Ten minutes, and he's soft, loose and leaning in.
A quiet wooden massage roller for his neck, shoulders, back and hindquarters. Use it before or after you ride, without wearing out your hands, spooking him with a massage gun, or paying a pro every time he's tight.
- Ten minutes, and he softens. Head down, lip loose, leaning into it, and nudging you when you stop.
- Ten minutes a day that are just for him. You'll get to know his body, and notice the day something feels different.
- It rolls. It doesn't hammer. No motor, no buzz, no charging, so even the horse who leaves at the sound of a massage gun can stand for it.
- Carved wood, not spikes. Roll it on your own arm first. You set the pressure, and he shows you where he wants it.
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Will it hurt him?
You set the pressure with your own hand, so start light and let him show you. Roll it on your own forearm first to feel it. Stay on muscle, not bone, and the guide shows exactly where that is.
He hates the massage gun. Will he stand for this?
There's no motor, so there's no buzz and no thumping. It rolls quietly in your hand. Start on his neck, where most horses like it, and keep the first session short.
How is it different from a curry comb?
A curry works the coat. The roller's carved nubs press into the muscle underneath in long, even strokes, the way a groom's rub-down does.
MANE Rub-Down Roller
You can tell when he's tight. Helping is the hard part.
Stiff on one rein, grumpy at the girth, tense on the crossties. You want to do something about it, and the options at home aren't great.
The tension
Stiff on one rein, short-strided, cranky when you brush his back or do up the girth. You can see it, and you can't book a pro every week.
Your hands
Five minutes in, your hands ache, and you're honestly not sure you're in the right spot. Most of us are making it up.
The massage gun
You turn it on and he's at the end of the crossties before you've found the spot. And you worry about hitting bone.
Also tried: the jelly scrubber (lovely, but it works the coat) · massage videos on YouTube (great, and hard to remember on a cold evening) · massage pads (from about $300) · a professional massage ($80 to $175 a visit).
He gives you everything under saddle. Ten minutes back is fair.
Most of the time we're asking him for something. This is the part of the day that's only for him, and he'll tell you exactly where he likes it.
The daily rub-down quietly disappeared.
For centuries grooms rubbed down a horse's big muscles every evening. Today most horses get a quick brush before tacking up, and nothing in the grooming box was made for the rub-down.
So we made one for every day: quiet, simple, and in your hands.
A groom's rub-down, on a roller.
- Turns freely on a steel axle. No motor, so the only sound is the wood rolling.
- Carved nubs press into the muscle under the coat as the roller turns.
- Each stroke covers a wide, even strip, so your hand only guides it.
Carved wooden nubs
Rows of small pyramid nubs press into the muscle as it rolls, so every stroke covers a wide, even strip. Your hands only have to guide it.
Rolls on a steel axle
The roller turns freely on a steel wire frame that holds both ends. No motor, no battery, no noise, so it works in a quiet aisle without spooking anyone.
You set the pressure
Lean in on the big muscles, go lighter where he's sensitive. If he leans into it, you've found the spot. If he steps away, ease off.
Same horse. Ten minutes apart.
You'll see it in his head, his eye and his back leg long before you finish.
Before
- Head up, neck braced
- Ears back when you touch his back
- Tight eye, clamped mouth
- Standing square and stiff
After
- Head drops below the withers
- Soft eye, loose lower lip
- A big sigh, licking and chewing
- Resting a hind leg, leaning into you
Want to help him yourself? Start here.
Muscle, not bone. That's the whole rule, and horsemen have followed it for more than two thousand years. Tap an area to see how to roll it.
Neck
Long strokes down the side of his neck, from behind the ear toward the shoulder. Most horses like it here, so it's the best place to begin.
Shoulder
Work the big muscle in front of where the saddle sits, in slow strokes. Go firmer if he leans into you.
Chest
Short, light strokes across the front of the chest. Some horses love it, some are ticklish, so watch his face.
Back muscle
The long muscle either side of the spine, under the saddle. Stay a hand's width off the spine itself and roll along it, front to back.
Hindquarters
Big, slow strokes over the rump and down the back of the thigh. This is where a lot of horses rest a hind leg and sigh.
Skip these
- The spine and withers themselves
- The face and other bony spots
- Joints and lower legs
- Anywhere hot, swollen, cut or sore. That's a day for your vet.
| Roller | 4.45 in wide, 2 in across (11.3 × 5 cm) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 6.3 in long (16 cm), 3.5 in handle |
| Made of | Natural, unvarnished hardwood, steel wire frame |
| Power | None. No batteries, no charging |
| Weight | About 6 oz (160 g) |
Off the track, getting older, or the sensitive one.
OTTBs
Start light on a horse still learning to relax into touch.
Older horses
Ten easy minutes for the creaky senior on a cold morning.
Thin-skinned and sensitive
You choose the pressure, down to barely there.
Hates the massage gun
Nothing buzzes, thumps or needs charging.
Boarded horses
Lives in your grooming tote, ready every visit.
Never massaged a horse
No experience needed. Start on his neck and watch him.
Show days
A quiet routine at the trailer before and after classes.
