Wait – you didn’t know there could be risks to your horse when using an equine massage gun? Then you’d best read on.
First, there are certainly benefits to massage guns. They’re easy to use and time friendly when you’re time-poor.
They retail to suit every budget, and there’s no difference between ‘human’ and ‘horse’ devices.
They can help with pre-work warm-up and post-work relaxation, and may help to reduce post-work soreness.
But, but, but – you do need to switch on your mind at the same time as your gun.
And here’s why.
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1. Check the horse with your hands first.
This way, you can see if there are any adverse reactions to touching in certain areas. It’s better to know in advance, rather discover a problem with a device that isn’t giving you feedback.
Remember, these are designed primarily to be used by humans on themselves – humans know where their own spots are, or can tell you, but horses rely on you to be cautious.
2. Vibration is fantastic for myofascia.
Soft tissue generally doesn’t need to be hammered.
Hint 1: using the side of the round massage head will achieve more vibration than percussion.
Hint 2: the less intrusive flat head used gently and flat to the surface also creates more vibration.
Please don’t use the hard pointy applicators, which are so much more likely to hit directly into a painful spot, or worse, penetrate an area of torn fascia.
3. Go lightly and keep it moving.
You’re not mashing potatoes here – this is a sensitive body. By minimizing pressure, you’re allowing more of a vibrational effect to happen.
You also don’t risk creating bruises (as can happen in humans, apparently). Your horse can’t tell you until it has already happened.
Don’t work closely over bone – and remember that older horses may have arthritic joints that don’t benefit from heavy percussion.
4. Little and often is better.
Too much work starts to cancel out the good work that’s already been achieved through a light approach.
Massage guns are best used on small, targeted areas in short bursts.
And a practical conern is that you don’t want to overheat the device – many have an automatic shut-off after 10-15 minutes for this reason.
5. Check your horse’s responses.
If your horse is showing any signs of tension, stop. The whole point here is relaxation. Tense muscles + percussion = high impact => pain.
If your horse starts leaning into it and groovin’, then fine, turn it up – but only if they say so.
It’s not a goal in itself (question why they’re so tense in that spot – maybe change something in training?). If there’s any flicker of discomfort in their eye, stop right now.
6. Don’t go higher than the base of neck.
Think about it: you’ll be vibrating the skull. Try that on yourself if you’re not sure why it might be unpleasant!
Lots of horses have tension and pain around the poll and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It’s always better to do the upper neck with your hands and a whole lot of love.
7. Ask why some muscles are always sore.
There may be muscles that are always sore, particularly as your horse steps up the work.
Maybe that spot would benefit from a gentle hand rub?
And maybe slow down the work pace down as well, if tension keeps developing?
Don’t be the Cozy Powell of massage gun users – think prevention and therapy, not heavy rock!
8. Steer well clear of injuries.
If your horse is injured, don’t try to help with your massage gun. Doing so could likely disrupt the healing process.
Wait until the healing process is well under way and then start really lightly and only in adjacent areas. This is the best time to think about vibration rather than percussion.
9. Take note of fresh pain responses.
If your horse is reactive in an area that was fine yesterday or last time you worked, stop. You may be right above an injury.
Worse, if you’ve been using too much pressure, you may have intensified an issue.
10. Don’t forget nutrition.
If muscles are always super-tight in spite of careful conditioning and therapeutic work, there may be an imbalance in your horse’s nutritional and mineral intake that’s having a metabolic effect.
Interested in equine massage guns?
How do you know which massage guns for horses present really good options?
I don’t believe in buying on the basis of a label alone, but at the same time, demonstrated reliability is a good thing.
And don’t worry about whether it’s called an equine massage gun or not. They’re all the same technologies, whether marketed for human or horse use.
Atom Mini Massage Gun by Hydragun
I’m picky about what goes into my treasured gear bag when I’m visiting horses. I want a range of treatment options close to hand, but don’t want to be slowed down by bulky devices or excessive weight. And I always want to zip my bag up!
Here’s a mini gun I therefore like a lot.
- It’s quiet – incredibly quiet.
- It’s compact yet high powered despite its size (14.4 x 12 cm).
- You can charge it via USB-C on your laptop, or the phone charger in your car.
- It’s a simple piece of kit with 3 speeds and the smooth flat head I prefer.
- Battery life is a very handy 5 hours.
- It weighs merely 550g (1.2lbs) so you won’t be getting tired arms.
- It’s durable and cleanable (is that word?) with an aerospace-grade aluminum casing.
- Cost is approx US $199.
Add to that fast shipping and a 1.5 year warranty… Read more about the Atom Mini Massage gun here.
The Original Hydragun
This gun is widely favoured for being the quietest device on the market. It’s not the cheapest, but there’s a good reason for that: this quiet device is finely tuned one with superior components.
- It’s supremely quiet at just 30-50dB
- It has a single speed and that’a faster one at 3200PPM
- The 7 attachments include no less than 3 of my favourite flat heads.
- The weight of 1.04 kg is a major advantage when working with your arm extended.
- It’s durable with an aerospace-grade aluminum chassis.
- The worldwide reviews for this device are simply phenomenal, but it comes in cheaper than the big name brands at the top of the market.
- Cost is $299, with that 1.5 year warranty, plus free returns and exchanges…