| Sixty percent of a horse’s body weight is muscle. Muscles are never idle and ordinarily respond to stress or injury by hypercontraction. This results in unnecessary stress and damage to an opposing muscle or joint. If one set of muscles is tight, the horse will compensate by tensing up and overworking an alternate muscle group.
The goal of equine sports massage is to free restrictions and provide comfort from these tight, sore muscles through the use of specific hands-on techniques, thereby enhancing the overall comfort and athletic performance of the horse.
The following behaviors may indicate tight, sore muscles or muscle spasms:
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