Most Common Ailment of Your Horseback Riding Clients

Posted: August 26th, 2013

There are an estimated 30 million horseback riders in America. Most of them will sustain injuries in pursuit of their sport. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common horseback riding ailments were soft tissue injuries such as contusions or abrasions. The next most common injuries were bone fractures. Riders also commonly suffer from pulled muscles.

How Massage Helps

Massage can greatly help a horseback rider recover from soft tissue injuries. During massage therapy for riders, circulation is improved to damaged tissues and tough scar tissue. Massage helps speed healing and promotes flexibility in the damaged areas. Massage also helps the injured rider lower her stress levels and blood pressure.

Improves Balance

When a rider injures one area of his body, he unconsciously takes the weight off the injured area, throwing him off balance. He also places more weight on his uninjured area. If nothing is done to help the injured area, then the uninjured area will soon crack under the strain of taking on more weight and stress. Massage helps speed healing to keep the rider from going off-balance.

Prevention and Maintenance

Regular massage is a good way for your equestrian clients to not only relax but get a check up on their muscle groups and possibly locate injuries that the rider was unaware of. Before and after riding, a rider's adrenaline is pumping so much that she can be completely unaware of pulled muscles or even hairline fractures. Riding culture encourages participants to ignore pain. Massage helps give support during riding and when out of the saddle. CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR MASSAGE THERAPY APPOINTMENT TODAY