The Power of the Herd

Massage Therapies Performed in Groups Can Prove More Effective

Have you ever considered having your horse massaged? A certified equine massage therapist can bring great relief under a variety of circumstances to the equine athlete, the horse recovering from injury, the backyard trail buddy or rescue. However, have we considered all the options for getting the maximum effectiveness out of our equine massage therapy session?

Connie Grob

Connie-herd1

Connie Grob massages a horse in the relaxed atmosphere of the herd

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Humans sometimes project their preferences onto their horses. For example, humans may enjoy a massage in a private room with low lighting. For horses though, such an environment is frightening because it is in contradiction to their natural survival instincts. Horses seem to do best when there are no restrictions on their sense of sight, smell and sound.

The current practice of most equine massage therapists is to have the horse in its stall – presumably a safe and comfortable space. From a horse’s perspective, however, is it safe and reassuring to be isolated in an enclosed space? Might we actually maximize the effectiveness of our equine massage therapy session by incorporating the fundamentals of the herd?

SOCIAL BONDS

Horses have strong social bonds with each other which are essential to their sense of wellbeing.

“Herd behavior is an important motivating factor for a horse and is present in our everyday dealings with horses, more so than is often recognized,” says Julie Goodnight of Julie Goodnight Horsemanship Training and Goodnight Training Stables, Inc. “In fact, by nature, horses associate being alone with being vulnerable to predators, which can increase anxiety and hypervigilence – certainly contraindicated for this form of therapy. Perhaps the most advantageous place to have a horse receive its massage is in the company of a herd mate.”

BODY LANGUAGE

Horses in a herd use body language as the most important means of communication. Being able to read a horse’s body language is a key element of being an effective equine massage therapist. During the equine massage process the therapist looks to the horse for a physical response. For instance, the therapist will “search” for signs of tension or adhesions while palpating a muscle group. If these conditions are present, the horse will indicate with a “response” as subtle as the blink of an eye or a twitch of the muzzle. With an acknowledging response from the horse, direct pressure is applied and the therapist “stays” with that position awaiting a “release,” which may be demonstrated through licking, chewing, or yawning.

HERD POWER

So what do you do with the horse who simply cannot release? Not all horses are able to relax enough to release during a massage. This is when the power of the herd may be especially helpful. It is quite possible that being in the vicinity of a herd mate helps a horse feel more secure, safe and available for the massage.

When I was asked to massage a therapy horse at RoseWal Farm in Gilboa, New York, I noticed other horses forming a circle around the horse being massaged. All of the horses were calm, with heads hung low. I found this to be intriguing, because it seemed intentional. As the surrounding horses began yawning, licking, chewing I finally felt the horse I was massaging begin to release the tension within his muscles.

A SHARED CONNECTION

Research shows the herd is of great importance to horses because they seek a shared emotional connection. Such a connection creates neural resonance, which means that one horse will translate the actions, sensations and even the emotions of another horse into its own neuro body language so that it is, in fact, having the same experience. Simply put, any horse around the horse being massaged receives and participates in that experience.

This herd phenomenon allows for a more effective massage of the horse. In short, it is as though the herd experiences, and helps facilitate, releases while being near the horse receiving the massage.

Connie Grob is an Equine Massage Therapist certified in Equissage, while additionally implementing the Masterson Method and Reiki in her massage sessions. Connie is also the owner of Helping Hands Equine Massage which serves the Capital District in upstate New York. www.helpinghandsequinemassage.com

Comments (2)

Comment Feed

Depends on Herd

Not all herds have the right mix for a person to be safe, especially if they are concentrating on the horse in front of them. If there is a pleasant and comfortable area where the horse can relax and be done by itself, it can be safer. In herds the horses need to constantly be aware and respond to more dominant horses, which effects relaxation. Fights can break out and if horses do not see a person till to late it is easy to get hurt. In my herd there is one that if I am doing her the others chill, well for a bit then they start interrupting, my turn yet, think of the "are we there yet?" it just disrupts the flow. And if I try to do the others, her constant interruptions are a distraction and in her case they eventually cause a disciplinary action by one of the other horses.

Michelle more than 6 years ago

In Rebuttal

Connie was a student of ours several years back and the recollection we have was that she was going to be a good massage therapist.

Some of the statements she made in the article we couldn't agree with more, with others, we have to say we are in complete disagreement.

Let's start with "A SAFE ENVIRONMENT".

Connie alludes to the idea that a therapist will, for whatever reason, be performing the bodywork in a "private room with low light", and that their stall is a scary place which will be frightening to them.

Most facilities that we visit in our Body Work travels house horses in stalls, have lights in the barn, provide some turn out daily, usually on a rotational basis with another / other horse(s), (does this constitute the herd ?), usually for a limited duration. Reality is that horses spend the majority of their day in a stall. They get fed there, usually two to three times a day, they sleep there, and many are groomed there. There is usually a horse on either side of them and / or across an aisle. For the vast majority of horses, stalls are a safe secure place for them and their "Herd" companions, as well as a place for interacting with humans.

The effectiveness of a practitioner is not determined by or tied in any way to the "herd", but to the effectiveness, techniques (tools) and quality of the bond between practitioner and horse. If there is a bona fide study out there to the contrary, we're all ears.

"SOCIAL BONDS"

If a horse is in fact alone, as in no pasture mates at all, kept as the only horse on a property, then Ms Goodnight is, in some cases, absolutely correct about it's vulnerability, levels of anxiety and hyper-vigilance. However, to go so far as to say it is a contra-indication for massage or body work, is just not so. We have worked on many "Backyard" horses, and have never had an issue that couldn't be overcome in one or two sessions. Once the horse knows what you are there for and what you are about, they accept you as another part of the family(herd) and truly look forward to future visits.

"BODY LANGUAGE"

As far as it goes, we are in complete agreement.

"HERD POWER"

Horses have different levels of sensitivity or reactivity to touch. The effectiveness and tools available to the practitioner can draw releases from the horse. Horses in the vicinity of where the work is being performed will usually respond in some way, as a horse is being treated, due to their sensitivity and the level of energy being generated by the practitioner and emitted to the surrounding environment and animals in proximity. The majority of horses we work on are in such a deep zone of relaxation, they are not usually aware of their stall mates, or their reactions.

We do not agree with Connie's last sentence that the herd phenomenon allows for a more effective massage. It may on occasion, as she is of the opinion, but it also provides for a more unsafe work environment. Having to deal with a herd, is not only unsafe, but distracting both to

Doris & Ron Bouchard more than 6 years ago