Muscular Stress Points and your horse

Stress points 🔴

Most horses will experience muscle tightness or micospasms at some time in their lives, resulting in reduced muscle action 👎🏻

There are some common sites on the body that these microspasms occur.

These points are called Stress Points 🔴

If a stress point is not inflamed, it is called a DORMANT stress point 🟠

If a stress point is inflamed, it called an ACTIVE stress point (these will be more tender) 🥺

How is a stress point formed?

Stress points form as a result of muscular stress, causing micro-tearing of the muscle fibres.
Causes can be mechanical such as:

▪️Heavy training
▪️Repetitive actions
▪️Weight overload
▪️Strenuous effort

Or as a result of trauma such as:

🔸A kick
🔸A bump
🔸A fall
🔸As a result of overstretching

Stress points can also form due to compensatory action.
(For example, a horse with a sore knee may develop compensatory stress points in the shoulder muscles, neck and back) 😬

Stress points can also form where there is chronic pain from an old injury or chronic condition such as arthritis or rheumatism 😖

What does a stress point feel like?

A stress point feels like a small spot of hardened, rigid tissue 🔴
It might be slightly swollen and will feel tender to the horse when touched 🥺
Sometimes you may also be able to feel a tight line of muscle fibres across the muscle associated with the stress point 👎🏻

How do I know if my horse has a stress point?

Applying pressure to a DORMANT stress point will cause a skin-twitching reaction 😕
Applying pressure to an ACTIVE (inflamed), stress point may cause the following reactions:

🔹Excessive skin twitching
🔹Flinching
🔹Dipping or pulling away from the pressure

How can Equine Massage treatments help relieve stress points for your horse?

When treating your horse, I will often identify stress points that you may not have been aware of yourself 🧐

If inflammation is present I will need to work very lightly, progressing gently into deeper massage over a few sessions 💆‍♀️

In the early stages of releasing the stress point I will often use Phototonic Red Light Therapy as well as topically applying essential oils which have anti inflammatory properties 😌

If the stress point is not inflamed I may use heat to help loosen the muscle fibres before working on them 🔥

Regular massage treatments is key to keeping your horse’s musculoskeletal system in tip top condition, which will help prevent stress points from developing ✅

Horses with arthritic deterioration in leg joints will often have muscle tension due to the pain 😢
This muscle tension will then trigger more arthritic degeneration in the joints 🔁
Massage can help break this cycle of muscle tension and stress point buildup as well as relieving pain and stiffness in the associated muscles 👍🏻👍🏻

If you think your horse may be experiencing muscular stress points and you would like to book them in for a treatment please do get in touch 📲

(Image from Pinterest)