03/22/06 Rubbing animals the right way!

Rubbing your animals the right way. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. If you've ever had a really good massage you know how wonderful you feel both during and immediately after. A good massage increases circulation, flexibility, and comfort; provides emotional calming; and improves body awareness, general health, and overall well-being. The same holds true for your animals. Dee Schreiber is the co-owner of Equissage. SCHREIBER: A muscle is a muscle regardless of whether it's packaged in a horse, a dog, a human, whatever. Muscle tissue is muscle tissue and it can be overworked. It can be over used. Schreiber said his wife came up with idea after visiting with her chiropractor. SCHREIBER: At the time back in the late 80's (she) was running a boarding stable for horses and at the same time she was going to a chiropractor and she just thought there was something extra that could be done besides standard veterinary care for the welfare of horses. So she talked to the chiropractor and he said well yeah it can be done but it's going to take years of training and all of that. Why don't you think about massage. Dee's wife, Mary, founded Equissage in 1989. To date the Equissage Certificate Program in Equine Sports Massage Therapy. has graduated more than 8,000 Equine Sports Massage Technicians, from every state and 19 different countries around the world. SCHREIBER: We've been approved by the National Board of Massage and Body Work for continuing education units for our students, so the licensed human massage therapists are always looking for opportunities to earn continuing education units. Many graduates work for the very top echelon of owners and trainers...both in the racing world, as well as on the show circuit. Some have been selected to work with the US Equestrian team at the Olympics, while others have worked on winners of Triple Crown Races. As with humans, massage therapy is known for showing remarkable results. Horses perform better than they have in years, and muscle injuries heal faster than owners and trainers believed possible. For more information on Equissage, visit their website at www. Equissage.com or by calling 800-843-0224. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.