Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual [Paperback]

James Vincent Pascucci (Author), Nicholas David Pascucci (Photographer), Carol J Walker (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2007

Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual This book is a valuable guide to Equine Myofascial Release (MFR) for the horse owner or therapist as well as an essential reference for the professional practitioner. This book provides the essential overview and introduction to the techniqyes required to understand Equine Structural Integration. Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual presents a logical series of techniques for bringing more structural order to the horses in your care. Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual is rich in illustrations of Equine Myofascial Release Techniques for the: Head, Forelimb, Shoulders, Rear, working with scars, joints and myofascial stretching. The book is laid out in a very user friendly manner. The Equine Myofascial Release technique illustrations/photos and their description are kept together so you can easily follow the text while working with your horse. If you are working with a client's horse you can use the book as an added educational tool to help your clients better understand your work. This book is a needed educational tool for practitioners who provide Myofascial Therapy to horses. Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual, takes you on a journey through the fascia from the cell to skin, from physiology to movement evaluation and Myofascial Release Techniques for the entire horse.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual is rich in illustrations of Equine Myofascial Release techniques for the: Head, Forelimb, Shoulders, Rear, Scar Tissue, Joints as well as Myofascial Stretching.This book is a needed educational tool for practitioners who provide Myofascial Therapy to horses. Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual, takes you on a journey of understanding fascia from the cell to the skin, from physiology to movement evaluation. It presents Myofascial Release Techniques for the entire horse that you can learn and use immediately. The book is laid out in a very user friendly manner. The illustrations and photos of the Equine Myofascial Release techniques and their descriptions are kept together so you can easily refer to them while working with your horse. If you are working with a client's horse you can use the book as an added tool to help your clients understand your work.

From the Back Cover

All I can say is FANTASTIC! As an equine chiropractor I concentrate mainly on restoring joint function through manual manipulation of the joints, particularly the spine. Your Myofascial Release Manual fills all the gaps about safely treating soft tissue stress that joint manipulation alone cannot address. Your descriptions of anatomy and the techniques are clear and easy to follow. I highly recommend this book for every equine therapist of horse owner who needs to see fast improvement in their horse's performance.

Dr. Danial Kamen D.C. Author of The Well Adjusted Horse.

I learned a lot about horses--not my usual clients--reading this book. Jim Pascucci's love of animals, experience in the field, and practical wisdom come through on every page. The section on fascia is a masterpiece of economical presentation, and the material on perception from the horse's point of view--simple and obivous once it is revealed--makes the language of "hors-ese" immediately easier.

Tom Myers Author of Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians

Jim unites his extensive technical training with the practical wisdom that comes with experience; creating a clear, balanced and holistic approach to myofascial release instruction.

Laurie DeNatale, NATRC Executive Administrator

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Sane Systems; 1 edition (January 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979053501
• ISBN-13: 978-0979053504
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Medical Books > Veterinary Medicine > Equine Medicine

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good effort, November 23, 2009

By 

Ki (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual (Paperback)

Early in the book, the author mentions that one of his biggest challenges is that "it has been challenging to write a book that is useful to professional body therapists who are already working in the field as well as for lay people who want to be able to perform some boy therapy with the horses in their care. OVer the last 10 years, I have students in my classes who are advanced practitioners of some body therapy but not at all familiar with horses. I have also had students who know very little about body therapy but were very knowledgeable about horses."

He's exactly right. In my experience, understanding horses and getting a feel for body therapy can't be taught from a book. The first half of this book attempts to impart a basic understanding of both horses and fascia, which I think isn't possible to do in print. That part of the book was a good effort, but I think people need to get some mileage and training in both areas before jumping into the book.

THAT SAID, if you already have experience with horses and have already done some work with fascia, the second half of the book is VERY valuable. A lot of the time, the techniques that work easily on a human body don't transfer too well to the horse simply because of variations in the horse's structure and the different body mechanics involved. So, in my learning experience, I've often gotten to a specific muscle on a horse and puzzled over the best way to get the tissue moving again. The second half of this book gave me several new tools that work very well. I've incorporated many of the techniques into my existing bodywork toolbox, and I'm very happy with the results. While some of the techniques seem obvious after-the-fact, my creative powers sure weren't enough to come up with them on their own.

So, to sum up, if you are already doing massage/bodywork with horses, the first half of this book may not interest you. But, if you're stuck in certain areas and want some new moves, the second half of the book is valuable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Guide, October 17, 2008

By 

Suzanne (Upstate NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual (Paperback)

Both my horse and I love this book. I have been able to integrate many of the techniques into bodywork sessions with my horse. The book is in-depth and well written. The chapter on Myofascial Stretching has completely changed the way I think about stretch exercises for horses.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, September 2, 2008

By 

Rita Franklin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual (Paperback)

My horse and I love this book. The author has a gift for presenting theory and practical techniques in a clear, concise, well-organized manner. Anyone, with the intention of wanting to help horses, is able to follow the excellent photos and instructions to achieve this end. Since first reading this book I have studied human massage and bodywork and can attest that there are few instruction manuals of this sort available. The next item on my "desire to learn list" is equine/canine bodywork. After having read and reviewed many related books and DVD's, this book convinced me as to with whom I need to study.