How to become an Equine Sports Massage Therapist If you have a passion for horses and would like a rewarding career working with these wonderful animals, then becoming an equine sports massage therapist might be the right choice for you! Being an equine massage therapist means that you get to help improve the life of the horses, and reduce and help to prevent injuries and pain. Whether you are treating a horse who is a racehorse, eventer, one who competes in other equine sports or a horse which is a beloved family member, it is extremely rewarding to help. Equine sports massage has been shown to reduce muscle fatigue, inflammation, muscle spasms and en- hance circulation amongst other benefits. Whilst technically you don’t need any formal qualifications to practice, you should consider that it is an offence for any person, other than the owner of the horse to treat an animal unless they have permission from the animals vet. A vet is extremely unlikely to refer any customers to you unless you are fully insured and qualified. You should review your course options based on your goals and take a reputable course that will provide you with the knowledge and skills to being practicing. Some courses are more in depth and only available to post-graduates, others are open to those with less qualifications. Your training can be undertaken to fit around your existing commitments, allowing you to complete your course and be able to build you practice whilst for example, still working. Whichever equine sports massage therapy course you choose, you can be certain that no two days will be the same and you will meet some wonderful people and horses.