I enjoy the equine massage side of my business.  Although it can be hard work when you turn up to a client and there seems to be a mountain of muscle to deal with, the results are generally very rewarding.  It's always nice when clients tell you how their horses or ponies have improved, seem calmer or more full of life than before their massage but it's most personally rewarding simply to feel and see the change in the horse as you work on them.

The nervous, fidget becomes calm and relaxed.  The tense and sore, stretch out and show their relief with sighs and yawns.  Eyes soften and heads drop, the horse that was determined to kick or bite at the start drops his head and gently snuffles you for more attention.  These are the truely rewarding moments. 

Interestingly, one of the comments I get most often is about the oil solution I use when working on the horses.   People love the smell!  I make my own formula using aloe vera, mineral oil, pure gylcerine, lavender oil (and even pure lavender in the bottles) and a little menthol or peppermint for cooling. 

The actual purpose of the gel is to allow your hands to work across the horse's hair without irritating the horse.  By allowing your hands to slide you also get a much better contact with the muscles underneath and can feel what's going on more accurately.  This is particularly important when you are working on a horse with a heavy winter coat.   Unfortunately, if you've just spent hours bathing your horse you may not like the look much!