Benefits of Massage in Horses
Image credit: Farmhouse Chiropractic.
Your horse may appear to live in the lap of luxury, swathed in expensive blankets, eating top-shelf feeds, and turned out in lush pastures, but he can still suffer from stress. Athletic training and competition schedules, transport, and even interactions with other horses can increase cortisol levels.
According to Polish veterinary researchers, massage significantly lowers cortisol levels, and therefore stress, and decreases the number of “conflict behaviors” observed during riding.* These findings suggest that massage improves well-being, “enhancing the relationship between horse and rider while promoting relaxation and comfort for the animal.”
The benefits of massage were demonstrated in five horses used for recreational riding approximately six hours per week. Researchers measured cortisol levels in horses at four different time points before and after a typical riding session: at rest, immediately before grooming and riding, immediately after riding, and 45 minutes after riding. They then repeated the study with a 45-minute massage session incorporated immediately before grooming and riding. In this experimental session, researchers assessed cortisol levels at rest, immediately after massage before grooming and riding, immediately after riding, and 45 minutes after riding.
Cortisol levels at rest prior to any massage, grooming, or exercise were comparable between horses, with average levels ranging from 413 to 508 pg/mL. Cortisol levels were then measured either immediately before grooming and riding without massage or immediately before grooming and riding directly following massage.
“Cortisol levels in horses without massage increased to 920 pg/mL, but remained stable and comparable to resting levels in the group of horses that received massage at 393 pg/mL,” explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a Kentucky Equine Research nutrition advisor.
In addition to the substantial reduction in cortisol levels in the horses receiving massage, fewer “conflict behaviors” were observed during riding following massage.
“For example, tail-swishing, which was the most common observed behavior, occurred up to 53 times less often after massage,” shared Whitehouse.
Further, ear-pinning, mouth-opening during riding, head-tossing, rein-pulling, and backing all decreased in frequency following massage.
“Horses also exhibited relaxation behaviors such as a relaxed lower lip and eyes half closed during the massage sessions,” Whitehouse said.
The researchers concluded that massage was a “noninvasive method of reducing stress in recreational horses” and that massage had “immediate calming effects on conflict behavior and cortisol level reduction.”
The benefits of massage don’t stop there, however.
Ben Sykes, B.Sc., B.V.M.S., M.S., a preeminent researcher in the field of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), attests that massage also plays a role in managing glandular ulcers.** Glandular ulcers occur in the lower region of the horse’s stomach and are notoriously challenging to treat. According to Sykes, massage and other stress-relieving interventions such as one to two rest days per week and even music therapy or other environmental enrichment strategies may help.
Experts also recommend offering omega-3 fatty acids to horses with EGUS such as Kentucky Equine Research’s ReSolvin EQ.+
“Supplemental long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and the novel omega-6 fatty acid, GLA, found in ReSolvin EQ have been shown to support gastric health in horses. These fatty acids are considered functional ingredients and their intake has been linked to the reduction in chronic health conditions in horses and other species,” Whitehouse said.
Want to know more about what expert Ben Sykes has to say about gastric ulcers? Check out a Q&A with him published in the proceedings of the 2024 Equine Health and Nutrition Conference, presented by Kentucky Equine Research. The name of the article is “Squamous and Glandular Gastric Ulcers: New Treatment Options,” and it begins on page 59. Go now!
*Jastrzębska, E., A. Górecka-Bruzda, M. Ogłuszka, et al. 2025. Effect of massage on stress indicators in recreational horses-A pilot study. Animals (Basel) 15(6):789.
**Sykes, B. How to manage refractory equine glandular gastric disease. 2023. In: Proc. American Association of Equine Practitioners 69:327-330.
+Vokes, J., A. Lovett, and B. Sykes. 2023. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome: An update on current knowledge. Animals 13:1261.