After a long ride
Wind him down while he cools off.
What you're using now, side by side.
| MANE roller | Your hands | Massage gun | Curry comb | Pro massage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet, nothing to spook at | |||||
| Works the muscle, not just the coat | |||||
| Ten minutes without tired hands | Not your hands | ||||
| You feel his reaction as you go | Hard over the buzz | She does | |||
| Any day you want | When charged | When booked | |||
| Cost | $38, once | Free | $25–300 | About $10 | $80–175 a visit |
Quiet, nothing to spook at
- Your hands
- Massage gun
- Curry comb
- Pro massage
Works the muscle, not just the coat
- Your hands
- Massage gun
- Curry comb
- Pro massage
Ten minutes without tired hands
- Your hands
- Massage gun
- Curry comb
- Pro massage: not your hands
You feel his reaction as you go
- Your hands
- Massage gun: hard over the buzz
- Curry comb
- Pro massage: she does
Any day you want
- Your hands
- Massage gun: when charged
- Curry comb
- Pro massage: when booked
Cost
- Your hands: free
- Massage gun: $25–300
- Curry comb: about $10
- Pro massage: $80–175 a visit
Grooms used to do this every single evening.
Around 350 BC, the Greek cavalryman Xenophon told grooms to rub the horse's back down by hand and to keep hard tools off the spine. US Army dragoons were still grooming twice a day in the 1800s, even on patrol, with long twisted wisps of hay for rubbing down the muscles.
In the 1970s a former pitcher named Jack Meagher, who coined the word "sportsmassage", took muscle work to the US Equestrian Team. Today most horses get a quick brush before tacking up. The roller brings back the part of the old routine you can still do yourself.
What owners say.
He bolts from the massage gun. Not from this.
My mare won't stay on the crossties if I even turn the gun on. With the roller she stood there, let out a huge sigh, and by the end of her neck her head was nearly on the floor with her lip hanging.
Part of every ride now
Ten minutes after I ride, mostly his back and hind end. He rests a hind leg, licks and chews, and if I stop too early he nudges my arm. He watches me get it out of the tote now.
My old man loves it
He's 24 and a bit creaky in the mornings. I do his shoulders and hindquarters while he eats breakfast. He leans in so hard I have to brace, his eyes go half shut and his lower lip starts to wobble.
I thought it was a gimmick
I'm pretty sceptical of horse wellness stuff. I rolled it on my own leg first, then tried it on my OTTB. He dropped his head, licked and chewed, and let out a sigh I could feel. It's simple and it doesn't pretend to be more than it is.
Start light. Let him show you.
Start on the neck
Light pressure, long strokes. Most horses like it here, so it's the easiest place to begin.
Work down the big muscles
Shoulder, the muscle beside the spine, then the hindquarters. A few minutes on each, firmer where he leans in.
Watch his face
A dropped head, a soft eye and a loose lip mean you're doing it right. Pinned ears or stepping away mean go lighter.
Before you order.
Will it hurt him?
You control the pressure, so start light and build up where he leans in. Roll it on your own forearm first to feel it. Stay on muscle, and skip the spine, joints, face and lower legs.
My horse is sensitive. Will he like it?
Start on his neck with barely any pressure and keep the first session to a few minutes. Most horses settle into it quickly. Some take two or three sessions to decide they love it.
How is this better than my massage gun?
It's silent, so it suits horses who won't stand for the buzz. It rolls in long strokes instead of hammering one point, and you feel every reaction through the handle.
I have a curry comb. Isn't that the same?
A curry works the coat and the skin. The roller's carved nubs press down into the muscle in a wide, even strip.
How long, and how often?
About ten minutes. A few before you ride to warm him up, or after to wind him down. Use it as often as he enjoys it.
I've never massaged a horse. Can I do this?
Yes. Start on his neck with light, long strokes and follow the where-to-roll guide. He'll show you the rest: lean in means more, stepping away means lighter.
He's lame or sore. Should I use it?
For lameness, heat, swelling or a sore spot that keeps coming back, call your vet first. The roller is for keeping a comfortable horse comfortable.
How do I keep it clean?
Brush off the hair, wipe it with a damp cloth and let it air-dry. Don't soak it. Every few weeks, rub in a little food-safe or mineral oil to keep the wood smooth. Give each horse their own roller, like their own brushes.
Does it work through a winter coat?
Yes. It rolls fine over a thick winter coat. Just lean in a little more so the nubs reach through.
What size is it?
The roller is 4.45 inches wide and 2 inches across, and the whole tool is 6.3 inches long. It fits in a grooming tote.
How much is shipping?
Nothing. Shipping is free on every order.
What if my horse doesn't like it?
Try it for 60 days. If he doesn't love it, send it back, even used. You get a full refund and we pay the return postage.
Your horse gets the final say.
Send it back used if he doesn't love it.
Full refund. We pay the postage.
Every horse is different. The only way to know is to try it on yours, so take your time.
Give him the rub-down he'd ask for.
Get the roller · $38Free shipping · 60-day returns, even used · we pay the return postageA massage and grooming tool for comfort. For lameness or injury, see your vet.