Yes, I used to have my horses done by an equine massage therapist.
What were my experiences....hm. Mixed.
Um. Most people, if they get training in something else, they aren't going to be a vet later. It just is less likely to happen if the person is already established in something. So I think maybe decide now, if you really want to ever go to vet school or not. Vet school is definitely not for everyone. It's very hard to get admitted into a vet program - one needs very good grades. And vet school is a grind. It's hard. And if you want to go, it's best to funnel EVERYTHING toward getting in and staying in and getting out...now.
And...I think the younger you are when you go through vet school, and the more recently you got out of school, the less difficult it is to get in and get thru vet school. I think if you want to go to vet school 'some day', it would be a lot easier if you did it the younger you are, and the closer you are to school years. I'm going to guess you have some objections to vet school in mind or wouldn't go to massage school....is that true? Then probably, this is a more permanent decision? Then you are looking at making your living at massage full time? That is very different from wanting to just earn a few dollars here and there as a supplemental income.
There are a lot of untrained or poorly trained equine masseuses. They go from boarding barn to boarding barn, and they have a following. But usually not enough to provide a decent income like a full time job. There are a lot of people like that, and few that are very good. I'm assuming that you are talking about making a good, solid income and want to be one of the very good ones.
I don't give it the 'magical' properties some horse folk do. I think it helps the muscles to relax and is comforting and pleasant for the horse, much as it is for me. My horses would object when the masseuse stopped. I mean seriously.
But I also found if horsey was stiff to the left in motion, massage did not change that. What I DID feel was that massage would help the horse to cope with the under-saddle activities meant to address that stiffness. I don't go so far as to think that a few massages and my horse will miraculously do his job without training or conditioning. I see it as a PART of the whole picture, and not a substitute for a good conditioning program or skillful riding - you WILL meet people who think a stroke here, a stroke there, I'm going to the Olympics!
I don't feel it magically heals all sorts of things or is a substitute for veterinary care...you WILL find people who do think that! I think it's important not to take advantage of people like that, they get so starry-eyed they may not even get proper veterinary diagnosis or medical care for their horse when he needs it. 'Hm...my horse is lame...I'll get the masseuse! Then I can take him to the show next weekend and jump him in 12 classes!' Well, what's going on...perhaps the horse has an abcess in his foot or arthritis....maybe this is not the greatest idea....
You have to have enough sense of ethics to step back sometimes, and say, 'this horse needs a diagnosis, and medical care from a vet' instead of just willingly going along with what the owner wants - that magic massage. If you don't know what's wrong underneath for absolute sure, it's very hard to massage beneficially....you always have to be thinking of what's in the best interest of the horse's long term health...it MIGHT not be what the owner wants...sometimes, you have to step away from a situation....or harm your reputation permanently in the equine community.
I worked for a gal who was absolutely dying to go to the regionals. Her horse was lame in both ankles and both hocks, I mean hard-to-get-it-out-of-the-stall in the morning lame, and shouldn't have been working at that level at all. He was actually gradually breaking down in the ankles. She was DETERMINED she would go to regionals...so she stopped the painkillers the horse was on so they would clear his system in time for regionals, and had the masseuse come out every day before regionals and massage the horse's sore back (the back often gets sore if there is anything wrong in the hind legs).
The masseuse willingly did it. If she really knew what was going on and did that, and I seriously doubt she could have not known, people don't just have a masseuse out 12 days in a row...I am not sure I could ever look her in the eye again...let alone have her do up my horses. The horse went to regionals, but of course it did very poorly...I didn't really see the point of putting the animal through that...
I also found that after a few sessions, the massage therapy sessions got shorter and shorter...and the person seemed to be putting less and less effort into it. When I asked she said the horse was 'now on a maintenance program'. I was still paying the same price, but less was done. I didn't care for that. It's really important to 'run it like a business' and make sure everyone gets your undivided attention and focus, every session, every time. Being enthusiastic and interested in every animal, whether it's a family pet or a million dollar show jumper, really makes a difference to the customer.
I think it's very important to consider yourself as being a 'health care professional', and making really sure your business is very organized and very 'businesslike' - making up a smart route that saves miles if you drive to customers, honoring commitments, processing payments quickly, having consistent rates for all, a business card with your qualifications...advertising very professionally, all necessary.
I do have some suggestions for you.
One is to develop something the owner can do between visits, such as stretches. You probably feel many techniques should be left to the trained masseuse, and that's very good. But you might consider getting some hand outs made up that you can give to owners, things they can do between visits. That isn't just good for horses. It gets the owner participating and interacting with you, and that means they remember you. You're building a customer relationship. Hopefully a long term one. And you're giving people something other masseuses aren't.
One is that you find a program that will certify you in acupuncture, and perhaps research other 'adjunctive care' techniques that are well accepted in the veterinary community and are possible 'main stream' sources of income.
One is that massage, at 60 dollars or more a pop, is actually a very expensive service. For some people they will pay that without knowing anything about you.
But...that's something only a very few people will sign up for without very, very carefully going over the person's qualifications and knowledge. If you attend a quickie program or one that's not certified and recognized in the equine community as top notch, you will not win over as many potential customers.
The more you can learn equine anatomy and get riding lessons and compete, the more you know about your customer's needs, even more - the more they TRUST you. MANY of your customers will be competitive riders who spend a lot of money on their horses.
But the secret is, they don't really spend even one penny very casually!! They may be wary of someone who rides in a different style than them, even, or doesn't know about their type of riding.
The more you ride and understand horses, the more you are better than other masseuses in the customer's eyes, and people will hire you instead of someone else.
There really is a lot more to learn about anatomy than what is presented in the massage program, it needs to be an ongoing process. There are a lot of sources of information, courses, etc.
One masseuse found out my horse had a peroneus strain, and kept going on about how she was going to massage the back of the hind quarters. I said, 'um....the peroneus is on the FRONT of the hind leg....' and she said, 'No it isn't'. I was like...this horse has a serious injury, I don't think if she understands the anatomy, I want her doing this horse. That's where the knowledge really becomes important!
One is to consider giving people discounts if they are part of a group or have multiple horses at one barn. It costs you more to drive to more barns, and the more you can sign up groups at one location, the better.
You ALSO might consider giving people a 'package rate'. If for example, they sign up for a series of massages over the year, consider giving them a bit of a discount. The more predictable you make your income with repeat customers on a schedule, the better for you.
The other thing you might really consider, is getting to know the vets at one of the big equine clinics near you. If you win the VET'S trust, and get involved in rehabilitating injured horses, partnering with them in what they feel is needed, you could have an INCREDIBLE income and a huge amount of clout in the equine community. It would absolutely, help you get into vet school some time later.
When you're beginning, you might offer your services free to that vet clinic for a few months, learning what they think is needed and partnering with them, offering a massage at the clinic and followups to show how you can help.
Another thing to think about is - SAFETY! YOUR safety. You're often going to find restless, poorly trained and even fairly naughty horses that 'Mommy' feels very protective of. I've seen two masseuses get hurt very badly because Mommy's spoiled little angel was not properly disciplined. I URGE you to be very, very cautious around horses you do not know. If a horse is restless or disobedient, you are vulnerable and you need to be very, very good at 'reading' horses and owners, and knowing when to say, 'I am sorry, but I can't massage this horse'. Get health insurance for yourself, too, and keep it.
