What are the signs of muscular discomfort?

If your horse is suffering from muscular spasm or tightness he may show one or several of the following symptoms:

• An uncharacteristic reluctance to work
• Stiffness on one side, inability to flex or bend to one side or both
• Consistently striking off on the wrong lead/leg
• Reluctance to stretch out and work in head and neck
• Bad temper at being tacked up or change in temperament
• Atrophy or hypertrophy (muscle wastage or over development)
• Unable to track up either one or both sides or not moving straight
• Horse stops jumping or uncharacteristically puts refusals in
• Rushing fences, flattening and not basculing properly
• Holding or tilting head to one side
• Affected appetite/change in water intake

Sports Massage Therapy can help with all of the above symptoms when there is an underlying muscular cause.  A horse not displaying any of these can still benefit greatly from sports massage therapy by being kept supple, relaxed, working efficiently and thus reducing the risk of potential injury.