That Tight Back… What Are Our Hands Actually Telling Us?

Which is why I never want students to simply run their hands down a horse's back and announce: “Yep, that's tight.”

I want to know why they think it's tight. What did it feel like? Was it the same on both sides? Was there a specific area that felt different? Did the horse respond? And does what you're feeling match what you've already observed about that horse?

 That's where palpation starts becoming a skill rather than simply touching a muscle.

Olivia's tip: stop searching for “knots”

One of the things I often tell students at Wolds is:

Don't go looking for something wrong. Learn what normal feels like first.

Good, healthy muscle shouldn't necessarily feel like soft jelly. Different horses, different muscles and different levels of fitness will naturally feel different. Instead, start noticing changes. Run your hands slowly through the back. Does the tissue feel reasonably yielding underneath your fingers? Does one section suddenly feel firmer? Does the horse dip away from pressure? Do you feel a distinct tauter band? Does the horse suddenly turn to look at you when they hadn't cared about the previous ten passes?

Those little changes are information.

Interestingly, recent research examining the equine thoracolumbar region has also identified findings such as taut bands, hypersensitive areas, responses to palpation and restricted movement when investigating myofascial pain. So those hands really do matter.

Don't forget left versus right

Here's another really simple one you can try with your own horse.

Compare sides.

I think we sometimes become so focused on finding the tight bit that we forget we have a brilliant comparison standing right next to it! Palpate the same area on the left. Then the right. Don't rush. You're looking for differences in tissue quality, tone and response rather than trying to diagnose something with your fingertips. This is something we repeatedly practise with Wolds students because the more horses you palpate, the more useful your hands become. There really isn't a shortcut for experience.

And watch the WHOLE horse

This is probably my biggest tip.
If you're palpating the back, don't stare exclusively at your fingers.

Watch the horse.

An ear changing position.

The head turning.

A slight dip.

The tail moving.

A change in breathing.

Moving away from you.

Or sometimes absolutely nothing at all!

They're all pieces of information.

And please remember that a lick or a yawn doesn't automatically prove that you've just performed some magical release either. Look at the whole picture and the context in which the response happened.

The quieter we become with our hands, the more we often start noticing.

The important bit…

A tight or reactive back doesn't automatically mean “the horse needs its back massaging harder.”

Muscular tension can be part of a much bigger picture.

Workload, saddle fit, rider influence, fatigue, compensation, altered movement and underlying musculoskeletal discomfort can all potentially contribute to what we're feeling. If a horse is repeatedly sore, significantly reactive, showing a change in performance or displaying lameness or other concerning symptoms, that's when we need to stop thinking purely about massage and consider whether veterinary assessment is required.

Good bodywork isn't about chasing soreness.

It's about asking why it might be there.

Try this next time you take the saddle off

Before you automatically rug up and walk away, give yourself two minutes. Gently run your hands over both sides of your horse's back. Don't try to treat anything. Don't try to diagnose anything.

Just feel.

What's normal for your horse?

Do that regularly and you'll start building your own little mental map. And that's exactly what I want our Wolds students to develop throughout their training. Not hands that are constantly searching for a problem.

Educated hands that notice when something has changed.

Because after all these years of treating and teaching, I still think one of the most useful pieces of equipment an equine massage therapist owns is the thing we started with…

Our hands.