..."I am a massage therapist and one of my clients has asked me if I could massage her mare who has bad sinus problems."...

Do you think it would help? Thanks

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Yvette,

Greetings!

Do I think it would help? No. Sinus problems usually are a systemic problem and should be treated by either a veterinarian or a skill homeopathic doctor. Occasionally a nerve impingement in the cervical spine can cause sinus and throat problems and chiropractic can take the pressure

off the nerves related to those areas and bring about relief. Massage is most suitable for the soft tissues of the body to restore resiliency in the fascia, muscles, tendons and some influence on the ligaments which realigns the structure to a more efficient and balanced condition. While it cannot

hurt and will probably help with some of the stress in the soft tissues and nerve impulses of having sinus pain, the underlying issue still needs to be resolved by internal medicine.

I hope this helps you.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson

..."What kind of pad do you recommend I use?"

Hi!

My horse has really high withers and I can tell that it makes her back sore when I ride. I've switched between pads that I have at home but none seem to help. What kind of pad do you recommend I use?

Thanks!

Katlin

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Greetings, Katlin,

I am assuming that you are riding a western saddle and are therefore looking to find a western pad that will help take the strain off the withers. Working with saddle fit issues and horses with high withers is always a challenge. First check your saddle fit because if it has a problem in the

withers no amount of padding will ever relieve strain, it will just make your saddle fit higher off your horses back and create problems in other areas of the body. There should always be 3 fingers between the gullet and the horses withers so that when your weight is added to the saddle it doesn't get pushed down on top of the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae which can cause nerve impingement and ultimately nerve damage to that area. So first check the gullet of the saddle while the saddle is on your horse's back without a pad. Next run your fingers under the entire length of the saddle bars on each side and make sure that they are in complete contact with yours horses back. If not, then you would have a problem called bridging. The bars are designed to distribute the weight the entire length of the saddle but with bridging your weight is coming down on only 4 points...one on each side of the withers and one point on both sides

of the back. Rarely can bridging be alleviated with padding. The next place to look is the front and lower ends of the bars. If they are too narrow for your horse then the weight is being pushed down on the muscles right behind and slightly above the shoulder blades. If the saddle is too wide the weight in sitting on the tops of the wither bones. Any misfits in these areas are very difficult to remedy with padding. My point is this. If your saddle does not fit your horse you may want to consider finding a more suitable saddle that fits a high withered horse. Yes, they do make them. If you have trouble determining if your saddle fits, try to find someone in your area that has that expertise. It will make all the difference in the world to your horse and his ability to perform.

I hope this helps you find the culprit of the soreness.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson

"his C1 and C2 vertebrae are locked and have been for years..."

Hello! Just this past week I found out through have a chiro/message therapist out to look at my TB gelding that his C1 and C2 vertebrae are locked and have been for years, before I even bought him, and that is the root to his short/choppy movement and his inability to properly create impulsion, collect, get under himself, and lengthen his strides. Since it has been like this for such a long period of time it has caused almost every major muscle except two to be in some sort of pain or discomfort. I have no doubt that this work can help him and he gets his first session very soon, but I was also told he has arthritis his hocks and his ankles (a mild case I believe) and 2 vets both recommended injections. I am curious though if the chiro/message work will help his arthritis or no??

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Britt,

Thank you for your question. Many times when joints do not sit properly in their correct position due to a trauma (pulling back while tied can be as devastating to a horse's neck as whip lash is to a humans) it will cause the muscles to pull unequally on those joints. While this type of scenario is going on it does affect the muscles throughout the entire structure and ultimately cause wear and tear on the joints that are the most vulnerable because they are designed to move. Many times this unequal pull eventually begins to pull the joint capsule closer together which sets up an irritation in the cartilage of the joints. This in turn will sometimes make the bones calcify in order to reinforce the uneven pressure to the weakened area. It is actually the body working hard to make the system stronger where there is stress. The leg joints seem to always take the brunt of the pressure and stress since they are the force that propels the body through gravity.

Can regular chiropractic for the joints and massage for the soft tissues relieve or reverse the arthritis? I cannot say yes for sure since calcification in the joints is the body's last resort to unnatural stresses. It will however, help him move more freely with less discomfort and restore the range of motion in the healthy joints by resetting an equal pull of muscle power on those joints. If the muscles are then asked to pull with equal force on all sides of the joints then it might keep the joint problem from getting worse. If this were my horse I would have him on a regular chiropractic and massage schedule. You might be surprised at how well your horse will respond to regular bodywork just in terms of strength, stamina and suppleness and then wait to see what happens with the joints.

