Page 91 - BSR 2022

EQUINE HEALTH
The overlapping tape tails exert a multi- directional pull in the soft tissues every time the horse moves to encourage opening and closing of lymph vessels.
exercise. It can be used in conjunction with heat, cold therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment and during workouts but should not be used in infected areas or areas with tumors or directly over open or healing wounds. Deep vein thrombosis should also not be taped.
Kinesiotape comes in several colors. They
Kinesiology tape is different from standing wraps, fleece wraps, first aid tape, vet wrap or other tapes or braces as it does not restrict range of motion but still provides stability and support.
tape with your hand. Typically, the tape can be left on a horse for up to five days if it’s not beginning to peel, though it won’t have as much recoil after the first day or two and isn’t as effective.
Don’t apply tape if the horse is dirty or shedding. Remove all loose hair and then use rubbing alcohol to clean the area before
Tape is useful for functional correction to assist or restrict a motion by changing the brain’s perception of the joint’s position through increased tension at the skin or joint capsule.
opening and closing of lymph vessels that gather fluid outside the vessels, between the cells. It also pulls and guides exudates through the superficial tissues to less congested areas. This reduction in fluid reduces edema and pain. The tape works
as a massaging pump, moving exudate out of the area and allowing more interstitial fluid to fill the collecting vessels and in turn be moved up the
are the same, except that the darker colors (red, black) absorb more sunlight and increase skin temperature under the tape if heat is a desired part of the treatment. If inflammation is present, a cooler color can be used, though the color doesn’t have as much effect on horses as it might on humans due to the insulating effect of the horse’s hair coat.
If you want to decrease swelling, it should be applied differently than if you want to support a joint or muscle. The stickiness and stretchiness of the tape allows the hair to be lifted, which helps bring more circulation
to that area. The stretch in the tape is to accommodate range of motion; not for wrapping tightly against the skin. You always need to be careful to not tape a horse tightly, since this may irritate the skin, and because horses have an extra muscle (a thin sheet called the panniculus) which allows them to wiggle the skin to get rid of flies. Don’t wrap tape all the way around a leg. There should always be a gap to avoid cutting off circulation.
Once the tape is applied to the horse, the adhesive must be activated by rubbing the
applying tape. The tape sticks best to clean, clipped horses. Before you apply tape, clean the area and make sure the hair lies flat if it’s not been clipped. If dirt or foreign matter gets under the tape, it can be irritating
and cause sores. Some people recommend applying a polo wrap or support wrap over the tape to protect it.
TREATMENT GOALS
The most common reasons for taping a horse include issues with circulation, fascia, ligaments or tendons, scar tissue, etc. For circulatory/ lymphatic issues, taping is aimed at enhancing fluid and blood flow between tissue layers, reducing edema, and lowering the temperature of the inflamed tissue, as well as reducing
pain. The tape is applied to swollen areas as overlapping fan strips.
The tape creates areas of decreased pressure that act as channels to direct the flow of exudates and extracellular fluid towards lymphatic ducts, facilitating removal. The overlapping tape tails exert a multi-directional pull in the soft tissues every time the horse moves. This encourages
lymphatic ducts and back into the blood stream. Proper taping can also reduce tension or
adhesions between and within the fascia layers that are limiting motion. The tape is applied with zones of varying tension to create convolutions that stimulate, via the skin and tape motion, a micro-massage effect on the fascial tissue. The depth and severity of an adhesion may be targeted by changing the direction and force of the convolutions by applying differing tape widths with high or low pressure or tension.
Fascia is the dense connective tissue covering that separates muscle bodies and provides mechanical support and framework to other tissues. The mechanical tension generated by muscle activity is transmitted through the fascia as proprioceptive stimuli to the brain. It tells the body where its parts are without having to see them in order to regulate posture and movement. Fascia is comprised of connective tissue in a lattice pattern but also contains elastic fibers and contractile cells. Superficial fascia under the skin extends all over the body.
Deep fascia is the envelope covering each muscle. Every muscle fiber is wrapped with fascia,
SPEEDHORSE 89