Equine Muscle Release Therapy (EMRT)
EMRT can help with:
unresolved or intermittent lameness
unexplained deterioration in performance
stiffness on one rein
disunited paces
sore or sold back
uneven shoe wear or dragging of feet
uneven muscle development or muscle wastage
filled legs
unexplained resistances
Alison Goward, a stud owner, trained equine nurse, lecturer at the Queensland Institute of Natural Science and Bowen therapist and teacher, derived EMRT from the highly successful human therapy The Original Bowen Technique. She knew that the human technique could not be directly transposed to horse, and spent 10 years researching and developing EMRT. She collaborated with Equine Vet Dr. T.McEnvoy BVSc (Hons) to make EMRT into a practitioner level course in Australia and brought the therapy to the UK in 1996. Just as in Bowen treatment involves a series of gentle, rolling moves made with practioners hands, fingers and thumbs at key points on the horse's body. Most of the EMRT body work is concentrated on the fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue which covers every organ, blood vessel, nerve, muscle and bone in the horse's body. In its prime state the fascia is loose, moist and mobile allowing free movement between all parts of the body and free flow of bodily fluids.
Injury or stress results in hardening of the fascia and therefore a reduction in the flow of fluids and elasticity. Internally, problems in the fascia show up in many ways: contracted muscles can pull the skeleton out of alignment; the flushing of waste products from compressed tissues is inhibited resulting in a build up of toxins; nerves can be trapped. On the outside, the above is reflected in the restricted movement of the horse and lack of symmetry as highlighted by muscle wastage or overbuild.
EMRT works by activating the small nerve cells, called propriorectors. These cells carry their messages via the central nervous system to the brain to re-programme the area of trauma. By freeing congestion, correcting restrictions and misalignments of fascia and tissue EMRT helps to bring the body back into a state of balance and symmetry, allowing the horse to achieve optimum health and therefore performance.
www.emrt.eques.com.au (click here)