I hope this answers your question and I wish I could definitely say yes it will help.... but sometimes our bodies seem to have a mind of their own and a time schedule that defies all logic. Time is the best or worst friend of joints because bone takes time to change, restore and reset. And we cannot always guess which way the body will take us.

Take care and good luck to you and your partner.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson

"While he was so unsound and uncomfortable he threw his right hip and left shoulder out..."

Hi Sara-
I own a 12-year-old TB Gelding and have been having some soundness issues with him. About two months ago my farrier made a mistake and cut his frogs to short causing him to bruise very badly. While he was so unsound and uncomfortable he threw his right hip and left shoulder out. I had him taken to the Chiropractor and after that he was much better. After I thought I had had the hoof issue resolved he went lame again? I had him taken to the Chiropractor again and then I had his shoes reset. He was still very lame but it was mostly in his left hind this time. My question is, we just had a really horrible rainstorm so we decided to put him in a stall to keep his feet dry. I put his winter blanket back on him to keep his muscles warm and every day I rub him down with a Liniment. I was told that massaging his hip where he is sore with the Liniment would help a lot! What is your opinion and if you think that will work do you have a reference that could teach me how to do it properly? Thank you so much!

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Sage,

Thank you for your question. I have been thinking about this and the only thing that I can come up with is that the other shoulder might not have the full extension it should have which could make the right front look over exaggerated. But that also could be an obvious and or wrong conclusion.
Without watching this horse move I really have no way of knowing which leg has the anomaly. If she is not lame that is a really good thing.

There are other things that you can look at to retrieve more clues to how she moves. From an overhead view, is the very center of her spine in a straight line from poll to tail? (Stand at the tail and look to the poll) If there is a side-to-side deviation of that line around the shoulder area then there is something misaligned. Also you can look at her ribcage as she moves and see if the right and the left side have the same quality of movement.
In other words does it swing equally from side to side and do the muscles along the ribcage have the same quality of movement. If one side seems to be stuck and lacks movement, then there is a muscle pull in the ribcage, which affects the withers which affects the attachment of the shoulder thereby changing the range of motion in that joint. When looking at your horse from the front and she is standing square are the pectoral muscles equal in size, does she stand with 50% of her weight on each leg or does she tend to weight one leg more than the other? Is her neck on her body straight? These seem like such obvious things but when you start looking in great detail even the smallest offset can cause a large deviation from straightness, symmetry and rhythm.

I would recommend finding an experienced massage therapist in your area and have her work on both shoulders to free them up from the rib cage and see if it increases the range of motion in the left front or perhaps evens out the motion in both front legs. Keep looking for clues to see if you can get her moving more precise correctness.

I hope this helps. Wish I could see her move because I am sure I could learn something new. No two horses are ever alike.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson, EMT, CMT

"Today, and ever since that day, she continues to carry that leg higher than the rest..."

Hello,
I have a six-year-old Arab/Quarter/Tennessee Walker mare. I was on a 50mile endurance race, when my partner noticed that she lifted her right front leg abnormally higher than the rest of her legs. She, however, was not lame. After the vet looked on the ride he gave her an "ok" to go. I came to this conclusion after I had my shoer look at her legs, and I stopped riding her for 5 months - treated her like she was lame-although she was not lame. Today, and ever since that day, she continues to carry that leg higher than the rest. No one can give me any ideas or even state what might be wrong with her. Could it just be the way she carries herself? A gait? Thanks a lot!

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Greetings! Where do I start with this one? It sounds to me like he strained a groin muscle somehow and that it is going to take some time for the tissues to heal and the tenderness to subside. Liniment will help pull blood to that area which will certainly help the healing process but it will no necessarily speed it up. Damaged tissues have their own time line for healing and there is no magic that can speed up that process but it can offer more nutrients to rebuild them more efficiently.

Just rubbing a muscle does nothing to put it back into good working condition. Many factors come into play when a muscle has been strained...such as which direction was the pull? How much torque? What other muscles did the strain affect? How tight is the stress knot in the body of the muscles and was the fascia damaged? Many believe you can rub a muscle in this direction for this long with this much pressure and it will fix it.
Nothing could be further from the truth. While a good rub down never hurts and in fact is great for bonding with your partner, to fix the problems requires well trained and experienced hands to help those stained areas reset themselves back to their original position. Find a reputable therapist in your area that can assess the muscles in the hind limb, lumbar-sacral area as well as the dock of the tail. The pelvis muscles will also require experienced hands to make sure they are working with symmetry.
Many factors have come into play to get your horse in this condition and it will take some work to unwind all the pieces. Be patient and be picky about choosing someone to help you. Remember the "no pain, no gain theory" is just plain wrong because you cannot damage tissue to fix tissue and horses bruise just as easily as people. And they hate it just as much as we do! Find a therapist who knows how to gently unwind the muscle damage pattern.

