Massage and bodywork can help a horse feel and move better. But the work isn’t regulated the same way from state to state, and not every bodyworker knows the rules where they work. It’s worth checking before someone puts their hands on your horse.
Here’s what to ask before the first session, and what a good bodyworker will tell you without being asked.
Before you book
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Do equine bodyworkers need a license?
Short answer
It depends on the state. Each state’s veterinary practice act decides whether massage and bodywork on other people’s horses is open to anyone, needs a vet’s referral or supervision, needs a state credential, or counts as veterinary medicine.
One equine bodywork school that tracks the rules state by state counts 27 states where animal massage is allowed, 6 where it needs a vet’s referral, 11 where it needs a vet’s supervision, and 5 where it isn’t allowed. One state hasn’t decided.1
A few examples show how different the rules are:
- Washington requires a state certificate to practice as a certified animal massage therapist. Getting one takes a 300-hour training program and a competency evaluation.2
- Maine lists massage therapy as part of the practice of veterinary medicine.3
- Arizona’s veterinary board once told animal massage practitioners they needed a veterinary license. It agreed in a 2017 court settlement to stop.4
Rules change, and boards reinterpret them. To know for sure, check your state veterinary board’s website or call them, and ask your bodyworker how they follow the rules where you live.
Should a bodyworker work with my vet?
Short answer
Yes, and in some states they have to. A good bodyworker asks about your horse’s vet care, works around injuries and lameness, and sends you to your vet when something needs a diagnosis.
If your horse is lame, sore in a new way, or coming back from an injury, call your vet first. Bodywork can be part of the plan, but it doesn’t replace finding out what’s wrong.
Where the state requires a vet’s referral or supervision, the bodyworker should ask for it before the first session. Where it doesn’t, a good one still keeps your vet in the loop.
What training and certification should they have?
Short answer
Training you can check: the program’s name, how many hours it took, and how much of it was hands-on with horses. A certificate from a recognized program is a good sign, but it isn’t a state license unless your state issues one.
Ask where they trained and how long it took. Look for anatomy, how horses move, safe handling, and supervised work on real horses, not only a weekend course or videos.
A school’s certificate and a state credential aren’t the same thing. In a state that issues its own certificate, like Washington, ask to see it.2
Should they carry insurance?
Short answer
Yes. Ask whether they carry professional liability insurance for equine work. Working around horses has real risks, and insurance protects both of you.
Most professionals are glad to tell you. If someone isn’t sure what their policy covers, or doesn’t have one, keep looking.
What shouldn’t a bodyworker do?
Short answer
Diagnose, prescribe medicine, or adjust joints and the spine. Diagnosis and prescriptions belong to your vet, and adjustments to a vet or chiropractor working within your state’s rules.
A good bodyworker tells you what they felt, like tight muscles over the back or a sore spot behind the saddle, and what they did about it. If something seems off, they suggest you call your vet.
Washington’s law puts it plainly: animal massage doesn’t include diagnosing or treating disease or injury.2
What should the first session look like?
Short answer
They ask about your horse’s history, work and vet care before they start, watch the horse move, and explain what they plan to do. Afterward they tell you what they found and what to do next.
Expect questions about past injuries, how the horse is being ridden or driven, saddle fit, shoeing, and anything your vet has said. A written intake before the first visit saves time at the barn.
After the session, you should know where they worked, what they found, and what to do until the next visit, like stretches or a few easy days. A written note is better than a quick chat in the barn aisle.
With WWC: Bodyworkers on WWC can send a new-horse intake before the first visit and a written session report after each one, with the spots they worked marked on the horse.
I’m a bodyworker. How do I show owners they can trust me?
Short answer
Know your state’s rules and follow them. Then make it easy to see: your training, certificates, insurance and how you work with vets, right on your website.
Owners are asking these questions more often. Answer them before they ask: list where you trained, the certificates you hold, that you carry insurance, and how you work with vets in your state.
Then do what you say. A history before the first visit and a clear report after each session show owners you’re a professional.
With WWC: Your WWC website has a place for your training and certificates, and the free Bodywork App sends owners a report after every session.
Questions bodyworkers ask
Is equine massage the same as chiropractic?
No. Massage and bodywork work on muscle and soft tissue. Chiropractic adjusts joints and the spine, and it has its own rules in each state.
Can I massage my own horse?
Generally, yes. The rules are about working on other people’s horses. Washington’s law, for example, says owners may use massage on their own animals.2
Who do I ask about the rules in my state?
Your state’s veterinary board. Ask whether animal massage or bodywork needs a license, a vet’s referral or a vet’s supervision.
Written by the Western Web Co. team. We’re family owned and build WWC in Cave Creek, Arizona.