Through increased circulation and flexibility the possibility of injury can be reduced. Should an injury occur ESMT is a powerful tool to assist and speed healing.
Performance is a stressful activity.
You and I engage in stressful activities each day. Some of you get massages. Our horses don't have to worry about traffic, except maybe at feeding time. Yet the stress of cutting that cow, turn on that barrel, sliding to that stop or that last 5 miles on a 50 miler does add up on your horses muscles. Stress very easily builds into pain in the muscle tissues.