[.ca] Equine Massage: A Practical Guide (ISBN 0470073381)

Excellent diagrams, poor paper quality:
This is a great book. It covers equine anatomy in detail so you know what you are working with. The are tons of diagrams and drawings. It reads like a textbook, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it's not exactly easy, light reading at bedtime :) The only reason I didn't give it 4 stars is that the book feels cheaply made. The paper is very thin, and it seems like someone just xeroxed the pages and mailed them out. The cover should be plastic or a thicker bond of paper. Don't get me wrong, the spiral binding is a great idea--makes it easy to have a page open at the stables. But my pags are aleady starign to tear out a bit.

Clear, well written and well illustrated:
I already had a few basic massage techniques from my equine physio and this book is exactly what I wanted to further my knowledge. The beginning of the book includes clear detailed anatomical pictures. Each technique is then described and shown and practical helpful hints such as using your bathroom scales to work out what 'X'lbs of pressure feels like abound. To make the book even better there are then sections which describe what various 'routines' might be made up of (relaxation for instance) and how long to spend etc. There are also recommendations for how to start with a new horse, body signals to look for and when you may need a helper.

become a massage pro!:
This is an excellent book on equine massage. It covers anatomy in sufficient details and is well illustrated. The different moves are well explained and supported with clear pictures. I found the information on hydrotherapy, kinesiology, conformation and stretching surprisingly interesting. It gives you an overall view of the horse and it makes the book so much more useful. The fun part of it, you go and try it on your horse and it works! The horses love it and cooperate gladly. The book describe different routines of massage but leaves room for personal input as well. I had to treat wounds and swelling on my horses and found helpful tips in there. Excellent in theory, excellent in practice, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to try his hands on equine massage.

Really helps your horse:
It's amazing how easy it is to follow the author's instructions. I actually didn't know how to massage but I took the book with me to the barn and worked on my horse. Almost immediately, I could see the difference. He was moving more freely. His back felt much better. Later I used it on his legs to reduce swelling. Now when his leg swells or his back stiffens, I know what to do. If only I could get someone to do this for me.

Excellent:
Informative, easy to understand, and it actually works. My horse loves some of the techniques used in this book! I am very pleased!