About Us

SportHorse Nutrition and Therapies Therapist is Irma Verheij. Irma grew up in The Netherlands where her passion for horses was cultivated, her great grandfather was a member of the Dutch cavalry, the huzaren. Animals have always played an important and large role in her life and she has always been particularly fond of horses. Irma has an interest in classical dressage and appreciates and understands the strength, muscle control and muscle health that is required for any performance, might it be eventing , dressage, racing or jumping.

Irma trained as a Sports Massage Therapist in the Netherlands and has treated many human athletes. Athletes need to rely on a sound and efficient locomotory system to achieve the best possible result, horses are no different. Is it far easier for the Equine Athlete to achieve top performance and achieve results when the muscular system is in optimal condition and the horse can perform without pain and/or restrictions. Putting the skills learned and developed in massaging the human athlete; it only seemed natural to apply the same principals to the regal beast, our Equine partner.

To formalize her Equine Therapeutic Massage she has completed exams of Equine Myofunctional Therapy and is currently studying a Bachelor of Equine Science at University.

What to expect when we meet you and your horse

The first time we come out the therapist will gather some data (training, feeding, medical history etc.) by asking a few simple and short questions. A postural and gait assessment will follow and we will do a full palpation of the horses muscles followed by a treatment. At this time we are getting to know your horse and we look at how the horse reacts to touch all over it’s body. By palpating the muscles we stimulate the blood flow. The muscles soften and we are able to feel areas that are out of the ordinary more easily.

Feel free to ask questions you might have as we are always happy to answer them.

We would appreciate a dry and clean horse (spotless is not necessary but a lot of dirt on the coat is not desirable).

What do I do with my horse after the treatment?

It is a good idea to take your horse for a brief slow walk (leading) for a few minutes after the massage, never put your horse straight back into the box or stable. Your horse’s body might feel a little different the next day and your horse might move a little stiffer. This should improve after a few days

*This does not apply for Pre and Post event massages

What not to do after a massage

Some horses will benefit form not being worked for a day while others need to be worked, this is different for every horse and dependant on the work load of the horse , the therapist will inform you what we think the best is for your horse after a particular treatment.

*This does not apply to Pre and Post event massages

Cancellations

We understand life gets hectic and sometimes the need arises to change an appointment. Please give us as much notice as possible as the time you have booked has been set aside especially for you and your horse

Disclaimer

Any treatment performed by us is never intended to replace veterinary care or diagnose illness or structural problems. The purpose of our treatments is to aid and promote the horses overall well being and performance by working to improve the functional integrity of the muscles while reducing muscle stress, tension, stiffness and pain cause by any of these problems.

In case of a suspected illness, injury or structural problem consulting with your veterinarian is always recommended.