Masterson method?? Anyone used

I've played around with it. I'm pretty skeptical about stuff that looks like this but I'm pretty certain I saw genuine positive effects. I would use it alongside more "conventional" physiotherapy (rather than instead off) but I think it has value.
 
I went on a weekend training course to learn the basics. I think its a great technique but if you have real problems you need far more advanced Masterson skills plus maybe other 'stuff' (physio etc). I use Richard Maxwell for my horses body work and he is a trained practitioner but incorporates it with other techniques.
 
There are free you tube videos which are a great start and definitely don't do any harm.
Surprisingly, my super practical, old fashioned non touchy-feely hunting Chiro actually is a real fan so I think it all adds to the knowledge bank, but agree that for the layman better for maintenance than solving real problems.
 
We host a yearly course at work. It’s very interesting. Jim Masterson (who couldn’t attend in person this year) is great. He’s a nice guy and a proper horseman.
The horses really love it.
 
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What I found interesting was that when I first tried a wither wobble on MrT in passing, he did the most ridiculous massive yawn and I thought he was going to fall over he went so floppy through his neck. I'd read the exercise in the 55 corrective exercises book, thought it sounded like a load of codswallop but was just walking past the horses while they were standing chilling one afternoon and tried it... it certainly got my attention! I couldn't even get my hands into position to do anything on his poll. Now the physio has been I can understand why and suspect it would be different if I tried the technique now. I also knew from trying MM stuff that there was an issue in The Beast's shoulders before the physio told us. I couldn't sort it with the MM though, but I knew it was there and I think with enough sessions we'd have probably worked it out. I haven't done any since the physio was here but I might give it a go to see what, if anything, has changed.

It has definitely made me think about being slightly less cynical at times!
 
Had a masterson practioner out to my mare. Was really interesting to watch horses facial expressions and other subtle signs as she was being worked on. She was chilled and totally relaxed by the end of the session.
 
I've got the book and played about it with it over the years. He was big in America before becoming known over here. I subscribed to a couple of american horse magazines and I liked what I'd read. He appears to be a proper horseman who had a lot of intuition.

I responded to a fb advert for a trainee looking for Guinea pigs and got the horses done. They loved it and enjoyed it much more than their usual physio.

Having said that I booked a "qualified" masterson practitioner previously and she was awful. She had NO clue about anatomy and at one point waved her hand over the hind quarters and said "I dont know the name of the muscles so just, you know, this part".

I've also just bought the DVD of the Jim Masterson and Mark Rashid clinic: A mind still like water. So I'm looking g forward to it arriving

I don't think anatomy is (or was) covered in great depth but you'd think anyone paying all that money to train and qualify (it's a very expensive course IMO) would at least have bothered to pick up an anatomy book.
 
I had someone out today for all 3 horses and was sceptical as I'm used to sport physio sessions or chiro. It definitely "did" something as the horses were licking and chewing and yawning but I just don't know what it did. Xx
 
Jim Masterson is on episode 33 of Warwick Schillers free podcast (spotify and all the usual places) explaining how the Masterson Method came to be
 
oldie48 said:
I've had Richard Maxwell treat one of my horses on three occasions and was amazed at how relaxed the horse was and how improved he felt to ride. Not had "straight" Masterson but very impressed with Richard Maxwell's technique.
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I think RM is "straight" Masterson now, he did the training and qualifications iirc
 
TPO said:
I think RM is "straight" Masterson now, he did the training and qualifications iirc
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Yes he may be, this was back in 2017, I think. I really liked him so did my horse and he is very happy to chat and answer questions. I was particularly interested that he was happy for me to have a lesson immediately after the treatment.
 
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oldie48 said:
Yes he may be, this was back in 2017, I think. I really liked him so did my horse and he is very happy to chat and answer questions. I was particularly interested that he was happy for me to have a lesson immediately after the treatment.
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That still stands; if you're having body work and a lesson he will do the body work first.

Hes the only therapist that I know that does that. The other two Masterson practitioners I had out both said no to working after a session and to have an easy stretching session the next day in line with the advice from other therapists
 
Well since having the MM person out, I havent noticed anything different in my mare nor the pony but my OH horse seems more relaxed in his walk (he likes to jog, do a short strided walk).

Whether this is a coincidence or has made an improvement, I have no idea.
 
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Missed this tthread first time round, but I have just booked a MM practitioner to come and see Lottie , with vet;s persmission of course. Not to treat the injury but to get her more comfortable with people and with being touched. She is not a massive fan of either! I have been aware of the method from Mark Rashid's writings but have never tried it. But a local friend of a friend has just qualified and so I'm giving it a go.
 
