CONNECTICUT EQUINE THERAPY, LLC

welcome message

EQUINE MASSAGE THERAPY CAN….  

• • Increase flexibility and range of motion. Help prevent injuries.
• • Improve temperament, promote bonding and trust.
• • Enhance rhythm and balance.
• • Reduce pain in chronic conditions
• • Improve circulation. Speed up the healing process.
• • Stimulate digestion, enhance elimination.
• • Promote muscular relaxation.
• • Reduce pain and stiffness. Improve comfort in senior horses.

About Us

• Susan Kasmin is the owner of Connecticut Equine Therapy, LLC serving Connecticut and its surrounding areas. She is a licensed human massage therapist in CT from Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington, CT, certified in the Wilson Meagher Method of Equine Sportsmassage, a Certified Equine Massage Therapist from Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, MA and holds a Certificate in Equine Husbandry from Post University in Waterbury, CT. Susan is certified through the NBCAAM, National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure & Massage, is a member of ABMP, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals and has extensive personal & professional experience with horses.

  Susan’s work assists in maintaining muscle integrity, flexibility and range of motion. Her goals are to keep the horses muscles in the best possible condition. No muscle, no movement. Techniques Susan uses are non-

• invasive methods of hands on work designed to enhance a horses overall health. Her mission statement is “Support The Horse”.

  Equine massage therapy benefits all ages, breeds and disciplines of horses on many different levels. In a lot of cases results can be obvious and long lasting. Equine massage is an excellent complement to Veterinary, Acupuncture and Chiropractic care. Susan offers educational demonstrations of equine massage to clubs and associations. For more information select Contact Us. Susan hopes to be working with your equines soon!

       

• 

  “Sara”
  Loon Meadow Farm
  Norfolk, CT

• 

  “Snazzy By Design”
  Sky View Farm
  Oxford, CT

Services

Depending on how massage is applied to the horse’s body it can relax or stimulate. Connecticut Equine Therapy offers two types of massage, Sports Massage and Maintenance Massage. Before working with a horse, the horse’s health, history and confirmation are documented. Then a gait analysis is performed to decide a treatment plan. A quiet area, away from busy barn activity is ideal for most massage. In order to perform massage on a horse it must be free of dust and dirt. The horse’s coat must be completely dry before the massage therapist arrives. Another gait analysis is performed post massage to evaluate the horse’s movement. The type and frequency of massage is determined by the horses needs at the time. Any medical issues must be cleared by the treating veterinarian previous to any massage.

Testimonials

• "Hershey is doing GREAT!!! So excited to get him on a regular monthly schedule, definitely already seeing improvements, which is amazing! Thanks for everything!"
  -Danie R.
  

• "Sarah's been fabulous at the Indian weddings. I really think the massages helped relax her. I'll hopefully have you do her again in the fall. Take care!"
  -Beth P.
  

• "Thanks again for coming out and doing Topper, I could tell he absolutely loved the extra attention and TLC. I'll be giving you a call to come out and give him another massage. Thanks again!"
  -Cassidy O.
  

• "Thanks for this report on Charmer. The next day I watched him in the field kicking up his heels and moving more freely than I've ever seen him! Many, many thanks. Til next!"
  -Vivian S.
  

• "Thank you so much for coming to the Pony Club camp. It was great! You are so very knowledgeable and you had such a great way to turn the demo into a true learning experience for the girls. I loved the fact that they could feel the knots before and after, and learned so casually about the anatomy of the horse. Thank you so much! The girls were definitely inspired to treat their horses more often to calming, healing hands."
  -Britta S.
  

MUSCLE HEALTH

• MUSCLE ENDURANCE TIPS

  Whether you use your equine for pleasure or professional purposes it’s important for a horse to stay physically fit. A simple routine exercise plan can help keep your equine in optimum condition throughout its senior years. Good muscle tone and strength and good cardiovascular health are of utmost importance. Here are some quick and easy ideas for keeping your horse in great shape.

  Providing enough fresh water, quality roughage and/or regulated grain rations, frequent grooming, daily turnout, proper saddle fit, professional hoof care and routine veterinary visits are also factors in maintaining good equine health.

• Remember to start workouts gradually then increase exercise as your horse increases endurance. Warm ups and cool downs of 10-15 min are also important to get the muscles warm before workouts or stretching and relaxed after workouts especially in cold weather. This assures that the horse comfortably adapts to the tolerance of your conditioning goals without stress or injury.

  It is important to check and know your horse’s baselines as a part of good conditioning. Below are the normal ranges of vital signs for an adult horse.

  EQUINE VITAL SIGNS

  Temperature  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99.2-101.5
  Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-50 BPM
  Respiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 BPM
  Capillary Refill Time (CRT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Seconds

  read more

• STRETCHING MUSCLES

  Stretching muscles is the ability of expanding and returning to the original shape afterward. Stretching is important to help maintain muscle flexibility and range of motion. Be sure that the horse is warmed up before stretching to prevent injury. Active stretching is getting the horse to move in a certain way on its own and is safest. Riding at a canter and carrot stretches are some great ways to stretch the horse’s muscles.

  STRENGTHERNING MUSCLES

  Cavaletties – If you are limited for time and space, low cavalettis are a great way to keep your horse in shape throughout the year. This is something that can enhance your horse’s muscle tone, joint strength and create rhythm and balance. Set them up about 2 1/2-3 feet apart at ground level-4 inches high. Ride or lunge at a walk/trot over cavaletties for about 15 minutes daily with great results in a gentle effective way.

• Hills – Riding up and down an inclined 10% grade at slower and faster gaits will help strengthen muscles. A walk and trot will develop muscles independently while a canter and gallop will develop muscles at the same time as a unit.

  The resistance of the horse and riders weight as it climbs develops hind legs, forearms and the cardiovascular system. A horse gains 3X more the distance and amount of training effect on a hill then flat ground with less impact stress on bones and joints.

  read more

get in touch

Links

• Muscle Use in Riding
• Wilson Meagher Sports Therapy
• Loon Meadow Farm
• Gittings & Sons Horseshoeing
• TRADITIONAL EQUINE DENTISTRY
• Poulin Grain
• The Refined Equine, LLC

clinics

Connecticut Equine Therapy offers clinics that include a demonstration on a horse for the group of your choice. Susan will explain the importance of massage to help maintain muscle wellness while working on the horse in front of group. She will define muscles and explain the importance of muscle health and how they affect range of motion. Horses are welcome to come for massage work at clinics if premises allows. Now scheduling for spring 2014.

MUSCLE FACTS

The muscular system is responsible for holding the skeletal system together…. Muscles are responsible for stability and posture….Nerves conduct electrical impulses to expand and contract muscles which creates movement in the horse....Muscles generate heat by producing small spasmodic contractions called shivering to avoid hypothermia....Muscles make up about 60% of a horses body weight….Muscle has the ability to stretch 1 1/2 times its resting length....There are no muscles below a horses knees and hocks….Fifteen individual muscles are required to move the horse’s ears….The horse's anatomy does not include a collarbone. Their front legs are attached to their spine through a complex system of muscles, tendons and ligaments.