24/05/2026
I had an interesting conversation today, when I was asked “ You just massage skin don’t you? Well it’s a little more complicated than that I explained….. Fascial tissue can become restricted as result of trauma or inflammation. As it restricts, the fascia begins to change. The elastin component is overstretched and loses its resilience. Collagen can become too dense and fibrous, while the ground substance within the fascial system begins to dehydrate and harden, which places enormous pressure on the surrounding structures. Since fascia is a single system, the pulling caused by restriction begins to affect remote areas of the body, which can lead to numbness or pain from nerves being stretched or compressed from decreased blood flow, decreased strength and an altered structural alignment
Your equines structural alignment can be altered by fascial restrictions. This can lead to difficulties maintaining a gait, a loss of power, or lack of flexibility. Fascial restrictions also commonly create lameness, pain, behavioral changes and fatigue. Myofascial release can help prevent and treat all these issues, while regular treatments can help your horse stay healthier and recover from injury faster.
I treated a pony only the other day that had uneven nostrils and one eye set further back than the other. The pony was throwing its head up when asked for a canter transition. After assessment the pony had little to no movement in fascia over the entire hindquarters and the skin was very cool to touch. Myofascial Release and a Cranial Sacral treatment brought back balance to eyes and nostrils, and blood flow to the restricted areas. The pony no longer has difficulty on a canter lead 🙏
