There are promotional videos explaining the benefits and application of EndoTapping, but I thought perhaps I would give some input from the position of a Massage Therapist on how EndoTapping affects the horse and why it is effective.
In Massage Therapy there are many different modalities, or techniques, that can be used for various reasons to solicit relaxation from a muscle. Not all of them are equally as effective on each person’s body depending on the type of resistance that is going on in the particular muscle but one very common and popular modality is called tapotement, or tapping which is where the link to EndoTapping comes in.
Normally tapotement is associated with a sort of tapping on the chest or back with cupped hands – over the lungs – effective for loosening buildup in the lungs and relieving the symptoms of asthma. Tapotement can really refer to any kind of tapping however, and is very popular and effective because through it’s repetitiveness it can help overcome mental tensing of the body. This tapping also doesn’t risk overworking the muscles like many other techniques do, which can result in actual damage.
So, in a nutshell, EndoTapping is giving your horse a sort of massage treatment and utilizing it in a way to enhance your training sessions. I agree that it is absolutely ingenious and a marvelous tool. I will however ad a caveat… in that it is my opinion that the tapping shown in many of the videos is far too fast. It is a relaxation technique and therefore should have a tempo that is more relaxed and less “stimulated.”
Unfamiliar with the exact set-up of EndoTapping? Check it out at the Equus Academy website and you can also search for it on YouTube for demonstrations.