The importance of the horse's skin from and Equine Massage Therapists perspective

Today I wanted to share a little about the horse’s skin and some of the reasons it is important to me as an Equine Massage Therapist.

The skin can tell me a lot about your horse. I will consider several factors when treating including:

▪️Look

▪️Pliability

▪️Texture

▪️Temperature

▪️Thickness

▪️Hair Damage

▪️Scar Tissue

▪️Swelling

▪️Look▪️

The first thing I will do when I see your horse and while I am getting a bit of background from you on them is look at the appearance of their skin

Your horse’s skin (and hair coverage) should look smooth and shiny

A dull coat can be an indicator of poor physical and/or mental health

▪️Pliability▪️

Once I get my hands on your horse I will then be able to assess the pliability of the skin

Your horse’s skin should be elastic (in some areas more than others)

If your horse’s skin does not quickly spring back into shape when stretched this could be a sign of dehydration

▪️Texture▪️

Your horse’s skin should also feel smooth, and not too dry or too greasy

Skin that is too dry or too greasy can be a sign of ill health or an imbalance in your horse’s diet

▪️Temperature▪️

Your horse’s skin should feel slightly warm

Cold skin can be a sign of a Trigger Point in the muscle beneath the skin and a lack of circulation to that area

Hot skin can be a sign of inflammation due to injury or infection

▪️Thickness▪️

Some horses have naturally thinner or thicker skin depending on their breed or type

However thickening of the skin can be a sign of dermatitis or previous mite damage

▪️Hair damage▪️

This is a big one for me as it can tell me a lot I often see damage to the hair on the lower back for example from a poorly fitting saddle causing the saddle pad to move from side to side breaking the hairs A sure sign that the horse I am about to treat will have some tension in that region

I also often see ‘bald’ patches caused from rugs rubbing shoulders, withers and hip bones, and have to take into account that the horse may not want me to touch them there if the skin is sore

White hairs are also something I look out for as these are usually the result of previous skin damage usually from poorly fitting equipment including headcollars, saddles and harnesses or poor use of spurs

▪️Scar Tissue▪️

White hairs do not always have underlying scar tissue but sometimes do I also look for any other scar tissue including the castration scar on geldings (see more in previous posts) as scar tissue can be very restricting for the horse’s body so it is important to identify this and see if it is something that I can work on

▪️Swelling▪️

Usually swelling is a contraindication to massage, therefore it is important for me to identify any swelling of the skin, what the cause may be and if it is appropriate for me to continue with treatment

Some swelling such as edema (see more in previous posts) responds very well to massage, however if the swelling is due to an infection for example it would not be appropriate for me to treat the horse

🔺So I hope this gives you an insight into how important the horse’s skin is to me from an Equine Massage Therapist’s perspective 🙂

If you would like to find out more about what I do or you would like to book a treatment for your horse please visit my website www.jessicalimpkin.co.uk or contact me via Facebook or WhatsApp 07557008161 📲