STARKVILLE — While most wouldn’t think of massages happening in a barn, local resident Samantha Colyer is using massage therapy to help horses, not humans.
“I like people, to a certain extent, but animals are so much more loving,” Colyer said. “The fact that they don’t have a voice to speak for themselves makes me want to help them.”
Colyer is a single mother and Marine Corps veteran who started working on an Oktibbeha County farm in January. In March, she began pursuing an equine massage therapy certification as a way to help the animals she loves, since she has previously benefited from equine assisted therapy provided to veterans at Mississippi State University.
“There’s a difference between equine assisted therapy and equine therapy,” Colyer said. “Equine assisted therapy, you’re using the horse as a tool to help a person. Whereas in equine therapy, which I do currently, I massage the horses. I work on their bodies, I work on their muscles, and I help stretch them.”
Colyer is getting her massage therapy certification through an online program with Holistic Animal Studies. She is about halfway through the process, during which she has given the farm horses many good rub-downs for practice.
With the help of Annabelle, a mare from the farm, Colyer showed The Dispatch the techniques she has learned so far in her training, including effleurage, kneading, compression, cupping and stretching. She said many of the techniques are similar to techniques used on human athletes.
Bricklee Miller, director for the Mississippi Horse Park, said though there are not many practitioners of equine massage therapy in the area, higher-level competitive events at the horse park commonly include vendors who provide massage therapy, along with shockwave therapy to keep their horses in peak athletic condition.
“We have all types of vendors that set up and do different types of therapy on horses during the events,” Miller said. “It depends on the event, but … we have had massage therapists on the grounds before.”
Though Colyer said equine massage therapy benefits horses after barrel races and other competitions, she also believes massage can help any horse with increasing blood flow, flexibility and muscle soreness. She said this can be helpful to any horse dealing with stiffness, and older horses, specifically.
Some behavioral issues can also come from horses being uncomfortable, she said, due to muscle tightness, and massage can help relieve that pressure.
Colyer said she often follows the horse’s lead when it comes to pressure and techniques applied, as the horse’s licking, chewing or expressions often show when the horse is stressed or is feeling a “release” from tension.
Recently, Colyer posted on the Starkville Strong Facebook page asking for other horses she can work on to complete a case study for her certification. She is required to work on 10 horses before she can finish her program, documenting several sessions starting at the first massage.
After completing the certification, she hopes to start her own business. But she knows the idea is a little unconventional.
“There’s a lot of people, especially the older generation of horse people, that don’t get massages themselves, as a person, so I don’t think they quite understand all the benefits of it,” Colyer said. “… People are going to be hesitant and a little skeptical.”
Colyer also acknowledged that there are many health concerns equine massage cannot address and veterinarians need to be consulted for deeper or underlying issues.
Veterinarian and Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner Allison Gardner said massaging is a “tool in her toolbox” when she is working to rehabilitate a horse, but she recommends approaching equine massage in the context of comprehensive medical treatments with proper veterinary supervision and certification to prevent underlying issues from being ignored or exacerbated.
“Having that education and understanding behind it is so critical, because I see a lot of people do a lot of therapy-type stuff without that grounding,” Gardner said. “You’re basically using one thing when it’s not addressing the whole horse or missing underlying conditions.”
Colyer said her certification class, though online, falls under veterinarian Angelique Barbara. She has also worked under the supervision of traveling veterinarians in the past and intends to continue working with them after she starts her own business. She recommends owners call veterinarians before massaging if the horse has any injuries or other issues.
“The whole point of it is to make sure the animals are feeling better and their issues are addressed,” Colyer said. “If I don’t get a vet involved and I need to, I’m not doing what’s best for that horse.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion