CHAPTER1
An Introduction to Equine Shiatsu
A Brief History of Equine Shiatsu
The principal pioneer of establishing Shiatsu with horses was Pamela Hannay from the USA, although the majority of her students came from the UK. She first came to the UK to teach in the mid 1990s, up until her untimely death in 2001. Pamela was the principal teacher of Shiatsu at the Ohashi Institute in New York and transferred her knowledge and skills to develop a therapy based on the techniques used in her human teaching.
Shi-atsu literally means ‘finger pressure’ but palms, fingers and elbows can all be used along with massage techniques and stretching. However, it is the form of Shiatsu used that allows it to work so well with horses. To explain this, we must go back to the beginning of Shiatsu as a therapy. While the origins of Shiatsu are thousands of years old, being an amalgamation of several types of pressure-point therapy and massage brought together and called Anma, Shiatsu was only formally recognised by the Japanese government in the 1950s. This was primarily the result of work done by Tokujiro Namikoshi. Namikoshi Shiatsu does not use the energetic channels and is much more physical and dynamic, working on areas of pain and neuromuscular points. His method requires sound knowledge of the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system and the endocrine system and therefore is more Western than oriental in its approach.
The use of the more traditional oriental framework was introduced by Shizuto Masunaga, who pioneered a more subtle and integrated form of Shiatsu, known also as Zen Shiatsu, where the giver and receiver converse through touch. This more supportive and gentler form of Shiatsu is what Pamela Hannay practised and brought to the equine world, although Ohashiatsu, as taught at the Ohashi Institute, uses methods from both Masunaga and Namikoshi. As such, every horse is an individual and every session will be different, depending on what the horse is happy to accept. Equine Shiatsu is considered to be a conversation with the horse; in essence it is something that is donewith the horse, notto the horse and that is what makes it special, and what makes it work.
Zen Shiatsu
The general fundamentals of Zen Shiatsu apply to both equine and human practice but there are also differences due to the fact that we are dealing with a large animal. There are also other essential qualities, which are common to many different forms of oriental bodywork, that we can consider first.
Intent
A desire to help and support that is genuine allows the giver to free their own mind and thus be open to what is happening with the horse. It is often said that horses are mirrors and so if you are not truly engaged in the process then the horse will not be either. Indeed, being sincere in your wish to help can go a long way to make up for any technical inconsistencies in the beginner.
Working with the horse to attain the best pace of work and amount of pressure.
Breathing
The ability to breathe correctly enables so many more of the things that lead to a successful Shiatsu to take place. It means that you can relax, stay centred and it calms the mind, allowing you to stay in the moment and therefore feel more. The breath needs to be deep and steady, not shallow and disjointed. This is particularly important to remember if the horse becomes worried or upset about what you are doing, or what he thinks you might be about to do, because often at these moments we unconsciously stop breathing
