Understanding the Trigger Point Therapy for Horses

1. Understanding the Trigger Point Therapy for Horses Today, we are going to discuss with you everything about Trigger Point Therapy, a hands-on massage technique that is used since ancient times for humans, canines, and even horses. If you are a horse breeder, and are looking for ways in which you can improve the health of your horse, this is something that you should consider. Here, in this piece of article, we are going to share with you everything about Trigger Point Therapy for horses. What is Trigger Point Therapy? Understanding the concept! Before we start talking about trigger point therapy it is important that you first understand what trigger point is. A trigger point is a combination of lactic acid build-up and motor nerve ending irritation. This is mostly in the fleshy part of the muscle. In simple words, a trigger point is a place that put pressure on tends to send the pain signal to the brain. It can be found in any muscle of the horse body and is mostly caused due to excessive exertion. Some other causes of trigger points are - nervous stress, restlessness, and even boredom. How is Trigger Point Therapy Conducted?

2. The first step in trigger point therapy is to warm up the area and loosen it up by massaging. Re- member when you are warming up the muscle, you have to use only light pressure on the area and not directly over the trigger point. This pressure needs to be held until your muscle relaxes. You can apply the pressure using your fingertips, thumb, or even elbow. Usually, it takes around 3 minutes to release the stress from the area. Once the trigger point is relieved, further massage techniques can be used to improve the flexibility & health of the horse. Now that we know the process of trigger therapy, let’s discuss the benefits of trigger point thera- py. Benefits of Trigger Point Therapy There are several different benefits of giving trigger point therapy to your horse. Some of these benefits are what we are going to list here - Improved Flexibility - The first benefit of giving trigger point therapy is to improve flexibility. Usually, pain or sore muscles tend to reduce flexibility. Thanks to trigger point therapy, you can witness a huge improvement in muscle flexibility and even overall range of motion. Better Blood Circulation - Another benefit of trigger point therapy is the improvement in blood circulation in horses. With trigger point therapy, you can actually see how blood circulation can improve the overall health of the horse. Improved Posture - Usually sore muscles tend to restrict the motion, affecting posture drastically. With the help of trigger point therapy, you can improve the posture of horses by easing tension in the muscles. These are some of the prominent reasons why you should consider giving trigger point therapy to your horses. Sore, tight muscles can become a huge challenge in horses. This is why it is im- portant that you take immediate action when you witness any such problem in your horse.