HOLISTIC HEALTH AND HORSES 

HOLISTIC THERAPIES CAN BE ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL TO RIDERS.

RIDING POSITION PROBLEMS AND GENERAL "ACHES & PAINS" ASSOCIATED WITH RIDING CAN BE HELPED WHEN TREATED USING MASSAGE THERAPIES.

MASSAGE THERAPIES CAN HELP RELAX AND BALANCE THE MIND AND BODY

 A "BALANCED" CALM PERSON IS MUCH BETTER EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH A SENSITIVE ANIMAL.

ESSENTIAL OILS CAN ALSO WORK ON ANIMALS ESPECIALLY THOSE SUFFERING FROM NERVOUSNESS OR STRESS

 SO CAN BE USED BY THE HORSE-RIDER/HANDLER TO HELP CREATE A CALM RELAXED ATMOSPHERE

ESSENTIAL OILS CAN BE POTENT SO A BLEND SHOULD ONLY BE MADE UP BY A QUALIFIED AROMATHERAPIST.

MASSAGE THERAPY MASSAGE IS AN HOLISTIC THERAPY. IT HAS AN EFFECT ON BOTH THE BODY AND THE MIND MASSAGE INCREASES THE CIRCULATION OF BLOOD AND THE FLOW OF LYMPH. THE DIRECT MECHANICAL EFFECT OF RHYTHMICALLY APPLIED MANUAL PRESSURE AND MOVEMENT USED IN MASSAGE CAN DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE RATE OF BLOOD FLOW. ALSO, THE STIMULATION OF NERVE RECEPTORS CAUSES THE BLOOD VESSELS (BY REACTION) TO DILATE, WHICH ALSO FACILITATES BLOOD FLOW. THIS HAS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON A PERSONS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. REDUCED MUSCLE TENSION MASSAGE AFFECTS THE MUSCLES AND OTHER SOFT TISSUES THROUGHOUT THE BODY. IT LOOSENS CONTRACTED, SHORTENED, HARDENED MUSCLES. MASSAGE CAN STIMULATE WEAK, FLACCID MUSCLES. CHRONIC MUSCLE TENSION REDUCES THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD AND MOVEMENT OF LYMPH IN AN AREA. IMPROVED BLOOD CIRCULATION THE OXYGEN CAPACITY OF THE BLOOD CAN INCREASE AFTER MASSAGE. BY INDIRECTLY OR DIRECTLY STIMULATING NERVES THAT SUPPLY INTERNAL ORGANS, BLOOD VESSELS OF THESE ORGANS DILATE AND ALLOW A GREATER BLOOD SUPPLY TO THEM. BETTER LYMPH MOVEMENT LYMPH IS A MILKY WHITE FLUID THAT DRAINS IMPURITIES AND WASTE AWAY FROM THE TISSUE CELLS. A COMPONENT OF THESE WASTES IS TOXINS WHICH ARE THE BY-PRODUCTS OF METABOLISM. MUSCULAR CONTRACTION HAS A PUMPING EFFECT THAT MOVES LYMPH. MASSAGE AND EXERCISE HELP TO MOVE LYMPH. INCREASED MOBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION OF JOINTS MASSAGE PROVIDES A GENTLE STRETCHING ACTION TO BOTH THE MUSCLES AND CONNECTIVE TISSUES WHICH SURROUND AND SUPPORT THE MUSCLES AND MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY WHICH HELPS KEEP THESE TISSUES ELASTIC. STIMULATED OR SOOTHED NERVOUS SYSTEM MASSAGE BALANCES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM BY SOOTHING OR STIMULATING IT, DEPENDING ON WHICH IS NEEDED BY THE INDIVIDUAL AT THE TIME OF THE MASSAGE. ENHANCED SKIN CONDITION MASSAGE ENHANCES THE SKINS CONDITION BY IMPROVING THE FUNCTION OF THE SEBACEOUS AND SWEAT GLANDS, WHICH KEEPS THE SKIN LUBRICATED, CLEAN AND COOL. BETTER DIGESTION AND INTESTINAL FUNCTION MASSAGE INCREASES THE BODY’S SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. IT INCREASES THE PRODUCTION OF GASTRIC JUICES, SALIVA AND URINE. THERE IS ALSO AN INCREASED EXCRETION OF NITROGEN, INORGANIC PHOSPHORUS AND SALT. AS A RESULT, THE METABOLIC RATE INCREASES. RELIEF FROM ACUTE AND CHRNIC PAIN MASSAGE CAN PROMOTE RECOVERY FROM FATIGUE AND FROM MINOR ACHES AND PAINS. SOME BENEFITS INCLUDE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON THE INTERNAL ORGANS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM REDUCED SWELLING REDUCED STRESS GENERAL RELAXATION OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE