Equissage California Combo Course 

The Combo course combines both our 5-day certification course and our Advanced Workshop      

This course will take place at REINS Therapeutic Riding Center in Fallbrook, Ca. & Phoenix Creek Farm in Vista, Ca.

The Equissage Equine Sports Massage Therapy Certification Program is an intense 5-day 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 which 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.

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 Monday through Friday at REINS Therapeutic Riding Center. We spend a lot of time in the classroom, as well as many hours in the barn demonstrating and practicing the sports massage strokes and the Equissage massage sequence.

 The weekend Advanced workshop was designed to take the ESMT skills of an Equissage graduate 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. In this workshop, we also take a deeper look at the business side of things; how to reach your goals in this rewarding field. Case studies: In this informative and fun hands-on workshop students will take their ESMT skills and apply them to horses with real-life issues.

We go to either an Equine Rescue or a performance horse barn and work on case studies together. Each student will be responsible for their own case study. 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 this workshop is not only watching the dramatic and obvious improvements each horse makes but watching each student truly realize the powerful difference they can make for these horses.

Stretches: 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.

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 text, demonstration and hands-on instruction and practice.

Business and Marketing: As though it isn’t already enough, we finish off the workshop 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.

Students who participate in the Advanced Workshop acquire more tools, experience, and confidence and are better prepared to work in this field. The advanced workshop is a 2-day workshop held on Saturday and Sunday following the 5-day certification.

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.