If you tell me where you are I might have a student in your area.
I hope this helps you and your horse.
Sincerely,

Sara Stenson, CEMT, CNMT, CMT

"I have heard and read that massage can help reduce scar tissue and help free up any tightness?"

I am looking at buying the horse of my dreams; he is 4 years old and had check ligament surgery for a clubfoot as a yearling. When the farm started breaking him they noticed that he was an amazing free jumper and continued to push him higher and higher. He was coming up sore and has a large amount of scar tissue from the surgery. They have basically put him on stall rest and Butte for almost a year. He is not lame. The scar tissue is noticeable (about 2 inches); he does not show a signs of being lame. The farm where he is believes that if stall rest and meds are the solution and if the horse does not heal 100% and is not 'perfect' then no further training is used. I ride Dressage and was wondering if you thought that with restricted turnout for several months, hand walking, massage and lots of love, I would have a chance to ride him? I have heard and read that massage can help reduce scar tissue and help free up any tightness? I know it's hard for you to know for sure, but any advice would be appreciated.

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Dee,

Greetings! I do not have much experience with horses that have had check Ligament surgery. First of all I would look at the hoof and make sure that it is in good condition to hold up to dressage riding. But I would think that dressage would be easier on that leg than landing a jump. I do have more experience understanding scar tissue, however. What I like to do with scar tissue is minimize it effects on the rest of the structure by breaking up the restrictions and softening the soft tissues surrounding the scarring. Although scar tissue will never completely go away because the muscle and connective tissue called fascia have been severed, the excess fibers that the body lays down in order to support the traumatized area can often times be softened and reduced. On the leg the excess tissue that forms from scarring needs to be loosened away from the bone and softened so that its effects on the bone and nearby joints are not limiting the movement or creating a misalignment of the joints. That will take some skillful hands. As for stall rest. Since it is scar tissue, the healing has taken place and further stall rest will not reduce scar tissue. Movement is one of the best ways to keep the bones strong and to help break up restricted movement. I think that a really skillful massage therapist could minimize the scar tissue and get the muscles and tendons moving again so that the leg will stay strong and healthy. If all is healed as you say, then I think riding him would also be helpful to get things moving again and slowly start getting the muscles built back up to working capacity. Atrophy of muscles from too much stall rest can be just as detrimental to the health of a horse as too much work. Atrophy will cause the horse to lean on joints with too much pressure because there is not enough muscle strength to hold the body in proper position. I know it is taking a chance on future lameness to buy a horse that has had this surgery but skill massage therapy can help the horse stay healthy and keep the muscles working efficiently. And last but not least is the power of love and attention. It is truly amazing what can happen when one cares enough to take good care. This could be a very lucky horse!

I hope it works out for the two of you.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson, EMT, CMT

"I have an equine spine/vertebrae question...?"

Hello, I have an equine spine/vertebrae question for you - can horses' vertebrae actually be adjusted simply by an equine chiropractor pressing on them?

I have a bad back and have done a lot of research into various types of treatments and therapies. While reading a book by the most respected back doctor in Canada, I found out that human vertebra cannot be "popped back into place" like a lot of chiropractors claim. The book explained that even when a surgeon has cut open a back to operate, he can barely move the vertebrae with his tools - let alone putting them back into place through inches of skin and muscle like a chiropractor says he can do through adjustments.

So my question is: how do horses' vertebrae work and would my knowledge of the human spine apply to horses and their spines meaning chiropractic treatment is just a pain management therapy as opposed to treatment to fix the problem (as it is in humans).

Thank you so much.
Laura

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Laura,

I wish I could answer a chiropractic question such as your with knowledge and skill, however, since I am not a chiropractor I will not go into detail about he workings of the bones and joints. It is not my area of expertise. Here is what I know from experience. I work very directly with a couple of very well versed, trained and experienced human chiropractors that use their skills on animals and have for many years. If it were not for their treatments on some of the animals that I also treat, these horses would not be able to do their jobs without pain. How it works, I don't know. Have I seen results for the betterment and comfort of those horses? Yes! I know the profession of chiropractics has been surrounded by controversy for many years, but that doesn't mean it has no value. I know it works for me and I know first hand that it has helped many of my horse clients as well as my own horses. So, if it works for you then by all means use it. Always make sure the person is well trained and has a solid track record and reputation.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson, CMT, CNMT, EMT
Prairie Winds, Inc.

"I have a 1 1/2 year old quarter colt who must have gotten cast in his stall..."

