Why Massage A Horse?
Horses' muscles are just like ours and they get sore just like we do. The difference is, they can't tell us verbally how they feel and where they hurt. They sure can't go sit in a hot bath or rub any gel on themselves. They rely on us to realize there is a problem and do something to fix it.
How many athletes do you know that don't warm up and stretch before they participate in their chosen sport? NONE! But yet we expect our horses to go out and give us 100% with very little if any warm up and no stretching. What happens when athletes don't warm up and stretch before they play their game? Many times they get hurt, they pull muscles or worse. Our horses are more likely to do the very same thing without a proper warm up and stretch. How often do you have a really stressful day and find yourself with a stiff neck as a result? Horses get sore from stress just as we do.
Everyone wants their horses to perform at their best and beyond. We feed them and shoe them properly to do their job, but when was the last time you made sure their muscles were in shape to do the job you are asking them to do?