Three Shires Equine Therapy

18/08/2025

🐴 My Equine Massage Training! 🐴
✨ Why I Chose Practical Training Over Online Courses ✨

After looking into a few different ways to study equine massage, I made the decision to train in person with Equine Massage Training UK — and I’m so glad I did!
Here’s why I chose hands-on, practical training instead of an online course:
✅ Learning by Doing: No video or textbook can replace the experience of working directly with real horses. Feeling the muscles, spotting tension, and applying the techniques correctly requires hands-on practice.
✅ Immediate Feedback: Having an experienced instructor guide me, correct my posture, and answer my questions in real time made all the difference. It helped me build confidence quickly and avoid developing bad habits.
✅ Real-World Scenarios: Every horse is different — and working with live horses during training gave me insights you just can’t get online. I learned to adapt my approach depending on the horse’s needs and responses.
✅ Supportive Environment: The in-person atmosphere was friendly, supportive, and full of passionate, like-minded people. It made the whole experience even more rewarding.
💯🐴 I can't recommend practical training enough. It’s an investment not just in knowledge, but in confidence, skill, and your future with horses.
https://equinemassagetraining.co.uk/
https://www.threeshiresequinetherapy.com/

13/08/2025

Dolly enjoying her massage 🙌🐴🧡🐴🙌

02/08/2025

Good old-fashioned hill work is a reminder that sometimes the simplest methods are still the best. 💚

The Benefits of Riding uphill

🔹 Walking and trotting uphill strengthens the back, hamstring and gluteal muscles that will then give more pushing power in your flatwork and jumping.

🔹 Trotting uphill opens the shoulders and is great preparation for medium and extended trot as well as improving straightness and symmetrical development of muscles.

🔹 Cantering uphill also has benefits. The thrust from both hindlegs created when you canter uphill develops jump and elastic recoil.

🔸To avoid placing to much strain on your horse’s body increase the frequency and steepness of the incline gradually. 🔸

02/08/2025

🫶 Keep Your Horse in Top Condition with Massage Therapy 🐎✨

Your horse works hard — reward them with the care they deserve.
Equine Massage Therapy helps:
✅ Improve circulation
✅ Ease muscle tension & spasms
✅ Boost flexibility & movement
✅ Support healing and recovery
✅ Maintain peak performance

From competition horses to trusted companions — every horse can benefit.

📍 Covering Gloucestershire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire
📞 Book now: 07989 201435
📧 Enquiries: threeshiresequine@com or DM

Because your horse’s well-being always comes first.


Three Shires Equine Therapy

31/07/2025

🐎🐎🐎🐴🐴🐎❤️🧡❤️🐎🐴🐴🐎🐎🐎
✨ Is Your Horse Moving at Their Best? ✨

Every powerful stride, jump, or gentle head turn depends on a team of muscles working together in perfect balance. When one muscle becomes tight or tired, your horse can suffer stiffness, compensation, and even injury.

🙌 Three Shires Equine Therapy will help keep your horse in peak condition.
Through professional equine massage I:
✅ Release tension and knots
✅ Ease muscle fatigue
✅ Restore freedom of movement and balance

Give your horse the comfort they deserve — support every muscle so they can perform and feel their best.

📞 Message today to book an appointment!
🐎 Because your horse’s well-being is priority.

Three Shires Equine Therapy

16/07/2025

To massage your horse well you need to understand anatomy.

In our Online Massage Course for Horse Owners there's a whole section dedicated to understanding the anatomical structures of the horse in the areas we massage.

Using a traffic light system (as shown in the picture) highlights how much pressure can be applied to different parts of the body. Understanding the anatomy of the horse is important because it helps us to appreciate:-

🦴 How close to the surface bony structures are and therefore how much pressure to use in different areas
💪 The size of the muscles and tendons which will dictate how much pressure we should use
❔ Which techniques are best to use
🐎 Whether any lumps and bumps we feel are abnormal, highlighting a problem or are supposed to be there as a normal part of the horse’s anatomy
👊 The direction of muscle fibres which will help us choose the best direction for massage techniques
❕ The range of movement in different areas which will help us choose the best pressure for massage
🐎 How hard an area has been working following specific exercise which will help us select the most appropriate areas to massage

Fancy learning the techniques to massage your own horse?