I have a 1 1/2 year old quarter colt who must have gotten cast in his stall because now it takes him along time to get up and he sits like a dog and can't use his hind legs to get up fast. I have been rubbing on the top of the croup area and hips and he seems to enjoy that. What can you suggest? He doesn't travel off it is just when he gets up.

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Betsy,
Greetings. It sounds like your colt injured his hindquarters somehow. It could be in the sacrum or the hip joints. I would recommend calling an experienced equine chiropractor in your area to come look at your horse. This person will be able to assess the joints associated with the pelvis and legs. The chiropractor will be able to re-establish proper movement and range of motion back into those joints and relieve any pain caused by the pressure on the joints from pushing up to a standing position. There is an enormous amount of force on the pelvis and hip joints when the horse stands up because he has to lift all his weight with the back legs. Next I would call a reputable massage therapist and have them relax and soften all the muscles in that area, as well as the muscles along the top line so that they can return to their normal working order. All it takes sometimes is one muscle in a spasm to weaken the full use of the remaining muscle structure that creates a certain movement. I hope this helps you with your horse. Sincerely,

Sara Stenson, CMT, CNMT, EMT
Prairie Winds, Inc.

"His Triceps Brachia were atrophied...?"

Hi Sara,
I was wondering if you could tell me a little about the nerves that control the Triceps Brachia. I have a friend whose horse put his foot in a hole when he was 6 mos old. He went dead lame, but with some rehab corrective shoeing, he?s only 90% lame now. He sometimes shows up with it on occasion. However, when I assessed him, his Triceps Brachia were atrophied, and upon palpation of the joint on the inside he had some nerve sensitivity. So after about 2 hours of bodywork the muscle filled out, and he put more weight on it in the trot. Which was great, but I need more information on that nerve and the areas that it affects so I can make sure I get the whole channel and allow it to start doing its job correctly again. Thank you for any information.

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Dear Lindsey,

Thank you for your question. Although the nerve sends the impulse for the motor movement in the leg it may not be the problem of the atrophied muscle. It could be that the muscle itself was damaged and cannot regenerate for some reason or another. If there is indeed nerve damage it might take that nerve a long time to repair the damages but sometimes the nerves cannot repair because of severe damage to it. When I do massage and movement therapy with a horse I don't necessarily work on the nerves themselves but it does affect them indirectly. I instead, work with the soft tissues so that they can repair, relax and rejuvenate themselves. To go into the whole cause and effect of the nerves in the front leg would require a lengthy veterinarian manual. Be that as it may, I think you would get more information of the damages by having a veterinarian in your area assess the problem and then proceed from there. I cannot diagnose nor guess what is going on. I simply would have to look at the leg to make an assessment of the soft tissue problem that the horse is experiencing. However, if you want to truly understand nerves and their effects on motor and sensory input/output of muscle, there are some really good equine anatomy books that you could study and understand the function of the nerve. It is simply too much to put into this forum. If you are an equine massage therapist, keep working with the horse and do the best you can do. Don't expect miracles and look for small improvements.

Good luck to you and the horse with the troubles.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson

"I can't ride him due to sickness...?"

My horse seems to be sore all over. I can't ride him due to sickness, and I can rarely lunge him due to a lot of snow or ice. He loves stretching so what are some stretches that I can do with him, and how can I help his muscles from being so sore?

Sara Stenson's Answer:

Greetings! I think there are several good books written about stretching your horse before and after you ride to increase their range of motion and to soften the muscles before and after riding. Great care has to be taken because you can do soft tissue damage if you stretch the muscle and joint beyond what it can do. I would highly recommend finding someone in your area that teaches a short course on stretching so you really understand how to perform them and to keep from causing injury.

I would recommend also getting a few massages for your horse to make sure that he does not have some muscle and joint restrictions that are causing him to get sore when you work him. This will assure you that his muscles are working properly and are not just creating more tension in the muscle fibers that are already constricted. I would also talk with a reputable trainer so that you know what kind of a daily workout will best suite your horse.

Muscle is built and strengthened through a process of tearing and rebuilding the fibers. They repair and rejuvenate during the sleep cycle. The best workout is to go in a three or four day cycle. Work your horse a bit more when he feels like he can do that, give him a resting or stretching workout the next day, on the third day they can do a bit more. Rest a day in between. To work a horse hard 5 days in a row will make their muscles very sore and create a situation where they may not be able to release excess tension in the muscle or to properly repair the fibers from the workout.
This is a set up for a severe injury because the muscle has lost its elasticity and is vulnerable to tearing. Most importantly "listen" to your horse when he is saying he cannot do what you are asking him to do today.
Perhaps he needs a rest and can do the job tomorrow.

I hope this helps you condition your horse in a way that helps him grow stronger and not weaker.

Sincerely,

Sara Stenson