Elevated Manual
therapy for Horses

Explore GT Equine Training

Elevated
Manual Therapy
for Horses

If you live to treat horses, you’ll do everything in your power to help them live better lives. That means offering elevated care options to ensure they are pain-free and operating at peak performance—important considerations for any elite athlete.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a form of manual therapy that enables precise detection and treatment of fascial restrictions with less pain to the horse, less wear and tear on practitioners’ hands, and better overall outcomes.

Graston Technique is a unique, evidence-based form of IASTM that utilizes medical grade stainless steel instruments to amplify the feeling of palpation and expand the power of your hands as you work to identify soft tissue irregularities in the horse’s body. Maximize the outcomes of your manual therapy treatments.

Why Use IASTM and Graston Technique on Horses?

Horses are magnificent, powerful creatures built for movement. That movement relies on 700 muscles enveloped in a complex network of fascia. Due to the type of activities horses take part in, this massive network regularly experiences stress, tears, and strains. Just like humans, when horses sustain injuries, the damaged tissue heals in a fibrotic manner that results in restricted mobility, limited stability, and very often, pain and functional limitations that can sideline them indefinitely. Musculoskeletal injuries are the predominant cause of loss of use in sport horses.

IASTM therapy has proven to be incredibly effective in treating any form of movement system dysfunction with a soft tissue component. Following the kinetic chain, IASTM targets and specifically treats affected tissues, resulting in improved range of motion and resolving issues once thought to be permanent.

Graston Technique has been on the forefront of IASTM since its mainstream clinical adoption. Recognized as a pioneer in the industry, our instruments and protocol are backed by more than 20 years of clinical research and anecdotal evidence. Over 43,000 clinicians use our medical grade, stainless steel instruments to target injured tissue and treat damaged tendons and ligaments, which together comprise up to 46% of all sport horse injuries. The results are undeniable: faster recovery time, less treatment time, and pain free outcomes for both your hands and the horses in your care.

What they are saying…

Kira Rubin

While attending horse shows, I became aware of how over multiple show days my horse Hank’s movements were becoming restricted due to muscle-soreness and tightness. Graston Technique treatments alone have proven to be successful for my horse. Thanks to Graston Technique I am able to help him successfully compete through the long days of continued show jumping. I am not only helping Hank access more comfortable movement ranges and develop more muscle tone; but also, preparing him to reach higher jumping-heights and achieve higher dressage scores in the competitive show arena.

Randy J Gootzeit

Slider, a retired cutting horse with a contracted front tendon, ran around his paddock with his tail up in the air the morning after his first Graston Technique treatment.

Kelly Hebner

Dr. Stephanie Crawford uses the Graston technique on my thoroughbred mare and there’s no going back. Bella has kissing spine that is managed with exercise but still gets very tight over her withers, in her neck, and in her hamstrings. Bella is very expressive and she expresses very thoroughly how much she enjoys when Dr. Crawford uses the Graston technique. She visibly relaxes, snorts, sticks her tongue out of the side of her mouth, and stretches her head and neck out. Not only that, but I notice and large difference when I get back on her. She moves freer in her shoulder and is able to push through her hind end. This technique has made a huge difference in her life and I’m very grateful!

Invest in a deeper level of care for the horses you treat.
Learn more about Graston Technique Equine Trainings in your area.