Seeing a Man About a Horse Massager
by Chelsea Lindemann
Rocco Wachman, the colorful TV personality from CMT’s Cowboy U and lead instructor at Ar- izona Cowboy College, hasn’t had a chiropractor out to the ranch in over three years. “Our horses don’t have the kinds of problems they used to,” he says. His secret? Wachman relies on the Eq-uisports Massager to maintain the health of his horses without breaking the bank.
The Equisports Massager is known among horse owners for its ability to help relax and alleviatea horse’s tight or sore muscles. Horse owners say they can visibly see their horses relaxing, the horse will start to lower his eyes, lick his lips and cock a back leg.
Wachman has his own telltale method. He says that when a horse is getting his massage in the barn, he’s so content that he doesn’t even notice feed time. “Can you imagine that?,”
While barrel racers and other performance horse owners swear by the Equisports Massager for improving their horse’s performance, Wachman recommends it as an effective, easy way for anyone to keep costs down in the barn. “We had a Holstein jumping horse who would split in two whenever we tried to put a saddle on him. He would go nuts,” Wachman says. After discovering the horse’s extremely tight and sore shoulders and withers, Wachman started massaging him twice a day. “Every day it got better, until there was no problem. It didn’t cost me a dime. This is something anyone can do to cut down on vet bills. It’s easy and it works,” says Wachman.
Since acquiring the Equisports Massager in 2004, US-based manufacturer, Core Products International, Inc, and distributor, Bent H Ranch Products, have made many design improvements. Weighing only 7.5 pounds, the massager can be used with one hand, and has important safety features, such as a convection-cooled motor and ground fault plug, to ensure safe use in the barn. “It always works,” agrees Wachman, “There’s no maintenance to it.” While a great recovery tool for lame or injured horses, the massager can also be used to maintain
an already healthy horse. After seeing such positive results with his injured horses, Rocco incorporated the Equisports Massager into the care regimen of the ranch’s 50 horses, all of whom now get a 20-minute massage, 3 times a week.
On Cowboy U, Wachman is known for pushing the contestants to their physical and mental limits. Now that we know how Wachman spoils his horses, will he lose his reputation? Wachman isn’t worried. “The Equisports Massager works,” he says simply, “I’m a tough guy, I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”
Want to know more about the life of Rocco Wachman, working cowboy? Visit his website at
www.roccowachman.com www.roccowachman.com and check out the Equisports
Product Video on his store page.
Equine massage is long recognized by owners, trainers, professionals and competitors as a means to incorporate ancillary therapy into the overall integrated health care program of the horse.
Equine massage therapy brings relief to the horse in many ways and it allows the horse owner the opportunity to provide beneficial treatment at their own barn facility. A consistent massage program enhances the horse’s performance and ability to recover from their workout and competition.
Some of the most common problems addressed by equine massage are: tying up, limited range of motion, circulation, stress and the restoration of muscle definition.
Massage minimizes stiffness and speeds repair to tissue damaged as the result of physical stress and fatigue; it is also a very effective procedure for post operative application. Its use helps to lengthen the connective tissue thus breaking down the formation
of adhesions and scar tissue.
After hundreds of miles in the saddle, thousands of hours of wet saddle pads and many fi ne horses; we decided to do something, in return, for all of the dedicated, loyal, 4-legged equine friends in every equine discipline.
A search began in earnest, some 5 years ago, for a product to benefit the horse; one which would be designed and tailored specifically for the equine industry.
Knowing that massage is a critical part of most other athletic programs; we decided to make our mark and entry into the equine industry with the equine EQUISPORT Massager.
“We are extremely impressed with the massager. Its solid construction, warranty and safety features only make a believer out of our customers and me. There is a need for specialized high quality products for the benefit of the horse and rider. The EQUISPORTS Massager is a great product for horse people.” Dick Huntzinger, Pres. Bent H Ranch Products, LLC.
MASSAGE:
– One of the most useful and easily obtained forms of treatment inthe field of physical therapy.
– Dilates or opens up blood vessels, improving circulation and relieving congestion.
– Increases the number of red blood cells, especially in cases of anemia.
– Acts as a “mechanical cleanser” pushing along lymph and hastening the elimination of wastes and toxic debris.
– Improves muscle tone and helps prevent or delay muscular atrophy resulting from forced inactivity.
– Relaxes muscle spasms and relieves tension.
– Increases the blood supply and nutrition to muscles without adding to their load of toxic lactic acid produced through voluntary muscle contraction.
– Helps to overcome harmful “fatigue” products resulting from strenuous exercise or injury.
– Compensates for lack of exercise and muscular contraction due to injury, illness or age. In these cases, massage helps return venous blood to the heart and eases the strain on this vital organ.
– May burst the fat capsule in the subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed.
– Increases the excretion of fluids along with nitrogen, inorganic phosphorous and salt via the kidneys
– Stretches connective tissue, improves the circulation and nutrition of the tissue, breaks down or prevents the formation of adhesions and reduces the danger of fibrosis.
– Improves the circulation and nutrition to joints. It helps lessen inflammation and swelling in joints and in turn alleviates pain.
– Encourages the retention of nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur necessary for tissue repair in horses convalescing from bone fractures.
– May have a sedative or stimulation effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of the massage treatment.
Contact:
EQUISPORTS MASSAGER
Bent H Ranch Products, LLC
PO Box 1094
Mayer, Arizona 86333
Phone: 928.632.9654
benth@earthlink.net
www.horsemassagers.com