Something new for your tool kit!

In mid-October, my horse, Simon, strained the check ligament in his left fore-leg.  (This ligament is also known as the accessory ligament of the deep flexor tendon.  It "checks" the amount of flexion of the deep flexor tendon.  The check ligament is an important part of the stay apparatus, which allows the horse to sleep while standing.)  A couple of weeks of cold-hosing and stall rest, in tandem with NSAIDS, leg wraps, and of course, massage, and he was ready to begin limited turnout and finally go back to work.  Except it wasn’t so easy.

One of the side effects of his stall rest and limited mobility has been a stubborn stiffness and tightness, mainly in his shoulders. This is not surprising, as Simon is a big guy, and taking one of his forelegs out of the equation has put a lot of strain on the rest of his body, especially in this case his right foreleg and shoulder. This has manifested itself by a reluctance on Simon’s part to engage in any kind of lateral movement with his forehand; instead of crossing over nicely with his front legs, he has been taking little shuffling steps to the side, and has been noticeably stiff and tight when leaving his stall in the morning.  

What’s a massage therapist to do?  Let me introduce you to my very good friend, “Equine Acupressure:  A Working Manual”, by Nancy Zidonis, Amy Snow, and Marie Soderberg.  I LOVE this book.  It is a very well-done, complete resource for the horse owner.  I believe that massage works and feels so good, in part because the massage therapist may be manipulating acupressure points as she works, freeing up and stimulating the flow of Chi and energy along the meridians.  Flipping through the book to find an answer to Simon’s predicament, I came across the pages on treating shoulder soreness, and bingo! One treatment later, he was greatly improved.  

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  Treat your horse (and yourself!) to this great addition to your equine library.  You’ll be glad you did, and so will your horse.