Comment Massage and we'll send you more details

07/07/2025

⭐️⭐️Vets and professionals agree: hacking is good for the physical and mental wellbeing of both horse and rider. ⭐️⭐️
https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/hacking/hacking-a-horse-trail-riding/

31/05/2025

Sometimes the greatest comfort isn’t in words, but in the silence shared with the one who simply listens.
Who never betrays, never judges, never shies away from your tears.
Just leans in and holds your secrets quietly…
Because a horse is more than a friend — they’re your safe haven.

30/05/2025

🤕Headaches and Bridles

I've mentioned before about horses having headaches and came across this infographic showing where the facial nerves come into contact with your average bridle- I thought it was really clear so thought I'd share .

It isn't just bridles that cause headaches , I'm sure that just like us , stress has its effect as well .

⛑️I can't say for sure that a horse has a headache but when muscles around the head and poll are super tight and often asymmetrical between left and right or their poll vertebrae are misaligned - I think it's highly likely.

🧲Some of the behaviours I see - are head shaking , the horse may be highly alert and spooky , or may not want to lower their heads for a bridle or a head collar .These can disappear after that tension has been released

🚚Some of the past histories of these horses would include - pulling back on the head collar or bridle , recent work on their teeth , banging their heads on the lorry / trailer roof, and rotational fall . It's not an exhaustive list , just what I've come across in practice .

If these symptoms , history and behaviours sounds familiar to you and your horse - consider working with your vet and physio to alleviate the pain and hopefully the behaviours that have come along side will resolve ...

29/05/2025

🙌🙌🙌🙌🧡🧡🐴🐴🧡🧡🙌🙌🙌🙌
My question is; why are you doing everything you can think of to help your horse feel better EXCEPT the one thing that actually addresses those sore, tight muscles directly?!

Other therapies are NOT stand-ins or substitutes for massage – they do different things for the horse.

Massage is the ONLY one of these therapies that physically manipulates the muscles, fascia and skin to ease tight, sore muscles lengthen and supple myofascia, free painful nerves, improve circulation, increase range of motion and bring balance and biotensegrity back to the body to improve performance and soundness.

An equine massage therapist uses their hands to feel and carefully manipulate the soft tissues to work out tension, knots, kinks and adhesions. Massage manually opens myofascial tissue, softening, stretching, balancing tension, improving range of motion and freedom of movement of muscle, fascia, joints and skin

Covering Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire 🌏

Discount for 2+ horses at same yard

Please message for availability

22/04/2025

🧡🐴🧡

Being present in the moment is essential for building a strong bond with your horse because it allows you to truly understand their needs, emotions, and responses. Horses are highly sensitive animals that communicate through subtle body language and energy, making your awareness key to reading these signs.

To be more present, practice mindfulness by focusing on your breathing, maintaining soft and consistent body language, and leaving distractions behind when you're with your horse. This not only helps you respond to their cues more effectively, creating a harmonious partnership.

📵A simple thing to do is turn off your phone when you are with your horse, or put it somewhere where it won't cause a distraction.

Give this simple breathing exercise a try when you get to the yard. It calms your nervous system, slows your heart rate, and helps you become more present in the moment. This calm energy will also help your horse feel more relaxed and connected to you.

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Stand or sit in a relaxed position near your horse or in a quiet space. If you're with your horse, ensure they are calm and in a safe environment.

2. Take a Deep Breath In: Slowly inhale through your nose for a count of four. Imagine the air filling your lungs and flowing down to your tummy. Keep your chest and shoulders relaxed.

3. Pause Briefly: Hold your breath for a count of two. This moment of stillness helps you become aware of your body.

4. Exhale Slowly: Breathe out through your mouth for a count of six. Feel the tension leaving your body with the breath. Picture yourself releasing any stress or distractions.

5. Repeat: Perform this cycle 5–10 times, focusing on the rhythm and sensation of breathing.

Give this a go next time you're at the yard. Let us know how you get on. Share with any of your horsey friends that would like to try it too.