First there was the whisperer, now meet the horse massager.

Byline: By Anna Lognonne

It isn't just footballers and rugby players who benefit from a massage - and now equine athletes in the region are feeling the benefits of a good rub-down.

Dyane Ashworth, who is based at Comogan Farm near Wark, Northumberland, is one of only a handful of equine sports massage therapists in the country, and she is helping riders in the region get the best out of their horses.

She has set up her own business, called Equilibrium, and uses massage therapy to help horses perform to their best in competition and recover from any injury or illness.

She said: "Massage is beneficial to the horse pre-, during and post-competition as well as horses on box rest or in rehabilitation, as a maintenance or preventative therapy.

"Equine sports massage is aimed at increasing performance levels and endurance, as well as helping to reduce the risk of injury due to muscle fatigue or strain."

Dyane, who holds an ITEC Diploma in both human and equine sports massage therapy, has been trained by Mary Bromiley, a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, and renowned worldwide for her work as an equine physiotherapist.

She first became interested in equine massage therapy through her work with horses, having spent time at horse racing, stud and rehabilitation yards in Lambourn, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

She said: "I have lived and worked around horses all my life. I have ridden for as long as I can remember, progressing through the Morpeth Hunt Pony Club and competing in a variety of disciplines over the years, including hunter trials, one-day events and the odd point-to-point.

"Through running my own yard I am only too aware of the hard work, dedication and patience it takes training horses to enable them to achieve their best and maintain their mental and physical wellbeing throughout the season.

"There is nothing more frustrating than spending weeks getting a horse fit for competition then, through injury or illness, spending months helping the horse recover."

According to Dyane, massage therapy can benefit horses in a number of ways, both physically and psychologically, such as improving circulatory flow and solving behavioural problems like a sudden refusal to jump a fence.

She said: "Sixty per cent of a horse's body weight is muscle and muscular problems can cause a variety of motion problems and training set-backs. There are many who are quick to accuse a horse of being ungenuine and un-cooperative when they are actually in pain."

However, she pointed out that equine sports massage therapy is not a substitute for veterinary attention and full permission from the horse owner's vet is required before therapy is undertaken.