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Equine Massage Therapy: Pain Relief For Horses With Laminitis — 2 Comments

  1. What can I do naturally to keep the blood flow in my equine's Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon.  He is in his 6th month of rehab and I would like to massage him carefully and correctly to bring the blood flow to the area.  I hydro him a.m. and p.m. and ice him at Noon but it is awfully cold sometimes.  He loves a massage there (the tendon has "set") but I want to make sure I am doing it "right" . . .with my hands. I even thought of getting a hand held massager for people. 

    I would love your advice please.  I am 71 years old and my Jasper is 20 (he is a mule and I love him dearly).  His tear is moderate so he has a "chance" at recovery.  Thank you.  Sharon (in Arizona). 

    • Hi Sharon,

      The hand held massager would not be appropriate for use on the legs.  There isn't enough soft tissue there and it would be like using it on a bone.  Your best bet for leg massage is using the technique described in this article.  I use a lot of cross-fiber friction up and down the leg.  But it's important to remember to address the muscle groups higher up in the leg/arm that attach to that tendon.  Flexing the leg and gently rubbing up and down the tendon is a good technique.  Also cupping your hands around the cannon bone, then gently moving your hands around the tendons and cannon bone, back and forth, slowly working your way down the leg and around the fetlock/pastern down to the top of the hoof.  As long as you have cleared this with your veterinarian first, you might find this additional stretch beneficial – http://www.heavenlygaitsequinemassage.com/front-leg-extension-stretch-horse/.  You might also consider doing the massage using the Ortho Sport Massage Oil, which I think your horse would enjoy and benefit from greatly.  You can learn more about it here (Essenty Websites) and scrolling down the page. 

      Hope this helps 🙂

      Blessings,

      Lisa

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