Moving Massage

[kas]

I thought I'd pick up on some of the photos that were taken when RH came for her flying visit, and tell you about some things that have been happening in my field lately. It's not often I have someone there to take pics.
So, moving massage is what Karen Rholf teaches, as a way to relax and soften the horses. You walk with your horse, roughly level with the shoulder, and maybe asking them for a slight curve so that you don't vanish into the horizon. You move your hand over their body feeling for the tight spot, which feels a bit like scanning when doing healing to me. When you find the spot, you massage it gently, or even just rest your hand there, and your horse's reaction tells you if you've hit the spot.
Celeb has this longstanding problem up in his poll, and seems physically unable to give his head round without a twist. This can't be good for him, so I've tried various things to see if he can free up. Moving massage obviously does something for him because a short session sends him to sleep, he loves it.

So here, we're just moving forward and straight, with him I'm trying very hard to just suggest that he works in an arc rather than forcing it, because of the problem we're looking at.



This is his "ooh, moving massage..." look



This is just about his best flexion before he has to twist his head. I know Unicorn and I were really pleased at this point, so I think it might be taken a millisecond after the "wow!" moment, as you can see the tiniest twist just creeping in. But the thing is, I'm not asking for it, all I'm doing is resting my hand on top of his withers and massaging down towards the ground with my fingers.



Moved down to a tight spot in his shoulder. It may not be the best angle, but I think you can see how softly he's bringing his neck round. Again, not asking for it, this is happening just because I'm massaging in front of his shoulder blade as we walk.



Last, I know he's not muscled up, but look at the difference in his shape now:



And a couple of months after I first got him. He looks like a longer horse do you think?

[tazzle]

thanks very much for that kas.... I had been meaning to ask you about this moving massage

grest pics too to illustrate it

[redhorseracinguk]

Lordy Kas, WHAT A DIFFERENCE? He hardly looks like the same horse?! Good work xx

[kas]

Is it good work? I thought he looked good when I got him, but he certainly looks different now. I'm sort of not sure what it's all about really.
Oh, just to add, I do think his hoofcare has made a change to the way he moves and holds himself.

[redhorseracinguk]

I like 'longer' Celeb... His head looks too big for his body and his neck was hopelessly underdeveloped. He just looks 'tight' everywhere in the pic of him when you had him. Pretty but uptight. Whereas, he looks lovely and soft, happy and round. I too think hoof care has played a major part as you say. His feet are great xxx

[nicxf]

he certainly looks more relaxed in the later pics. In that early photo, it looks a bit like someone holding themselves into what they've been told is a good posture, rather than allowing that good posture to develop naturally because they've been shown how to relax into it (can you tell I've been trying to learn from my Alexander technique lessons, LOL...!). If that makes sense?

[beksnjake]

I'd agree - Celeb looks really tight in the early photo - in the moving massage ones he looks far more relaxed. I know which I prefer