Equine Massage: A Practical Guide (45 page)

Rhythm:
In this context, rhythm refers to the frequency at which you apply your techniques and the movements in between techniques.A gentle, almost slow rhythm of 1 stroke per second is best in between different technique applications.

Feedback from the Horse

Being able to accurately read the feedback signs your horse gives you during the application of myofascial massage will greatly contribute to the smooth evolution of your work (see chapter 2).

During your application, keep looking at the horse’s eyes.They are his most expressive feature.Any discomfort will cause him to open his eyes, then tense his lips and move his head up.

When needed, use a calming voice to ease your horse’s anxiety.

If necessary, delay your work until your horse is in a better frame of mind.You do not want to create a worse situation by forcing the issue.

Remember, when waiting on the tissue barrier to release during the application, you only need to follow the tissue motion as it releases. Do not be eager to induce it. If you exert too much pressure you risk causing unnecessary soreness, if not pain, depending on the nature and the location of the restrictions.

Right after the release has occurred, the horse might raise his head and open his eyes widely as a sign of a “feel good” sensation.

Because you know your horse best, you will be quickly and intu-itively able to read and interpret his feedback signs, allowing you to adjust your work accordingly.

Emotional Release

In the human practice of myofascial release it is theorized that the energy created by a life stress, trauma, or anxiety converts into a fascial restriction and an unresolved psychological issue.The body records this unfortunate episode as a physical sensation (pain!), an emotional sensation (I don’t like it!), and an intellectual awareness (stay away!), both at the conscious and subconscious level. Even after the experience has passed and the body heals, the fascia remains restricted(with its emotional and intellectual connection), both consciously and subconsciously.This myofascial restriction is there to “protect” against further trauma. Professional therapists call this process “tissue memory.”

When facilitating a myofascial release, you most likely will trigger some tissue memories; so be very gentle, as your horse needs to release not only the physical fascial restrictions but also the cor-related emotional and intellectual memories. It is important to honor this process and create the most positive environment for
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your horse so he feels at ease.While the horse might never forget a particular incident, over the course of several sessions he will be able to let go of the associated fear and reactive anxiety.

Positioning the Horse

Working in the horse’s stall is best. Do not use a halter or any crossties.The horse should be free to move so he can best position himself for maximum benefit and release.

Timing

During a myofascial release the time component of the release is very important. Due to the nature of the tissue and the associated tissue memory, usually several minutes are required for total release.

The various sensations felt during the elongation part of the technique will let you know when the barriers have all been released.

When your horse seems to focus on the sensation with his eyes half closed, it usually means that your horse has finally reached the point where the myofascial release occurs(where the tissue memories let go). This is what professionals refer to as a “still point.” Give your horse a few moments before moving to the next still point.

Palpation Evaluation

Your manual palpation routine will allow you to test your horse’s entire musculoskeletal structure and to ensure that no contraindications are present.
Pay attention
to any abnormal swelling, heat, inflammation, tissue hardening, muscle knots, or any abnormal reactions from your horse, which could indicate that massage is contraindicated (see chapter 2).Throughout your entire palpation, use a light pressure ranging from 0.5 to 1 pound on average, up to 2 pounds of pressure maximum on large muscled areas or with large horses.

Skin Mobility

Check the skin mobility by placing your hand flat on the skin of any given body part, and moving it slowly in all directions. The skin should move equally in all directions, the exception being when going over the insertion of a muscle’s tendon into the bony structures.

If the skin, or muscle, you are palpating does not move well in a particular direction, it indicates that the underlying fascia is restricted. Assess thoroughly the direction of the restriction. This will give you precise direction of where to apply the appropriate myofascial release movement; usually into the direction of the restriction.

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Under normal conditions, the horse’s body tissues should be fairly soft and pliable. If instead they are hot, tender, and eventually hard, you have found where the problem is! If the tissues feel leathery, lumpy, or even like wire, it indicates that the fascia has tightened considerably and that its gel complex has solidified.

Myofascial Release

Techniques

By the term “technique” I refer to specific movements performed in a pattern and done in an orderly fashion in order to obtain the desired effect.

Double-Hands Friction Technique

The double-hands friction technique is a good opening myofascial technique in prelude to other myofascial massage techniques.

Performed in a light fashion, it is a great technique to evaluate

11.4 Double-Hands Friction Technique Done Over the Neck

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large muscle groups.When done with a heavier pressure, this friction technique is very efficient in loosening the cross-links and warming up the gel complex.

The double-hands friction technique is performed in the same way as in regular massage, with both hands side by side, applying a downward pressure with the fingertips right into the muscle.

Then, moving slowly and in a motion perpendicular to the muscle fibers, apply friction movements with your fingertips to the entire length of the muscle group. Proceed smoothly, not errati-cally, and position yourself properly (relaxed shoulders, elbows slightly flexed, with your wrists positioned in the continuity of the forearms).Your fingers should be at a 90-degree angle from your hands. It is the extension-flexion movement of the fingers that produces the strumming motion. Always start with a light pressure, so a sensation of “well-being” is passed onto your horse. If you progress deeper, the sensation might change and become sharper. Monitor your horse’s feedback through the entire process.

