HYBRID Combo Certification Course
You asked, and we listened!
Many of you have wanted to get started on 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 redesigned our course to accommodate your busy schedules.
This course includes all of the same material and information as our original 7- Day Combo Course with the same quality instruction. We have ramped up our online course material to include videos, audio files, PDF's, quizzes and additional information that makes it easy to learn from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. We will have one-on-one Zoom sessions so that we can personally guide you through the material and make sure that all of your questions are answered.
Once you have completed the online course material, you will join us for a comprehensive and intense 4 days of hands-on learning.
The HYBRID Combo Certification Course includes the original Equissage curriculum with our original Advanced Workshop
Course Description
This is an intense course that will cover all aspects of sports massage in 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 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.
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.
Stretches
Students will learn how to safely and effectively take a horse through a sequence of stretches and core-strengthening exercises that involve every major muscle group in the horses body. Combined together, stretching takes the benefits of massage to a whole other level and the horses absolutely love it! This is taught through a combination of reading material, demonstration, and of course, hands-on instruction and practice.
Case Studies
You will take your ESMT skills and apply them to performance 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 and share their experiences and results with each other. We will evaluate the horses before and after to see firsthand the differences you have made for them. The collaborative results are typically significant which 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.
Saddle Fitting
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 reading material, demonstration, and hands-on instruction and practice.
Starting Your Business
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 first part of this course takes place in our online school and on ZOOM.
The second part takes place in Vista, Ca. where we meet in person for 4 days of live, hands-on instruction demonstrating and practicing all of the above! We begin at 9:00 AM daily and finish at varying times, usually close to 4:00 PM
Students who participate in this course acquire training, tools, experience, and confidence to be better prepared to work in this field.
Getting Signed Up
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.