TPO said:
I've got the book and played about it with it over the years.

I've also just bought the DVD of the Jim Masterson and Mark Rashid clinic: A mind still like water. So I'm looking g forward to it arriving
.
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Me too re playing with it.

Was DVD good? Have you seen the other DVD light to the core? I have the how to Masterson DVD.
 
bouncing_ball said:
Me too re playing with it.

Was DVD good? Have you seen the other DVD light to the core? I have the how to Masterson DVD.
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The Still Like Water dvd wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be like a video of the day and showing Mark & Jim working with the horses and the showing what they find, how Jim treated, what Mark advised under saddle and the improvement.

There was a lot of time and focus on the participants and their "stories". Quite "american" talking about feelings and journeys type thing.

It was really vague regarding the treatment. Definitely not a "how to" and more Jim coaching the participants how to do the movements.

My memory is a bit vague as I only watched it once but I think one of the horses was lame under saddle but the ridden session continued anyway.

Another wee gripe is that I've always been taught that after a treatment the horse has the rest of the day off, not ridden, and ideally turned out. Then the next day its lots of stretching and suppling on a long rein. So it's a bit strange to me that these horses have a treatment and then do a training session.

Having said that I did want to see the Jim and Mark clinic at Sovereign in 2019 but I couldn't get sorted in time. I think @Alibear went so she might be able to give a first hand account. She might have already, I can't remember the beginning of this thread!

I haven't seen Light to Core. What is that one about? I just have the How To as well
 
I did the MM training up to and including advanced course. Is it a good modality? Yes (was also an EEBW) but, I also had misgivings at the lack of anatomy taught and didnt buy they you didnt need to know any (this is going back a fair time, might have changed). We were always told to rest a horse after a treatment. Jim is a top bloke, a proper horseman (horses love him). I still use the basic moves on my ponies, even those not doing much hold some tension in their poll and withers IME. Its very good for horseowners to do the beginner courses and learn that less is sometimes more and make them aware of body language.
 
I did go and watch the Jim and Mark clinic at Sovereign in 2019 and I enjoyed it. I went for Mark and actually it was Jim's work and the horse's reactions that intrigued me most. Well, that and Marks answer to a barefoot question. I've also watched a mind like still water but was aware it was a story rather than an instructional DVD. My instructor is Masterson trained so any time I can't have a lesson my horses get a Masterson session instead. I think it is beneficial alongside other methods, e.g I also use a ChiroVet. The horses prefer Masterson sessions and definitely enjoy it and to me, it's worth it for that. Ambers has been better for the Chirovet to work with since she's has Masterson sessions and got used to being touched without reason as she seems to see it. Harking back to my triathlon days, sometimes after a hard training block or increase in efforts, it was nice to have a normal non-sports massage and the brain benefit and relaxation was well worth it. It's good for finding out where there are sore spots even when they're not enough to show in day to day work as you can start to get a picture of things that you can help with, things that occur because of confirmation so need to be aware of and do maintenance work on etc. Amber mainly benefits when one of her sliding stops in the field has gone wrong and she's pulled something. I think they enjoy being listened to as well which is part of this practice but that does depend on the skill of the person doing it.
 
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AE - if Lottie isn't used to bodywork then you might find you get your best results in round 2 rather than the first attempt. My little mare was pretty suspicious in her first session but by session 2 she was positioning herself to try and get the human hands exactly where she wanted them!
 
Yes I think she will need a ferw goes. She is very wary of new people and does not like being touched. The practitioner saif ir was like peeling an onion over time, I am not expecting miracles but I like what I have heard and am willing to try a few times. It sounds exactlt what she needs. Plus she is holding a lot of tension from compensatory movements while injured.
 
I was very interested in it until my little cob was treated by a qualified practitioner. She carried on with all the manipulations she knew regardless of the fact the pony was obviously being freaked out, rearing and in the end biting hard enough to draw blood. I am afraid it looked like a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
 
planete said:
I was very interested in it until my little cob was treated by a qualified practitioner. She carried on with all the manipulations she knew regardless of the fact the pony was obviously being freaked out, rearing and in the end biting hard enough to draw blood. I am afraid it looked like a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
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kind of goes everything MM should be.
 
I know a couple people training to be practitioners and, when they're done with a horse, it's always visibly relaxed. I'm no expert myself but I like using the 'wither wiggle', and, more often than not, it results in some kind of release. Babies (horses, that is) in particular respond to it really well and do some huge stretches.
 
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