7-Day HYBRID Combo Course
You asked, and we listened!
Many of you have wanted to get started in your journey as an Equine Sports Massage Therapist but have had trouble getting away from your responsibilities at home for 7 days plus travel time... So, we created an alternative for you where you can still learn all the same material and experience the same quality instruction as you would if you attended our 7-day Combo Course! The material is the same and the certification is the same, only you get to do part of it from the comfort of your own home via a combination of ZOOM and our online course format while still having 4 days of live hands-on instruction and practice.
You will gain access to our online class format and study at your own pace in combination with personalized Zoom sessions to keep you on track and supported, then meet in person for 4 intense days to train and practice the hands-on portion of our course in Vista, CA.
The 7-Day HYBRID Combo course combines both our 5-day certification course and our Advanced Workshop
The Equissage Equine Sports Massage Therapy Certification Program is an intense course that will cover all aspects of sports massage on the equine athlete and prepare you for a career as an equine health care professional. In this course, a major emphasis is placed on the application of the sports massage strokes, techniques, and the Equissage sequence. Students will learn the basic anatomy and physiology of the equine muscular system as well as the basic anatomy of the horse as it pertains to massage. Students will also learn to be aware of the specific conditions that may affect the horse if those muscles become strained, pulled, tired, tense, sore, or not adequately nourished through blood and lymphatic circulation. Students will learn how to identify these problem areas and how to restore the body’s natural musculoskeletal balance.
This course was designed to take your ESMT skills to another level. We have added hands-on, real-life experiences with our case studies where students learn collectively from all the horses in the study. Students will also learn two additional services they can offer their clients, an in-depth stretching sequence as well as saddle fitting services. We also take a deeper look at the business side of things; and how to reach your goals in this rewarding field.
Students will learn how to safely and effectively take a horse through a sequence of stretches and core-strengthening exercises. This is taught through a combination of text, demonstration, and of course, hands-on instruction and practice.
During the last 2 days together, we will do our case studies. You will take your ESMT skills and apply them to horses with real-life issues. Each student will be assigned a horse and will take that horse through a series of evaluations, massages, and stretches. We will evaluate the horses before and after to see firsthand the differences you have made for them, and the results are typically shocking! Which really helps you get started in your new career with confidence.
Together we will take a deep look at the how what, and why of each horse's condition and demonstrate how sports massage can help. The most amazing part of the case studies is not only watching the dramatic and obvious improvements each horse makes but also watching each student truly realize the powerful difference they can make for these horses.
Students will learn how to properly evaluate and fit a saddle to a horse. Incorrect saddle fit is one of the most common causes of back issues in horses. Gone unrecognized, back pain can lead to many other problems both physical and behavioral. In this part of the course, we focus on the anatomy of the equine back and the anatomy of the saddle and how to properly pair the two. This is taught with a combination of text, demonstration, and hands-on instruction and practice.
We finish off the course with an in-depth look at what it truly takes to be successful in this field. We all have different goals, and each student will have the opportunity to explore what those goals are for them. This is an open-sharing opportunity for students to learn from each other and past students as well. Here we will share trade secrets and focus on what marketing and business plans work well and which work not so well.
Some of the other topics we cover include safety, the many benefits of massage, listening to the horse, proper business practices, marketing your services, soap notes, contraindications, and quite a bit more.
The coursework takes place over 3 days via ZOOM, and then we meet in person for 4 days of live, hands-on instruction demonstrating and practicing all of the above!
Students who participate in this course acquire training, tools, experience, and confidence to be better prepared to work in this field.
Tuition is $2,575.00 and requires a $600 deposit to reserve your space.
Deposits are transferable between on-site courses. Deposits will only be held for 1 year, and there is a transfer fee if less than a 1-month notice is given. Deposits are not transferable to the online course, nor are they transferable between students.