same time as the Pulse pad is working. The treatment usually takes between 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Equissage CVT is highly effective in the treatment of a variety of conditions including the following:
- Kissing spine
- Sore and "cold" backs
- Tight muscles
- Ligament and tendon injuries or damage
- Lymphatic drainage
- Restricted range of movement
- Stiff or arthritic joints
Equissage CVT can improve the horses suppleness, flexibility, condition, muscle tone and overall performance and well-being.
More detailed information on the Niagara Equissage Pulse CVT can be found at www.niagaraequissage.com .
Price of Treatment is £50 per treatment per horse.
Equissage - Bowen Combination Treatment
Charlotte also offers a combination treatment using the Equissage Pulse Pad and hand held unit for the first 20 - 30 minutes followed by a full Equine Bowen Treatment immediately afterwards. Using the Equissage Pulse Pad first can encourage the horse to relax and loosens up the horses muscles meaning that the Equine Bowen Treatment then works on a deeper level. This enables a treatment to be more effective in a shorter period of time than it may take normally for horses that are defensive and resistant to treatment. This is a more intense treatment that lasts approximately 1.5hrs and is suited to horses that are usually very defensive towards treatment, are very tense and really struggle to relax and let go, or for horses that are in a high level of work and have short time periods between competitions / high intensity training sessions and do not have the opportunity for additional rest days due to their strict training regime.
Combination Treatment price - £75 per treatment per horse.