Masseur Dullaman keeps animals in fine fettle

Masseur Dullaman keeps animals in fine fettle

Berchman Heroe, Contributor/Yogyakarta

Many would agree that a massage can be a refreshing or healing treatment for people, which is why, of course, that a massage can be had almost anywhere in the world.

But, one may be surprised to learn that massage services are also available here for animals.

The masseur is Dullaman, a resident of Segoroyoso village, Pleret sub-district, Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. His services range from massages for horses after a race to special massages for pregnant cows.

"Mostly, the owners of the animals come here to bring me to their places to do the massages. They rarely bring the animals here to my house," says Dullaman, who was born in 1949 in Bantul and says he learned his animal massage skills from his father and grandfather.

His grandfather Kasanyatin and his father Mulud were also noted animal massagers in the region.

Dullaman says most of his animal "patients" suffer from pains due to sprained ankles, fatigue, etc. However, he also treats female animals that don't get pregnant, or thin animals in order to improve their appetites.

Different complaints, according to Dullaman, require different types of massage. For an animal that has failed to conceive, for example, Dullaman will first check the condition of the animal's belly.

"These checks are important to see whether the animal has the potential to get pregnant or is actually infertile," explained Dullaman, a father of five who is currently lives with his second wife that following the death of his first one.

The checks are carried out by feeling around a particular spot in the animal's belly.

"If you feel that there is something inside, then you can assume that the animal is fertile and has the potential to conceive. Otherwise, if you feel nothing, you can say that the opposite is the case," he said.

If the animal is found to be fertile, Dullaman will massage particular parts of the animal's body so as to make conception more likely. He also tells the owner to feed the animal black snails, which he believes will also help with conception.

"The snails must be fed to the animal three times a day for three consecutive days," he said.

The treatments given to animals suffering from fatigue or those that are sick are different. Animals that are fatigued or sick, according to Dullaman, are usually thin as they have little appetite.

For these "patients", Dullaman usually prepares a mixture of ginger, chili and alcohol to be rubbed into the animal's body during the massage.

Although his massages can basically be carried out any animal, Dullaman said most of his "patients" were cows, buffaloes and horses.

"I'm rarely asked to treat goats, dogs or other animals," says Dullaman, who has been an animal masseur since 1983.

During the horse racing season, most of Dullaman's subjects are horses as the owners want them massaged after racing.

During this season, Dullaman usually travels a lot as many of the owners are from outside Yogyakarta. He often travels as far as the neighboring Central Java towns of Purworejo, Salatiga and Surakarta, or even Jakarta.

A horse, according to Dullaman, usually needed two to three massages every three days in order to recuperate.

"But, sometime just one massage is enough. It all depends on the physical condition of the horse," he explained, adding that during the racing season he might provide up to four massages a day.

One of Dullaman's regular customers is GBPH Yudhaningrat, the younger brother of the Yogyakarta governor-cum-sultan, Hamengkubuwono X, whom he says has very good quality horses. Some of them are the sacred horses of the Yogyakarta Palace.

Dullaman, however, says that he does not perform any special rituals before massaging the sacred horses.

His most impressive experience as an animal massager, according to Dullaman, was when he was asked to cure one of Yudhaningrat's horses that was suffering from what is locally known as nyulam kuku (dirt trapped in a sensitive area of the horse's hoof).

"Thank God, he was cured after I gave him a couple of massages and special medicine," says Dullaman, who declined to mention his fee.

"I receive what I am given, no matter how much or how little it is. All is a gift from the Almighty. We have to give thanks for what we receive," he says, adding that he also often provides massages for people.

Massaging animals and human beings, he says, is basically the same as both have similar muscles and tissues. However, he admits that massaging to human beings is much easier than animals as he does not need to tie them down with ropes.

"Human beings don't bite while being massaged. Animals do," says Dullaman, laughing, recalling an experience when he was bitten by a horse while massaging to it.

Dullaman also says that basically all kinds of pains that an animal may suffer, except fractures, can be healed by massage.