Scar tissue restrictions in your horse - find out more.....

Today I visited a horse that has been showing signs of discomfort following the castration procedure 😔

I have written before about the importance of having your bodyworker check the gelding scar on your horse (if they are a gelding) particularly if they are not as free moving as you think they should be, as among other issues that could be causing this problem, this one is more common than you might think, but not often diagnosed.

See my blog for more info: https://www.jessicalimpkin.co.uk/jessica-limpkin-equine-massage-blog/could-your-gelding-be-restricted?rq=gelding

▪️As a soft tissue therapist that works mainly with my hands I am only able to work on the superficial structures.

▪️Scarring from any type of invasive surgical procedure is not only going to be superficial, there will inevitably be damage to deeper internal structures.

▪️When there is damage to the skin, fascia, muscles, tendons or ligaments the body’s inflammatory response kicks in, in order to heal the area

▪️This brings new healthy cells to the area including some collagen cells.

▪️During this process some of these collagen cells are lay down in a random pattern instead of laying down in a linear structure as they would be in the original tissue.

▪️These random patterns of collagen are less flexible and have a different structure to the original tissue and are what we call scar tissue.

▫️However scar tissue is not inherently permanent. It is possible for scar tissue to be ‘remodeled’ ▫️Massage and fascia work can assist in gradually loosening adhesions / clumps of abnormal cells, remodeling them to become more like healthy tissue.

▫️And because all of the body’s structures are connected by a complete web of fascia, working on the superficial structures alone will also be having a profound effect on underlying deep structures that we are unable to touch and palpate with our hands.

▫️When working on a horse with scar tissue I will not only work on the area of the damaged tissue but on the whole body.

▫️This is because when the web of fascia is restricted in one area, compensation patterns and further restrictions will become apparent in other areas of the body.

▫️It is also true that horses are masters of compensation. So not every horse will have the same pattern of restrictions as the next.

▫️Therefore, it is key that I work on the whole horse to identify their individual compensation pattern and then be able to assist in releasing the restrictions and re-training the body back to a more symmetrical and less restricted stance and way of going.

▫️My hands are a modality to facilitate blood flow to targeted areas of your horse in order to promote the natural healing and cell remodelling process.

▫️It’s the horse’s body that does the real work, we just have to know how to know how encourage it 🙂

Jess | Jessica Limpkin Equine Massage Therapy