Cross-Hands Technique

The cross-hands technique gets its name from the position in which your hands are held during the application of this technique.The cross-hands technique is used to release both superficial and deep myofascial restrictions over large areas, anywhere over the horse’s body. After you have assessed the area and identified the location and sense of the restrictions with your palpations, warm up the area with regular massage using the SEW approach (see chapter 5). Then in a relaxed manner, cross your hands and position them on the part you need to work on. Slowly apply a gentle pressure—1 to 2 pounds —as you open your hands to stretch the elastic component of the restriction. Keep stretching until you come to a barrier where your hands will stop naturally. Do not force beyond this natural barrier. Just hold a steady pressure to maintain the stretch.The stretch should last at least 1 to 2 minutes, the equivalent of 7 to 15 regular full breaths. Sometimes it might take up to 3 minutes before the release occurs, depending on the amount of cross-links present in the myofascial tissues and the state of the gel complex. The steadiness of the sustained pressure is the key to the success of the myofascial release.

Just before the release occurs, you may feel heat building up or a throbbing sensation under your hands called the therapeutic pulse. The horse will feel it too with a slight increase in discomfort. As the restrictions are being released, you will feel motion under your hands. Go with that motion, sustaining your pressure as long as the motion persists. It is usually a sign of softening and pain relief for the horse.

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11.5 Cross-Hands Technique Over Back

For small areas, a variation of this technique is performed using the fingertips instead of the full hands. Using the fingertips or thumbs is ideal for smaller areas, especially less accessible areas such as the horse’s hind legs and forelegs. When working tiny areas, like a section of fascia around a particular joint (retinaculum of knee joint for example), you will find the cross-hands technique delivered with the thumbs most efficient.

11.6 Cross-Hands Technique Using Fingertips

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After the application of the cross-hands technique, you should apply regular massage techniques using the WES approach (see chapter 5) to maximize the benefits of increased circulation to the horse’s musculoskeletal structures.

The Stroking Technique

The stroking technique is performed with 1 or 2 fingers, bent at the knuckles.The stroke is primarily used to loosen superficial and deep myofascial restrictions (cross-links) wherever they are found.

From human practice we know that the application of the stroking technique can cause some tenderness in the patient and should therefore be applied with extreme caution. The same applies for your horse. Because of the tenderness associated with the stroking technique when going over the restrictions, keep assessing your horse’s body language, and reassure him constantly with a gentle, calm voice.

11.7 Stroking Technique Over Neck

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When you locate a restriction in one direction, apply some counter pressure with the heel of one hand just in front of the restriction, and with the knuckles of your other hand, perform the stroke in the direction of the restriction. The speed with which you apply the stroke should be fairly slow. Do not stroke too fast as it would be painful to the horse. Furthermore, the slower pace gives you the time to appreciate the quality of your touch over the tissue you are stretching, providing valuable feedback on the elongation and release of the myofascial layer.

The Hand Pressure Technique

The hand pressure technique is very efficient in helping to realign the bony structures and release the myofascial restrictions found deep and close to the bony structures such as vertebrae, ribs, hip-bones, or other body parts on the limbs. Warm up the area with regular massage using the SEW approach (see chapter 5) before applying the pressure technique.

The pressure technique consists of exerting a gentle, yet firm, pressure over the key area with the palm of your hand and gently stretching it in the direction the restriction is felt. Hold this pressure for 2 to 3 minutes or until you feel the restriction “give in”—

heat sensation and tissues moving [“melting’] under your pressure.

Ensure your hand doesn’t glide over the horse’s coat during this

11.8 Hand Pressure Technique Over Lower Neck

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process. As the myofascial restriction unwinds, keep following the path of restriction, barrier after barrier. When the movement stops, the release is complete.

Following the application of this technique, you might want to apply some more regular massage movements using the WES

approach (see chapter 5) to relax the entire muscle structure and increase circulation in that particular area.

The knowledge of these myofascial massage release techniques is a
great addition to your massage skills.Your awareness of the myofascial system and how to work with it will become very important in
helping you realign the fascial system and the muscular systems.

For more in-depth information on myofascial massage, consult the
author’s work, Equine Myofascial Massage, Foundation Course.

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EQUINE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR

JOINT DYSFUNCTION

SYNDROME (ETDS)

“Equine TMJ problem” is a word combination that usually gets a strong response from people, usually a worried one. Due to the importance of good contact at the bit, for the hands of the rider to delicately direct the horse, a healthy temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is important for the proper performance of the equine athlete.Also, being part of the mastication (chewing) apparatus of the horse, a good TMJ is vital for his good health. Poor performance of the TMJ will result in poor mastication and absorption of foods and their nutrients, which often lead to digestive complications.

Massage treatment for the Equine Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome (ETDS) works in harmony with the horse as a noninvasive approach that assesses the muscle tone and stiffness, finds imbalances, and helps correct these imbalances. Early detection helps you maximize your animal’s well-being, as well as save on recovery time, not to mention save money.

The temporomandibular condition is characterized by pain and/or dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint with associated pain or discomfort around the ear, teeth, or other referred areas of the head, and with masticatory muscle tenderness, possible clicking noises in the TMJ when moving the mandible, and/or limited range of motion of the jaw. ETDS affects the horse’s joint of the jaw and of the cranium, in a unilateral (one-sided), or bilat-eral (both sides) way.

The human TMJ condition is a very well-known, well-docu-mented, and well-treated condition. Due to the comparable physiology with the horse, all human research on this condition has helped the management of Equine TMJ Dysfunction Syndrome to come a long way. As much as this TMJ condition is seen more rarely with horses than with humans, it usually is more severe for the horse.This is due to the fact that the lower, horizontal portion
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