Did you start your own business while you were still in college? Most of us wouldn't have had a clue how to think about it, much less do it. In January, Jennifer Oliver, a senior at Georgetown College, launched a Web site and formed Central Kentucky Equine Massage Therapy as a sole proprietorship. She had her first paying client on her birthday in February. Within a month, she had provided massages for 10 or so equine clients. In May, she will graduate with a degree in kinesiology.
"Massage is considered grooming, not medical," said Oliver. "I did a lot of research; you don't have to be a vet." She does have liability insurance, but says it's next-to-impossible for her to hurt a horse. "If they have an inflammation, fever, injury or infection, I don't massage them; otherwise, there aren't too many limitations."
A lifelong lover of horses, Oliver works part-time at Maplecrest Farm in Lexington, where she gives a massage twice a month to a Dutch bay mare named Jamaica, an International Grand Prix winner in dressage and 2008 Olympic hopeful. The mare is trained by Reese Koffler-Stanfield.
"Reese is well-known in dressage," Oliver said. "Having her recommend me is big. I need word of mouth." Oliver is a member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club and has sent out mailings to the membership list. She has flyers at the Kentucky Horse Park and in area tack shops. "Being young, it will take a while to gain trust," she said.
Oliver charges by the session, which can last 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Pre- and post-event massages are common for racehorses and show horses. Her job is a bit easier if the owner isn't there. "The horse is less distracted if it's just me," she said.
She massages the horse where it is most comfortable, usually in a stall. When she goes to a farm, she doesn't take anything but a form to fill out. No oil, no equipment. "I don't really believe in it," she said. She writes a report for the farm owner or trainer, noting where she found tension or problem areas in the horse.
Mares are more apprehensive than stallions, according to Oliver. "They look at you as if they're saying, 'What are you doing? Who are you?'" It doesn't take long, though, for a mare to come around. "When you find a tension spot and release it, they'll let you know. It's neat. You can see you're making a difference while it's happening."
Some horses are "weird about being touched," she said. There was one horse that was "crazy mean," Oliver said, because she didn't want anyone to put a hand on her. "If they stress, I'll stop," said Oliver. "Massage teaches horses it's okay to be touched."
While there are similarities between massaging humans and horses, Oliver says one of the main differences is the direct connection she has with her non-multitasking clients. "The horse isn't thinking about things like paying bills or worrying about the kids," she said. "They get more out of a massage than people do."
She never massages a horse at a time when they're used to eating. Two hours before they're scheduled to eat is fine, "and almost right away after they eat." She's very aware of those hind legs at all times. "Even horses that don't kick, will." She ends each massage session with a series of stretches, holding a treat at a certain spot so they will stretch to reach it. She teaches the owner how to do it daily. "Horses like you better when you carry peppermints in your pocket," she said.
Oliver is certified for equine massage through Equissage, a training facility in Round Hill, Va., that has graduated more than 8,000 technicians since the early '90s. A native of Richmond, Va., Oliver went to Georgetown for volleyball and played with the Lady Tigers for three years. She left the volleyball team her senior year to focus on horses through the Equine Scholars Program at Georgetown. The program allows qualified students to adapt their major to the equine industry. In her freshman year, Oliver thought about being a massage therapist for humans, until her advisor, Dr. Jean Kiernan, told her about equine massage. She locked into a career choice right then.
A farrier recently gave her some great business advice: Be passionate about what you do and you'll be successful.
"It's a neat job," Oliver said of her equine massage practice. "I can't imagine doing anything else."
To learn more about Oliver's work, visit www.massageworksforhorses.com. Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners.