Lately, the headlines have been flooded with story after story, attack after attack, about the moral ethics of medicating the thoroughbred racehorse. We have owners and trainers, race officials and vets from all over the world on this controversial subject. Is it really necessary to medicate a racehorse, and if so, why? Does the fact that they’re athletes predispose them to chronic pain, whether it’s body pain, leg pain, hoof problems, respiratory problems? Is medicating them cruel? Wouldn’t it be even more cruel to medicate them? Is it an ongoing discussion?
What is not debatable or controversial in any way is the time-tested, old-school racehorse day-to-day care, the actual leg rub, the vigorous care to aid circulation, the good nutrition , no-nonsense training, and most recently, the new kid on the block, equine massage. More and more stables are relying on equine massage to help maintain thoroughbred racehorse sound. And guess what, it’s not just good for the horse, it’s good for business. It’s legal, it’s humane, and it’s gaining popularity.
“That’s because it’s a win-win!” says Bev Brady of Equine Massage & Rehab. “It relieves pain and muscle spasms, allowing the horse to work and run much better. If you have pain in any part of your body, you will not give 100% during the race. most of the time they do. I’ve had horses that had never won before the massage, finally going to Winner’s Circle!”
George S. Bush, trainer, says, “Bev helped me win many races at Turfway Park and River Downs. After every adjustment done by Dr. Mark Haverkos, I would have Bev come in and massage the horses to keep them in trim.” for longer. This was so thrilled that my percentage in the money was 75%!”
Given his reputation for being high-strung, I asked him how the racehorse behaved during the massage.
Like most horses, the first half of their first massage they may be worried about what is going to happen, but most of the time after that they relax and enjoy it. Once a lot of horses realize how good that feels, they actually whinny when they see me coming to work with them.”
After the massage, how soon can they exercise or run?
“I like to do at least 3 massages in 7-9 days on a horse that is sore. Usually it takes that to get all the pain out, which is what you want. I usually ask that the horse not be ridden in the middle .the first and second massage. And if that’s not possible, at least give them rest the days after the massage to allow the treatment to help the muscles relax.”
Does massage affect a horse’s appetite?
“I’ve had horses that have gotten bigger after massage therapy. Like us, if they’re really sore, they don’t want to eat.”
Does massage before or after a Thoroughbred work better?
“I like to massage the horses at least 2 times before a race, give another one after the race to get rid of any pain it may have caused, and keep them on a maintenance plan of about twice a month.”
Given Bev Brady’s practice with thoroughbred racehorses, I asked her about her feelings on drugs and thoroughbred racehorses.
“There are medications that are required for the race and I have no control over them. I feel like that’s up to the vet and the trainer to decide. My hope is that with the massage, any medication they may need for pain can be cut.” returned or removed entirely.”
