Performance and Healing Through Touch Billy Anderson, Saddle Fitter and Massage Therapist By: Lauren Pigford The majority of horse owners do anything and everything for their horses. When the horse is in pain, stiff or lame, the owner will consult with veterinarians, trainers and other horse owners just to figure out how to get the horse back up and running. One of the new therapies in the horse world is Massage Therapy and Billy Anderson of Anderson Equine Services is hoping to make a difference one horse at a time. Anderson was certified in massage therapy in 2002 from Animal Dynamics in the Ocala, Florida area. He chose the school because of its extensive program and curriculum. He also decided Animal Dynamics was the right choice because of the booming horse industry in Ocala. Anderson worked on all types of performance, sport horses while earning his certification. He worked with high level Dressage horses, Jumpers and even Arabian racehorses. He then earned his certification in saddle fitting in 2006. Anderson returned to the Mid-South area after growing up in Germantown, hoping to bring massage therapy and correct saddle fitting to light in his home town. “The goal of my company is to make muscle and soft tissue therapy combined with correct saddle fitting a mainstay in the Mid-South. Through education, people may learn to provide better care to their horses,” Anderson said. Anderson firmly believes that massage therapy will help prevent injuries as well as help injuries heal. It will also help increase a horse’s performance and athleticism. Massage therapy reduces soreness, helps remove a build up of toxins in the muscles, and helps eliminate atrophy. He also promotes other types of sports therapy. Anderson believes chiropractic and acupuncture therapy, which only veterinarians can be licensed to do, combined with massage therapy will help keep a horse active, limber and at the top of its sport. After all, horses are athletes no matter what discipline. Today Anderson has an abundance of clients in the hunter/ jumper, foxhunting and pleasure riding disciplines throughout the Mid-South. Depending on the horse, he can schedule sessions up to three times a week, every other week, or once a month. Anderson starts each session at the horse’s head and really says “hello.” He then works his way down the neck muscles to the back and then to the rear, ending his sessions with stretching the horse out. “Each session is an average of 50 minutes. Now, sometimes I get through in 45 minutes, other times it takes an hour and 15 minutes. Each horse is different,” Anderson said while working on Lyrikal, a nine year old, Quarter Horse mare. Proper fitting saddles can eliminate back pain, prevent back injuries and sore muscles. Anderson personally likes wool flocked saddles. He explained that the warmth from the horse’s back will help form the wool so the saddle shapes to the horse’s back. According to Anderson, this does not mean having to buy a brand new saddle. “Used saddles are great if the fit is right. Besides, you can always have a wool flocked saddle reflocked and it will form to your horse’s back. It is like having your own custom fit saddle,” Anderson proclaimed. Anderson informs his clients about proper exercise for the horse and things to do between massage sessions. Stretching the horse before and after any workout is extremely important. Just like in people, athletes always stretch their muscles in warm-up before and after work to prevent injuries. Cross training is also important for horses’ muscles and flexibility. “Cross training is the best thing in the world. It builds muscle mass because different exercises and training are being done,” Anderson said. Anderson encourages owners to give horses more time in the pasture than up in a stall. “Being turned out the horse is able to move around and get exercise while also gaining flexibility. Standing in a stall all day can make a horse’s muscles and joints stiff.” At the end of each session Anderson goes over the therapy with the horse owner. He tells them where the horse’s sore spots and tension were. He shows them types of stretches to help reduce stress in the horse’s trouble areas. He also goes over where the horse has improved. Anderson recently launched a new website for his business, www.andersonequineservices.com. On Anderson’s website there is information about Massage Therapy, Saddle Fitting, pricing and much more. Anderson hopes that sports therapy, like massage therapy, will grow in the Mid-South area. It is more than just pampering your horse; it is maintaining your horse’s health and preventing injuries.