A first visit takes up to about an hour and a half: a history, watching your horse move, a hands-on assessment, treatment using manual therapy and exercise, and a written report to take away. Later visits are shorter. It is a proper clinical assessment, not a massage.
Much of the nervousness owners feel comes from not knowing what to expect, so this is how a visit goes, start to finish.
Before Grace arrives
Have your horse in and reasonably clean and dry if you can, with a headcollar to hand and a space to walk and trot up on a firm, level surface. If your vet has been involved, any notes or scan results are useful. That is all.
The assessment
Every visit starts with a conversation: your horse's age and history, what you have noticed, the work it does, and anything the vet has said. Grace then watches the horse move in hand, in a straight line in walk and trot and in a small circle in walk; if an arena is available, she may ask to have the horse lunged. From there she does a thorough hands-on assessment, palpating the muscles, feeling for areas of tension or soreness, and checking range of motion through the joints. You do not necessarily need to hold the horse yourself, unless Grace asks.
"Is it just a massage?"
No. Massage may be one of the tools, but the visit is a clinical assessment first. The treatment that follows is chosen because of what the assessment finds, and it draws on two areas: manual therapies and remedial exercise. The aim is always to treat the cause, not just rub the symptom.
Your written report
Every visit ends with a written report. It clearly shows you what areas Grace has worked on, and gives you a clear sense of what happens next: for example, whether your horse needs a follow-up treatment, or any stretches or exercises that would be useful for your horse.
Will my horse be sore afterwards?
Some horses are a little quiet or especially relaxed for a day, much as we can be after a deep massage or a good workout. Grace will tell you what to expect for your horse and how to manage the next day or two so the benefit holds.
Ready to book a first visit?
Grace will talk you through it all before she arrives.