With the Masterson Method of bodywork that relaxes the horse and relieves his body—including muscles and connective tissue—of deep stress and pain, you listen to what the horse’s body has to say and adjust your pressure (your level of touch on targeted Release Points) to get the result you want, which is the release from the horse. In this method of bodywork, as in many other instances when working with and training horses, when there is any question about whether you are using the correct amount of pressure, the answer almost always is less is more. Again, as when training a horse, this does not mean that you will not use any pressure or strength at all, but only that you need to keep in mind that, contrary to our human way of doing things, when you run into resistance to whatever level of pressure or touch you are using, it is when you soften or yield to that resistance that you will allow the horse to release the tension in his body.
Try this at home:
1 Stand facing a friend.
2 With one hand, hold on to her wrist. Pull gently on her arm and ask her to pull back.
3 The second you feel her pull, push toward her, and you will see that she will stop pulling.
This is what happens with the horse if you yield quickly enough to resistance.
The 13 Masterson Method Techniques are now available as a handy, easy-to-view, hanging wall chart format. Spiral-bound and grommeted, the wall charts feature larger print and maximized photos so they are easy to see and reference when hanging in the stall or near the cross-ties. The wall charts are a great companion to the bestselling book and DVD BEYOND HORSE MASSAGE by Jim Masterson.
For more information on the Masterson Method Wall Charts, CLICK HERE.