WATERBURY – The little phrase, “hold your horses” will mean a lot more to some Teikyo Post University equine students come September.

Beginning this fall, TPU will become the first college in New England to offer a concentration in Trigger Point Myotherapy, a form of massage, as part of its bachelor’s degree program in Equine Management.

“Many veterinarians and horse professionals believe horses are in a certain amount of pain when ridden, due to ill-fitting and improperly adjusted saddles,” said Carole Baker, director of TPU’s equine management program. “Thoughtless or ignorant riding or training can add to the pain threshold. This is what a myotherapist tries to alleviate, in addition to working with misplacements, old injuries or rehabilitation. It’s becoming mainstream as a form of treatment.”

Teikyo Post will work with Equi-Myo of North Granby, established in 1990, which has use of a full barn, indoor arena and 40 horses in various disciplines. Margie Herr, Equi-Myo’s founder and director, has a degree in teaching and school administration as well as Trigger Point Myotherapy. She and her husband, Charles, and her staff train and instruct equine, canine and human courses to people from high school age through grandparents from all parts of the U.S. and overseas. She has also been a guest lecturer at clinics in Germany, Switzerland and Australia, and currently competes in, and judges, dressage.

The 10-week program, in which students will be in residence near the Granby facility, will be open to equine management majors in their junior or senior year.

Besides being internationally-recognized, the program, says Herr, “contains no fluff – nothing they can’t immediately use in a (myotherapy) practice.”

A true hands on method, Trigger Point Myotherapy will provide students with a solid foundation in anatomy and muscle physiology as they learn how muscle dysfunction and ensuing compensation patterns develop. Students will also learn how to rebuild muscle strength and maintain flexibility through stretches, secondary techniques and corrective exercises.

However, this type of training does not stop with “fixing” muscle problems. By teaching students how to determine perpetuating causes such as ill-fitting tack, inappropriate showing, rider influence and various other environmental factors, students learn how to help their clients prevent pain and dysfunction in their animals.

“Research on human athletes led to the realization that a horse also needs proper warming up and cooling down, and that stretches and exercises were helpful, particularly as a horse becomes older,” Baker said. “It’s amazing the difference it can make to a horse’s performance when he’s comfortable.”

Subjects covered in the Equi-Myo equine courses will include skeletal and muscular anatomy, muscle physiology, muscle origin, insertion and action, stance and conformation analysis and movement assessment. In addition to classroom lectures, hands-on demonstrations and practice on numerous horses, students work on two or more “project horses” in a real-life therapist role, which gives them experience in the business aspect of practicing myotherapy.

“Trigger Point Myotherapy offers students a viable choice of career and can be combined with other jobs in the equine field,” said Baker. “It gives our graduates more marketability, and is another way to add to other equine career specialties available at Teikyo Post.”