Yogurt Man

I've been going through old files and throwing things out. The other day I came across an essay I'd written about a racehorse I'd worked on in 1992 when I was doing equine sports massage. I was profoundly moved by this experience and never forgot Yogurt Man. To this day I wonder whatever happened to this special animal.

YOGURT MAN

The trainer saw me working on some horses in her shedrow, and in desperation, asked me if I had time to come and look at one of her charges. I agreed -- to a horse in need, I am a friend, indeed!

"Yogurt Man" was an Allowance horse. His trainer explained to me that they believed he had once tied-up so severely that he had suffered extreme muscle damage in his left hindquarter, involving the biceps femoris and semitendinosis muscles. He was left with a huge depression which crackled with scar tissue when I gently palpated it. How this horse had ever overcome such a handicap to race successfully was a true testimonial to the heart of a Throughbred. However, along the way, the spirit had suffered.

When I first entered his stall, Yogurt Man was standing dejectedly, with his head hanging, against the rear wall. I sensed depression and sadness. He made no move to recognize that I had entered his territory. When I spoke to him, there was not so much as a flicker of an ear to acknowledge my presence.

Becuase the trainer had contracted for a target massage rather than a full body treatment, I gently, but firmly, began to check the stress points. Yogurt Man still chose to be non-responsive. I continued to talk to him with my voice and with my hands.

When I reached the left hindquarter, there was a faint stirring of response. He communicated to me that my "touch" was appreciated and needed. After applying compression and preparing the area for deeper work, I progressed to acupressure therapy. When I applied direct pressure to the semimembranosus stress point, I elicited my first strong reaction! Yogurt Man began to push against me. My thumb was not strong enough to tolerate his weight, so I switched to my elbow and utilized deep tissue techniques to ease the spasms. Yogurt Man reciprocated by pushing so hard into my pressure that he was nearly sitting down on me!

I allowed him to dictate the pressure and length of therapy he wanted. Gradually he eased, until he was again standing normally. I finished the therapy with more compression and prepared to initiate work on his right side.

As I approached his forequarters, this previously unresponsive horse turned his head towards me and snuffed gently into my hand. When I reached up to stroke him, he laid his head in my arms and gave a deep sigh. I was deeply moved by this acknowledgement from such a noble animal.

*postscript: An enthusiastic phone call the next day reported that Yogurt Man was 100% better. The trainer was eager for my return, but two days later, I broke my ankle and was unable to continue my therapy with this magnificent soul.