SJ Equine Sports Therapy UK - Dip ICAT

SJ Equine Sports Therapy UK - Dip ICAT Equine Sports Massage Therapy and Rehabilitation

Massage & stretch exercises for every equine.

COCOSo much tension initially especially throughout her neck & shoulders. Left hind was turned out and this was somethin...
07/08/2026

COCO
So much tension initially especially throughout her neck & shoulders. Left hind was turned out and this was something that had been bothering her owner recently.

After treatment we can see improved symmetry through the pectoral musculature and thoracic sling region, with a more even weight-bearing stance through the forelimbs. The chest appears more centered, and there is a reduction in visible muscular tension throughout the shoulders (they were totally out of line!) and pectoral region, suggesting improved comfort and postural balance after treatment.

In the hind end, after treatment, we have less tension throughout the back, a more rounded appearance of the hind and the tail is more central.

This girl let go of an awful lot of tension. Looking forward to seeing her again ๐Ÿค—

DARJEx RacerThis lovely boy was crooked and had incredibly tense glutes, literally like rocks.In the photos you will see...
31/07/2026

DARJ
Ex Racer

This lovely boy was crooked and had incredibly tense glutes, literally like rocks.

In the photos you will see how his pectorals, shoulders & neck have gone from tight to relaxed and seemingly opened his chest up and started to realign his forelimbs.
Both shoulders appear more symmetrical, suggesting a reduction in muscular tension.

The gluteal muscles are more relaxed and evenly matched due to improved pelvic symmetry. His hind end appears much fuller/rounder.

Note how he's resting his right hind one one photo. This was how he would stand if asked to stand 'square'. To place the right hind on the ground initially, he would put his right fore forward. After treatment, he was able to weight bear on all four whilst 'square'. However, he is still standing asymmetrically behind, with his right hind limb positioned more underneath the body. Hopefully this will strengthen and straighten out with exercise and therapy.

**(scroll down to see how 'Cristal', who had the same issue, changed after a few sessions !)

Upon initial assessment, Darj was so close behind when moving, he was "plaiting" and had been brushing. Sausage boots can be helpful in this situation until things even out more.

Lots of tension was released from his poll and TMJ too.

Darj now has a couple of weeks of turnout whilst his owner is away. Looking forward to seeing him again in the near future ๐Ÿค—

When your client is enjoying their massage so much, they can't stop smiling ๐Ÿ˜Š 18yr old Serena was bucking into canter un...
19/05/2026

When your client is enjoying their massage so much, they can't stop smiling ๐Ÿ˜Š

18yr old Serena was bucking into canter under saddle.
Serena had a lot of tension to let go of, particularly in the Brachiocephalic, shoulders, glutes & hamstrings. By trusting the process, she really let go.
Great to hear that after her first session last week, there has been no more bucking ๐Ÿค—

20/12/2025

๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ

A great in-hand exercise, walking over a raised pole requires greater flexion in your horse's joints than trotting.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—บ
โœ… To lift and flex the back, hip, shoulder, elbow, stifle and hock.
โœ… Strengthen the muscles and structures involved in engagement, hip flexion and pelvic stability.
โœ… Improve suppleness and flexibility through the shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle and hock.

For maximum benefits do this on a daily basis. You can easily incoporate this exercise into your daily routine, place the raised pole, or small log in a place where you can regularly walk your horse over it - for example to and from the field.

๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—ถ๐˜
๐Ÿด Start by walking your horse over a pole on the floor.
๐Ÿด Gradually raise it until it's around knee height.
๐Ÿด Encourage your horse to lower his head as he walks over the pole.

20/12/2025

Did you know.....The Tongue ๐Ÿ‘… is the most sensitive part of your horse's mouth and the most prone to injury.

This very large muscle extends from its tip, which you can see, to the hyoid apparatus and its attachment to the ramus of the mandible at the back.

The tongue is vital for swallowing and influencing the hyoid apparatus

Like any other muscle, restriction or tension within it can induce a muscular chain reaction.

The sensitivity of the tongue is a crucial consideration when fitting a bit. An ill-fitting or harsh bit or excessive pressure on the bit from your hands can cause pain and discomfort. In some cases it can result in tension throughout the body and poor performance.

Like and follow our page for lots more tips, exercises and advice on equine anatomy and biomechanics.

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