| | We view Equine Sports Massage Therapy training as the essential foundation for all equine sports therapy modalities. This section of the booklet will explain the nature of Equine Sports Massage. Subsequent sections provide details regarding additional programs and seminars. | | | |
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| What is Equine Sports Massage? |
| Equine Sports Massage (ESM) is the therapeutic application of professional sports massage techniques to the equine athlete. These techniques were originally designed for human athletes and have been modified and adapted for the equine athlete. |
| Sports massage has proven effective in increasing performance levels, endurance and injury prevention in human athletes as well as reducing the amount of time required for injury recovery. |
| These same results are obtained in the equine athlete by utilizing Equine Sports Massage. These hands-on techniques accomplish this by increasing circulation and reducing muscular fatigue, tension and stress, the primary causes of muscular injury. |
| According to a report from the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, musculoskeletal problems are the most common cause of poor performance of the horse. Equine Sports Massage directly addresses these problems and allows the horse to compete at full potential. |
| Where does the trained ESM Therapist fit in? |
| You may choose to offer your services professionally in the equine industry or to focus only on your own horses. Either way, as a trained therapist, you will assist in helping each horse you touch reach his/her full potential. |
| In your training, you will study and develop and in-depth understanding of the equine muscular system. You will learn how to engage in effect non-verbal communication with the horse. You will be able to evaluate a horse and inform the client about the condition of the horse's muscular system and what you can do to help. You will be working in association with owners, trainers and veterinarians and offering a valuable professional service. |
| Is there a demand for ESM Therapists? |
| Yes. With the growing understanding of some of the adverse reactions to invasive surgical techniques and the debilitating long term effects of constant drug use, people are seeking out alternative non-invasive approaches to health problems for both themselves and their animals. |
| Without a doubt, Equine Sports Massage makes a positive difference in the attitude, health and performance of horses. Professional equestrians, owners, trainers and veterinarians are seeing and hearing of the great results obtained from this work, and are seeking out our trained therapists for the benefit of their horses. Although animal massage is not yet a conventional career path, Equine Sports Massage is a growing field in need of professionally trained therapists. | |
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| How long is the ESM Program and how is it organized? |
| This intensive professional program is a total of 10 days. The program is divided into two distinct Sessions of 5 days each. This class structure provides our students with maximum flexibility in personal time and expenses when scheduling their courses. |
| We encourage students to take Sessions 1 & 2 together. For many people, this program is a wonderful life changing experience. Each day you are presented with interesting and informative information in a relaxed and positive learning environment. You meet new friends and spend every afternoon working with a variety of high performance horses. After you attend our program, you will never look at a horse the same way again. |
| If your time and budget are limited, you may choose to split up your attendance. Students may enroll and pay for only Session 1. At the end of Session 1, you will have learned the different massage techniques, and some muscular anatomy. At this point most students are still unsure about their palpation skills and how to properly apply the massage techniques. However, this option does afford them the time to go home and practice. When these students return for Session 2 they have had some practical experiences and they now have an opportunity to ask specific questions. |
| Session 2 of the program builds upon the foundation established in Session 1 and presents additional muscular anatomy lectures. During the second session, we see an increase in the student's confidence, muscular palpation skills, evaluation skills and massage techniques. |
| We issue our Professional Program Certificate of Completion to students who complete both Sessions 1 and 2. This program reflects our commitment to graduating professionally respected Equine Sports Massage Therapists. Our main goal is the quality of graduate, not quantity. |
| Is previous experience with horses required? |
| Absolutely. Safety is our number one concern. Students must be comfortable working around horses and reading their body language. You don't have to be the world's best rider, but you will appreciate and benefit from the daily class lectures and discussions in direct proportion to your knowledge of horsemanship. |
| What type of education must I have? |
| Students must be at least 18 years of age and have horse handling experience. People from all age groups and educational backgrounds enroll in our program. The most important pre-requisites are that you have a desire to learn and a true desire to work as a team player in assisting horses to achieve their full potential. |
| If you have not been in a classroom for awhile or if you are nervous about taking tests . Relax. Our goal is to provide a positive, low stress learning environment with an emphasis on participation and retained useful knowledge. |
| Your life education, degree of horse experience and formal schooling will all contribute to how seriously you vent ure into Equine Sports Therapy. |
| Equine Sports Massage Therapy Training is a combination of linear thinking and hands-on experiential activity. There are components in the textbook that you must memorize. You will learn about many muscles and you must know where they originate, where they insert and what action they perform. Likewise you must develop your sense of touch. What does healthy muscle tissue feel like ? What does healthy muscle tissue feel like ? |
 Your success as a professional therapist will depend upon | | How can I use my hands to make a positive difference in this muscle tissue? | | Our small class sizes provide the opportunity for individualized attention. | | |
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| | | 1. | Your horse handling skills and horse sense. This is a precious skill set that can only be obtained by spending time with horses. | | 2. | Your ability to perform effective Equine Sports Massage. This includes hands-on therapy skills and understanding the muscular anatomy and actions. Performing massage techniques is a physical activity that requires the therapist to be in good overall health and relatively fit. | | 3. | Your understanding of the goals of specific equine disciplines and your ability to help horses achieve these goals. | | 4. | Your ability to work for yourself and get along well with people as well as with horses. You must be able to educate potential clients regarding the benefits of Equine Sports Therapy. You must be able pace to the needs of your equine clients and owners. |
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| Must I be a licensed human Massage Therapist to perform the work? |
| No. However, we do strongly recommend that you consider this option if you are contemplating a full-time career in Equine Sports Therapy. Why? Several reasons. First, the more time you spend practicing your palpation skills under supervision, the better your skills will be. Second, if you are a licensed human therapist, you can double your income by working on both horses and riders. |
| While it is not a requirement to be a massage therapist to enroll in our programs, many of our students decide to attend massage school after finishing the course. |
| Are there any regulations concerning Equine Massage? |
| Regulations exist on a state-by-state basis. You need to check with your state's veterinary board to determine the rules in your state. Some states have specific regulations, while other states do not. |
| Be aware that currently there is not any national standardized certification testing procedure in place for Equine Sports Massage Therapists. We believe that one day Equine Sports Massage Therapy will be a more conventional career path. We feel confident that our training program will more than fulfill training requirements should they ever come about. We are working with veterinarians and equine organizations around the country to help set the standards for this work. |
| What if I already have a massage license? | | | As licensed massage therapists ourselves, we welcome you in expanding your practice horizons to include horses. Our courses are designed to appeal to both lay people and professional therapists who have a sincere interest in this emerging work. We are confident that you will be impressed by the amount of knowledge presented in our courses that will give you a new perspective about the benefits of animal massage. | |
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| How much money can I expect to earn? |
| This answer depends on your local market. Currently the charge for a therapeutic massage session lasting for 1 hour to 1½ hours ranges from $40 to $75. Shorter sessions of pre and post event massage, which generally are of a 20-minute duration, cost from $20 to $25. |
| A general rule of thumb is that the therapist's time is worth $1 per minute. At the low end of the scale, a graduate can expect to recoup their program investment costs after performing 38 paid sessions. |
| What should I look for in an Equine Sports Massage Program? |
| Equine Sports Massage has become an accepted and vital form of sports therapy for the equine athlete. The demand for properly trained therapists is increasing. Prospective students who want to learn more than a .rub. would be well advised to ask the following questions: |
| What are the instructors and school's credentials? |
| Are the instructors licensed human massage therapists? |
| Are the instructors human sports massage therapists? |
| What is the instructors experience with sport horses? |
| How long has the instructor/school been teaching equine sports massage? |
| Does the curriculum cover anatomy in depth or superficially? |
| What is the largest class size? What is the ratio of students to instructors? |
| Is continuing education available? |
| What type of horses will I be working with? |
| Active athletic horses or backyard paddock ornaments? |
| What different disciplines/breeds will the students be exposed to? |
| How many horses can I expect to get to practice on each week? |
| Knowledge Is the Horseman's Stock in the Commerce of Equine Trade! |
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| What is so special about Don Doran's Equine Sports Massage Program? |
| Don Doran is a pioneer and leader in the field of Equine Sports Therapy. He was practicing Equine Sports Therapy before there were Equine Sports Therapy schools. Horsemanship is a way of life for Don; it is not his hobby. | | | Don's programs are the most progressive courses of their kind offered in the USA . Upon completion of the program, students will have a thorough understanding of the equine muscular/skeletal system and the causes, effects and treatment of muscular problems. | |
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| The basic program schedule has mornings devoted to lectures in the classroom and afternoons devoted to demonstrations and supervised hands-on work in the field. Field trips are taken to several different farms so that students have the opportunity to work with and learn from a variety of horses. Students are exposed to horse of different breeds and athletic disciplines. |
| Each day of the program builds upon the previous day. Students develop their palpation skills with each afternoon practice. In the labs students are encouraged to focus on locating and palpating the muscles covered in class that morning. As new muscles are introduced each day, students will become familiar with the new muscles and review muscles covered on previous days. By the end of the course, students have learned an entire protocol from head to hind leg. |
| Throughout the program, students are instructed that equine sports massage therapy is not a substitute for proper veterinary care. Students are instructed that equine sports massage therapy is designed to promote wellness and assist with muscular problems. Students are taught to evaluate and manipulate muscle tissue and work as part of the well-care team. |
| Classes are offered in a relaxed, enjoyable learning atmosphere, concentrating on the individual student. Class sizes are limited so that students may receive personalized instruction. |
| Our program is based in Ocala , Florida , Horse Capital of the World. With its unique blend of perfect soil and climate, Ocala has over 600 horse farms representing every major breed of horse. Ocala has one of the largest concentrations of equine facilities in the United States . We are able to take advantage of this unique situation and expose our students to the widest possible assortment of equine muscular problems affecting different sporting breeds. |
| For a small fee, students are permitted return visits to audit lectures and repeat the field work. We provide students with contact information for all previous graduates. Graduates are encouraged to network and collaborate with each other. We provide an online email forum that students use for sharing information and posting questions/answers. |
| Throughout each year we offer a variety of seminars featuring guest speakers, which are some of the most respected professionals in the equine industry. These seminars are advertised on our web page: www.equinesportsmassage.com and as extra inserts into our program brochure. |
| We offer the following advanced training programs: |
| Equine Acupoint Therapy |
| Principles and Fundamentals of Saddle Fit |
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| ESM Foundation Training Related Page Links |
| Equine Sports Massage (ESM) |
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| Equine Sports Massage (ESM) |
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